Week 8: Cheat Days

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Generally, being on a diet means restricting calories to lose weight. Usually, these calories come from the really good ones foods like hot dogs, cake and potato chips. While there is room for these foods in a diet, (even on a daily basis) eating too many of them will cause you to gain weight.

Starting this week, you can allow yourself to have one "cheat day" per week. It is voluntary but it will help you get through the tough times of your diet. A cheat day is a day in which you don't have to count your calories, measure your food or cook healthy meals.

This day will allow you to have your favorite foods while still continuing on your diet. You can have snacks that are normally off limits or you can treat yourself to a night out at a restaurant. If you want, you can even do both.

Having a cheat day isn't a prescription to go overboard. Cheat day or not, loading up on calories will cause weight gain. The point of this day is to allow you to have the foods you love without feeling as if you've ruined your entire diet.