Cheat meals will not prevent you from getting ripped or losing fat! Most nutrition experts encourage you to apply the 90%-10% rule.

What’s the 90/10 rule?

The 90/10 rule means that 90% of the time you should follow your specific goal-based nutrition plan, and 10% of time you should indulge in something that is not on your diet. If you consume cheat meals this way, you will still meet your fitness goals.

Best time to consume a cheat meal

Of course, there are more factors to consider. The post-workout period is the best time to cheat. During the post-workout window, the cheat meal stands a greater chance of being utilized by your muscles instead of being stored as fat. Even when you do a low-intensity workout, your muscles can sponge up a lot of extra carbs, preventing them from being converted to fat.

Your brain needs cheats

Some people say cheat meals can speed up your metabolism, but research never proved this theory however eating a cheat meal will definitely help you psychologically. It is difficult for someone to be on a diet 7 days per week without cheating.

If you try to diet without a cheat meal your brain will not be working right (especially after 12 weeks). In other words, a juicy burger and a plate of cookies will help your mental health.

Cheat Meal, Not Day

As long as you follow the 90%-10% rule, you can include 1-2 cheat meals per week. Cheat meals are meant to satisfy your taste buds, not to fill your belly at an all-you-can-eat buffet. A cheat meal is exactly that: a meal. A cheat meal does not mean a whole day of cheating.