Why Cheat Meals Are Important For Your Diet And Fitness Routine?

It’s impossible to stick to a strict healthy diet 100 per cent of the time. Most people battle intense cravings for their particular foods and beverages while dieting. That’s why there’s nothing wrong to line up a cheat meal once a week or on a social occasion. Cheat meals are vital to create a balance in your lifestyle and to boost the immune system. Continue reading to learn more about the importance of cheat meals and some healthy cheat meals and snacks ideas for your next cheat day.

What are the Importance of Cheat Meal and Cheat Day

A cheat meal is a scheduled meal that temporarily breaks the rules of a strict healthy diet. In simple words, it is a small portion of the foods that you like the most. Be it pancakes, chocolate cakes or pizza, every dieter has a favourite cheat meal they find hard to refuse. And, a cheat day is when strict dieters allow themselves to eat any foods they want over an entire day. By indulging in a cheat meal avoid thinking about calories, you can relax and enjoy your meal.

Is it okay to have an Occasional Cheat Meal?

If you are trying to reach specific fitness goals or have chosen to lose those extra sheds, there is nothing wrong to cheat on your diet once in a while. Constantly eating the same healthy food and trying to control your cravings for your favourite foods can be exhausting. According to many nutrition professionals, a cheat meal could help dieters in their fitness journey and help reset the hormones responsible for boosting your metabolism and producing insulin. Cheat meals do not hurt your diet and fitness routine if you know where to stop.

Know the Benefits and Importance of Cheat Meal in Weekly Days

Like already stated earlier, a planned break from your restrictive healthy diet not only boosts your metabolism but also promotes weight loss. Given below are some of the amazing reasons and also importance of cheat meals why are so important for your fitness goals.

1. Energizes Your Body

If you have been following a restrictive diet regime for a long time, it is likely that the levels of glycogen in your liver and muscles tends to deplete, which further can lead to soreness and fatigue in the muscles, impacting your workout regime Having a cheat day where you can consume sufficient amount of carbohydrates maximize the glycogen levels in the muscles and energize you, so this is one of the main factor of importance of cheat meal.

2. Regulate Your Hormones

A restrictive, low-calorie diet can interfere with the hormonal balance in your body resulting in menstrual irregularities, hair loss, tiredness and fatigue. According to nutritionists, a cheat meal once high in calorie content in a week can help to alter the hormones responsible for metabolism and insulin production.

3. Reduce Stress

When you consume your favourite desserts or dishes after a long time, your brain sppeds up the production of happy hormones called endorphins. Apart from this, considering a cheat meal as a reward meal and enjoying it without feeling guilty about the additional calories help reduce the cortisol level in your body, thereby combating your stress. Avoiding stress and anxiety is an important factor when physical transformation and fitness so giving yourself that much needed mental break is extremely beneficial.

Best Guilt-Free Cheat Meals and Snacks Ideas For Your Cheat day

As already mentioned above, importance of cheat meals, are very essential to satisfy your cravings and give you a feeling of motivation towards your fitness and weight loss goals. But it may come as a surprise that some “cheat meals” can be healthier and nutritious than ever imagined. Scroll down to find out some healthy cheat meals and snacks ideas that easily fit into any fitness program!

1. Home-Made Burger

Craving a burger for a very long time? The good news is that you can easily prepare it at home. All you need is multigrain bread and buns, mashboiled potatoes and lots of healthy veggies such as cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and even boiled chicken or egg for your healthy homemade burger so that the number of calories remains low. Add your favourite ingredients such as cottage cheese, sauces and more to make it more delicious as per your preference.

2. Home-Made Pizza

Let’s be real, who doesn’t enjoy a yummy pizza? Pizza is craved by almost every individual but not enjoyed by all when following a restrictive diet. The good news is this guilty pleasure can be quite nutritious when modified at home by sticking to the thin wheat crust, adding lots of healthy green vegetables and using olive oil and red sauce.

3. French Fries

French fries are thought to be junk food because of their high fat and salt content. But the preparation method matters and sticking with healthy and tasty sweet potato french fries are perfect to include in a healthy cheat meal diet. Besides, potatoes are pretty nutrient-dense and are loaded with Vitamin A, fibre, and potassium. They are also known to be one of the most filling foods so they keep you full for a longer time.

4. Popcorn

Looking for a healthy crunchy snack to enjoy while watching your favourite movie? If so then snacking on plain air-popped popcorn is a healthy choice! It is easy to prepare a nutritious and healthier version of plain popcorn at home. Popcorn is low in calories and contains a high amount of fibre. Try adding a few drops of olive oil and spices such as oregano, cinnamon for an unconventional yet healthy and delicious alternative!

Over To The Readers

In closing, having these above-mentioned guilt-free cheat meals occasionally is not just okay but beneficial. When consumed in moderation, a cheat meal can promote and encourage an entire healthy lifestyle.