Intermittent Fasting Cheat Day
By bulksupplementsdirect
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Are there times when you feel like you can’t get enough of something, even though you’re following a strict diet or intermittent fasting plan?
Like the first bite of chocolate cake or the first sip of ice-cold beer on a hot day?
When you think of a ditching day, you probably imagine a day of pizza and beer. That is when a cheat day comes into play.
But what is a cheat day? Why do people even do it? And can you have an intermittent fasting cheat day?
If you want to learn the answer to all these questions and more, stick with us to find A to Z about cheat meals while IF.
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What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a dieting practice that involves periods of eating and not eating. It’s been around for a long time, but it’s only recently been gaining popularity in the mainstream.
Intermittent fasting is based on the idea that you can achieve your weight loss goals by restricting the number of calories you consume during certain parts of the day.
While intermittent fasting is often used by those trying to lose weight, it can also be used by people looking to maintain their current weight or build lean body mass.
There are many types of intermittent fasting regimens: some people opt for daily fasting, while others fast one or two days per week or even once per month.
Although these variations may seem minor, some key differences can make them more or less effective at meeting your goals.
What Is the Most Popular Form of Intermittent Fasting?
The most popular method of intermittent fasting is called the 16/8 method. In this method, a non-breakfast person fasts for 16 hours daily by skipping breakfast and eating their first meal at noon.
You eat normally until 8 p.m. and stop eating until noon the next day. The 16/8 method allows your body to get a break from digesting food while still giving it the energy to function throughout the day.
Besides, there are more popular types of IF:
- Alternate-Day Fasting (ADF) – You normally eat on one day and fast for 24 hours on another day.
- Time-Restricted Feeding (TRF) – You eat within a specific window during the day, typically 6 to 8 hours.
- 5:2 Fasting – You normally eat five days per week and fast for two non-consecutive days per week (for example, you typically eat on Monday through Friday and fast on Saturday and Sunday).
What Is a Cheat Day in Fasting?
A cheat day is a day where you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want it. It’s a day when you don’t have to worry about your diet or calorie intake, and you can enjoy the food that makes you happy.
And this could mean eating something you wouldn’t normally eat (think: dessert), or it could also mean eating a more significant portion than usual.
Cheat days are meant to be used occasionally, maybe once every month or every week when you’re supposed to be dieting. They’re not a license to binge eat every day of your life!
It’s like Thanksgiving: You’ll enjoy it more if you go into it knowing that this is just one day out of 365 when you can eat anything and everything without feeling guilty. The next day, or even the next meal, can be healthy again!
Can You Have a Cheat Day While Intermittent Fasting?
You know what they say: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
And while we’re not saying that you should throw caution to the wind and eat whatever you want all day long, we will say that it’s essential to allow yourself a cheat day once in a while.
It’s essential because your body won’t cope with the restriction if you don’t. It’s also important because if you let yourself have one, you’ll feel good about yourself for sticking to your diet for so long.
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What Should Be the Time Window for Intermittent Fasting Cheat Days?
We’ve all heard the advice: eat whatever you want once a week. But how long should that cheat day be?
First, this isn’t a cheat day like you would have in college. We’re talking about an intermittent fasting lifestyle, which means you are eating—and only eating—at specific times throughout the day.
As such, you probably won’t be consuming as much food on your cheat day as you would have in the past.
That being said, there’s no right or wrong answer here. Some people prefer to keep their cheat days short and sweet, while others choose to go all-out during their time off from fasting. It’s up to you!
Make sure that whatever time you choose doesn’t interfere with your goals for intermittent fasting journey or weight loss.
How Many Cheat Days Are Allowed in Intermittent Fasting Program?
So when is the best time to have a cheat day? We recommend doing it at least once every two weeks.
The reason for this is simple: Your body needs the time off. If it doesn’t get it, it will rebel against the food restrictions and make it harder for you to stick with your diet.
