I was asked recently if I believed in the idea that you should have a “cheat day” in your nutrition program.  It’s an interesting question and one that requires some explanation. So, here goes.

First, figure out what’s really important to you when it comes to “dieting”.

1. Are you trying to look freakin’ awesome, get down to sub 10% body fat, get seriously cut for a bodybuilding contest, etc.? Good for you.
2. Or, like most people, are you looking to get healthier, feel better, get stronger, and generally just look better naked? Great.

Depending on which route you choose, you’re going to have to adhere to a different level of discipline. Neither is better or worse, just different from the other.

If you’re in the first camp, you’re going to have to follow a very specific diet plan to get to those levels.  It doesn’t happen by magic, or at least without serious pharmacological support.  (You don’t think Arnold looked like that with just a protein powder, do you?). 

Most people fall into the second scenario, and that’s just fine.  Nothing wrong with that.  In this case, I believe that you should not diet, in the traditional sense of the word.  If you are trying to follow a very specific diet from a book or other source, and eat only the foods on that plan with no deviation, you will fail. Instead, I believe that you should learn to eat like you’re going to eat for the rest of your life instead of how you’re going to eat for a short time period. 

It’s not rocket science. It’s quality protein and more vegetables and healthy fats.  It’s shopping more on the perimeter of the grocery store rather than the interior.  This of it this way. If you can imagine the food in it’s natural state, it’s probably better for you. Ever see a Twinkie patch? Didn’t think so.

Good nutrition is a lifelong pursuit and a lifestyle, not a short term event. When it is treated as a short term event, people ultimately fail and revert back to old, bad habits.

Cheater. 10 yard penalty!

That’s probably more than you were looking for and doesn’t really answer the question at hand, which is should you have a cheat day?

So, here goes:

Assuming you’re like most people and getting crazy ripped isn’t that important to you, eating “clean” 100% of the time is not realistic, so treating yourself with something you normally wouldn’t eat is inevitable.   For some that might be an extra piece of bread with dinner and for others it might mean a cookie.  If you’re watching your calories and you choose to have a 200 calorie treat, that’s 200 fewer calories you have for food that gets you closer to your goal.  Just factor that into your overall nutrition and realize that everything you do either gets you closer to or farther from your goal.  If it’s truly important to you, stick to the plan. 

The idea of a cheat day is that it’s supposed to “reset your metabolism”. I haven’t seen enough evidence to back this up and believe that most people would take this too literally and turn it into a 3-day binge on chocolate cake.  As a result, you’d end up undoing a week or more of progress.

A cheat day? I don’t think so.  A treat factored into the overall context of your goal as a reward for long-term compliance with your plan? Go for it.

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