There is no need to stress if you have a cheat meal or drink occasionally over the weekend. Occasional cheat meals will not make you fat and they shouldn’t be something to beat yourself up over.
A common concern from my clients coming in for training after the weekend is that they had a cheat meal, and it is going to ruin their progress. This also ties in with an obsession on the number of the scale. They overindulged a little on the weekend and weighed themselves on Monday and notice a few lb. increase. This leads to worry and panic that they gained weight and derailed their progress.
I want to remind you all that significant fat gain takes time to happen. In order to gain 1lb a week, you would have to consume an extra 3,500 calories (roughly) per week. Basically, one cheat meal or an untracked meal over the weekend isn’t going to result in any significant fat gain. While too many cheat days and untracked meals may hinder your progress, a cheat meal over the weekend is nothing to beat yourself up over. You can still enjoy your life while dieting and training.
With that being said, your weight may go up when you weigh yourself on Monday following the weekend. You also may notice some puffiness or bloating after a weekend of eating. Be aware that these are temporary changes that your body undergoes when processing the extra calories/sugar or alcohol. You should not be deterred by temporary weight gain as the couple of extra lbs. are most likely water weight and will go away as soon as you jump back into your routine.
Don’t be discouraged by fluctuating weight on the scale. Don’t beat yourself up for having a cheat meal.
Dieting and training should be fun and sustainable. You can still enjoy life while staying in track.