However, you can have a cheat day once per week—any more than that, and it starts becoming a habit rather than an occasional indulgence.
What Are the Benefits of a Cheat Day?
If you’re a fitness junkie, you might wonder: what are the benefits of a cheat day?
Well, the answer is that it depends on what kind of diet you’re on. But for most people, cheat days are a way to control your eating habits and keep yourself from obsessing over food and potentially harming your body.
For example, if you’re on a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet and practising intermittent fasting or having an extended fast, then cheat days can help keep your body from falling into ketosis (where ketones build up in the blood) too quickly.
Cheat days may make getting enough protein in your daily diet easier if you’re on a high-protein diet focusing on lean meats and vegetables.
If you’re trying to lose weight by counting calories, cheating can help curb cravings while still allowing you to eat enough calories to fuel your workouts and maintain muscle mass.
Some of the significant benefits of enjoying a cheat day are as follows:
Body Nourishment
Cheat days are a great way to nourish your body and mind.
When you’re on a diet, your body goes through many changes to adapt to the restrictions you put on it. You’re not eating as much as usual, so your metabolism slows down.
A cheat day gives your digestive system and metabolism a break from digesting healthy food all the time. So when you do eat healthy again, it will be more effective.
Your body no longer burns calories as quickly as it used to, so it stores them as fat. And this can be good or bad, depending on how much weight you need to lose.
However, if you’re trying to lose weight quickly, cheat days can help speed up the process by letting your body burn off some of those extra calories!
Kicks Out Boredom
If you’ve ever been on a diet, you’ve probably had this experience: You’re doing great for a few weeks, and then one day, you’re just so bored with the food options that you break down and eat something that isn’t on your plan.
That is a problem! But it’s also a good thing. That boredom allows you to reassess your plan and see if there’s anything that needs to change.
Maybe the portions are too small or too big, or maybe there aren’t enough healthy snacks available at work.
So, a “cheat day” becomes a built-in opportunity for self-assessment. It allows you to enjoy some foods that were off-limits during your diet. However, only once in a while and only if you feel like it!
That way, when those cravings come up (as they inevitably will), they won’t derail your whole plan or leave you feeling deprived.
Satiation and Satisfaction
Whether you’re a diehard dieter or just want to balance out your healthy habits with a bit of indulgence, cheat days are a great way to keep yourself satisfied—and it’s not just about the food.
A cheat day provides a sense of contentment, making you feel good about yourself and your choices.
They are a chance for your body to rest from all the healthy eating and exercise you’re doing. You’ll feel better if you stick to it, but sometimes a day off will make you think that you’ve earned those treats. So they won’t feel guilty indulgence.
Source of Encouragement
When trying to maintain a healthy diet, it can be hard to find the motivation to stick with it. But here’s a secret: cheating on your diet doesn’t have to be wrong. In fact, it can be good for your body and your mood!
Cheating occasionally is a great way to reconnect with your body and its needs. It helps keep you from feeling deprived, which can lead to binging—a surefire way for your body to rebel against being denied what it wants.
When you permit yourself to treat yourself every once in a while, you’re letting your body know that it deserves good things too!
And if there’s one thing we know about our bodies, they respond well when we treat them well.
You’ll feel better physically and emotionally when you don’t deprive yourself of the occasional indulgence (especially after some time spent sticking faithfully to a healthy diet).
Are Cheat Meals Good for Weight Loss?
The problem is that most people think cheat days are bad for weight loss. If you eat anything other than your usual diet, you’ll gain more weight in the long run. But that’s not true!
You might be surprised to find out that cheating on your diet can help you lose weight. Research has found that when people cut out food groups from their diets, they often end up overeating those foods because they deprived themselves of them.
In other words, when you cut out all carbs or all fat, you’ll likely end up eating more carbs or fat than usual once you go back to eating normally again.
Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean you should eat anything or everything whenever you cheat. However, it does mean that if your goal is to lose weight, it’s okay to have a few treats now and then!
