It can be challenging to adhere to a clean diet when there are so many unhealthy choices everywhere, urging you to give in. No matter if it is doughnuts in the work area, biscuits in the storeroom, or pie at your buddy’s place– we can all accede that it’s hard to consistently decline these temptations.
At some moment, you will start to long for your most loved non-nutritious nourishment, wishing you were having that as opposed to the chicken and broccoli in your Tupperware.
Generally, fitness models tend to post pictures of themselves consuming extravagantly large servings of ice cream sundaes, large pizzas, and huge burritos, all of which contain little or no nutritional worth and lots of calories. That’s ok; that’s what they decided to cheat with.
Is there any way to outsmart “smart”? Would you do it? Would you like to enjoy a delicious meal that helps you stay on track to reach your goals?
Should I Eat A Cheat Meal?
You’ll find it won’t ruin your workouts, even if you’re on a diet if you choose to have the occasional cheat meal. You can still slim down even if you enjoy your favorite foods. It is true that, in some way, food can be nourishing for one’s spirit, and this is especially true for indulging in treat meals, as they can be of great assistance psychologically.
If you eat healthily and follow your food regimen during the week, and then decide to treat yourself with a ‘cheat’ meal as a reward on the weekend, it can be a great way to support your dieting success. Eating in a healthy and clean way is much easier to keep up with if you are not too strict with yourself; it is understandable that you are not going to eat all the time healthily, especially if you are a food-lover.
Our intention is to put together a compilation of cheat meals ideal for people who are on a rigorous diet regimen, especially during a cutting period. Cheat meals may be more lenient when attempting to increase weight and muscle mass. By following the cutting phase with the goal of slimming down, getting slim, and staying lean, it may be beneficial to incorporate a strategy of intelligent cheating to achieve maximal outcomes.
It is important to be precise when cutting; thus, most fitness experts suggest that one should not have a cheat meal on a daily basis; rather, it should be limited to once a week, confining it to just one meal.
Eating a low-carb diet and having a deficit of calories may lead to stall the progress made in weight loss due to your body’s metabolic rate slowing down after it has reached its limit in terms of weight loss.
To get your metabolism going again, you should treat yourself to a cheat meal. Consuming that indulgent meal will re-balance the hormones that sparked the stagnation in the beginning and set you up for success in terms of progress. What are the healthiest kinds of food to eat as a cheat meal when trying to lose weight, considering both the physical and psychological impacts?
Go For The Carbs & Protein
Carbs are the most significant when it comes to leptin, the hormone responsible for fat burning. Essentially, consuming a meal high in carbohydrates will provide you with a feeling of satisfaction and also help you reach your fitness objectives. Including a substantial amount of protein in your meals will maintain your appetite in check and help you stay satiated.
Eating a lot of fat is more apt to end up being kept as fat in the body as opposed to a meal that is rich in either carbohydrates or protein. We recognize how desirable deep-fried Oreos and greasy pizza can seem… however, unhealthy, deep-fried, packaged, and sugary snacks are packed with fat which should be avoided to the greatest extent possible–especially when you are striving for a successful bodybuilding routine.
Good Cheat Meal Examples
1) Sushi
Sushi is a tricky one. It is advisable to pass on tempura, and the array of sauces and spicy mayonnaise often served with sushi rolls. If you’d like, you can get rolls, but nigiri and sashimi will give you the neatest experience.
Nigiri is a type of sushi consisting of raw fish served on top of a bed of white rice, while sashimi is simply raw fish without the accompaniment of rice. Be certain to include some kind of actual fish in what you get—fake crab won’t work if you want to stay as close to your diet as you can; go for nigiri and sashimi.
If you have some extra leeway, go for the rolls that appear to be most good for you, as those with sauces, deep-fried shrimp, and so on usually contain a high amount of fat, which you should strive to avoid.
2) Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Let’s be real; who doesn’t crave pizza? Choosing a cauliflower base instead cuts down on the carbohydrate content. You crave carbohydrates but don’t need an excessive amount. Pile a ton of nutritious veggies on your carbs to make sure you’re getting enough fiber, ensuring that you’ll stay full for longer.
It is possible to get pizza with meat, but chicken is a more sensible choice than pepperoni due to its lower fat content. Opt for a pizza that isn’t super greasy. You can always scrap off the oils that are sitting on top to get rid of some of the unnecessary fats. This is an excellent choice if you’re in the mood for something crunchy. The feel of it is excellent, and the nutrition facts are surprisingly good.
3) Steak & Potatoes
Who would not appreciate a delicious steak and potato dish? It’s a classic. It is wise to reserve beef cuts that are high in fat for special occasions and opt for leaner varieties of meat for the remainder of the time.
Cooking methods also contribute to fat content. Cooking steak on the grill typically results in a leaner cut of meat since the fat is rendered away during the process. Steak has more beneficial components than people usually realize; it contains a considerable amount of Vitamin B12, which helps our nerves and blood cells stay healthy.
Combine a medium-sized spud with some veggies, and you will have a full meal that will tantalize your tongue. An ideal pairing of protein and carbohydrates is a great reason to indulge yourself at a nice steak restaurant.
4) Spaghetti & Meatballs
A little pasta never hurt anyone. We often favor spaghetti and meatballs because it encompasses both carbohydrates and protein while having a relatively low-fat content. It meets all of your dietary requirements–which is one of the objectives when selecting an appropriate cheat meal.
When you get takeout from a restaurant, they often offer you the option to get a substitute pasta made with whole-grain or whole-wheat, which is a more nutritious option. If you have the option, you can substitute beef meatballs for poultry such as turkey or chicken to have a leaner form of protein.
