Cheat Days During a Weight Loss Program

The idea of cheat meals has existed for as long as dieting itself. When people are told to avoid certain foods, it often makes them crave those foods even more. Restrictive diets can lead to strong cravings, and this is why many people include cheat meals during their weight loss journey.

Do Cheat Meals Help Break a Plateau?

There isn’t enough solid research to confirm whether cheat meals actually boost weight loss. However, many people have used them to break through a weight-loss plateau. Cheat meals can provide a mental break and may help you stick to your overall diet plan better.

In one real-life example, a 38-year-old woman weighing 300 pounds was losing around 2.38 pounds per week. After some time, her progress stopped. When she added cheat meals to her plan, she started losing weight again. This shows that, in some cases, cheat meals might help the body restart progress.

What Exactly Is a Cheat Meal?

A cheat meal means eating more calories than usual—especially more carbs. This can lead to a temporary increase in body weight, but it is usually water retention, not fat gain. Cheat meals are also used to keep motivation high and prevent feelings of restriction.

What Does Research Say About Cheat Days?

One study on mice tested different diet patterns. Some mice were given a standard American diet (SAD), others an anti-inflammatory diet (AID), and a third group followed their regular diets but were given SAD food on weekends—similar to human cheat days.

The results showed that mice who followed the healthy AID diet every day recovered faster from inflammation than those on the unhealthy SAD diet. But surprisingly, the mice who ate SAD food only on weekends had the same slow recovery as those who ate it daily. However, the cheat-day mice still had a healthier gut than those on the full-time unhealthy diet.

Final Thoughts on Cheat Days

Cheat meals may not always support weight loss, but they can help in other ways. They may improve mental satisfaction, help with consistency, and even benefit gut health if your regular diet is healthy. Still, frequent or poorly planned cheat meals can slow progress. If you decide to include them, do so mindfully and in moderation.

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