Thanksgiving: Why America Should Make It the Official National Cheat Day?

With thanksgiving a day over many strict weightwatchers may feel guilty at this time for bingeing over the holiday and not maintaining their diets. But dietitian Roberta Anding suggested that not having ground on your diet for one day, especially on a holiday is not a bad thing.  "For people who are on a diet,Thanksgiving Day should be crowned America's national 'Cheat Day,' Anding stated.

Some experts believe that one day of resting from resisting to eat everything you want can lead to some weight-losing benefits. Christ Aceto, famous body builder attested how a cheat day helps him achieve the fit body requires for his profession. "The downside to creating an energy deficit is that the body often adapts to the shortfall in calories by burning fewer of them. A break from a low-calorie diet can interrupt this slowdown. " Aceto added, "Most bodybuilders diet strictly enough, along with doing added cardio, to create a weekly energy deficit of at least 3,500 calories. So adding one cheat meal a week (a typical splurge may consist of 500-800 calories) won't affect the overall fat-burning process."

Splurge eating for at least once a week can regulate the thyroid hormones, leptin and IGF levels in the body which may drop when one observes a Fat-busting diet.

Giving one's self a break may not have an unfavorable effect on one's diet as long as it is not done frequently. "You can't gain five pounds in one day. I don't think one day blows you out of the water, as long as it's that singular meal and it's not the leftovers and the pies the next day and the pies the day after that. I think it's the leftovers that often get people," says Anding.

Dr. Anding suggested quickly recovering from splurging and maintaining one's diet the day after is the key to stay in shape.  "Enjoy the holiday, eat what you want that day, but the next day go right back on your regular plan," Anding stated. 

Real Time Analytics