“Cheat days” feels like such a dirty word when you are dieting. It could be because of the word cheat being in it and nobody wants to be a cheater. Let’s be honest though, dieting is hard and not everyone can stay on a strict dieting regiment everyday. It is also nice to treat yourself to a desert here and there when you are doing well with your diet. We should call them treat days instead of cheat days.
Dieting is a vital part of your fitness journey; it might even be almost just as important as the working out part. A lot of us try to eat as clean as possible to reach our goals, but the only problem with this is that eating the same meal everyday can get boring. If you give anyone only 3 options they can eat anytime they are hungry, it is expected that hardly anyone would be able to stick to this plan very long. This is why it is important that if you stick to your diet throughout the week, go out and treat yourself to your favorite restaurant during one day of the weekend. It is always important to stay on track with your trainer, but it doesn’t hurt to bring up the idea to ease the difficulty. Allowing a bit of freedom within your diet will make it easier for you in the long haul.
It is important to remember that you can’t go overboard on your treat days and ruin your entire week of dieting. Treating yourself to your favorite dessert or eating some extra carbs definitely won’t ruin your progress. Of course if you go to an all-you-can-eat restaurant and eat 5 plates of fried food and have 3 desserts, this is not something easy to get away with without having some progress diminished.
Another thing to remember is that after you have your treat, get right back to your diet. It is easy to have a treat meal that tastes so good that you end up throwing out your whole diet and start eating whatever you want again. The problem with this is you will lose all of your progress.
Remember, take the dirty feeling out of cheat days and call them treat days. You earned these days, but do not take them too far and get back to your diet the next day. Always consult with a professional when necessary, especially your personal trainer. This will keep your treat days a treat and make them worth it.
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