When you’re sticking to a strict diet, it can be tough. And one of the biggest problems people face when trying to stick to a healthy diet is making it sustainable over the long term. Lots of people find that the best way to be consistent over the long term is to incorporate a cheat day into their week. That way, you have some leeway to eat foods that aren’t too healthy and you have something to look forward to when the week is tough. Here’s how to navigate your cheat day in the healthiest way possible, even if it’s not really very healthy at all.
Remember Cheat Days Aren’t a Problem When Kept in Check
If you’re not yet sure about the idea of cheat days, you should remember that they’re about staying on track. By having one day in which you treat yourself and eat foods that don’t fit in your regular healthy diet, you can keep the diet as a whole more sustainable moving forward.
Create a Balance
In order to keep your cheat day a little healthier, you can try to choose food and dishes that represent balance. So if you’re going to eat an unhealthy meal, you could make one part of it a little more healthy. A burger with sweet potato fries, for example. That’s just one example among many you could implement on your cheat day.
Ensure You’re Still Getting the Nutrients You Want to Consume
Another thing you can do to make your cheat days more healthy is to focus on the nutrients you’re getting, even if you don’t pay attention to calories or fat at all. You can always eat a salad on the side and snack on fruit to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need even if you’re eating a large takeout pizza in between.
Fresh Content: How to Navigate Cheat Days While Staying Healthy
Enjoy the Treats You Usually Avoid
Your cheat day is the opportunity you need and deserve to enjoy the foods that you would usually avoid during the rest of the week. You could head to a fast food restaurant and order the most unhealthy thing on the menu. Or you could try that zeppole recipe you’ve been meaning to bake and enjoy those donuts completely guilt-free. That’s what cheat days are all about.
Eat Intuitively and Pace Yourself
One good mindset to have going into your cheat day is to focus on intuitive eating. This is when you don’t restrict your eating at all but instead eat what you want to. That doesn’t mean you have to eat as much as you possibly can; it’s about listening to your body. So when you feel full, you can stop eating.
As you can see, there are lots of things you can do to make the most of your cheat day while at least keeping it a little healthy. But remember that this is your day off and as long as you stay healthy and consistent throughout the week leading up to your cheat day, you fully deserve it and won’t cause you any problems.
