'Cheat meals' are Insta-famous, but that doesn't mean they work

We are often told that when you diet, cheat meals are your saving grace to make it through the sacrifices made for caloric restriction.

I’m sure you can relate. Starting a strict diet takes dedication, sacrifice, and the willpower to pass up events that could tempt you or set you back.  Eating out becomes hard, grocery shopping is boring and meal times don’t get you as excited.  Let’s face it, a salad with veggies and glass of water just isn’t as appetizing as the never-ending pasta bowls from Olive Garden or the 16oz ribeye from Outback.

So what do we do to get through these restrictive times?

Cheat meals have become quite the rage these days, and some of the most notable stars even showcase them on social media, such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and fitness buff Paul Carter.  But what works for some doesn’t necessarily work for others, right?

Some people get results from Keto, some don’t. Some drop 5 pounds a week doing HIIT, some blow up like a balloon.  So why does everyone feel the need to think the cheat meal splurge is a one size fits all category where it works for everyone?

Seriously though, think about it. One thing many people have a hard time doing is UNDOING bad habits they pick up that caused their bad body composition in the first place. So now going down the road of eating with no off button or limit is something that will help create a healthier one?

You might as well dump gasoline on fire!

Being around and watching/training clients for a decade has me knowledgeable enough to tell you that the reason behind it lies further from the notion that it will speed up fat loss. Hell, if the news came out today and said pizza had fat burning properties we all would have our dinners planned for the next week

Realistically, every time a trainer or coach tells their clients to indulge in cheat meals I cringe with disappointment. I will classify it as "crap"  and that they're either taking a step backward or temporarily halting their progress. And since many of these foods have addictive properties or wreck gut bacteria in such a way that causes extreme cravings, moderation goes into the trash faster than junk mail.  For all the people who are telling you that they had success with cheat meals, ask them about their adherence and results from sticking to whole30 or Paleo in their attempt to lose weight.  The success rate is most likely the same.

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What lies within this stigma is the simple fact that restriction drastically cuts the pleasure hormones in the brain. Being told you can’t have something only makes you eventually want and crave it more. Add in the fact that many believe the cheat meals “spark” metabolism is enough justifiable cause to begin eating like you haven't for a month when that cheat day arrives.

The problem lies within the concept behind the meal itself. Does it really boost metabolism when you are dieting? Does it really help you lose weight? When you are cutting calories your leptin levels DROP and metabolism will slow to adjust to the lower calorie intake. This is why long-term dieters have a hard time adjusting when eating more. Also, dieting is a STRESS so it will release cortisol which will make fat loss harder….so the cheat meal can help both of these situations. The fact that the cheat meal can help is true, but the guidelines that are needed and essential to be adhered to are hard for many to stick to.

I will be the first to tell you that there is no conclusive evidence that cheat meals help you lose weight for the average gym user that doesn’t fit my guidelines.  Most of us have 10+ pounds to lose, right? We are not competitive bodybuilders, Hollywood stars and athletes who have bodyfat levels under 10% (and most of those who think they have 10% body fat are usually more so 14-15%). So rewarding your hard-earned weekly restrictive diet with hemorrhaging 5,000 or more calories not only instantly negates the deficit you were in all week, but could possibly send you over the limit and have you gaining more weight than what you started.

But Mike, they said not to weigh yourself the day after a cheat meal, because you will be 4-5lbs heavier from water and the food still digesting so isn’t it safe to just wait and believe it will all come off?

In a perfect world, when you have been in a deficit for a long period of time, maybe it will be. But for most of the average population, having your trainer or a magazine article tell you that you can cheat weekly when you are 15+lbs overweight really isn’t going to help you because more likely than not, your weight gain over the years has to be a cue to maybe have the need to feel hungry for more than a week!

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Maybe the weight you are stuck at isn’t moving because you are in that deficit all week but the one cheat meal sets you too far over, week after week. Having you still at zero 12 weeks later.

Bodybuilders and competitors are different. They are always depleted and train at high levels multiple times a day. So their bodies respond and react to caloric manipulation differently.

So before you jump on the cheat meal bandwagon, access a few key things:

• Are you under 15% bodyfat for men, 20% for women? If so, you can cheat every 15 meals or so.
• Are you constantly feeling deprived and starving for more than a few weeks on end?
• Are you dropping your calories too low during the week to give you the serious sense of “hunger?’
• Are you less than 15lbs overweight?

If you answered no to these, more often than not, you don’t need to have “re-feed” days. My general rules/guidelines are:

1. Cheat once per week and try not to exceed 150% of your current caloric intake for the day.
2. Try to keep your dietary fat intake under 100 grams on the day that you cheat.
3. Don’t eat and drink! Pick one or the other.
4. Watch your calories if you eat out. Scientists at Tufts University analyzed 360 dinner entrees at 123 non-chain restaurants in San Francisco, Boston, and Little Rock between 2011 and 2014. They found that the restaurant dishes contained 1,200 calories, on average, and that American, Italian, and Chinese restaurants were the worst offenders, with an average of nearly 1,500 calories per meal.
5. Cheat once you have consistently felt hungry for more than 6 weeks at a time. Being hungry for 5 days doesn't account for darn near anything.

My advice, stop thinking food is the only reward for your self-adherence to a fitness-related goal. Go for a hike, get a massage or a pedicure. Whatever floats your boat, but stop thinking that heading to the local buffet will make you leaner and solve your weight loss issue.

It won’t, and will only set you back more so than you already are. So like any good coach would do, they find the crack in the foundation to help you eventually build residual strong habits.

Well, here is your coach telling you. Cut it out. You don’t need the “cheat meal.”

If you are interested in applying for coaching with me, click here. Also, learn more on how you can kickstart your fitness journey at Over-Achieve Fitness. 

Let’s make time for our goals! I’m here and ready to help!

Mike Over is the owner of Over-Achieve Fitness in Chambersburg. Follow him on Instagram, @mjo_oaf.