Life doesn’t stop just because you are intermittent fasting. We’re all human and we all have situations where a cheat day is the right thing to do. Other times in your life you might go on vacation, or attend a wedding or birthday party where you might want to eat the amazing food and not worry about your fasting schedule!
You can have a cheat day while intermittent fasting. Go back to you normal fasting schedule the next day and get back on track.
Don’t feel guilty about it, enjoy your cheat day and have fun. Be proud of the fact that you have the confidence in your disciple that a cheat day here and there won’t get in the way of you achieving your goals.
I would caution that if you are like me, you will realize that this can become a slippery slope. One cheat day can easily become two cheat days, and then another. Before you know it a week or two have gone by and you are no longer doing what you need to be doing in order to achieve your goals. You’ve officially gone off the rails at this point. If you get to this low point, like I have many times, then you must be honest with yourself and get back at it, because you know it’s the right thing to do for yourself. Don’t let brain trick you into doing things you know aren’t good for you, don’ let that momentum start going the wrong way, correct yourself.
The longer you are practicing intermittent fasting the easier it becomes to have a cheat day and then get back to it. I would recommend that in the first two to three months of intermittent fasting to avoid these cheat days if possible, as you haven’t yet built up the disciple required to have a cheat day and then easily get back to your routine right after.
What happens if I break my fast for a day?
Depending on what your fasting schedule is having a cheat day will have different effects. If you are doing a long term fast (>24hrs) then you will simply re-activate your digestive system that has been dormant during your long term fast. Depending on what you eat you will trigger different hormones.
If you’re following the 16/8, 17/7, 18/6, 20/5 intermittent fasting schedules then a day where you eat outside your eating window will have minimal impact on your progress as most people that follow these schedules do so for long periods of time like months and years.
Is it ok to have a cheat day while trying to lose weight?
This depends on what your goals are. If your are trying to lose 1 pound a week, then having a cheat day might not be such a good idea. If you have a longer term goal, then a cheat day here and there won’t affect your progress. The key is to limit these cheat days to as few as possible and to always get back to your fasting routine afterwards.
What breaks a fast while intermittent fasting?
Basically anything that you ingest other than water, coffee or teas can break your fast. There are some fast mimicking diets that limit the types of foods that you are allowed to eat in order to get some of the same effects that fasting produces, but technically speaking eating food breaks a fast. Having said that I find that having some 10% cream in my coffee in the morning has zero impact and makes it easier to make it to lunch (my first meal) with no hunger.
Can I eat junk food once a week and still lose weight?
Yes, but why would you? If your goal is to lose weight then you are most likely the type of person that values their personal health and well being. Eating junk food once a week is counterproductive. There are ingredients in junk food that cause you to feel more hungry, increase inflammation and give you brain fog, which will make it harder to stick to your intermittent fasting schedule and have a negative impact on your weight loss goals.
How much does a cheat day set you back
How much of set back a cheat day can be really depends on where you are on your intermittent fasting journey.
If you are just staring out an intermittent fasting program then having a cheat day can put your in a situation where you halt the momentum you were building up.
For people that intermittent fast habitually, then having a cheat day here and there w
