When trying to lose weight or eat healthier, the topic of cheat meals often comes up. A cheat meal is a meal where you deliberately eat foods that are outside of your regular diet plan. Some people find that incorporating a cheat meal into their diet every week or two can help them stick to their eating plan long-term. However, opinions differ on how often cheat meals should be allowed.
What is a cheat meal?
A cheat meal is a meal where you consciously choose to eat foods that are not part of your regular diet plan. For example, if you are following a low-carb diet, a cheat meal might include pasta, bread, or dessert. The purpose of a cheat meal is to satisfy cravings for “off-limits” foods in a controlled way, rather than binging on them unintentionally.
Cheat meals are sometimes referred to as “refeed” meals or diet breaks. They provide both a psychological and physiological break from your normal eating habits. Some of the proposed benefits of cheat meals include:
- Increasing satisfaction and sustainability of diet by allowing occasional indulgences
- Providing metabolic boost by shocking the system with extra calories/carbs
- Replenishing depleted glycogen stores
- Allowing hormones like leptin and ghrelin to reset back to baseline
- Reducing cravings for restricted foods
- Allowing you to practice moderation and control
Should you have a cheat meal every 5 days?
There are no universal rules on how often cheat meals should be incorporated into a diet plan. Factors like your calorie needs, weight loss goals, and food preferences all play a role. However, here are some general guidelines on frequency:
- 1 cheat meal per week – This is a common recommendation for incorporating a cheat meal. Having one meal per week where you indulge in cravings can enhance diet satisfaction and adherence for many people without major impacts on weight loss.
- 1 cheat meal every 2 weeks – Less frequent cheat meals may work better for some. Having a cheat meal biweekly may provide some benefits while still limiting overall intake of high-calorie foods.
- 1 cheat meal every 3-4 weeks – For very structured diets like competition bodybuilding regimens, cheat meals may be restricted to just 1-2 times per month.
- A cheat meal every 5 days – Eating a cheat meal this frequently may be excessive for most weight loss goals. It constitutes 20% of your weekly meals and can make it difficult to maintain a calorie deficit.
Most nutrition experts recommend limiting cheat meals to no more than once per week on a fat loss diet. Having a cheat meal every 5 days could jeopardize your progress unless you are extremely precise with food intake the rest of the week.
Benefits of a weekly cheat meal
Here are some of the potential benefits of having a cheat meal once per week while dieting:
- Enhances satisfaction and reduces cravings – Eating favorite high-calorie foods periodically can make a diet more enjoyable and easier to stick to long-term. It provides something to look forward to.
- Aids in muscle building – The extra carbs and calories from a weekly cheat meal can help support muscle protein synthesis. This is primarily beneficial for those combining dieting with strength training.
- Boosts leptin – Leptin is a hormone that helps regulate appetite and metabolism. Low leptin levels are associated with increased hunger and reduced calorie burning. Cheat meals can temporarily increase leptin.
- Replenishes glycogen – Storing adequate glycogen, or carbohydrates, in the muscles and liver boosts workout performance and energy levels. A weekly carb refeed helps maximize glycogen.
- Provides psychological break – Rigid dieting can be stressful. Knowing you have a scheduled “break” coming up can make dietary restraint easier the rest of the week.
Incorporating a planned cheat meal into your diet once a week can make the plan more sustainable long-term without major impacts on your rate of weight loss.
Risks of too frequent cheat meals
While periodic cheat meals can benefit your diet, having them too often comes with some risks:
- Reduced rate of weight/fat loss – Frequent cheat meals make it harder to maintain the calorie deficit needed for weight loss over the course of a week.
- Potential weight gain – If calorie intake from cheat meals causes you to exceed your maintenance calories, you may gain fat over time rather than losing it.
- Lower protein intake – High-calorie cheat meals often displace intake of protein-rich foods, which can hinder muscle growth or retention.
- Blood sugar spikes – Meals very high in refined carbs and sugar can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, especially in those with insulin resistance.
- Gastrointestinal distress – Suddenly varying your diet frequently can disrupt digestion and cause symptoms like bloating, gas, and diarrhea.
To minimize adverse effects, most dietitians recommend limiting cheat meals to no more than once weekly for most people. Having them more often than that can negatively impact health and diet progress.
Nutrition tips for cheat meals
Here are some tips for making cheat meals work for, rather than against, your health goals:
- Keep it to one meal, not a whole day of cheating. This controls excess calorie intake.
- Try to keep the meal balanced with carbs, protein, and fat rather than just empty carbs and sugars.
- Avoid making it an excuse to binge eat. Practice mindful, moderate enjoyment of treats.
- Consider saving half of a large restaurant meal for leftovers to control portions.
- Drink plenty of water before, during, and after to prevent dehydration and overeating.
- Account for the extra calories by making adjustments earlier in the week via exercise or calorie restriction.
- Don’t have a cheat meal if you are not feeling well or have an upcoming event where you want to look your best.
Being strategic with your cheat meal choices and portions allows you to satisfy cravings without going totally off the rails or undoing your hard work.
