1. What is a Cheat Meal?

Cheat meals are considered a food that is not included in your diet plan and is often considered a violation of your strict diet plan. Everybody loves them, let’s face that! A cheat meal does not include unhealthy food, rather it includes food with a few more calories than you are avoiding in your diet.

Do not mingle the concept of cheat food with overeating or eating a lot of fats. A cheat meal involves one or two items that are out of your diet plan but you love to eat.  

1.1. Body Mechanism For Fat Lose with Reduced Calories

Your body needs a specific amount of energy which we get from edibles. Every organ needs energy for normal functioning. When a person takes food with more calories and reduces his physical workout, extra calories are stored in the body in the form of fats.

When you reduce calorie intake, start to eat healthy food, and follow a consistent workout plan. This is the time when your body leaves its comfort zone. To supply the required amount of energy to all organs, the body has to use the stored fats and calories. In this way, your body loses fats.

Your body gradually becomes adapted to this routine and you start to lose your stored fats and intake fewer calories with a regular workout routine. Your body adapts to adjust the energy requirements of body organs and movements.

After an extended time of restricted food and regular workout, your body shreds fats. Your body will resist pulling yourself to the gym. You need some energy and high calories in food.

Cheat Meals: An Integral Part of Your Diet Plan

After taking a cheat meal, do not regret it. A cheat meal is necessary to follow a long-term diet plan. Responsibly cheating on your diet plan is good for your mind, and body and increases your motivation. Cheat meals can balance your hormones and reduce your appetite.  

Do not think it's a thing out of your diet plan. A cheat meal is helpful to follow your diet plan for a long time and also stabilizes your body’s requirements for energy.

2. How Does Cheat Meal Help to Reduce Fat?

Cheat meals can be beneficial if taken as mindfully and responsibly. Cheat meals are an inevitable part of a restricted diet to replenish your energy requirements and psychologically give you a feeling of break and fun. Here we will discuss how cheat meals are helpful to reduce fat faster.  

2.1. Influences Hormones

When we talk about reducing fat by cheat meals, we should know about two hormones, Leptin and Ghrelin.

Leptin: Another name for leptin is the “satiety” hormone. Leptin is responsible for appetite control in our body and is produced by fat tissue. When you take in more calories in your diet than your daily needs, it is stored in your body in the form of fats. This stored fat produces leptin which reduces appetite and stimulates energy consumption mechanisms.

Ghrelin: Another name for ghrelin is the “hunger” hormone. This hormone is produced by glandular tissues in your stomach. These hormones produce the feeling of hunger. If you are not taking enough calories and also doing regular workouts, ghrelin tells your brain you are hungry and stimulates you to make a decision of eating food.

Cheat meals give you a boost of leptin and reduce the production of ghrelin. Increased leptin level with low-calorie food over the week contributes positively to losing fats.

Another useful fact about leptin is that it can induce thyroid hormone (growth hormone). Growth hormones increase metabolism and are helpful to burn fats.

Increased metabolism also induces heat production in the body which is reduced due to continuous intake of low-calorie intake. Proper heat production is necessary for your body to maintain the body temperature in which all your vital organs work.  

2.2. Psychological Benefits

Cheat meals give psychological relief when strictly following your diet plan. People who plan a cheat meal once a week or less are observed to be motivated and adhere to their diet plan for a long time and enjoy their low-calorie diet with a planned cheat once a week.

2.3. Make a Plan Cheat Meal

A cheat meal is only beneficial if you are taking a planned cheat meal. Choose one day in a week and name it “refeed day”. What about Sunday or over the weekend? Take a break     from your diet and eat your favorite food which you cannot enjoy during your diet days.

After a strict diet, your energy level falls. Now it's time to boost your energy for another strict diet week. A planned cheat meal will not disturb your normal diet plan rather it will motivate you to restart another week of a restricted diet.

Planning a cheat meal not only involves selecting a day when you do cheat on your diet but also selecting the food you have to take as your cheat meal. Overeating or unhealthy intake can disturb the efforts you have been doing over the previous week.

A good cheat meal should contain a maximum of 500-1000 calories. These calories can replenish your energy for next week and you will also not get some extra fats.

Here we discuss a diet plan for an active man age 25 with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 22.1.

2.4. Do Not Be Addicted

A cheat meal should not be converted into a cheat day or into a cheat week. A cheat meal only allows you to take a little break and refill your energy levels. Do not be addicted to getting this calorie-rich food after small intervals.

A cheat meal can be a food you love, but avoid food that triggers you to eat more and eat again. Cheat meal is a chance to eat your favorite food without losing control. If you think you will get addicted to this habit, then this might not be a preferable plan for you.

2.5. Junk Food is Not Good For Cheating

A cheat meal should be as fat-free as it can be. Cheating on your diet is not about eating whatever you want. Some foods should be permanently eradicated from your diet even if you are allowed to cheat your diet plan once a week.

Junk food does not contain any benefit to your body, rather it can destroy your efforts. Also, avoid too much fatty food. Make sure you have a high intake of protein while taking a cheat meal. Proteins help in muscle growth and enhance leptin production.

3. Takeaways

A cheat meal is helpful to lose fat. It gives a feeling of relief and fun and helps you to adhere to your diet plan for a long time. It also influences two crucial hormones, leptin and ghrelin which are involved in appetite control. But be careful while planning a cheat meal. Avoid fatty and unhealthy food and include protein-rich food.