A burger, medium fry, and large Diet Coke....that's what I had for breakfast. Now before you call me out, listen up.

I woke up too late this morning to prepare a breakfast, so my solution was to allow my cheat meal to be for breakfast this morning. If there was a school for bad habits, I would definitely get an A in being too hard on myself. As soon as I downed my food (while driving might I mention), I was disappointed with myself. But then I got to researching cheat meals and their benefits. I don't feel so bad about it now, and I'll tell you why in a series of paragraphs.

Cheat meals boost your metabolism

Just like your body gets used to doing the same exercise repetitively, your body can get used to clean-eating as well. Having a cheat meal once a week, (a cheat meal, not a cheat day) can kick your system into hyper-drive.  Over the week your body can fall into the pattern of getting lower carbs and sugars and it is not really expect to be hit with a sudden gorge of both. When you are meeting a low-calorie or calorie restrictive diet, your levels of leptin or the anti-starvation/hunger hormone drop. Your body slows its metabolism over extended time to conserve energy due to low consumption of calories. Eating a high-calorie meal suddenly, tricks your system into thinking that food is not scarce and it is clear to burn through fat stores. HOWEVER, your body needs to be used to eating clean consistently for a cheat meal to have the right effect. This is why one meal per week is recommended.

Completely Restricting Foods Can be Counterproductive to your Motivation

Even as toddlers we hated hearing the word "No". When you tell yourself no all the time, your attitude towards your mission can turn into resentment fairly quickly. If you've been working hard, eating well and working out, you need a break every once in a while for sanity's sake. If you restrict yourself too much, and you reach your breaking point, you risk gorging on a Supersize meal at McDonald's or a full dozen of Krispy Kreme Donuts all at once vs. allowing yourself to have a cheat meal in moderation.

Eating ONE Cheat Meal a Week Allows You to Enjoy it More

In the past, I've thought to myself "Oh today is cheat day, I'll jump back on tomorrow". But every time I've done this, I get super disappointed that I consumed an upwards of 3,000 calories in one day, and find myself discouraged. Having ONE cheat meal a week can leave you feeling less guilty when you do eat junk food. You know how hard you've been working, and in the back of your mind you know that one meal won't sabotage your whole plan. One meal won't make you fat, just like one meal won't make you skinny.

ENERGY DUH

Lastly, what you are choosing as your cheat meal is more than likely full of carbs which could be a death sentence if repeated over and over again, but we're just having ONE meal remember? Carbs are an intense source of energy, whether they come from complex, "healthy" grains, or french fries. Now if you've been following a tight calorie goal and eating healthier, you've probably unknowingly slashed your carbohydrate intake in half. "AVOID THE BREAD" is what almost everyone looking to lose weight lives by. By eating a cheat meal, you are restoring a significant amount of glycogen, or the glucose that is stored in muscles for energy) which in turn will give you more energy to push through your HIIT cardio that you are undoubtedly going to do out of guilt for "cheating". You know what? Go you... feel those french fries make you become a human FLASH.

Overall, if done correctly, a cheat meal can be beneficial to your overall weight loss. Make sure to plan for your cheat meal, don't spontaneously decide to hit up the drive thru out of boredom. Then when you do decide on a time and day for your cheat meal of the week, scan the menu for calories. I guarantee, even if you know you're about to eat some type of crappy food, that you'll be drawn to the lower calorie options. Especially when considering the workout you just did or have yet to do.

Be smart about your cheat meals and you won't feel so bad about them. Ever swap, no matter how small, is a big step. For me ordering the Jr. Burger (lowest calorie item), a medium fry, and a Diet soda was a big win for me, especially when considering my love for Whataburger fries.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Do NOT beat yourself up for having a high-calorie meal. All you will end up doing is feeling down, weak, or hopeless, and that can lead to giving up. If you're like me and had to randomly plan a cheat meal, just tell yourself that for the rest of the week you've got to try at least 1x harder and everything will be okay! And if you planned your cheat meal ahead of time, go you! Enjoy every bite without a guilty conscious.

PS all of these blog posts are coming from my personal website www.almost-anxious.com if you'd like to check that out!