The Five Rules of the Cheat Meal

The Cheat Meal is the thing that makes the word “diet” seem less intimidating; in fact, it makes it seem nearly bearable.  Let’s forget for a moment that this is a “lifestyle” and not a “diet,” and talk about a cheat meal and how it can help you.  Used properly and judiciously, it can be a healthy part of your life.  Used the wrong way, it can completely derail all of your health efforts in one fell swoop.

1     1.  You only get ONE, and you should PLAN it.  I’m a big proponent of meal planning; it saves time, money, and aggravation.  When you are planning your weekly meals, schedule in your cheat meal.  I like to save my cheat meal for holidays, celebrations, date nights, or when I’m going out to eat, otherwise known as times when temptation is at its highest.  You only have so much willpower; save it for the rest of the week when eating your planned meals and snacks is a matter of necessity and convenience.

The downside to planning it is this:  what is you screw up and fall off the wagon before your cheat meal?  Well, then, you have HAD your cheat meal for the week, and you forfeit the one you had planned.  This is just another way of staying accountable to yourself.

2    2.   It’s ONE meal; not a cheat DAY, cheat WEEKEND, or CHEAT WEEK.  This is a mistake that I see people make all the time.  When I start talking to people about what they are already doing, lots of times they tell me that they are eating pretty well, and they have a cheat day once per week.  Then they wonder why they aren’t losing weight.  You can do A LOT of damage in a day; in fact, you can completely undo all the exercise and portion control you have done the other six days of the week.  Keep it to ONE meal; while you could still do a lot to derail the week’s efforts with one meal, consider it damage control.  There is only so much you can eat at one sitting, especially if you are used to eating less.

       3.  Keep portion sizes reasonable.  Just because you can eat anything your little heart desires, doesn’t mean you should eat ALL of it!  Eat a reasonable serving of mac-n-cheese.  Eat one slice of chocolate cake.  Not the whole cake… as much as you might want to.

      4.  Use it as a carrot.  Use your cheat meal to keep you accountable.  That’s one reason I like to keep my cheat meal toward the end of the week.  I know I have to pass up the muffins in the workroom or the pizza my husband made because I want Brazilian churrasco or cheese fondue on Friday.  I keep in mind what I REALLY want (and I usually like to choose something that I’ve been craving) and I dangle that in front of my face when temptation strikes.

      5.   ENJOY it.  I think the cheat meal should really be renamed as your “indulgence meal.”  Done correctly, this can be a healthy part of your lifestyle; you aren’t “cheating” on anything.  You are practicing moderation and the 80/20 rule.  So eat what you want for ONE meal per week, and SAVOR it.  Then move on and go back to your healthy habits; don’t beat yourself up about it or feel badly.  This is part of being healthy!

I think cheat meals are important; deprive yourself too much and you will be likely to give up and fall off the wagon.  Food is a part of the joy of life!  Just make sure you enjoying it in moderation.

BE FIERCE!