The Truth About Cheat Days: Weighing the Benefits & Drawbacks

In the health and fitness subculture, “cheat meal” and "cheat day" are colloquial terms that refer to eating whatever foods you want — usually "junk foods" like pizza, burgers, and ice cream — ad libitum. A cheat day is essentially an entire day of going overboard on empty-calorie foods that you normally wouldn't eat as part of a healthy diet plan; a cheat meal is just one meal where you "indulge" in the foods you've been craving.

Naturally, weekly cheat days tend to be more consequential than a single cheat meal. However, both cheat days and episodic cheat meals can have insidious ramifications, especially in terms of distorting healthy eating habits and body image.

People who follow a stringent weight-loss diet with "clean" foods are most liable to the vicious cycle of restricting themselves during the week and then binging as a "reward" on the weekend. After all, who wouldn't want a break from eating the same handful of predefined "healthy" foods over and over again?

But is it really prudent to eat a high-calorie cheat meal or have a full-blown cheat day just because you stick to a "clean diet" for an arbitrary amount of time?

How Often Should You Have a Cheat Meal/Day?

To start, we must consider what it means to be healthy. In biological terms, "health" is defined as the prospect of our survival. Therefore, anything conducive to extending our lifespan is healthy. 

On the contrary, anything that threatens our survival is unhealthy. Thus, carcinogens, toxic substances, and noxious chemicals are seen as categorically "unhealthy." But not so fast...

All chemicals that enter the body abide by the same principle that the dose makes the poison [1]. Even the most dangerous toxins can be harmless in small enough quantities, just as essential nutrients, like water and vitamins, may be dangerous in excess.

Vis-à-vis diet, food is nourishment that helps sustain us physically and mentally; we cannot discount the fact that food serves more of a purpose than merely changing the shape of our body. As such, a “healthy” diet is relative, and there are no unanimously "unhealthy" or "healthy" foods.

The amount that you eat is what determines the healthfulness of food. In other words, any food can be healthy in appropriate quantities.

Yes, even a slice of pizza or a few pieces of chocolate candy can be completely healthy for someone who is regularly active and controls their overall calorie intake. It might take some time to understand this concept, especially if you've been a diehard "clean eater" for years.

Now, how does this relate to cheat meals and cheat days? Well, by acknowledging that there are no "off-limits" foods, you start to realize that you don't need to be so restrictive about what you eat on your regular diet.

You can eat some "junk" foods and still lose weight, build muscle, and be healthy. The key is moderation and portion control, both of which are ironically the antithesis of cheat meals and cheat days.

Will a Weekly Cheat Day Ruin Your Weight-Loss Efforts?

Many people scoff at the notion that having just one cheat day per week will ruin their fat-loss efforts, but it absolutely can. Let's consider an example of a 170-pound individual with an estimated daily energy expenditure of 2,250 calories. This person sticks to their weight-loss diet—1,800 calories per day—from Monday to Saturday and then has a cheat day on Sunday with significantly more calories, let's say 5,000 total.

Will they lose weight or gain weight? Let's do the math and see:

• 6 days x 450 daily calorie deficit = -2,700 calories

• 1 cheat day x 2,750 calorie surplus = 2,750 calories

• 2,750 calorie surplus - 2,700 calorie deficit = 50 calories above weekly energy expenditure = slight weight gain/no weight loss

So, yes, a single cheat day can completely negate your efforts to lose weight during the week if you're not careful.

Why Do "Clean Eaters" Crave Cheat Meals?

Here's an example of a traditional “clean” diet:

• Meal 1—Egg whites and cooked oats

• Meal 2—Grilled chicken breast, rice, and broccoli

• Meal 3—Same as meal 2

• Meal 4—Whey protein shake

• Meal 5—Same as meal 2

• Meal 6—Casein protein shake

The first things that come to mind after looking at that diet should be monotony and restriction. It really shouldn't need much elaboration as to why such a meal plan will lead most people into turmoil psychologically; there's not much to look forward to when you eat the same five to six uninspired foods repeatedly every single day. 

The irony is that most gym-goers would look at the diet above and contend that it's "very healthy"; the reality is that it's far from that, especially for the average Joe/Jane just looking to get in better shape and lead a healthier lifestyle. 

Hence, it's no surprise that people feel the desire to have a gratuitous cheat day or cheat meal every week when their weight-loss diet is exceedingly restrictive.

So how do we fix this issue? Let's reconstruct the above diet to make it not only more sustainable but also healthier:

• Breakfast—Egg omelet and a bowl of oatmeal with sliced strawberries and Greek yogurt mixed in

• Lunch—Roasted turkey breast on top of whole-wheat spaghetti with tomato sauce and mushrooms

• Post-Workout—Protein smoothie made with grass-fed whey protein, banana slices, and almond butter

• Dinner—Tacos made with lean ground beef and a side of black beans and grilled asparagus

• Dessert—Small bowl of ice cream

Notice how much more variety the sample diet above has compared to the previous one. Also, note that including a small treat at the end of the day helps avoid the desire for “cheating” on this diet. Remember, the best diet is the one you can stick to while reaching your personal goals.