It’s alright to stick with the classic choices. However, it is essential to keep track of how much you are consuming. Who wouldn’t enjoy this traditional Italian comforting meal?
How Can Cheat Meals Help Boost Your Fat Loss Results?
They Provide Psychological Benefits
The most significant benefit that can be attained from them is the psychological advantage. A 2016 paper examined the results of a once-weekly “pre-planned cheating” approach when dieting as opposed to a traditional 7-day-a-week diet.
They discovered that the group that was allowed to have cheat meals had more persistence with their diet in the long run and found it more enjoyable. They had something special to work towards and look forward to, which were their predetermined cheat meals. At the same time, the other group experienced uncontrollable desires that eventually resulted in them indulging in large amounts of food. And veer away from their dietary plan altogether as a consequence.
Cheat Meals Also Help Counteract The Physiological Effects Of Long-Term Dieting
Additionally, they may offer physiological advantages that help accelerate fat loss. As you get leaner, the advantages of this become even more important. And the longer you’ve been dieting for. Because as your diet for longer and lose more body fat, your body tries to fight back by doing a few things:
- It decreases your leptin hormone levels. Which, as a result, increases your appetite.
- It decreases your energy expenditure by causing you to move less and burn fewer calories to function day-to-day. And this then leads to fat loss plateaus.
- Your muscle glycogen levels gradually decrease as they’re being used for energy. This leads to tougher workouts and decrements in your performance.
It impedes your progress in losing fat and makes the process of dieting less enjoyable.
Cheat meals can be useful in this circumstance.
Because when done properly, the temporary increase in calories and carbs that they provide have been shown to:
- Partially counteract these various adaptations. That means better appetite suppression, higher energy expenditure, and increased performance in the following days.
- Add muscle fullness that you’ll experience. Hence why guys like The Rock regularly incorporate them, especially before big shoots.
What strategies can you use to maximize the effectiveness of these items as part of your scheme to enhance performance?
Here are a couple of points you have to keep in mind regarding your cheat meal.
Plan Your Cheat Meals Into Your Weekly Calories
Include this cheat meal as part of your weekly dietary plan. I suggest designating one day a week as a “refeed” day. This is a day when you give yourself a break from your eating regime. To create an even balance, it is recommended to consume the same amount of calories as your maintenance level or slightly more instead of consuming fewer calories, which you have been doing during the last seven days.
In this manner, you will be able to produce a shortage and utilize your fat for energy over the course of the week. Then, when you get to your designated re-feed day, you can allow yourself an extra 500 calories or so to use on a special cheat meal. This will assist you in starting the following week off on the right foot without adding any extra body fat. If you wished to really enjoy yourself and consume an extremely high-calorie meal that is not part of your usual diet, you could accommodate it. How? Cut back on food consumption in the days before it. This way, you’ll reserve the majority of your calories for that day for your indulgent meal.
This is the precise way in which The Rock manages to fit in his indulgent meals. He is apparently quite strict with himself when preparing for film roles, and during the week, he follows a strict diet that involves drastically reducing his carbohydrate intake. His meals are all pre-made and calculated for him. Consequently, he is able to indulge in an unhealthy meal that is high in calories approximately once per week, which provides some benefit to him, as opposed to setting him back.
Be Mindful Of How Quickly Calories Can Add Up
The most important part is to include them in your regular caloric intake so that you are consistently progressing. Be conscious of how speedily your calorie intake can increase during your indulgent meals. For example, if you were to head on over to Five Guys for your cheat meal and get yourself:
- A bacon cheeseburger (920 calories),
- A regular side of fries (950 calories),
- And a vanilla milkshake (670 calories) to wash it all down,
That would amount to a whopping 2,500-calorie meal. This single meal would serve to largely compensate for the shortfall you created. And the fat you lost during that week!
Research, such as a 2008 paper, has indicated that people who exert effort to maintain a caloric deficit during the week but tend to lose control when it comes to eating on the weekends do not see any weight loss. In fact, some people reported slight weight gain (0.077kg weekly). This is because the added calories consumed on the weekends cancel out their weight loss progress.
I genuinely don’t intend on being a party pooper with regard to your treats. Be aware of how quickly these activities can lead to a setback in your progress if you don’t plan them out correctly.
Your Cheat Meals Should Be High Carb, Low Fat
Let us now discuss what your cheat meal should comprise. It is critical to reverse the adverse physical changes caused by dieting in the most efficient way. In this situation, carbohydrates are particularly beneficial. Studies in the most recent scientific literature imply that, for your designated cheat meal day, you should prioritize boosting your carbohydrate intake rather than increasing your consumption of fat or protein.
Carbs Boost Your Leptin Levels And Create Muscle Fullness
This is because when compared to fat and protein, carbs:
- Have the greatest impact on boosting your leptin levels. This can help suppress your appetite and increase your energy expenditure when dieting.
- It helps refill your muscle glycogen to create more muscle fullness. And can potentially augment your performance and the anabolic response you experience in your following workouts.
This is why you’ll observe that The Rock’s special snacks usually have a lot of carbs in them, such as sushi, to give an example.
You don’t have to consume an excessive amount of sushi. Other delicious possibilities comprise noodles, cereals that you love, sweets, frozen desserts, and waffles or griddle cakes with syrup, for instance.
Considering that they are full of carbohydrates and have a relatively low amount of fat. In contrast, if the food you want is high in fat, you should try to cut down the fat as much as you can, for example, by minimizing extra sauces and oils.
