Home Question and Answer Weight Loss Tips Common Sense To Lose Weight Weight Loss Recipes
 Lose Weight > Weight Loss Tips > Men Lose Weight > How Taking a Cheat Day Can Help You Lose Weight  

How Taking a Cheat Day Can Help You Lose Weight  

Finally, a study proves that potato chips can help you get lean: Cheat days may help you stick to your healthy eating plan in the long term, new research from Portugal suggests.

Scientists put study participants on a diet that was limited to only 10,500 calories per week. (That’s compared to the average American man’s weekly intake of 17,969 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.)

But half of the dieters were allowed to eat anything they wanted on Sundays.

After two weeks, the two groups had both reduced their average body mass indexes. While there was no significant difference in the amount of weight the two groups had lost, those who had taken Sundays off were happier and more motivated to continue working toward their weight-loss goals.

(For a comprehensive diet and exercise plan that will help you drop 20, 30, or even 50 pounds, check out Lose Your Spare Tire.)

The reason: Occasional indulgence makes dieting more sustainable, the researchers say.

Self-restraint wears you out, and if you’re drained and grumpy, you’re more likely to give up. But if you can look forward to a “free day” where you enjoy items that wouldn’t normally fall within your healthful eating plan, you’ll be more likely to stick to your diet the rest of the week.

The key is to plan ahead and designate a specific day for your rule-breaking, says study author Rita Coelho do Vale, Ph.D. That’s because giving in to a spur-of-the-moment donut can make you feel like you blew your diet—and might as well abandon it completely.

Related: 6 Sinister Reasons You Overeat

But don’t confuse “cheat day” with “binge day.” The study participants kept their portions of pizza, ice cream, and other treats within reason so they could stay within their weekly calorie totals.

The bottom line: Don’t swear off certain foods completely. Go ahead and enjoy those Doritos every Friday. They may just help you finally move the needle on the scale.

  1. Prev:
  2. Next:
Related Articles
DON'T MISS
Fitness Mentor Weight Loss Success Story    
How One Man Lost 121 Pounds and Added 20 Pounds of Muscle
How Do I Drop Pounds Fast?
Salt and High Sodium Foods    
Jump over your Abs Diet ab exercise plateau  
The Obesity Vaccine
Diet Strategies: Exercise and Weight Loss  
Fat Loss for a Great Cause
Eat Unhealthy Foods and Lose Weight
Leg Exercises: Lunges at MenHealth.com

Copyright © www.020fl.com Lose Weight All Rights Reserved