Looking for cheat day meal ideas that you can squeeze into any fitness plan? Isn’t it nice to hear that every once in a while, you can still enjoy some of those comfort meals you loved without sabotaging weight loss efforts? The thing is, much as successful weigh loss means cutting down on fats, carbs and calories, doesn’t really mean that you cut the flavor too. All it means is just substituting some foods and using with healthier ingredients that can please your palate and satisfy your cravings.

Intrigued. Well read on and discover some meals that you can spoil yourself with and still maintain your health and fitness success.

Cheat day ideas that will leave you feeling great!

We have heard it being recited over and over again – a healthy diet is crucial for weight loss. But recently, adding a “cheat meal” to your fitness and diet plan seems to be gaining popularity.

So what are these cheat meals or cheat days?

First  off, whenever we hear the phrase “cheat meals” we automatically assume that these are foods and snacks that are bad for our health and weight loss efforts. Well, I will have you know that cheat meals don’t have to sabotage your health. Even the candid and professional nutritionists agree that every once in a while, having a cheat meal is just fine.

Cheat days or cheat meals is when a dieter or someone who maintains a strict meal plan gives themselves permission to break the dietary rules for a day and indulge in some comfort foods but in a calculated and conscious manner. The strategy behind these cheat days is to  actually repress the cravings that usually make us backslide and get the feeling of satisfaction. A cheat day is designed to ward off feelings of deprivation. This makes it more likely to maintain when they allow themselves and squeeze in a guilt-free cheat day.

Here are effective cheat day ideas you should consider to help you incorporate awesome home recipes into your diet plan, that will leave you feeling guilt free at the same time maximize your weight loss benefits…

Make plan to cheat on your diet

One of the ways to stay in control of cheating on your diet is strategy. Planning for the cheat is one of the most essential parts of cheat day meal ideas. A simple once a week diversion to the diet should do the trick. The idea is not to do it when you are alone. A good tip is to plan your cheat day on week days or when there is a social event with family and friends so that you don’t start feeling jealous of them for enjoying their feast (the constant jealousy will make you start hating your diet.

Never cheat on an empty stomach

Even if you have planned the healthiest best cheat day meals, we tend to overeat when we are hungry. Please avoid putting yourself in such a situation. The same thing goes for starving yourself or reducing calorie intake on the eve of the cheat day to make room in their stomachs to accommodate their best cheat day meals as much as can take in. Well, doing this is detrimental to your health.

Workout before cheating

This is a better way to burn calories as opposed to starving yourself a day before cheat day. Hit the gym before  having your best cheat day snacks. This minimizes gaining fat from your comfort meals. The other trick is to have coffee before the workout to boost your fat metabolism.

Do it in moderation

Just because you have been good the other days watching day doesn’t give you the right to binge eat everything or throw away all your healthy eating rules down the drain on your cheat day. Just do it in moderation. You will still get another cheat day the following week. The thing is, you can actually sabotage all your efforts and getting in shape hard work just by cheating too big and too often.

Plan what you’ll eat beforehand

If you are making the meal yourself, decide what you will eat then plan your cheat meal recipes. Making your own meals is usually a better way of cheating on a diet as you have control of what  ingredients to use. But if on the other hand you find yourself ‘cheating’ at a restaurant, don’t let the elaborate menu overwhelm you. Decide what you are going to eat and stick with it. Have the meal in your mind before the waiter takes your order and avoid all the fancy things they might throw at you.

Order or drink a few rounds of water

First off, you can’t be in control of what the restaurants offer. Their foods tend to be high in sodium. So this might leave you feeling bloated. Drinking a few glasses of water before your meal is one of the best cheat day meal ideas you will ever hear. Besides preventing boating, having water also prevents one from overeating. Have water after the meal and the first thing the following morning.

Devour your meal

Savor every bite your meals or  best cheat day snacks as much as you can. The more you enjoy and appreciate every bite the more satisfied you will afterwords hence preventing you from overeating.

Let the cheat meal be rich in nutrients

Just because its your cheat day doesn’t mean you eat foods with empty calories. Go for foods with some nutritional value. Always remember even on cheat days, you are still trying to lose weight. 

Now that you have enjoyed your guilt-free cheating, get back to your healthy diet plan the very next day.

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