Are your favorite days after Fridays “cheat days?” Then you are going to love this advice I’ve recently hunted down from Dr. Susie Rockway, a veteran nutritional and biochemical expert in the U.S. health industry says that “cheat days” can actually do your body good. So stop beating yourself up for not being able to stick to your low-calorie diet every single day, and lose weight the “real” way.
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Why cheat days work?
“Recent studies show you can lose 10 to 30 pounds in eight weeks through alternate-day fasting,” says Rockway. “Every other day, dieters in the study ate only lunch – no breakfast or dinner – between noon and 2 p.m. The following day, they could eat whatever they wanted. Not only did they not ‘gorge’ as expected on the feed days, most had an easier time sticking with it.” Lunch on fast days was 400 to 500 calories for women and 500 to 600 calories for men.
Now don’t get it twisted, I am not suggesting you skip out on your Monday night takeout…however what I am saying is, give yourself a break sometimes. When you eat what you want every now and then eating healthy no longer feels like a bore and you can better figure things out before you pig out. Simply put: Don’t deprive and you will thrive. I am living proof of this, so here’s how to live a real life on a so called “diet.”
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Years ago, I discovered this first tip and let me tell you, yo yo dieting no longer stood a chance. Not only have I maintained my weight for several years, I have also enjoyed life eating what I want, when I want, without feeling deprived. So here’s the scoop: eat your bigger meals earlier in the day. As Americans we tend to do the opposite.
Skimping, or worse- skipping breakfast, grazing at lunch and then wilding out at dinner. In fact, another fasting study — presented at this year’s American Diabetes Association conference – showed that dieters who ate big meals at breakfast and lunch and skipped dinner lost more weight than participants who ate six small meals a day. So find the balance: Eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess and dinner like a peasant.
Use Your Buffers At The Buffet
Whether it’s a cheat meal or a cheat day, throw all those studies out the window if you gorge on huge quantities of food. Eat controlled portions of healthy, nutritious foods. You can enjoy a nice lunch with a glass of wine and even a dessert, but don’t go back for seconds and don’t order the “Appetizer Trio” if you have no plans to share.
Keep Fiber Fun And Water #1
By including plenty of fiber and water, you can dramatically change your healthy diet efforts. Unlike most nutrients in foods, we don’t absorb fiber. It passes through our digestive tract, and if it’s soluble fiber, it can help us feel full. High-fiber foods include legumes, beans, avocados, nuts, whole fruits (not juice lady), and whole-grain foods such as whole wheat pasta. On a cheat day, you may want to splurge on a higher fat hamburger or fries, however I suggest keeping your cheat neat by having it on a whole wheat bun and subbing sweet potato fries instead of those regular old Idaho potatoes.
About Dr. Susie Rockway, Ph.D., C.N.S.
Dr. Susie Rockway, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a veteran nutritional and biochemical expert and decades-long health industry expert. Rockway has worked for multiple companies in executive capacities, including as an executive director of product development, a director of research, and a manager for science developing health and wellness products, where she communicated nutrition and new science updates to consumers. She has also designed testing strategies for clinical efficacy studies.
Robbie Ann Darby (RAD Experience) is a professional FitGirl, Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer in NYC. Follow her sweaty life on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more fun health and fitness tips!
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