The goodness of cheating

Many people who follow a strict diet are often perplexed whether to opt for a cheat day or not. There is a feeling that taking a break from their everyday diet chart and having a day of indulgence might slow down their process of weight loss. However, according to many experts, cheat days can also contribute to weight loss. It also offers psychological and physiological benefits, depending on a person’s diet regime.

“When you are trying to lose weight through dieting, you are doing it by creating an energy deficit. If you continue it without giving your body a break, then it begins to adapt to the deficit. Your body will then burn fewer calories. A cheat day can help thwart this slowdown. Also, following low calorie and low-fat diet for long can mess up with the hormones in the body too, so a bit of indulging helps,” says Kavita Devgan, nutritionist and author of “Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People”.

Allowing cheat days in diet also helps in getting nutrients that might be missing in the body due to restrictive diet. Dr Nusra Mustafa, clinical nutritionist, Apollo Spectra Hospitals, tells Metrolife, “Dieting can cause a decline in levels of thyroid hormones and leptin (which directly affect fat-burning) and IGF (insulin like growth factor, which supports muscle growth). Hence, cheat days can help retain that level and act as a tool for losing fat.”

Though cheat days have many benefits, their frequency should be decided depending on the diet protocol. For people on a restrictive diet, a single cheat day per week is suggested. It helps them feel motivated and comply with the diet for the other six days of the week. For ultra low-carb diet, it is better to cheat once every two weeks.

“A cheat day allows carbohydrate loading of the liver (a strategy used by endurance athletes to maximise the storage of glycogen in the muscles and liver) which can help the body get used to a lower weight set point. A lot of people end up losing weight faster after an occasional cheat day,” says Dr Vinay Bhardwaj, director, Quantified Health, Grow Fit, a health app. 

On the other hand, on certain diets like Ketogenic (which is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet taken by people suffering from Epilepsy), cheat day is a bad idea. Dr Bhardwaj points out, “If you are trying to maintain nutritional ketosis (a condition characterised by raised levels of ketone bodies in the body, associated with abnormal fat metabolism and diabetes mellitus) through a diet, cheat days are not suggested because it would end the ketogenic state and the benefits the diet brings.”

Now that you know how cheat days are helpful to you, do not hesitate to opt for it. But before that please mind that even on your cheat days huge portions are a big no-no. Stick to a calorie limit and count your calories carefully. And above all, don’t feel guilty. This emotion releases stress hormones and will spoil the whole purpose. The point of a cheat day is to give both your body and mind a break. So, just enjoy the food.