The Cheat Meal Cheatsheet.
If you’ve ever had the feeling of regret and remorse after eating a cheat meal, you’re not alone. A cheat meal can not only demoralize you, but it can also cause setbacks and put you behind on your schedule.
Fitness freaks can only dream of a world where they could eat a cheat meal without compromising on their goals. What if we told you the so-desired parallel universe is a reality and within your grasp?
Start With A Plan
There are two types of cheat meals, first are the ones programmed into your diet plans and the others are unplanned. You should stay away from the unplanned meals and enjoy the programmed cheat meals without any guilt.
Some people try to avoid junk food altogether which is not a great idea. Feasting on the cheat meals comes as a shock to your body if you’re following a balanced and clean diet for the rest of the week.
Adding a cheat meal to your diet plan can help boost your metabolism and burn calories even when you’re not physically active. Once-a-week junk food meal can be incredibly effective if your goal is to put on muscle mass.
Don’t Sleep On It
After you’ve made the cardinal sin of eating an unplanned cheat meal, the worst thing you can do is go to sleep. Try going for a cardio session or at least a walk before you hit the sack.
If you know you’ll be eating a cheat meal later in the day, eat a protein-rich meal before you can get your hands on your favorite pizza. Protein can make you feel fuller for a longer period which can help you in avoiding junk food when you’re hungry and thinking from your tummy.
Put in Extra Work on The Next Day
The best way of getting over the feeling of regret of a cheat meal is to go harder in the gym the next day. You should be doing a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) strength training and cardio session to burn the extra calories.
We recommend doing two cardio sessions for shedding the extra calories. The second should be a low-intensity steady-state session which is to be done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Adjust Your Calories
Calories are the name of the game when it comes to cheat meals and losing or putting on weight. Apart from following a daily caloric goal, you should keep a note of your weekly (and monthly) calorie intake.
If you eat an additional 1,000 unplanned calories on a Sunday, your goal should be to deduct it from the next week’s sum. For example, reduce 333 calories each from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to stay on track with your progress.
Once you follow all these steps, you’ll start to appreciate your diet and fit lifestyle more because you’ll know that falling for a single cheat meal will require you to put in a lot of work.
Which is your favorite junk food? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.