The first week of any diet is the hardest, especially after Christmas when mammoth sized meals and constant snacking sneakily slip into your daily routine.
And it’s all well and good going on the dry in an effort to save money, repair your battered liver and help in your detoxing endeavours but sometimes sitting in on a Saturday night watching movies and mediocre TV can be the biggest obstacle to anyone who is trying to eat healthily and avoid reaching for the take-away menu.
But according to fitness experts, a “cheat” meal can sometimes be a good thing and actually help when you are trying to lost weight. “A cheat meal can actually boost our health, body and mind,” says celebrity trainer Dalton Wong
Speaking to The Telegraph, Wong adds “On an emotional level, anyone on a healthy eating regime is usually depriving themselves of something and a reward always spurs you on so you eat better and train harder the next week,” explains Wong, “and never ever feel any guilt – you’re only ever one meal away from getting back on track again.”
Running is a great way to burn calories after a blow-out binge
But it’s not just all about what it does on an emotional level, there’s actually a scientific reason behind it too.
“If someone is sticking to a pretty healthy diet, cutting out complex carbs and sugar, and instead going for vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats, you’ll be gently depleting the excess glycogen levels; the energy storage system in our body,” says Wong.
“There comes a point, usually around the four week mark of a low sugar diet, when your glycogen levels get so low that you start to feel tired, your metabolism can slow even and if you’re training you’ll find you can’t work out as hard. That’s when a cheat meal and a rush of carbs or sugar can actually have a really positive effect and fire up the system again, reboot your metabolism and give you a real energy boost.”
So if you have slipped up this weekend, don’t despair – there’s always tomorrow!
