Will A Cheat Day Mess Up My Diet?

The Yolk

Positives of a cheat day

Metabolism may increase

• Metabolism slows eventually when dieting
• Appetite increases the days following a large calorie load
  • Carbohydrate overconsumption increases leptin (hunger hormone)
  • Leptin increases for the very short term

Motivation may increase

• Planned “bad” moments motivated people to stick to their goals
• People who did not feel guilty about eating a treat lost more weight

Negatives of a cheat day

Overeating

• A cheat day does not necessarily mean overeating – but it can
  • Unpleasant symptoms such as drowsiness, fatigue, and gas
• One meal of overeating didn’t affect health much, but 24 hours does have some negative effects

Cravings remain

• Cheat meal will unlikely help with cravings
• Might have trouble returning to healthy habits
• Hyper palatable foods consumed = more cravings for these types of food

Disordered eating habits

• A study found disordered eating patterns among those who engage in cheat days more often
• Thinking of food as good and bad may harm long term habits

Perspective

A cheat day likely won’t mess up your diet, but a cheat meal is better

• Have a cheat meal rather than a cheat day – less negative effects
• Get some movement in 
• Plan the cheat meal around an event
• Only engage once a week or less

Over restricting may not lead to lasting results

• Discovering a healthy relationship with food is one key to success
  • Enjoy one cookie while you feel like it, and not a whole box when you are “allowed” to
• Consider alternative rewards – a new outfit or indulge in a nice item for your chosen hobby

Research & Resources

• Does the cheat meal work for weight loss?
• Cheat meals: A benign or ominous variant of binge eating behavior?
• The benefits of behaving badly on occasion
• The biology of human overfeeding
• Psychological responses to overeating in men
• Leptin response to carb or fat meal