The Truth About "Cheat Meals": Are They Helping or Hurting Your Diet?
As a trainer for 23 years who leans on the evidence-based side of the industry, I've watched the concept of cheat meals, refeed days, and diet breaks come and go. Depending on who you follow, you've likely heard the expression.
What Exactly is a Cheat Meal?
The basic idea is that during a diet phase, when you deliberately reduce your calorie intake, you have a "cheat" meal to refuel. Proponents argue that this method:
Replenishes energy stores.
Gives the dieter a mental break from low-calorie eating.
Where Did This Come From?
Like many nutrition trends, the concept comes from bodybuilding and physique sports. It also inspired ideas like carb cycling, nutrient timing, and reverse dieting. While these techniques have some merit, they're likely a waste of time for 99% of the fitness population.
Bodybuilders are extreme personalities who take extreme actions for small, 1-2% extra benefits - which can be the difference between placing in a competition and not. For the average person, these techniques involve a lot of effort and come with drawbacks for minimal benefit.
So, Should You Do Them? The short answer is: It depends, but probably no.
For the average person, I don't really see the point, especially if you're not on a dangerously extreme diet (which I strongly recommend against).
I understand the rationale for a bodybuilder dieting for 12, 18, or 24 weeks who is pushing their body fat to unsustainably low levels. In that situation, a mental break makes sense. However, a better argument is: instead of a massive calorie splurge every week or two, why not spread those extra calories out? Why not have an extra 100-200 calories every single day? The reality is the appeal of a cheat meal is more psychological—a 2,000-calorie burger feels better than just 800 extra calories spread out.
The Negative Psychology of "Cheating"
Celebrities like Dwayne Johnson and others have popularised the "#cheatmeal" on social media, leading people to believe it's a smart move.
However, I believe it's not a great idea for several reasons:
Negative Dichotomy Around Food: The expression "cheat meal" itself is negative. It implies a pizza or a burger is "bad." This feeds into a mindset where food is either "good or bad," and you're either "on or off" your diet, instead of just enjoying life while being mindful of your chronic intake.
Ultra-Restrictive Strategy: If you feel you need a cheat meal or diet break, how restrictive are you being? The goal is to create lasting, sustainable habits. If your strategy is so ultra-restrictive that you require a massive binge, your overall approach is poor. You don't have to starve yourself all week to earn the right to a burger—you can 100% have a burger within the framework of a healthy, balanced diet.
Physical Discomfort: Going from eating "clean" all week to a huge caloric binge (like a 3,000-calorie pizza and milkshake) can make you feel awful and cause GI tract/stomach issues.
Negative Feedback Loop: The "cheating" mindset can lead to a negative feedback loop. If you plan a cheat meal on Saturday and then have an unplanned high-calorie meal on Sunday because you're ravenous, you can easily fall into guilt. This often leads to punishing behaviour, like fasting or booking an extra spin class to "burn off the calories," which undermines a strong, healthy mindset toward nutrition.
A Better Idea: Portion Control and Moderation
For most people, the downsides of cheat meals far outweigh any potential benefit. While the practice may have originated in bodybuilding, I suggest it stay there.
You can and should eat foods like pizza as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. But instead of gorging on a 3,000-calorie Domino's, why not:
Buy a lower-calorie option from the supermarket.
Make one yourself.
If ordering takeout, have half a pizza and share a salad.
If your entire nutritional focus is restriction, and you feel you need these breaks, you have issues from the start. It makes more sense to include these kinds of foods throughout your diet in managed, portion-controlled quantities so you don't feel super restricted and deprived all the time.
While I understand that "everything in moderation" doesn't work for everyone and some people need to be stricter, you must be mindful if you're so ultra-restrictive that you need these breaks just to exist.
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