If you have been on a calorie-restricted diet, the endless days of salads, fruits and vegetables might be getting to you. With no sight of your favorite comfort foods like chocolates, fries, and pizzas, it can be tough to find the motivation to stick to a low-calorie diet.
We have some good news for you. You do not have to only stick to healthy food in your diet, instead, you can break the monotony with the help of CHEAT MEALS and continue your weight loss journey.
What Is A Cheat Meal?
A cheat meal is a meal that would not be allowed in your planned diet as it is generally high in calories. Based on your goals and preferences, you can either have one or two cheat meals in the week or have a single day where you eat whatever you wish, known as a cheat day. These cheat meals or cheat days can have a positive effect on your weight-loss journey.
Benefits of A Cheat Meal
To understand the benefits of a cheat meal, you need to learn about two hormones- leptin and ghrelin.
Leptin regulates appetite and controls satiety. It gives you a signal when your body is full. The production of this hormone depends on your intake of calories. If you consume lesser calories, your leptin will decrease, and vice versa.
Ghrelin, on the other hand, is a hormone that signals when you are hungry. When losing weight, your ghrelin levels can increase.
So how do leptin and ghrelin affect your weight loss journey?
When you on a weight loss diet, you would be consuming lesser calories than needed to function normally. With time, however, your body becomes used to a low-calorie diet and might plateau. This is where cheat meals come into the picture. A calorie and carbohydrate-rich cheat meal can jumpstart your metabolism, regulating the leptin and ghrelin levels. These meals push your body to keep burning calories instead of plateauing.
Apart from this, cheat meals also act as a great motivator. When you know you have a delicious meal waiting for you, you feel motivated to stick to your diet for the rest of the week. Cheat meals also allow you to relax, providing you with a much-needed mental break. They allow you to stop thinking about the calories and enjoy the food without any guilt.
How to have a cheat meal
Now that you know the importance of cheat meals, there are some things to keep in mind while planning your cheat meals. The first is to choose a day when you will consume your cheat meal and stick to it. It will help you stick to a schedule for eating, helping your body anticipate the meals as well.
The second thing is to remember that your cheat meal is a replacement for your regular, diet-friendly meal. It does not mean that you should eat double the quantity of food while having your cheat meal. Stick to similar amounts that you would consume regularly.
On the day you are consuming your cheat meal, do not look at it as a reason to skip your workout. Instead, make it a point to work out on such days. Make sure to fast for a few hours before you consume your cheat meal. You can also consume fewer calories before your cheat meal to see better results.
By following a healthy diet for the entire week, by consuming products like the GNC Total Lean® Lean Shake, and indulging in occasional cheat meals once or twice a week, you can level up your weight loss.
