Nutrition Boomerang

Cheat meal or a Treat meal- How they boost weight loss?

Cheat meal or a Treat meal- How they boost weight loss?

The word “cheat meal” has a negative connotation and is related to a feeling of guilt. Using this term can trigger emotions that might end up creating mental health issues. And, especially for a person in the weight loss process, shame and hopelessness might get difficult to handle. Consider swapping this with a better word like a treat meal because it is a reward-based concept.

Note: Here, the word cheat meal is used because of the reader’s familiarity with the term. And, learn to switch this term with a better positive word – treat meal.

No food is good or bad; it is more about how you consume. And, it is not advised to go for a diet plan which doesn’t even include your favorite food. We are here to enjoy, and no diet plan should restrict us, and it is possible to maintain a healthy weight even after including our favorite food. The idea of a cheat meal or a cheat day originates from living a healthy life without compromising our favorite food. 

The best way to live a healthy lifestyle is to have a diet plan consisting of your favorite food. And, we are serious. Diet plans which include your favorite food are easy to follow and sustainable. 

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A healthy lifestyle isn’t only about weight loss; it is more about maintaining a healthy weight and enjoying a well-balanced meal. The problem comes when you try to take a shortcut via crash diets or fad diets to reduce weight, thinking it is a healthy body sign. And, when people begin their fitness journeys with these fad diets, they are more likely to fall into the trap of weight loss and weight gain, popularly known as yo-yo dieting. This cycle of weight loss and weight gain is extremely frustrating and demotivating. And, most of the time, you will find yourself at the starting line. 

And, no one wants to fall into this cycle of weight loss and weight gain. So, instead, let’s focus on a sustainable diet plan with our favorite food. Let’s get into the differences between a cheat meal and a cheat day. And see how we can have them in our diet plans to maintain a healthy body.

Cheat meals or cheat days:

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They aren’t the same; there’s a slight difference between them, and knowing it will help you choose the one that fits your requirement or body goals. 

Cheat meals or cheat days allow you to reward yourself by giving yourself a license to break the strict diet rules temporarily. The idea behind them is to reward yourself with your favorite high-calorie food, which otherwise does not fit into your diet. And, this also allows you to stick to your diet plans as you’ll always know when you can temporarily break them and indulge in high-calorie food. So, here comes the concept of cheat meals or cheat days, where you give yourself calculated permission to break diet rules. 

Why are cheat meals better?

Cheat on one meal, rather than cheating on all the meals throughout the day. 

  1. Cheat meals are better than cheat days, as, during a weight loss process, you’re focusing on smaller portions and healthy food. Overloading yourself with a bigger portion size suddenly. And, continuing this throughout the day can disrupt the process of weight loss. Instead of learning new food habits, you might end up going back to the old ones.
  2. The next reason why cheat meals are better than cheat days involves simple logic. On cheat days, you will eat more calories than the cheat meal because all your meals will be your cheat meals throughout the day. 

How often should you have your cheat meal?

It depends on a person, and everyone is free to decide the frequency according to their goals. If you’re trying to lose weight and you’re on your journey to build a healthy lifestyle. Then, it is advisable to go for a cheat meal once a week. 

When you try to restrict the extra calorie intake and develop healthy eating habits, frequent cheat meals might hurt. And, you may also end up giving up and going back to the older routine. That’s is not our goal. So, treat yourself once a week and with a cheat meal and not a cheat day.

This process takes time, and you should respect the process, and especially your body.

How to have a cheat meal or a cheat day?

Eating the food you hate isn’t the requirement to reach a healthy body weight or lose weight. 

  1. Don’t panic: You’re not doing any crime by rewarding yourself with your favorite food. It is okay, and you should use it as motivation. Respect your body.
  2. Keep calories in mind: You can have a meal at any time of the day. And, indulge in any of your favorite food. But, try to stay within your calorie limit. This will help you stay within your calorie limit.
  3. Moderation is the key: Go for a cheat meal instead of a cheat day and try to have it only once a week. If you find it difficult, you may start with two days a week and gradually reduce it once a week. No one is perfect and we all are learning. So, have patience.
  4. Choose a healthy way: Don’t ignore your hunger by starving yourself, thinking that you’re going to indulge in a heavy meal. Instead, have a healthy approach and plan accordingly. Starving yourself for body goals is the most disrespectful thing you can do. C’mon, it’s the one that keeps you moving, don’t do this. 🙂
  5. Make your diet plan enjoyable: It is not difficult to maintain a diet plan if you make it according to your taste and preferences. It isn’t easy to follow a diet plan when it includes the food you don’t like. So, try to make a sustainable diet plan with the food you love. You can take the guidance of a qualified health professional.

