Samreen Samad tells you why you should actually include a cheat day in your diet
Why cheat?
Cheating isn’t always bad. In fact, a cheat day as part of your diet can actually do you good. Restrictive diets which consist of boring food are rarely successful. Too much deprivation only makes you hungrier and cranky, resulting in you completely giving up and winding up on a couch with a bag of potato chips to drown your sorrows. Allowing yourself to cheat on your diet once a week will help your body take rest from the strict plan you’ve been sticking to all week and ease the restrictions temporarily. This helps reduce cravings and also stimulates your thyroid gland and boosts your metabolism. Cheating sensibly and in the right way will help steer you towards success in the long term.
Pick a day
Decide at the beginning of the week which day you would want to make your cheat day. This will give you something to look forward to. Also, by selecting one particular day of the week as your cheat day, you’re less likely to cheat during the rest of the week. You have to make sure that there are at least five days between your cheat days.
Eliminate binge temptation
Now that you have a cheat day, make sure it doesn’t turn into a binge day. Avoid eating in locations that can encourage mindless eating. So, eating while watching TV, in the car, while walking around the house and while standing in the kitchen or eating out of the fridge is a big no! Also refrain from eating straight from a packet. Always put your food on a small plate and eat while you’re sitting down. This will help you be aware of how much food you’re putting in your mouth. You can also ask a friend, family member or colleague to join you on a similar diet plan and decide a cheat day with them. This will help you stay motivated and give you support.