However, if you are on a diet plan and it is working for you, I say stick with it. On the other hand, if from time to time you are cheating on your diet plan well…it’s OK.
That’s right. Having a cheat day is OK.
As a matter of fact, having a cheat day may actually help you stick with your diet plan until you slim down to your desired size and weight.
Sounds unreasonable?
Not really.
Here are my 3 personal reasons why every dieter should have a cheat day on their diet plan.
Forbidding a Cheat Day on a Restrictive Diet is Unrealistic
As I mentioned before, I don’t like diet plans because I find them too restrictive. Not only are diet plans restrictive, but they are unrealistic telling people ‘they can’t eat this’ and ‘they can’t eat that’ where many dieters completely give up the foods they love.First of all, most diet plans don’t teach people how to eat healthy as part of a lifestyle change. Diet plans like the 7 Day diet, Atkins Diet, Cabbage Diet, Banana Diet, Zone Diet, South Beach Diet and more are full of if with their promises to “lose 10 pounds in a week” or “lose 20 pounds in a month.”
Losing weight is not about dieting based off diet plans that only offer short term results. Losing weight is about making healthy lifestyle changes where long-term weight loss and weight maintenance takes time, patience, and hard work.
Besides, do you intend to stay on a diet plan forever where you’re not going to eat a slice of pizza or a slice of chocolate cake for the rest of your life?
That’s just plain unrealistic.
Instead, why not figure out how many calories you need to lose weight and try to stick within your daily calories? That way you won’t have to give up the “bad foods” you love and still lose weight.
As long as you can stay within your daily calories and be discerning of the types of “bad foods” you choose to eat, you can have a cheat day without sabotaging your diet.
A Cheat Day Can Teach You Self-Discipline
Another reason why I say it’s good for dieters to have a cheat day is because doing so can teach dieters self-discipline when it comes to eating bad foods.Portion control, meal planning, moderation, and weight control are all part of self-discipline that’s crucial to losing weight for long term results and weight maintenance.
Again, diet plans don’t teach people how to properly eat healthy as part of a lifestyle change. However, dieters are expected to eat a “clean diet” free of bad foods forever. Then when dieters go to holiday functions, family gatherings, or hang out with friends, they don’t know how to practice self-discipline when the bad foods are in front of them and consequently they “cheat” on their diet.
Likewise, what do you suspect happens when dieters stops dieting?
Unfortunately, dieters return to their old eating habits that made them overweight in the first place.
Therefore, if you can learn self-discipline by having a cheat day, once you stop “dieting” you will be in a better position to maintain your new weight.
A Cheat Day Can Fight Off Mind Games That Diet Plans Play
The last reason why a cheat day may be good for your diet plan is because it can help dieters to realize they are not perfect and that they are only human.Ever notice the bad foods you can’t have you want the most? Then if you eat the bad foods you feel guilty because you “failed” on your diet plan.
That’s the psychological mind games the weight loss industry plays on dieters. Dare to go off your diet plan for just one minute and SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!
Rubbish.
To reiterate once more, diet plans don’t teach people how to properly eat healthy as part of a lifestyle change.
That said…and to be rather blunt, if you are a dieter who has had little success on diet plans, there is no one to blame, but yourself because you chose a temporary solution to losing weight.
I can't stress this enough; losing weight is not about dieting. Losing weight is about making a lifestyle change…and a permanent change at that.
While there are dieters who do have some success on diet plans, they typically gain all the weight back plus more simply because they didn’t learn how to eat healthy as a new way of living.
In any event, if you want or have a cheat day on your diet plan, don’t feel guilty about it! Unless you plan to stay on a diet plan forever, I suggest to stop dieting and instead learn how to eat healthy as part of a lifestyle change.
And remember portion control, meal planning, moderation, and weight control for self-discipline. If you can do this when it comes to the bad foods, it’s totally fine to have a cheat day where you can still lose weight and have the lasting results you want.
Good Luck!
