Changing eating habits is challenging, regardless of the reason, whether it's to reduce sugar intake, lose weight, or manage a chronic health condition. The desire to "break the rules" and eat whatever one wants is common. "Cheat days" are a popular topic of debate among dietitians, particularly regarding weight loss. While some believe they positively impact metabolism, others suggest that needing a cheat day indicates a need to rethink the current eating plan and relationship with food.
The Argument for Cheat Days
Although not universally supported, cheat days have some arguments in their favor.
Psychological Benefits
The most common reason for supporting cheat days is psychological. Indulging occasionally can help people stay disciplined the rest of the time. "Planned hedonic deviations" may help individuals stay on track. The best eating plan is sustainable and doesn't diminish the joy of eating; cheat days can achieve this for some.
Potential Metabolic Boost
There's a scientific argument for cheat days, although not particularly strong. Some researchers suggest that occasional deviations from an eating plan can temporarily increase leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone that signals fullness, and its levels decrease during restrictive diets, encouraging eating. Cheat days may override this survival mechanism and prevent extreme hunger during dieting.
However, studies cited to support cheat days often focus on refeed days for athletes or intermittent energy balancing protocols, not true "cheat days." In intermittent energy balancing studies, dietitians planned and prepared all meals, which isn't really "cheating."
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The Argument Against Cheat Days
Many experts advise against cheat days, believing that any short-term benefits are outweighed by the harm they cause.
Risk of Overboard Consumption
"Cheat day calories can add up fast and bring your weight loss progress to a screeching halt - or even reverse it," warns Anna Taylor, RD, LD. Undoing a week's worth of calorie deficit with a weekend splurge defeats the purpose.
Many people misunderstand what a "cheat day" entails, consuming thousands of calories from fast food, sweets, and sugary drinks. This isn't cheating; it's overeating or binge eating, which can lead to disordered eating behaviors. A 2022 study in the Journal of Eating Disorders found that cheat meals are linked to greater eating disorder behaviors and psychopathology, including binge-eating episodes, among adolescents.
Unhealthy Attitude Toward Food
Cheat days promote an unhealthy attitude toward food. "Having a cheat day implies that a healthy diet is all-or-nothing - that you’re either ‘off the plan’ or ‘on the plan,'" Taylor explains. Sustainable weight loss involves avoiding labeling foods as "good" or "bad," which adds moral baggage to food decisions and encourages extreme dieting. No food needs to be entirely off-limits unless it causes physical illness; a deprivation mindset is unhelpful.
A Balanced Diet: An Alternative to Cheat Days
In a world without cheat days, every day is an opportunity to enjoy eating.
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The 80/20 or 90/10 Rule
"A healthy diet is a balanced one," Taylor encourages, advocating for the 80/20 or 90/10 rule. Healthful foods should comprise about 80% of total calories for general health or 90% to improve health. The remaining 20% or 10% allows wiggle room, where portion size should be considered when enjoying less healthful foods.
Spreading Extra Calories
Rather than a cheat day, Taylor suggests spreading extra calories throughout the week to avoid associating cheat days with "treating yourself" or "being bad." Using food as a "tool" at either extreme doesn't sustain long-term weight loss.
Other Considerations
When deciding whether to incorporate cheat days into a weight loss plan, remember the following:
Metabolic Variability
Metabolism is influenced by various factors, including sex, medical conditions, hormones, and exercise. It's impossible to know exactly how the body will respond to a cheat meal, and any metabolic increase is unlikely to offset the excess calories from unrestricted eating.
Compatibility with Eating Plans
The suitability of cheat meals or days depends on the specific eating plan. For example, a cheat day on a ketogenic diet can disrupt ketosis, hindering weight loss efforts for several days.
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Mindful Eating
Whether following a restrictive diet or aiming to stay healthy, mindful eating is crucial. It's even more important when incorporating cheat days.
Professional Consultation
Consulting a healthcare provider before starting any diet is always recommended. They can help tailor an eating plan to individual needs, including discussing the value of cheat days.
Keto Cheat Days: Specific Considerations
A keto cheat day involves temporarily pausing the ketogenic diet, whether as a scheduled treat or a break. Frequent keto cheating can make it harder to return to ketosis, the metabolic state where the body burns fat for fuel, leading to blood sugar spikes, sluggishness, and cravings.
Potential Downsides of Keto Cheat Days
- Disrupted Fat Adaptation: Regular glucose intake can prevent the body from becoming fat-adapted, where it efficiently uses fat as its primary fuel source.
- Increased Cravings: Deviating from a keto meal plan may lead to increased sugar and carb cravings, potentially causing weight gain and a return to old eating habits.
- Enzyme Imbalance: After following a low-carb, high-fat diet, the body produces fewer enzymes to break down carbs. This can cause food intolerances, acid reflux, and other symptoms.
- Macronutrient Imbalance: Too many cheat days can disrupt the macronutrient balance essential to the keto diet.
- Keto Flu: Eating a high-carb food can trigger keto flu symptoms, as it's another switch for your metabolic state.
Strategies to Mitigate Negative Effects
- Hydration and Electrolytes: Boosting hydration and replenishing electrolytes can help flush out excess carbs and reduce bloating.
- Nutrient-Dense Foods: If a cheat meal is planned, focus on fresh produce, high-quality protein, and healthy fats for the rest of the day.
- Exercise: Exercise helps burn off excess glycogen and speeds up the return to ketosis.
- Ketone Monitoring: Tracking ketone levels after a cheat day helps determine how long it will take to get back into ketosis.
Alternatives to Keto Cheat Days
- Cyclical Keto Diet (CKD): This involves following a keto diet with planned periods of higher carb intake, making the diet more mentally manageable.
- Keto-Friendly Alternatives: Explore keto-friendly recipes and substitutes for favorite high-carb foods.
Tips for Managing Cravings and Sticking to Keto
- Practice Mindful Eating: Pay attention to your body and eat slowly.
- Plan Meals: Have satisfying, flavorful meals high in healthy fats and moderate in protein.
- Make Keto-Friendly Treats Accessible: Curb cravings with readily available keto-friendly options.
- Know Your Triggers: Recognize situations or foods that make you more likely to cheat.
- Be Kind to Yourself: If you cheat regularly, it may indicate that the diet is too restrictive.
Potential Health Risks of Keto Cheat Days
Cardiovascular Risks
Research suggests that sudden glucose spikes after a period of ketosis may damage blood vessels, potentially increasing cardiovascular risks.
Refeeding Syndrome
Although rare, continuous shifts in and out of ketosis might increase susceptibility to refeeding syndrome, a dangerous condition caused by rapid carbohydrate reintroduction after starvation.
Cycling on the Ketogenic Diet
Keto cycling involves following the keto diet for a certain amount of time and then taking a day (or more) off. The idea is to make the keto diet easier to follow. Knowing there’s a day in the near future when you’ll be allowed to eat carbs again might help you stick to the diet for longer. However, it is best to not try keto cycling until you’re about two to three months into your keto diet, to ensure your body is fat adapted so that it can get back into ketosis easily.
Potential Health Benefits and Risks of Keto Cycling
Because keto cycling is so new, no studies have examined the benefits and risks yet. Kieffer says cycling in and out of ketosis - eating carbs then not eating carbs - might be dangerous. “If you eat a high-fat diet one day (like what is recommended in the keto diet) and then go back to eating carbs the next, I think a person could be in danger of storing much of that consumed fat, which can result in high triglycerides and cholesterol,” she says. She explains the body may not have time to convert fat to energy, so it may stick with using the carbs for energy and storing the fat.