While your body will still process whatever you eat as unhealthy calories, you must give yourself a little break from strict dieting every once in a while.
If you’re worried about gaining weight, then don’t be! Studies have shown that cheat days help people lose weight faster than those who don’t.
That’s because they help keep your metabolism running smoothly and prevent muscle loss during the week when you’re not eating enough calories.
How to Schedule Your Cheat Day?
Are you ready to enjoy your cheat day?
The best way to do this is by scheduling it in advance. You can set aside a day once a week or just once a month that is yours, with no restrictions on what you eat or how much you exercise.
You’ll feel less guilty if you know it’s coming and when it will happen, so why not give yourself the best chance at success by scheduling it in advance?
The first step is to set the date of your cheat day. You can choose any day during the week and any time of day.
Know that most people like to have their cheat day on the weekend. So, they have time off from work and can enjoy themselves more.
Cheat Day Intermittent Fasting Schedule
To schedule your cheat day, you need to decide on the shape of your eating window.
There are two main options: prolong your eating window (the period you eat) or skip a fasting day altogether.
If you want to extend your eating window, you can add an hour or two either at the start or end. So if you’re planning on fasting for 16 hours, you could eat from noon to 8 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. instead.
If you’re not feeling great after extending your eating window or having trouble keeping up with intermittent fasting altogether, try skipping one day.
Then, eat normally instead. You may find that skipping those days helps you feel better overall, even if it means giving up some of the benefits of IF!
When you schedule your cheat day, ensure there’s no pressure on yourself. You don’t want to feel like you’re cheating on your diet or that others are expecting something from you when they see what you’re eating (so don’t tell anyone!).
Just relax and enjoy yourself!
Intermittent Fasting Cheat Day Healthy Diet Plan
The cheat meal can be a special occasion, the culmination of weeks of hard work, or a treat. Whatever the reason for your cheat day, you want to eat the most satisfying and satiating foods.
You can make obvious choices to ensure your cheat meal is beneficial. It includes eating a meal that’s high in nutrients. Nevertheless, some sneaky foods and beverages can negatively affect your health goals.
It would be unrealistic to think we can eliminate all unhealthy food from our cheat days. However, you can do many little things to avoid foods that undermine your progress.
Make Mindful Food Choices
With intermittent fasting, what you choose to eat on a cheat day can be just as crucial as when you eat it. If you want to lower your blood glucose and take advantage of IF’s benefits, make sure that your cheat meal is made up of low-glycemic foods.
When you’re faced with choosing between a carb-filled snack and something low in protein and fat, choose the healthier option.
Snacks high in protein and fat make it easier to feel full. They also help keep your blood sugar steady, so you won’t feel hungry again as soon after you eat them.
If you’re craving something sweet, try eating a small slice of your favorite dessert or chocolate bar. If something salty is calling your name, reach for a handful of nuts or fresh veggies with hummus instead.
Sure, a chocolate bar will keep you going, but it’s not very healthy. If you choose a handful of nuts instead, your body will thank you in the long run by keeping your blood glucose levels steady throughout the day.
Cheating On a Specific Diet Plan
Since a big part of intermittent fasting is diet, there are many diets out there that can complement intermittent fasting.
For example, paleo, keto diet, whole food, and gluten-free are all low-carb eating plans, which will help you burn more body fat while on your fast (and after you eat in a later window).
If you’re already following one of these eating plans, cheating within your eating window could cause you to break away.
While some of these diets may require strict compliance, they all come with challenges. For instance, following a gluten-free or paleo diet requires you to be extremely careful with your ingredients. Besides, following a ketogenic diet requires you to adhere strictly to a specific ratio of carbs and protein.
If you’re going to cheat on your diet plan, it is always important to weigh your options before making your decision.
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Tips to Ensure You Have a Successful Intermittent Fasting Cheat Day
If you practice intermittent fasting and want to add a cheat day into the mix, consider this: The point of intermittent fasting is not just calorie restriction. It’s also about resetting your body’s metabolism to burn more efficiently.
