Diets are a misery and never more than during the holidays with family and friends all around, no usual routine and in Singapore there is always far too much food! So a good time to allow a “cheat meal” and break out of the diet but let’s not lose control completely and just eat until we burst, instead let’s cheat for a cause!
There are good reasons for “cheat meals” – they reward us by hitting those sweet-fat triggers in the brain; take away any built-up feeling of deprivation and actually keep us on track to maintain the discipline. In short – we all need a reward and what better time than a holiday in Singapore’s multi-cultural food paradise to cheat for a good cause – your personal health.
So here’s the trick. Keep every portion small – no more than the amount you could hold in one cupped hand! It also depends on each individual; an 18-year-old with a high metabolic rate could have a 2000 calories cheat meal which may make him bloated for an hour but after that he would feel great, satisfied and ready to continue on his diet. Compare this to a 40-year-old with a lower metabolic rate; it may take him or her several days to get over the binge and be back to normal again.
So, the best approach is to start small and see how your body feels. Make a holiday cheat meal a social meal and while you share stories and talk more than you eat, it gives your body time to catch up and let you know when enough is enough. When it does, learn from it and adjust how you have your cheat meals in the future.
It’s all part of feeling good and to help you, we can prepare a personalized nutrition plan. Just book a Private PT session now! Our PTs will guide you as to how you should approach your diet and cheat meals not cheat yourself! We at Body Society would like wish you a very Happy National Day and Selamat Hari Raya!