Meal plans with a weekly cheat meal
Here are two sample meal plans that incorporate a cheat meal one day per week while keeping overall calorie and macronutrient intake aligned with weight loss targets:
Meal Plan 1
| Day | Meals |
|---|---|
| Monday |
Breakfast: Veggie omelet with avocado, oats Lunch: Grilled chicken salad Dinner: Salmon, roasted Brussels sprouts, brown rice |
| Tuesday |
Breakfast: Greek yogurt with berries, hard boiled egg Lunch: Turkey burger with side salad Dinner: Chili lime shrimp with cauliflower rice |
| Wednesday |
Breakfast: Protein smoothie Lunch: Veggie & hummus wrap Dinner: Chicken fajitas with peppers and onions |
| Thursday |
Breakfast: Cottage cheese with fruit Lunch: Tuna salad lettuce wraps Dinner: Turkey meatballs with zucchini noodles |
| Friday |
Breakfast: Egg & veggie scramble Lunch: Chopped chicken salad Dinner: Grilled fish with spinach salad |
| Saturday |
Breakfast: Overnight oats Lunch: Leftovers from earlier in the week Dinner: Cheat meal – pizza delivery |
| Sunday |
Breakfast: Veggie omelet Lunch: Chicken & veggie stir fry Dinner: Portobello mushroom burger with sweet potato fries |
Meal Plan 2
| Day | Meals |
|---|---|
| Monday |
Breakfast: Protein shake Lunch: Chicken & broccoli stir fry over cauliflower rice Dinner: Salmon with asparagus |
| Tuesday |
Breakfast: Egg white veggie scramble Lunch: Spinach salad with grilled chicken Dinner: Pork tenderloin with roasted veggies |
| Wednesday |
Breakfast: Overnight oats Lunch: Tuna & avocado salad Dinner: Turkey taco lettuce wraps |
| Thursday |
Breakfast: Greek yogurt with almonds & berries Lunch: Butternut squash soup Dinner: Veggie & chickpea curry over cauliflower rice |
| Friday |
Breakfast: Veggie omelet Lunch: Leftovers from earlier in the week Dinner: Lean beef burger with sweet potato fries |
| Saturday |
Breakfast: Protein pancakes Lunch: Grilled chicken & veggie kebabs Dinner: Cheat meal – sushi takeout |
| Sunday |
Breakfast: Veggie scramble Lunch: Broccoli cheddar soup Dinner: Shrimp skewers with quinoa salad |
Both meal plans provide a balanced mix of protein, healthy fats, fiber-rich carbohydrates and vegetables throughout the week. They incorporate one higher calorie cheat meal per week while keeping total calorie and macronutrient intake in line with fat loss goals.
Should your cheat meal be breakfast, lunch or dinner?
You can make your weekly cheat meal breakfast, lunch or dinner based on your personal preference:
- Breakfast: Pancakes, waffles, breakfast sandwiches, etc. A breakfast cheat allows you to get your indulgence out of the way early.
- Lunch: Burgers, sandwiches, pizza, etc. A midday cheat meal helps break up the work week.
- Dinner: Pasta, desserts, alcohol, etc. An evening cheat is common for dinners out with family or friends.
While the timing does not affect weight loss, having the cheat meal at night may be beneficial for some. It allows you to better control portions and cravings earlier in the day. But listen to your body and have it when you tend to crave higher calorie foods the most.
Should you save all your calories for a big cheat meal?
Some dieters practice “saving up” all their calories during the week for a big cheat meal. However, this is not recommended for several reasons:
- Going too low in calories most days slows your metabolism and increases hunger.
- Spike in calorie intake on the cheat day can cause GI distress and fat storage.
- Not eating enough protein during the week can result in muscle loss.
- Extreme hunger most days makes overeating more likely.
Rather than depriving yourself all week, it is better to cut a modest number of calories each day. Have a slightly bigger but still reasonable cheat meal, not an extreme binge. This helps keep your metabolism and appetite-regulating hormones functioning optimally.
Should you track macros or calories on a cheat day?
While you don’t need to rigidly track every macro and calorie, being mindful on cheat days is beneficial:
- At minimum, have a rough estimate of calories/macros.
- Be cautious not to drastically exceed your maintenance needs.
- Focus on getting sufficient protein even if carbs are higher.
- If you go overboard one week, consider reducing other carb meals.
- Weigh yourself the next day to assess any damage and adjust accordingly.
Tracking to some degree helps prevent cheat meals from turning into full cheat days that hinder your fat loss goals. But don’t get overly obsessive either.
Should you have a cheat day when on vacation?
Vacations and holidays present a dilemma of whether to relax your diet. Here are some tips on managing cheat days while traveling:
- Consider scheduling only 1 full cheat day in the middle of a longer vacation.
- On other days, aim for maintenance calories with some flexibility but not total indulgence.
- Be cautious of heavy restaurant meals with lots of oils, sauces, alcohol.
- Walk as much as possible between meals to burn extra calories.
- Stay well hydrated since vacations tend to promote dehydration.
- Get back on track with your normal diet right after vacation ends.
While vacations are a time to relax, be careful not to overdo it too frequently with the cheat meals. One cheat day in the middle of a multi-week vacation can help strike the right balance.
Conclusion
Periodic cheat meals can enhance satisfaction of a fat loss diet when used strategically. However, incorporating them too frequently can hinder your progress. Most experts recommend limiting cheat meals to no more than once per week.
Having a cheat meal every 5 days may be excessive for most people. It makes it difficult to maintain the calorie deficit needed for weight loss over the long run. While the occasional indulgence is fine, focus on consistency with your healthy eating plan the majority of the time.
