Planning one meal that doesn’t fit the parameters of healthy eating is a cheat meal. It works by keeping your body burning more calories and controlling your desire to eat certain foods. Cheat meals have limitations. It doesn’t mean you can wipe out the entire dessert bar in one sitting. It does mean you can eat your favorite food, but you must keep portion size in mind.
If your favorite cheat meal is a burger and fries, go for it.
As long as you don’t eat that meal as a regular diet and only once every month or so, you’ll still make progress in getting healthier and losing weight. It will slow your progress, but it also may keep you on track for healthy eating by allowing you to give in to your desires in a planned manner. Avoid cheat meals more than one day a week. As you eat healthier for longer, you may find you no longer crave the food.
What’s your favorite meal?
Cheat meals are just that, cheating on a healthy eating program. No one type of cheat food is better than another. If pancakes with strawberry syrup and whipped cream are your favorites, eat them. The same is true of lasagna, pizza, or fried chicken. You’re not eating it every day if it’s a cheat food, but limiting it to once in a while. If the portion size is two slices of pizza, don’t eat the whole pie.
Plan cheat meals around special occasions.
If you know you’ll be at a family gathering with delicious food on a forbidden list, make that day your day to eat a cheat meal. When you plan it, you don’t feel guilty or start the myth of good food or bad food. There’s just food that is healthier than other types of food. Make sure you enjoy every morsel and savor it. If you’re eating a cheat meal you don’t have to eat it fast because you feel guilty. It’s all part of the program.
- After eating healthy for a while, you’ll be surprised to find that many of the foods you used to love are no longer satisfying. Your body often reacts negatively. While it did that before healthy eating, you didn’t notice the difference because you always felt that way.
- Some studies show that cheat meals can boost your calorie-burning fires. That increase in calories burned is about 10% and can last up to 24 hours.
- You don’t have to use your favorite food as a cheat meal when you find ways to make it healthier.
- You don’t always have to use cheat meals in your dietary program. If you find you love a healthy diet and don’t miss any specific food, just stick with the healthy diet.
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