Who doesn’t love indulging in burgers or desserts? But, if you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you know that burgers and desserts aren’t something you can enjoy every day.
Even so, just because you can’t enjoy them whenever you like doesn’t mean you can’t still take a cheat day once in a while. It’s easy to let cheat days snowball into something that ruins your diet, though, so how can you eat what you like without ruining your progress?
Different ways to prepare
Cheat days and greasy food go hand in hand. It is the one day a week where you can treat yourself and eat whatever you want, however you want it. But, if you’re concerned about the negative effects your favourite cheat-day foods will have on you, consider preparing them differently. There are plenty of different ways to make foods that don’t involve fatty oils or deep frying. You can look at the most delicious corn dogs in air fryer recipes to enjoy with your movie night, or you might consider making cauliflower pizza instead of relying on the old faithful dough.
Don’t overindulge
If you look forward to your cheat day all week long (and who doesn’t) you might be happy to order or make as much as you can to make up for being good for the past six days. But, overindulgence is one of the worst things you can do, and it’s easy to overdo it so you feel bloated and entirely gross. While it’s a cheat day, you should still exercise portion control and listen to your body if it tells you to slow down and stop.
Stay strong
You already know how difficult it can be to ignore and overcome cravings, especially at parties or when having a casual evening with your family. Showing the strength to avoid succumbing to cravings for sugar or fatty foods will make everything worth it, and it will prove to you that you’re able to do everything you need to maintain your diet and not affect your progress.
Make Up For It Tomorrow
Even if you falter (because everyone is human, after all), you shouldn’t take this as a sign that you have failed. Instead, it should give you the impetus to work even harder to get back on track. If you have a cheat day you didn’t plan, make sure you don’t have another one for at least a week. You also need to find the balance for post-cheat day exercise. You don’t want to do too much, as your body won’t be prepared for it. At the same time, you also don’t want to go light, as this means you’ll need to try even harder for the rest of the week.
Just One Day
It might be just one day at first, but it’s too easy to slip back into those habits that drove you towards a diet in the first place. No one is saying you can’t enjoy a cheat day now and then, but you need to make sure doesn’t throw all your hard work out of the window and keep your goals firmly in mind.