You’ve tried every diet in the book and still haven’t lost any weight? You might be surprised to hear that cheat days can help you lose weight faster by boosting your metabolism. But first, here’s the definition of the cheat day and how it pertains to weight loss. A cheat day occurs when you either eat more than normal (taking in more calories than you usually do) or eat foods high in fat, sugar, or carbohydrates that aren’t normally allowed on your diet plan.

Why cheat days are important

Cheat days are an important part of any weight loss program. When you’re trying to lose weight, cheat days can be a great way to keep yourself motivated and achieve your goals faster. A study by Georgia Regents University found that women who ate chocolate at least once per week lost more weight than those who never ate chocolate. The same study also found that men who chewed gum while they were dieting lost more fat than those who didn’t chew gum while dieting. Cheating properly is a great way to motivate yourself and burn off extra calories all at once, so don’t neglect it when you're trying to lose weight!

How to plan your cheat day

Cheat days are perfect, but you don’t want to plan it out so far in advance that you risk going overboard. Set a cheat day once a week with your friends—we’re not trying to be hermits. It’s best to eat healthy daily and have your cheat day at least one day away from working out; otherwise, you could over-exert yourself and lose muscle mass as opposed to fat mass. You can also go rogue during holiday parties or weekend getaways when bad-for-you food is just waiting around every corner. The important thing is that you enjoy life—just remember not to take it too far or you might sabotage all of your hard work!

Common mistakes with cheat days

First off, cheat days aren’t about destroying your diet – that just leads to long-term failure. Instead, one or two cheat meals (perhaps cheat breakfasts) per week can boost adherence and keep you on track with your dieting plan. The key is to use cheat days strategically: Plan out what you will eat in advance, then stick to it. And when you do have a meal that doesn’t fit into your diet plan? Enjoy it! You deserve it and then get back on track with healthy eating as soon as possible afterward.