Congrats, you made it to the end of the week! You worked hard, so you deserve to relax a little, and have some fun. After all, here at G-Plans, we believe the diet rule of 80/20.
80% of your diet should be coming from wholesome sources like what is on your plan. The other 20% comes from small add ins that may not be on your plan and your weekly cheat meal. Keep in mind, 20% isn’t a huge margin, and it is easy to over do it on your cheat meal.
Here are some tips to make sure you get the most out of cheat meal.
Why a weekly cheat meal? Read on what Dr. Goglia has to say.
1. Plan it out.
Towards the middle of week, start planning out what you’re going to have for your cheat meal. If you know your friend is having a birthday dinner at a restaurant, plan accordingly so you know you will have your indulgences on that day. Or if you are craving a pizza, tell yourself that you will get to have pizza on your cheat day. This way, you know you are not depriving yourself of your favorite foods, but holding off till another day.
2. Slow Down and Enjoy
It is not uncommon for us that once we get our hands on something we have been craving to be gone in seconds. Ever eat a chocolate chip cookie so fast, that you feel the need to have another to “ really enjoy” it this time. When you sit down to eat your cheat meal, make sure you are free of distractions. This means no Instagram or Facebook scrolling. We don’t truly enjoy our food when our brain is focused on more tasks than at hand. Don’t you want to enjoy that slice of pizza or ice cream?
3. It’s a Cheat, Not a Binge
#1 Tip in making the most of your cheat meal is to do it smartly. Do not turn your cheat meal into an all day binge. It is very easy to turn one indulgence into a whole day or week of overeating. If you want a burger and fries for dinner then go for it, that’s fine. What is not okay is eating a burger and fries, having a few slices of pizza, a pint of ice cream, and a whole sleeve of cookies.
Sure, you can have a calorie-rich meal, but don’t stuff yourself to point of feeling sick. Be mindful of your fullness. Stop when you feel satisfied.
Over did it? Here’s what to do.
Can’t Resist the Urge to Binge?
Plan out your cheat meal towards the end of the day, such as dinner. Beginning the day off with sweets or indulgent foods, may set you up to continue to eat more of those types of foods (who wants a salad after a brunch of french toast and mimosas?) making it easier to overeat on junk food, turning your cheat meal into a whole day event.