The Secret to Cheat Day & 6 steps to make it worth it

Downs Fitness is all about sustainability. We know that life happens. From hectic schedules to celebrations, sticking to a perfect diet is not realistic - and frankly, no fun.

So here’s our little secret for you. Cheat… and GET RIGHT BACK ON TRACK. That’s right, your trainers are giving you permission to cheat on your diet. With a few conditions.

1. Establish a solid baseline first.

Cheat days won’t derail your weight loss and health goals as long as you have healthy habits the rest of the week. Get to a point where you feel confident that the majority of your diet is balanced before you start “cheating.” Downs Fitness has a ton of tips for establishing a healthy relationship with food, from clean eating to counting macros. 

2. Stick to one day a week. 

When you consider weight loss at the most basic level, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Consider your entire week when you analyze your overall calorie deficit. Let’s break it down.

In this example, a person would need to eat 2,200 calories per day to maintain their current weight and decides to eat 1,800 calories per day,  a 400 calorie deficit, for weight loss.

Even with consuming 3,200 calories in one day, you are at a 1,400 calorie deficit for the week! One cheat day will still achieve calorie deficit for the week and it will not derail your progress. 

3. Consider your goals and your timeline.

We love our six week programs because they give our fit fam a reset button. 6 weeks of clean eating and working out. This program is short term and yields the best results when you follow the meal plan precisely.

4. Don’t forget about basic nutrition.

Cheat days are great because you don’t have to overthink things - eat for fun instead of fuel. But there are also those cheat days that you end up feeling like garbage by the end of the day. So make those days enjoyable. Make sure you are eating some protein, never forget to hydrate and don’t eat so much you feel sick. 

5. Save your cheat day for special events.

Know you are meeting friends for brunch? Have plans to go to a Cubs game? Going to a family party? Think ahead and reserve your cheat day so you can relax and enjoy the festivities.

6. Don’t be afraid to workout on cheat days.

NOTHING feels better than earning it. That stack of pancakes will taste even better if you just got your drip on at bootcamp.