Is the “cheat day” good for you?

Every day you think about new ways to improve your health. You go on a diet, you change it, you exercise and you start all over again. For a while, everything seems to be fine, but you reach to a point where you feel exhausted. You want something other than salad and fruits, and you can’t see yourself running for 2 miles again. The idea of a “cheat day” seems very good, but will it have positive effects? Will it destroy all your struggle and work? Here are some things that you should know:

• It will not make you gain weight. When you are on a diet and you have a “cheat day”, you have the feeling that you gained weight the second day. You can swear that these pants are tight on you, and you don’t even dare to go on the scale. The truth? You did not gain any weight. It is almost impossible to gain even 1 pound in a day, unless you eat 7000 calories or so. As long as you eat normal portions (a small hamburger instead of a large one), you are on the safe side.
• It will not decrease your endurance. Alright, you took a break, does this mean that jogging will be more difficult tomorrow? Of course not! You worked for weeks or months to build your endurance, and not exercising for a day will not do you any harm. Actually, it might be beneficial for you to take a break every once in a while. In this way you will prevent injuries, and you will not feel like your entire life is about how many miles you can run.
• It can motivate you to continue. If you enjoy food in general, being on a diet can put you in a very bad mood. In the end, what is the point to struggle so much and not even enjoy a chocolate? You need one day per month (or week?) when you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. You will get used to think about this day as a source of motivation, and knowing that you can enjoy your favorite dish on this day will help you hold on to your diet.
• It does not mean that you compromised your healthy lifestyle. We all have our bad days when we just need a break from everything, and we deserve this break! You worked so hard to improve your health, so you don’t have to be so hard on yourself. Take this day as a vacation, enjoy it, eat an ice cream for breakfast and remember that you have to start fresh tomorrow!