Focus on a healthy diet plan and work out at least 4-5 times a week to maintain your health. It is not difficult, just follow the right plan and don’t be harsh on yourself.

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20 Comments

  • Reply
    Sagar
    June 27, 2021 at 8:11 pm

    Worth reading 👌

    Good content ☺️

    • Reply
      Vandana Sharma
      June 28, 2021 at 12:05 pm

      Thank you 🙂

      • Reply
        Manisha Garg
        July 4, 2021 at 4:11 pm

        Treat meal sounds better than cheat meal. I agree with your point if we make our diet enjoyable it’s worth it and we would be able sustain it

  • Reply
    Hemant KK Singh
    June 28, 2021 at 12:00 pm

    Nice… Liked the content😄

    • Reply
      Vandana Sharma
      June 28, 2021 at 12:05 pm

      Thank you 🙂

  • Reply
    Alpana Deo
    June 30, 2021 at 10:25 pm

    Liked the twist in the terminology. Treat Meal sounds much better than Cheat Meal. I have seen many who follow a weight loss program and a strict diet, they say that I have one cheat day and I eat whoever I want on that day. It used t make me wonder that how come their body and mind get ready for the drill again after after cheat day. Rather they can do cheat meal. I am happy that I found the answer.

  • Reply
    Humaira
    July 3, 2021 at 9:54 pm

    Treat Meal sounds much better than Cheat Meal. It give us a mental break. Worth reading.

  • Reply
    Diya
    July 3, 2021 at 10:29 pm

    Well said… I didn’t know about treat meal and cheat meal. Treat Meal sounds much better than Cheat Meal. who follow a weight loss program and a strict diet. I will gonna try this. Thanks for this

  • Reply
    indiacafe24
    July 4, 2021 at 12:05 am

    If we compare Treat with cheat then for sure treat will appear better to me and I appreciate the way you made this word twisting to present such an importing topic

  • Reply
    Milan Singhal
    July 4, 2021 at 12:08 am

    A cheat meal sounds better than a cheat day. This is a very interesting concept u have highlighted in a weight loss journey.

  • Reply
    Jeannine
    July 4, 2021 at 5:57 am

    This is such an inspiring article for me! A new way of thinking that could help me focus on the way I eat. Treat Meals are such a good way. Hope you don’t mind me borrowing the term from now on!

  • Reply
    Hema Dadhwal
    July 4, 2021 at 7:09 am

    Nice write up, was interesting and informative. Thanks for sharing the health tips for treat meals ❤️

  • Reply
    Rakhi Parsai
    July 4, 2021 at 10:03 am

    I am on a weight loss diet and always get tempted to cheat on few days. Bt I loved the way you have described cheat meals and cheat days. And cheat meals does sound better while still being able to maintain the weigh loss goals.

  • Reply
    Rakhi Jayashankar
    July 4, 2021 at 7:53 pm

    You have nailed it. The word cheat meal has a negative connotation as you said. But once in a while cheat meal is much needed

  • Reply
    Yogita Joshi
    July 4, 2021 at 11:07 pm

    This is indeed a great read. You penned it perfectly. Cheat meals are not that bad, its much needed in a while. Worth a read.

  • Reply
    Subhra Saswati
    July 5, 2021 at 10:41 am

    I’m in support of treat meal. Sometimes being happy is all we need in life. A little diversion from diet is okay

  • Reply
    Jaymie
    July 10, 2021 at 11:43 am

    This is such a great article! I was just thinking about this as I recently started on keto diet. Having read your post helped me decide. Thanks!

  • Reply
    Sumita Mallick
    July 12, 2021 at 1:59 am

    Really nice Content. This is a great and informative article 👏

  • Reply
    Rippy Gauba
    July 12, 2021 at 4:04 pm

    Wow, great article. did not know the difference between cheat mean and cheat day. It makes sense to have cheat meals than indulge in a cheat day.

  • Reply
    Anja
    March 22, 2022 at 11:20 am

    Simply wish to say your article is as surprising.
    The clarity in your post is simply nice and i can assume you’re an expert on this
    subject. Well with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post.
    Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable work.

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