Can You Eat Healthy 6 Days for One Amazing Cheat Day a Week?

Posted by admin on August 21st, 2010

I try my best to eat healthy during the week but I’m not perfect. There are those folks who can eat healthy 7 days a week and not think twice. Then there are those of us who like our treats and sneak them in a little more often during the week than we should. Diets in general can be frustrating. This is why many people can’t stick to them and also why you may hear the advice of make it a lifestyle change.

Honestly, I’m all about treats. I like my pizza, burgers, cookies, and ice cream. I’m not crazy enough to eat them on a regular basis but I don’t want to give them up either. Many people allow themselves a cheat day and I have read pros and cons about having one full cheat day.

Pro – Having a Cheat Day Boosts Metabolism

I have read this more than once that taking one full cheat day per week can actually boost metabolism. The reason being that when we eat healthy the other 6 days of the week, our leptin levels lower and cause our metabolism to slow as well as increasing our appetites. However, if we plan for a cheat day, the high-carbs and high-fat will cause our leptin to spike which in turn boosts the metabolism.

The other benefit to having such a cheat day each week is so you don’t drive yourself nuts from not being able to indulge in your favorite foods. The idea being that after you’ve eaten all of your favorite junk at the end of the week, you won’t be tempted to eat it for the rest of the week when you’re eating healthy.

Con – Having a Cheat Day Ruins All of Your Progress

I’ve also read that having a cheat day at the end of the week will NOT boost metabolism and in fact ruin all of your progress. Think about all of your hard work eating right to lose one pound (about 3,500 calories) and then you take a full day to eat anything and everything you can get your hands on which can add up to 4,000 calories or more!

The other downside is that you end up depending more and more on that one day each week to gorge yourself on junk. It becomes less about living a healthy lifestyle and more about doing what is necessary to eat junk food one day a week. You’re never really learning how to enjoy healthy food.

A Better Option?

I have yet to try a full cheat day. I am more of the type to eat healthy as much as I can and have a treat here and there. Another option is to consider having a cheat meal as opposed to a cheat day. The cheat meal can also be saved for the end of the week. It still gives you the satisfaction of indulging in your favorite food without having scarfed down an insane amount of calories.

What do you think about having an entire cheat day?

On a side note, I do recommend my favorite shake that helps me control all of those pesky junk food cravings during the week (particularly for chocolate!)

Resources:
www.topfatlosstrainer.com
www.naturalphysiques.com