Weight loss: 6 do’s and don’ts of following a cheat meal plan

Whether you’re working towards achieving a healthy body or are looking for ways to shed some kilos, a healthy and a clean diet is what you should aim for.

While you may swear by your diet plan or hooked to your workout routines, there are a lot of other things you must pay attention to while following a weight loss program.

Take cheat meals for instance. Aren’t they the best thing that can ever happen to you amidst all the slogging and dietary limitations that you have to follow? Surely they are.

However, during the time you’re on a cheat meal, while you may be free to eat or drink whatever you like, you must also learn to abide by these do’s and don’t. Check them below!

1. Do not overeat and practice mindful eating
After days and days of excessive workouts and healthy eating, people tend to go overboard and apart from eating all the unhealthy and fatty foods, they sometimes eat more than their body can take. Therefore, while you may just want to gorge down all the delicious and scrumptious looking food, it is crucial that you practice some mindful eating too. Instead of dumping everything down your throat, you must enjoy each and every morsel of the food that goes inside your mouth. This will not only ease your cravings but will also replenish your soul.

2. Do listen to your cravings
While you have been working hard to get yourself in the perfect shape, during your cheat meal, try and eat food that you have been craving for. This will not only help you be satisfied for the rest of the week and will also make you work harder towards your weight loss goals.

3. Do not starve yourself for the cheat meal
Some people tend to misunderstand the goal of a cheat meal. While it surely gives you the liberty to eat your heart out, doesn’t mean you starve yourself for hours, so as to make space for your cheat foods. Instead of tending to your cravings, it will lead you to excessive eating and may cause digestive problems too.

4. Do not eat in guilt
Guilt-ridden cheat meals are of no benefit. Either you eat everything you like during this time or you don’t. But if you’re eating the foods you like and are simultaneously feeling guilty about it, then you’re just wasting your time.

5. Do make a plan, even if it’s a cheat meal
Cheat meals are surely a way to satisfy all your cravings. However, while you’re allowed to go out of your way, you must also learn to make a rough meal plan that tells you what you’re going to eat and when you’re going to eat it. It may seem a little restraining, but with time you’ll realise how effective it is in disciplining your body and maintaining it.

6. Do maintain a nutritional balance
Usually, cheat meals are all about processed foods and sweetened drinks, that have very less or low nutritional value. While you’re free to eat what you like for a cheat meal, it is best to have some healthy and nutritious content on your plate amongst others. Besides having enough protein, consume high fibre foods that will help you with digestion after a heavy meal.