Cheat meals are something I have always championed in the right context. They can serve a physiological purpose, stimulating the metabolism, filling muscles with muscle glycogen whilst also giving you some normality. However, you need to get your cheat meal right otherwise it will become detrimental to your progress.
Here are 3 considerations for you
#1. Appropriate Energy Intake
Cheat meals can vary vastly. This can range from a homemade pizza to a 3 course takeaway which means that the calorie balance of each respective meal will be vastly different. You need to consider what level of calories are necessary at the specific point you have a cheat meal. Sometimes I tell a client to eat a lot on their cheat meal because they require it, other times I only want them to have a moderate influx in calories.
The leaner they are the more I will recommend, usually (not always). Bear this in mind, you can easily go over the top!
#2. Carbohydrate Density
Cheat meals used to stimulate the metabolism and fill out the muscles with more glycogen should be higher in carbohydrates. This is because this particular macronutrient does both very well, so bear this in mind when selecting your type of cheat meal. Generally speaking, most will naturally have a higher carb content, but just make sure.
#3. Timing
Do you really need a cheat meal?
I don't mean do you really want one, I mean NEED.
Part of getting the cheat meal right is knowing when to have it or not having it at all...
Perhaps you need to wait longer for your weight to change or perhaps you need to reduce calories in this instance because your body fat levels aren't low enough yet. Really think about it!
* Other training and nutrition knowledge:
- MOST DIETS FAIL BECAUSE OF THIS
- HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE WITHOUT ADDING WEIGHT TO THE BAR
- 4 FOODS TO HELP WITH DIGESTION
Let us know in the comment how you think and if you have any questions about this topic, feel free to ask.