We omitted portion sizes as your specific health goals and energetic needs determine them. Again, the most important variable for body-weight regulation is total calorie intake [2]. Food certainly has a qualitative component (e.g. macronutrients and micronutrients), but quantity ultimately determines whether something is "healthy" or "unhealthy."

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: What is a "cheat day" in the context of dieting?  

A: A "cheat day" is a designated day within a dietary regimen where someone consumes foods that are typically restricted. This gluttonous day provides a mental break from their (likely restrictive) eating behaviors by allowing them to indulge in "junk" foods.  

Likewise, a cheat meal is simply one meal and not an entire day of indulging.

Q: How often should I incorporate a cheat day?  

A: The optimal frequency of cheat days varies based on individual goals and activity level. Most people start with one cheat day every week, typically on the weekend. However, it's probably better to have one cheat day every other week to see how your body responds.

Q: I keep hearing things about leptin levels and weight loss; what's the connection with cheat days?

Leptin is a hormone responsible for regulating energy balance, appetite, and metabolism. It is predominantly produced by fat cells and tends to decrease in response to significant weight loss, which can signal the brain to increase hunger and reduce energy expenditure (i.e. cause the body to burn fewer calories) [3]. This hormonal shift may contribute to potential rebound weight gain, complicating efforts to maintain weight loss. 

Some cheat day proponents argue that intermittently increasing calorie intake may temporarily boost leptin levels, potentially mitigating the cycle of decreased leptin associated with prolonged caloric restriction. However, scientific evidence supporting this theory remains limited, and further research is necessary to fully understand how fluctuations in leptin levels impact eating behaviors and long-term weight management.

Q: Can incorporating cheat days in my diet impact my health negatively?  

A: An occasional cheat meal or cheat day probably won't have a detrimental impact on overall health in the long run, but when they become frequent or more "binge-like," there are undoubted consequences.

Sadly, the cheat day/meal phenomenon is magnified through social media fitness
"influencers" that make it seem like they got shredded by eating nothing but donuts and pizza, which is simply not the case. In turn, this creates unrealistic body image expectations and disordered eating practices, particularly in susceptible individuals.

Emphasizing nutritious dietary choices and cultivating a healthy relationship with food should be a top priority on any health and fitness journey.  

Q: What strategies can I use to make cheat days more effective?  

A: First and foremost, refrain from using cheat days as an excuse for uncontrolled binge eating. Choose meals/foods that satisfy your cravings, but keep the portion sizes reasonable. Second, starting your cheat meal(s) with a portion of leafy greens or other fibrous vegetables and fruits will help reduce the desire to binge or overeat. Even though it's a cheat day, you should strive to eat fairly balanced meals.

To Incorporate Cheat Days or Not, That Is the Question

Cheat meals and cheat days are not healthy psychologically for many individuals. Over time, the guilt of "giving into temptation" and binge eating can lead to full-on eating disorders and poor body image. This is not to say an occasional cheat day/meal is "bad" or "unhealthy." Life happens, and sometimes you just want to eat whatever sounds tasty.

Perhaps ironically, rigorous scientific research suggests that people have more success by following a flexible eating plan where no food is inherently "off-limits" (hence, you'll see terms like "flexible dieting" and "mindful eating" used to describe this approach) [4, 5].

Consider this example: Someone decides they want to get in shape for their upcoming wedding, so they aggressively cut their caloric intake, start a low-carb diet, eschew their favorite foods, and run five miles daily for a few weeks. Lo and behold, they lose 15-20 pounds in that short time. But what happens after the wedding?

A honeymoon full of binge eating, most likely. Then it's a rapid return to old habits and re-gaining weight, a consequence of suppressing feelings they felt on a highly restrictive diet with tons of cardio (which also does no favors for their metabolic rate).

It is imperative to approach a new exercise regimen and diet with the big picture in mind, even if you have near-term body composition goals (which you should). As they say, good things take time—if you want to lose 20 lbs of body fat, you might need 3-4 months to do it healthily.

The key takeaway is that recurring cheat meals and cheat days may not be healthy for everyone. For most people, it's better to create a "flexible diet" and allow for foods they genuinely enjoy—in moderation, of course. Dietary restrictions (e.g. food allergies) aside, eating nothing but "clean foods" isn't necessarily best for long-term weight loss. 

Rather than viewing your diet as a short-term fix or a means to an end, start looking at it from a more holistic, "mindful eating" point of view. Individuals who can't handle the mental anguish of cyclical restriction-overeating typically thrive when switching to a flexible diet plan. Even a small treat here and there throughout the week can have major psychological benefits for those looking to stick to a healthy, sustainable weight-loss diet.