If you are into fitness or bodybuilding, it is likely that you may have come across the term ‘cheat day’. This term is especially popular online on fitness sites and social media pages. If you are not familiar with the term, you may be puzzled about what it stands for and what its significance when it comes to exercise is. Well, worry no more. Below, find out all you need to know about these ‘cheat days’.
What are cheat days?
Fitness enthusiasts are supposed to eat healthy in order to maintain the health and bodies they want. As such, most of their diet consists of planned meals, fruits, vegetables, little carbs, and so forth. Junk foods and foods with fats or sugar are not encouraged. In a way, it’s like being on a diet.
The term ‘cheat day’ refers to those days when one disregards the rules of eating healthy and indulges in any type of food they so wish. These are days when one intentionally succumbs to the temptation and eats foods like pizza, fries, chips, soda, etc.
Are cheat days important?
They are important, and at the same time, they are not important. If you can do without having a day when you eat all those meals that you have been avoiding all week, then by all means, you don’t need to cheat on your diet. In fact, the better it will be for your fitness goals because you will avoid adding sugar, calories, and fats to your body.
On the other hand, if you often crave to eat unhealthy meals or if you cannot go for long without eating unhealthy meals, then perhaps a cheat day is good for you. That’s because it gives you the opportunity to let out some steam and give in to your dietary wishes. This way, you are able to control what you eat and when you eat it. This is as opposed to eating junk food all the time.
How often should one observe a cheat day?
Ideally, these days should be observed once a week only. It is unhealthy for your body and diet to have more than one day of unhealthy eating. Not only will you be making your training more difficult, you might end up throwing into the temptation and sliding back to unhealthy eating full time.
And now you know. If you have been cheating on your dieting more than you should, you know what to do.