It is called a 'CHEAT' meal for a reason. By indulging on the weekend you are only cheating on yourself and robbing yourself from results that were about to pay off from a week of hard work and consistency. Cheat meals are a bad habit to get into and can lead to a poor and unhealthy relationship with food. We want to help you form a balanced, healthy relationship with food where nothing is off limits, you have no restrictions and are on track to your goals.
When it comes to weight loss many of us are so strict during the week to the point that once the weekend rolls around we lose complete control and eat/drink anything and everything because we 'deserve it'. Yes, we want to relax a bit with our food choices but once again it is about balance.
Having a few squares of chocolate or a piece of pizza and a glass of wine can be worked in and accounted for whereas eating a whole pizza and a block of chocolate is not. This is the make or break, your week of watching your food and training hard could be thrown out the window if you aren't mindful and aware of what you put into your body throughout the ENTIRE week. Remember, our body can't differentiate between Monday and Sunday- results happen over weekly and monthly averages.
Letting yourself go on the weekend is such an unhealthy mindset and behaviour to get into the habit of. If your diet isn't sustainable and enjoyable you are not going to be consistent. If you are restricting yourself during the week it can lead to the following:
- Binge eating (can consume 1000 cals + in one sitting)
- This overindulgence can put your weekly calorie average into a maintenance or surplus which means your hard work throughout the week can be undone. For example you are eating 1500 calories daily to lose weight. This puts us at a weekly average of 10,500 calories. If you eat a pizza and have a bottle of wine on a Saturday this is an extra 3000 calories (2 days of food) so your average for the week is 13,500- putting your daily calorie average at 1930. If I told you to hit this amount daily most of you would tell me I'm crazy and there is no way you can eat that much food.
- Having a cheat meal or a night off is kind of like a catch 22 reward system- why are you rewarding yourself with food for not eating food during the week?
So what do we do?
This is why tracking macros is so valuable- if you are craving something just eat it. Fit it into your calorie and macro target. I am not saying go through maccas drive through and order a burger meal but make a home made burger with spud lite chips and a turkey pattie, etc. If you want something "naughty" on the weekend, have it. I like to follow an 80/20 rule. Fill 80% of your diet with whole foods and 20% make room to fit in some fun foods.
Practicing mindful eating is another great way to ensure you stay on track over the weekend. Examples include- drinking a glass of water before your meal, be present with your plate, wait 20min after you have eaten before going back for more and understand your hunger cues- don't just eat because "it's meal time".
There is always an option but the main take away is CONSISTENCY is key. Do not deprive yourself, get creative and start tracking.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