So if you go into a cheat day thinking, “I’m going to eat whatever I want,” or “I’ll just make up for it later,” you might be setting yourself up for failure.
Besides, here are some tips to ensure your cheat day does not stall your progress:
Fewer Cheat Days Are Better
It’s no secret that cheat days can be a great way to keep your sanity while trying to lose weight. But what you may not know is that having a cheat day once a week isn’t necessarily better than having one every two weeks.
It could stall your progress.
Having a cheat day once a week can help you stay on track and feel less deprived. But if you have it every two weeks, you’ll get more satisfaction from the days between—and probably less guilt about them.
Also, those days become more manageable. They might make up for the occasional extra splurge that isn’t as big or as satisfying as it would be if it were happening every seven days instead of fourteen.
So how do we ensure all this information doesn’t just make us feel guilty about eating cake? The answer is simple: don’t think of it as cheating at all!
Think of it as just another meal on your new diet plan. One that happens now and then when you need something sweet or savory after having been so good for so long!
Eat In Moderation
When you’re intermittent fasting, getting excited about your cheat days is easy. After all, they’re free to indulge in food with no guilt!
However, if you want to ensure your cheat day doesn’t stall your progress, it’s important not to stuff yourself.
If you’ve been following a diet that restricts calories and limits certain foods, it’s easy for your body to go into “starvation mode” when you start eating more on your cheat day.
That means that instead of being able to digest the extra carbs and fats from the food you’re eating, your body will store them as fat rather.
The best way to avoid this is by ensuring that your cheat day isn’t too big. Try eating just one or two extra servings of whatever you usually eat on cheat days. Also, please don’t go overboard when it comes to dessert!
Don't Overeat Carbs
We know you’re excited about your cheat day, but don’t go overboard with carbs.
Eating all the carbs you can when you’re having a cheat day is tempting. It is especially true when you’ve been restricting your carb intake for so long.
But if you overdo it, your body will have trouble processing the excess glucose and insulin in your system, which can lead to weight gain and inflammation.
Ensure your cheat day isn’t sabotaging your progress by eating enough protein and fat in addition to carbs. Doing this will help balance out the effect of glucose in your body and prevent any unwanted side effects.
Set a Longer Fasting Window
If you’re struggling to make your intermittent fasting cheat day work, try picking a more extended fasting period.
When you’re intermittent fasting, you usually eat for 6 to 8 hours and then fast for 16 to 18 hours. Doing this allows your body to go into ketosis. It is a state where it burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. It’s an efficient way to lose weight and keep it off.
But it can be hard to keep up with if you’re trying to stick to this schedule on days when you’re not eating cleanly or working out.
If this happens, extend your fasting window by two or three hours. And this will allow you more time between meals. It will also make it easier for your body to burn fat instead of carbs when it’s time for dinner at night!
Keep Track of Your Progress
Cheat days are necessary to keep up with your diet. However, they can also be a significant setback if you’re not careful.
What is the best way to ensure your cheat day doesn’t stall your progress? Keep track of your progress.
Keeping track means weighing yourself before and after the day to see how much food you consumed. Check whether or not it made any difference on the scale.
If it did, you know what foods cause weight gain and need to avoid them in the future. If it didn’t make a difference, you know those foods are “safe” for eating during cheat days without worrying about gaining weight.
It’s important to note that this is just a guide. Everyone’s body is different, so what works for one person may not work for another. When done correctly, monitoring your progress can help keep cheat days from derailing your diet!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you eat junk food once a week?
You can eat junk food once a week, but you shouldn’t overdo it.
Indeed, eating junk food once in a while won’t kill you. Plenty of people have survived on nothing but McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets, pizza, and Mountain Dew for years.
But let’s be honest: those people will probably not live healthy long enough to eat that much-processed food again.
