Cheat Meals: Myth or Science

[maverickLA]

We have all heard that a cheat meal a week is a healthy thing to do. The two supporting reasons being mental sanity and "shocking" your metabolic system so to speak.

First I would like to state I have no argument with the mental sanity part. A cheat meal is a great thing when trying to remain on a diet without just tossing the whole thing out the window due to temptation and frustration. However - I would like to look more into the science behind the metabolic system.

It seems a very popular argument is that the body will become use to eating a healthy diet and therefore become more effeciant with the calories it's given thus reducing fat loss over a period of time. Now while I support the idea that when something is introduced to your body (i.e. a steroid or drug) you body will eventually develop a resistance of sorts to it; I would like to see how this applies to nutrition. I cannot seem to find any relevant information on the body becoming used to eating a healthy diet.

So - what do you all think? Science or Myth?

 

[Suareezay]

the idea behind a cheat/refeed is higher calories in order to restore hormones.

your body doesnt "get used to eating healthy" in that switching from 500 calories of chicken and rice to 500 calories of pizza is going to make your body go "ZOMG PEETZA!! I BETTER BURNINATE ALL THEEZ CALOREEZ!!"

fat loss is reduced over time because hormones go to hell (among other things), not because your body builds up a resistance to healthy foods.

but yes, cheats/refeeds are a good idea.

 

[ManOfMuscle]

Just use a little real world experience. People who eat shitty food all the time can eat it without too much sickness or discomfort. Take a guy who eats clean religiously and feed him taco bell and he'll be pissing out his ass in no time.

 

[maverickLA]

Now do you feel doubling your caloric intake for one days - which would be the cheat meals day, helps to restore hormones for a significant period of time?

 

[Suareezay]

Now do you feel doubling your caloric intake for one days - which would be the cheat meals day, helps to restore hormones for a significant period of time?

i think that implemented during the course of the diet, it can help, but if youve been dieting for weeks/months on end, a single day of higher calories will not do much.

so in the short term, yes. long term, probably not.

although i believe leptin can be restored to normal levels in as little as 24 hours.

general rule of thumb is to eat at or a little over maintenance for two weeks in order to fully restore hormones and normalize your body.

so i would say cheat days are more a type of preventative maintenance in that sense.

 

[maverickLA]

Makes sense. Thanks Suareezay!!

 

[Thoms]

There is no denying a different meal will provide a different result. The only question is, is it beneficial, and is it noticable? The mental factor is there forsure.