The only perk of following a strict diet is cheat meals/cheat days (whatever you follow). Sticking to a strict and boring diet plan along with a regular workout can feel more than just monotonous. Incorporating cheat days or cheat meals into a diet plan has been popular among fitness freaks and weight watchers from quite some time now.

But the confusion for many arises when they don’t know whether cheat meal or cheat day, which one is healthier for weight loss? Are you also confused about the same? If yes, this article is exclusively for you. Does cheating really work? Losing weight is a complex process because not everybody responds the same way to the same strategies. The best diet plan for anyone is the one to which they can follow easily. Eating lesser calories than you burn leads to weight loss. In this process, the reward based cheating meals/days can be helpful in breaking the monotony and to keep you going.
Cheating works by keeping your metabolic rate up. Following a low-calorie diet for a long time can slow down your metabolism, which is done by the body to conserve energy. Cheat meals rev up your metabolism and thus help in losing weight. What are cheat meal and cheat days? Cheating while on a diet means giving yourself calculated and planned permission to temporarily break the strict diet rules. It is believed that allowing yourself brief periods of indulgence can help you stick to your diet plan for a longer time.
As the name applies, a single indulging meal in between your planned diet is called a cheat meal. While cheat days allow free food choices for a day in between a planned diet.
Cheat diet methods are variable because their implantation can be different for different people, depending on their goals and food preferences.
Cheat diet foods also vary from person to person depending on their choices. But usually, these foods are calorie-laden, which are otherwise not allowed in a typical diet plan.

How often can one cheat on a diet?

It completely depends on what a person’s health is like and what his/her goals are. There is no specific number of time how frequently a cheat meal or cheat day should occur.

What is better?

Moderation is the key. If you are craving a pizza, do not eat a whole pizza all by yourself, share it with someone. Feeding your cravings in moderation is the key to a successful weight loss.

Keeping your cheats confined to one meal and not going off the rail is always the suggested option. Rewarding yourself a day of cheat meal just for sticking to a weight loss plan is not a healthy thing to do. It’s better to have just one cheat meal and have wholeheartedly whatever you like.

Source: indiatimes.com