Having 3 cheat meals per week while following a healthy diet the rest of the time is generally considered acceptable by most nutrition experts. Cheat meals or refeeds can help boost metabolism, replenish glycogen stores, and prevent binges. However, some factors to consider are how large the cheat meals are, how they may impact your goals, and whether you can get right back on track with your regular healthy eating after the cheat meal.
What are cheat meals?
Cheat meals are planned indulgences or “refeeds” that let you enjoy favorite foods that may not fit into your regular diet. For example, someone following a keto or low-carb diet may have a cheat meal with pasta, bread or dessert. People watching calories for weight loss might have a higher calorie cheat meal. The idea is to enjoy the foods you love in moderation rather than feeling deprived and binging later.
Potential benefits of cheat meals
Here are some potential benefits of incorporating occasional cheat meals:
- Boosts metabolism – After following a restricted diet, having a cheat meal can bump up metabolic rate and energy expenditure.
- Replenishes glycogen – Carb loading via a cheat meal can replenish glycogen stores (stored carbs for energy) that get depleted on low-carb diets.
- Prevents binges – Planned cheat meals satisfy cravings and make a diet more sustainable so you don’t binge uncontrollably.
- Provides psychological boost – Cheat meals are a reward to look forward to and can boost motivation to stick to the diet.
Potential downsides of cheat meals
However, there are also some potential downsides to look out for with cheat meals:
- Slows weight loss – Higher calorie/carb intake can slow fat burning and weight loss results.
- Triggers overeating – It’s easy to overdo it and go way overboard on cheat meals.
- Leads to cravings – Cheat meals can trigger more cravings and appetite, making it harder to get back on track.
- Provokes guilt – Some people feel extremely guilty after splurging and abandoning their diet.
How to do cheat meals right
Here are some tips for how to incorporate cheat meals safely without going overboard:
- Stick to your plan – Have a specific day and meal in mind rather than random unplanned cheating.
- Limit to 1 meal – Instead of a whole cheat day, stick to 1 meal for the safest impact.
- Keep it sensible – Have a modest, reasonable splurge rather than going totally overboard.
- Pre-plan for it – Account for the extra calories/carbs in your diet plan that day.
- Hydrate and boost fiber – Drink extra water and eat extra vegetables to help minimize negative impacts.
How many cheat meals per week is OK?
Most experts agree that 1-2 cheat meals per week is acceptable if done sensibly. This allows enough flexibility and freedom without being excessive. Some factors to consider are:
- Your diet – Low carb diets may benefit from carb refeeds but don’t need daily cheat meals.
- Your fitness goals – If maximizing fat loss, limit to 1 cheat meal at most.
- Your body’s response – If you struggle getting back on track, limit to 1 cheat max.
- Your mood and cravings – If cheating triggers overeating or guilt, minimize them.
Listening to your body’s feedback and adjusting accordingly is wise. 3 cheat meals may be OK for some but counterproductive for others. Start with 1-2 and see how you respond.
Should your cheat meals be high carb or high fat?
This depends on the diet you’re following:
- Lower carb diets may benefit from high carb cheat meals to replenish glycogen and boost leptin.
- Lower fat diets can benefit from higher fat and protein cheat meals for satiety.
- If not specifically low-carb or low-fat, either approach can work.
Try out higher carb or higher fat cheat meals and see which gives you more energy, satisfies you more, and causes fewer cravings afterwards. Tailor your cheat meal nutrition profiles to your normal diet.
What are good cheat meal food choices?
Here are some healthier cheat meal options that provide satisfaction without going overboard:
- Pizza with veggie toppings
- Burger and sweet potato fries
- Tacos with avocado
- Protein pancake breakfast
- Pasta with chicken and marinara sauce
- Sushi rolls
- Scoop of ice cream with fruit
Aim for reasonable portions of your indulgent foods along with some nutritious ingredients like veggies, protein, and healthy fats to help minimize negative impacts.
What foods should you avoid for cheat meals?
Here are some common cheat meal choices that tend to cause more harm than good:
- Buffets, endless appetizers, or all you can eat restaurants – too easy to massively overeat.
- Bingeing an entire pizza, pint of ice cream, bag of chips etc – too large a portion.
- Deep fried and heavily processed fast food – high in trans fats and low in nutrition.
- Candy, cookies, cake – pure sugar and refined carbs.