Junk food has a lot of calories and not much nutritional value. Most junk food is loaded with sugar and salt. That means it has a lot of calories (which makes us gain weight), and too many calories can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Overeating junk food will make it harder to hit your goals if you’re trying to lose weight. It is because junk food is not filling and lacks nutrients.
If you’re eating junk food occasionally and it’s not making up the bulk of your diet, having an occasional treat won’t hurt.
However, if it’s becoming a regular part of your diet, you might want to think twice before eating another handful of chips.
Which foods break your fast while intermittent fasting?
You should avoid eating all foods besides water, coffee, or tea while fasting. For instance, pasta, rice, potatoes, and other grains/starches can cause blood sugar spikes.
It also makes it harder to get into ketosis. If your goal is to lose weight or improve your health, it’s best not to eat these things during a fast.
What happens on skipping a fast for a day?
Doing a cheat day can help keep fat loss going and maximize the ease of your long-term fast. A cheat day allows you to eat typical meals without burning through too much of your stored energy (calories).
A cheat day’s effects will differ for different intermittent fasting types. If you are fasting for more than 24 hours and plan to “cheat,” it will reactivate your digestive system, and you may experience different hormonal effects.
Occasionally eating outside of your eating window won’t affect your progress as much as it would for those who follow a normal IF. It is valid for those following the 16/8, 17/7, 18/6, and 20/5 intermittent fasting schedules.
Can a cheat day make you gain weight?
You’ve probably heard that a cheat day can make you gain weight. But is this true? Yes.
A cheat day, when you eat more calories than usual, can cause you to gain weight. The reason is simple. If you consume more calories than your body burns, those extra calories will be stored as fat.
Before you bust out the corn chips and chocolate bars, take a step back and consider how your diet will be affected by these indulgences.
If you were following a low-carb diet, consuming large amounts of carbs on a cheat day could increase your weight.
So this means that even if your cheat day was only one meal or snack, it could still lead to weight gain.
But it doesn’t mean that cheat days are evil! They’re very important in helping you maintain your diet and lose weight in the long run.
A slight increase in calories once or twice per week will prevent your metabolism from slowing down and encourage your body to burn fat instead of storing it.
In other words, cheat days help keep your body working efficiently so that it’s burning fat all the time, not just when you’re dieting!
Can you drink on your cheat day while intermittent fasting?
Drinking alcohol is okay with intermittent fasting cheat days except for the people who cannot limit themselves to 1-2 drinks. Most of us can’t, so we cannot drink alcohol while intermittent fasting.
If you’re trying to lose weight or get fit, alcohol is not your friend at all. Alcohol dehydrates you and makes your body crave carbs since they’re easier to digest.
That means you can easily take in over 350 grams of carbs and 1500+ unwanted calories in one sitting. These are enough to put a serious dent into your weekly dieting goals!
Is it wrong to stop fasting on the weekend?
It’s not wrong to stop fasting on weekends, but you should be aware of the potential consequences.
When you start fasting, your body adapts to the routine. It begins releasing ketones to feed your brain and other organs during periods without food.
If you have a break from fasting on Saturday or Sunday, your body will go back to its old ways. It uses sugar as fuel instead of fat. Doing this can make it harder to get back into ketosis when you start fasting again.
If you’re trying to stay in ketosis, it’s best to keep up with your fasts no matter what week’s day. If you’re only trying to lose weight or eat healthier, it may not matter as much if you have a cheat day now and then.
Conclusion
A cheat day shouldn’t be an excuse to binge on junk food; instead, it should be an opportunity to enjoy delicious treats without feeling guilty.
So if you want a cookie, go for it! Make sure to get back on track after your meal, so you don’t throw off your schedule.
It’s important to understand that intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone and may not be the best option for you. If you try it, make sure to talk with your doctor first! And if you have any medical conditions or are pregnant, please speak with your doctor before starting an IF plan.
(oh, and do keep in touch and check in with us regularly for more fantastic content. For a complete list of our previous blog posts, please go here)
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