You can cheat on your diet and still lose weight, say dietitians. In fact, experts suggest that the occasional splurge on your favorite foods can actually help you stay on track in the long run by giving your metabolism a boost and reducing your feelings of deprivation.
A recent study of Australian men showed that even though they splurged on an extra 1,000 calories daily for five days, they didn’t gain significant weight or fat mass. In the same study, however, the group who overindulged for 28 days did have an increase of body fat, visceral fat and post-meal blood sugar levels, according to Eat This, Not That!
“What matters most to your overall health is what you do repeatedly, especially over time,” says Cynthia Sass, RD. “While small deviations from a usual routine can have some short-term consequences, they don’t tend to impact us long term.”
And some experts say that those small, planned deviations can actually help us achieve our long-term goals. A “cheat” day here and there may jump-start your metabolism and help you lose weight.
“I call it an ‘UPZIG’ day to avoid all negative implications of cheating,” Lisa Lynn, a leading fitness expert and Martha Stewart’s former personal trainer tells Newsmax. “You don’t want to feel guilty on your UPZIG days! The good news is that you can actually boost your metabolism and weight loss by UPZIGGING your calories each week.
“Maybe your splurges consist of several slices of specialty pizza and a half pint of ice cream — or an entire pasta dish at Olive Garden along with a few breadsticks. I love to splurge on frozen yogurt, fried calamari, chocolate covered strawberries — or anything chocolate for that matter!”
According to Dr. Oz, cheating on your diet gives your body a rest from stringent eating patterns and reduces cravings because you no longer feel deprived when you can indulge in your favorite foods. In addition, you may actually stimulate your metabolism and thyroid function by going off your diet once in a while.
BUT, it’s important to follow some guidelines and plan your cheat days, says Dr. Mehmet Oz, who calls his formula the “Fat-urday Cheat Plan”.
- Choose your cheat day at the beginning of the week so you have something to look forward to and will be less likely to deviate from your diet on other days.
- Eliminate the binge temptation. Make sure that you provide a relaxed setting for your cheat day so you are eating actual meals and planned snacks, not bingeing out of a carton or snacking in your car.
- Have a Fat-urday schedule. You still need to stick to a structured meal plan of three meals and two snacks daily. Try to vary the foods so that you target a different craving. For example, a handful of pretzels addresses your salt craving while that chocolate chip cookie satisfies your sweet tooth.