How to Recover After a Cheat Meal

If you’re like me, cheat meals are necessary. For the most part, I eat healthy meals daily and I also make sure to be physically active at least 3-4 times a week. With that being said, sometimes I need a break and just want some sugar and bread! Lol.

In comes the “cheat meal”. What is a cheat meal? A cheat meal is something that is not a part of your daily healthy diet and lifestyle plan. I’d describe it as a meal that I don’t eat often because it’s composed of unhealthy ingredients such as fried foods. Personally, I enjoy eating cheat meals because it’s something that has turned into a “treat” and provides me with a break from cooking.

Notice how I said cheat meal and not cheat day. Correct, one meal (or to be honest, in my case sometimes 2) consisting of “junk food” and not a day. It’s important to keep this in mind when on your health and fitness journey.

Below are some tips that I follow when recovering from a cheat meal.

1. Drink plenty of water! If you’re like me, my cheat meal often contains something that includes a lot of sugar, creamy sauces, cheese and carbs such as bread. Making sure that I drink a lot of water (either plain water or water with lemon pieces) is important for me to do this because it helps to flush out all the sugar from my body for example.
2. Eat your veggies. If you’re like me, I always feel extra healthy when I’m eating my vegetables and salads. Doing this mentally gets me back on track to getting back into my healthy lifestyle wholeheartedly. Vegetables are packed with fiber, nutrients and vitamins. They are low in fat and calories which make them a guilt-free option to eat.
3. Reduce/cut-out sugar. This is a big on for me. I have a little bit of a sweet tooth but not in a way that you’d assume! I love eating fruits and drinking wine 🙂 When getting back on track the first thing to go is my wine as it’s packed with sugar, and then I reduce my fruit intake to about 2 fruits for a couple of days. Doing this helps my body to decrease bloating.
4. Move your body! Rebounding after a cheat meal includes more than what I eat. It includes working out and breaking a sweat. I like to focus on simple cardiovascular activities such as talking a walk outside or going for a jog.

Do you have any tips on how to recover after a cheat meal? Let me know in the comment section!

xo,

Eseeri