- Going back for seconds and thirds – leads to way overdoing it.
It’s best to avoid options that encourage you to over-indulge. Keep portions reasonable and aim for some nourishing foods along with treats in moderation.
Should you have dessert with every cheat meal?
Having a sweet treat with every cheat meal is not necessary. Some guidelines on dessert:
- If your regular diet completely restricts sugar, dessert at cheat meals may be beneficial.
- If you don’t strictly restrict sugar and carbs, dessert may be overkill.
- Fruit based desserts are a healthier choice than cookies, cake etc.
- Stick to a modest portion like one scoop of ice cream rather than multiple.
Consider your normal diet and if you already satisfy occasional sweet cravings. Enjoy dessert in moderation as part of cheat meals rather than with every one.
Should you have alcohol with cheat meals?
Drinking alcohol is not necessary for successful cheat meals. Here are some tips on booze and cheating:
- Limit alcohol – it’s empty calories and can lead to overeating.
- 1 or 2 drinks max – be cautious not to overdo it.
- Avoid sugary cocktails – stick to wine, beer, spirits.
- Hydrate – have water before, during and after to prevent hangovers.
- Don’t drink on an empty stomach – eat food before/during to slow alcohol absorption.
While you can certainly have drinks in moderation with cheat meals if desired, alcohol is not a required part of cheating. Enjoy responsibly or abstain completely if preferred.
Should you exercise on the days you have cheat meals?
Here are some tips on exercising with cheat meals:
- Do some activity – Light walking can help digestion and stabilize blood sugar.
- Don’t overdo cardio – Extremely high intensity cardio can be counterproductive.
- Lift weights as usual – Strength training helps normalize appetite hormones.
- Consider doing cardio the next day – To counteract cheat meal calories.
- Listen to your body – Reduce exercise intensity if you feel fatigued or sluggish.
The best approach is to do some light activity the day of your cheat meal, while saving more intense sweat sessions for the next day when the indulgence is fully digested.
Should you count calories/macros during cheat meals?
Here are the pros and cons of tracking your cheat meals:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Helps prevent grossly overeating | Can trigger obsessive thoughts and guilt |
| Allows you to fit it into your diet plan | Defeats the purpose of a “cheat” meal |
| Keeps your nutrition tolerances in check | Time consuming and tedious |
Tracking can be helpful for some but damaging for others. Try both approaches and see what works best for you psychologically. No need to meticulously track if it causes distress.
How to get back on track after cheat meals
Here are some tips to smoothly transition back into your regular diet after a cheat meal:
- Hydrate – Drink plenty of water and herbal tea
- Eat clean – Focus on whole foods like veggies, proteins and fats
- Limit carbs – Restrain additional carbs to reset your system
- Supplement fiber – Take psyllium husk or glucomannan capsules
- Workout – Do some activity even just walking to normalize appetite
Planning your next 1-2 meals full of clean nutrition and hydration helps counteract cheat meals and prevent ongoing cravings. Get back on track ASAP.
Potential risks of too many weekly cheat meals
Being overly indulgent with cheat meals can come with the following risks:
- Slowing or stalling weight and fat loss progress
- Increased cravings and appetite making your diet harder to stick to
- Energy crashes and digestive issues from blood sugar spikes
- Provoking disordered eating patterns like binges and restriction
- Nutrient deficiencies from an unbalanced diet
- Weight regain and ballooning body fat percentage
While an occasional sensible cheat meal is usually fine, too many can sabotage your physique goals. Be strategic to maximize results long-term.
Signs you may be overdoing cheat meals
Here are some signs that your cheat meals may be excessive and counterproductive:
- You frequently go overboard with portion sizes
- You feel extremely guilty afterwards
- Your cravings are worse after cheat meals
- You have trouble getting back on track
- You’re obsessing about your next cheat
- Your mood is erratic
- You’re not losing fat/weight as expected
Pay attention to feedback from your body and the mirror. Dial back quantity and frequency if cheat meals are doing more harm than good.
Conclusion
Incorporating occasional cheat meals can boost diet adherence and metabolic flexibility when done thoughtfully. While 1-2 modest cheat meals per week is often fine, some do best with only 1 weekly as a safety net. If cheat meals trigger overeating or guilt, reduce frequency. Personalize based on your body, goals and psychology for long-term diet success.