We all deserve a treat every once in a while-everything in moderation, right? But we have to do it correctly; we don’t want these indulgences to reverse all of our hard work and sweatglisten we put in the gym! A lot of “health nuts” give themselves a cheat meal and/or day throughout the week or on the weekends, but there’s a fine line when that cheat meal becomes an all out binge sesh. Here are a couple of tips to cheating the right way while still sticking to an overall healthy yet decadent lifestyle:
- think of a cheat meal/day as a “special” treat-they only happen once in a while, so savior each and every bite and realize that another cheater will be right around the corner(almost).
- if you cheated earlier in the day, skip that extra serving or piece at the later meals and vice versa. always have a plan!
- don’t forget your workouts! even if you take weekends off, going for a walk or even taking a yoga class is active recovery and may help with feelings of guilt.
- keep in mind that coming back to your diet following your cheat meal/day will be tough. cheeseburgers, mashed potatoes, and pie are a lot more palatable than grilled chicken, brown rice, and steamed broccoli.
- while “cheating” keep scraps, skins, bones, etc. in plain sight. seeing how much you’ve eaten will tell you when enough is enough (if your stomach hasn’t told you yet
). - if liquor and socializing are involved,watch portions. we often get ahead of ourselves when conversation is flowing and drinks are pouring!
As long as you plan you’re cheat meal/day in advanced, you’ll be prepared to do it right. After, you might even be more inclined to get back on track to your regular healthy diet. Some experts believe that eating a cheat meal will keep your metabolism stimulated by eating something you don’t normally eat. Whatever the case may be, allowing these indulgences is perfectly aye-okay by me (as I’m doing it right now with a Gigi’s cupcake in hand) .
.Happy Cheating!
