In order to be able to stick to strict diets in the long term, many build in so-called cheat days when losing weight. But does one day a week to sin make sense or is cheat day unhealthy? We’ll tell you!
Sooner or later, all diets fail because the person who wants to lose weight can no longer keep up with the hard and often too one-sided nutrition plan, breaks off in frustration and falls back into old patterns. After weeks of a cabbage soup diet, your patience wears out and you just randomly stuff yourself with pizza, burgers and chocolate out of frustration and resignation. People who are plagued by the frustration of losing weight often hope to get a permanent grip on their diet through a cheat day. But does that work at all?
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Do Cheat Days Help You Lose Weight?
Cheat days are emblematic of the biggest problem with any strict diet. Since most diets require a large calorie deficit and the avoidance of any unhealthy ingredients, those who want to lose weight feel a strong urge to break out of the tight corset of the diet after a very short time. The strong-willed may hold out a little longer, but sooner or later even the greatest discipline will no longer work and we will turn to sweets, fast food or alcohol again. Cheat days offer an outlet for pent-up cravings and cravings.
However, cheat days cannot solve the basic problem of dieting: one-sided and severely restricted forms of nutrition cannot work in the long term, are unhealthy and can cause nutrient deficiencies. A fundamental change in diet with a focus on freshly cooked dishes made from unprocessed ingredients is therefore always more sensible. Vegetables should always be the largest component and not just a small side dish. The five traps you should avoid when changing your diet are explained here by nutritionist Dr. Matthew Riedl.
Cheat days can be so harmful
Even if cheat days can make a diet more bearable and even lead to weight loss in some people in the short to medium term, they still damage our metabolism and can train us to eat unhealthily. For example, the weekly Cheat Day slows down fat burning , since the frequent consumption of unhealthy, sugar-laden foods throughout the day drives up our blood sugar levels. A high blood sugar level always leads to the release of insulin, which slows down fat burning and promotes the storage of fat. Also, studies have shown that regular consumption of unhealthy fast food suppresses appetite control and satiety. This can increase food cravingsoccur and a vicious circle is created.
The better alternative to Cheat Day
Instead of whipping yourself up, suffering, giving up everything you love for six days, and then letting off steam and going completely overboard on day seven, try this method. Build small but forgivable sins into your everyday life. And not uncontrolled in the form of random snacks whenever you see a praline or a piece of chocolate. But as a planned dessert after lunch. This timing prevents sweet snacks from suddenly causing your blood sugar to skyrocket and fat burning to come to a standstill. Also, the ritualization performsto the fact that your need to snack automatically decreases, because you don’t completely forbid yourself anything, but rather breastfeed your Jieper once a day. So treat yourself to a handful of gummy bears, 20 grams of chocolate or a little yoghurt with chocolate shavings after lunch.
Important: Enjoy yourself consciously and appreciate the exception.
