Why we all should have a cheat meal

Did you know that cheat meal can actually benefit your diet and assist in weight loss?

You should see the faces of my clients when I tell them that it is perfectly fine to have a slice of cake or pizza during their kid's birthday party! Or a glass or two of bubbly when getting together with friends.

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I am an advocate for the 80/20 lifestyle, which is eating, exercising and living a healthy lifestyle 80% of the time, and indulging in not-so-clean treats 20% of the time.

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What better incentive to stick to a healthy diet than knowing that we can always indulge in a reasonable cheat meal? With an indulgent reward, we all feel that we are more motivated to remain healthy most of the time. Plus, that cake will definitely taste better knowing that we’ve earned it!

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More importantly, a cheat meal also provides a much-needed mental break. Constantly trying to resist our cravings can be exhausting and demotivating.

Cheat meal provides us with an opportunity to relax and enjoy all type of foods.

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To make this cheat meal benefit us, here are some guidelines to follow:

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1. It’s a cheat meal, not a cheat day:

It is not 'all or nothing' approach. We don't want to completely undo a week’s worth of hard work and make it much more difficult to get back on track.

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2. Quality still matters:

If we are going to treat ourselves for pizza or a slice of cake, first of all let's ask ourselves whether that particular food is really worth it. Is it made with good quality ingredients? Is it a special grandma's recipe that she only makes during the holiday season? You know what I mean!

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3. Be sensible about it, so you don't feel guilty afterwards:

We all know what is good for us and what is not. Good quality cheat meal should be satisfactory, delicious and guilt free.