5 Different Cheat Meal Hacks
If you’ve seen Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson’s Instagram, you have probably seen one of his legendary cheat days. The former wrestler-turned-action movie mega-star is well known for his enormous cheat day meals, which often include mountains of pancakes, pizza, chocolate cake, tequila, and a whole lot more food. You may ask yourself, how does someone eat that much food and still look like he’s part rhinoceros?
It’s important to remember that part of The Rock’s job is to look like he does. He has unlimited resources to devote to his body. He burns a lot of calories in his daily life. However, why can’t we all have a little cheat day fun?
Cheat meals can be good for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is mental health. When we focus on healthy eating, it can be easy to forget that food, simply put, can be delicious. Who doesn’t want ice cream or a pizza or cheeseburgers? The key here is moderation. Healthy food can also be delicious, but it’s also okay to eat unhealthy things if you do so in moderation.
If you want to incorporate a ‘cheat day’ into your lifestyle, here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure you stay happy and healthy.
Plan It Out – Planning out a cheat meal is a great way to make sure you don’t stray from your healthy path too much outside of the cheating. It will also get you excited for the day or meal when you can finally let lose a little bit. Knowing you have a time planned to eat something you love will take some of the boredom out of eating the healthy things you may not love.
Many experts agree that one cheat meal per week is enough. Mark down a day on a weekend or a special occasion. Also, plan what and when you’re going to eat. Are you a carb person? Maybe you splurge on pasta for dinner. If you’re into sweets, plan out your favorite dessert. Picking and choosing your favorites will allow you to enjoy without going overboard and prevent you from wasting unnecessary calories on foods you don’t particularly love.
Cheat in Moderation – Having a cheat meal does not mean turning into a human food vacuum. Think about this as an opportunity to eat what you like, not all that you can. Taking an entire day or weekend to eat as much junk food as possible will have a negative impact on your goal progress, and it’ll leave you feeling sick.
Instead of eating the entire plate of pasta or going with the triple cheeseburger, maybe eat a half plate or cap the burger at a single. You’ll still love it, but you won’t be eating a ridiculous excess of calories that will tank your progress. Moderation. Moderation. Moderation. It’s very important.
Stay Hydrated – This is important in general, but particularly when it comes to cheat meals. Being fully hydrated is one way to curb feelings of hunger. It’s also a great way to negate the effects of high sodium intake, which you may be consuming with foods that may be considered cheat foods such as pizza, chips, baked goods, and more.
Have a few glasses when you wake up and then before, during, and after your cheat meal. Then drink more before you go to bed and right when you wake up the following day. This will flush some toxins out of your body and help you feel energized and ready to get back on the healthy eating train.
Enjoy it – Those negative feelings associated with cheating are normal, but they aren’t helpful. It’s important to remember that being healthy doesn’t mean you never get to have fun. Food is a great part of life, and life should be enjoyed.
Pick your favorite food and eat it slowly. Savor every bite and really remember to enjoy it. You’ve been looking forward to this. Eating slow will also help you better recognize when you’re full, which will help prevent overeating.
Remember to Stop Cheating – This part may be the most difficult. When you stick to a healthy diet for a whole week and get that cheat meal reward, it’s not hard to snowball and justify more cheating. This is how you keep moving in the right direction. Cheating can be fun and can be beneficial, but it can also be destructive to your health when you take it too far. Plan it out, keep it in moderation, stay hydrated, and, most importantly, remember to enjoy it.
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