u/Ketogenic-Marlon

Cheat meals can either help your progress…

or completely ruin it.

I know this because in the past, one cheat meal would turn into a cheat day…

then a weekend…

and before I knew it, I was completely off track.

But now, after losing 34kg, I’ve learned how to include cheat meals without regaining the weight.

Why Cheat Meals Go Wrong

The problem isn’t cheat meals themselves.

It’s how people approach them.

Most people think:

👉 “I’ve been strict all week, I deserve this.”

And that turns into:

• Eating everything in sight

• No limits

• No structure

And that’s where things go wrong.

Because one uncontrolled cheat day can easily wipe out a full week of progress.

My Experience

In the past, this is exactly what happened to me.

I would:

• Follow my diet strictly

• Then have one cheat day

But instead of it being controlled, it would spiral.

And once you break that routine, it becomes much harder to get back on track.

That’s one of the reasons I regained weight before.

⚠️ Who are cheat meals Actually For?

Before I get into how I manage cheat meals, I want to be clear about something.

In my opinion, cheat meals are for people who have already reached their goal and are now maintaining.

If you’re still trying to lose weight…

👉 this isn’t really for you yet.

You still have work to do.

And I say that from experience.

Because when you’re still in the fat loss phase, you haven’t fully built the discipline and control needed to manage cheat meals properly.

It’s a bit like stepping into a boxing ring after only a few weeks of training.

You’re just not ready for it yet.

Real Example

Years ago, someone I knew reached out to me for help with their diet.

Everything was going well.

They were losing weight, staying consistent, and making progress.

Then one day they told me they were planning to have a KFC cheat meal.

I tried to talk them out of it…

…but they were determined.

That was the last time they contacted me about their diet.

And you can probably guess what happened.

That one cheat meal likely turned into more…

and they fell off track completely.

Key Message

That’s why I’m saying this:

👉 Cheat meals require discipline.

👉 And discipline is built after consistency — not before.

What I Do Now

Now I approach cheat meals very differently.

I don’t remove them completely — I just control them.

1. I Set Clear Boundaries

I always set a clear timeframe.

Is it:

One meal?

Or one full day?

Both can work — but the key is deciding in advance and sticking to it.

Because a full day of overeating can easily turn into thousands of extra calories.

A single meal is much easier to control and can even fit into your maintenance calories.

2. I Avoid Foods That Make Me Spiral

This is a big one.

Some foods make it very easy to lose control.

For me, I’ve got a sweet tooth, so sugary foods can trigger overeating.

For example, recently it was my wife’s birthday.

There were burgers, chips, cake, alcohol — everything.

I allowed myself a cheat meal, but I set a boundary:

👉 I avoided the sweets and alcohol

I didn’t have any birthday cake.

That helped me enjoy the moment without losing control.

So now I either:

• Avoid trigger foods completely

• Or strictly limit them

Because it’s not just about calories — it’s about control and behaviour.

3. I Keep My Routine

Another important thing — I don’t break my routine.

If my cheat meal is on a gym day, I still go to the gym.

And after the meal?

I go straight back to normal eating.

No:

❌ “I’ll start again on Monday”

❌ No extended cheat days

Just:

👉 Back to routine

This is one of the biggest differences compared to how I used to approach things.

4. I Plan Cheat Meals Around Events

Instead of random cheat meals, I plan them around special occasions.

For example:

If I know it’s my grandma’s 80th birthday, and there’s going to be food and a celebration…

That’s when I’ll have a cheat meal.

That way I can:

Enjoy the moment

Be social

And not feel restricted

Planning it makes everything much easier to manage.

5. I Keep My Protein High

Even on a cheat day, I still focus on hitting my protein target.

Protein helps:

Keep you full

Reduce overeating

Support muscle

So even if other parts of the meal aren’t perfect, keeping protein high helps keep things under control.

The Biggest Mindset Shift

The biggest change I made was this:

I stopped seeing cheat meals as a reward.

And started seeing them as part of a balanced lifestyle.

Because if your diet is too strict, you’re more likely to break it.

But if it’s flexible, you can actually stick to it long term.

Final Thoughts

Cheat meals aren’t the problem.

Lack of control is.

If you can:

Set boundaries

Stay consistent

Get back on track quickly

You can enjoy your food without ruining your progress.

Video: https://youtu.be/zrI4dk6WgSU?si=d\_RFnIdK7S000gS5

Another thing that helped me is turning the diet into a lifestyle rather than a temporary phase.

For example, the first time I did keto I didn’t treat it like a short-term diet.

I actually adopted it as part of my lifestyle.

If you look at my channel, you’ll see all the keto recipes I used to make — that was genuinely how I was eating day to day.

The only difference when I reached my goal weight was that I increased my calories slightly to maintain my weight rather than staying in a calorie deficit.

That approach makes the transition from weight loss to maintenance much easier.

Youtube clip