What Happens If You Take a Cheat Day: The Physiological and Psychological Effects

October 16, 2025 •

5 min read

According to one study, participants who planned weekly 'hedonic deviations' reported significantly higher diet adherence than those who followed consistently restrictive diets. This raises the question: what happens if you take a cheat day, and is it truly a helpful strategy or a potential setback to your health goals?

Quick Summary

A cheat day can provide psychological relief and a temporary metabolic shift, but risks triggering guilt, binge cycles, and undoing caloric deficits. Effects depend heavily on individual health, self-control, and the degree of indulgence.

Key Points

Metabolic Impact: A cheat day can cause a temporary, short-lived boost in metabolism and leptin levels, but its effectiveness for breaking plateaus is debated and often outweighed by excess calories.
Temporary Weight Gain: The weight increase seen after a cheat day is mostly temporary water retention from high-carb and high-sodium intake, not significant fat gain, and will subside with a return to a balanced diet.
Psychological Motivation: For some people, a planned cheat meal can boost motivation and help maintain long-term diet adherence by providing a mental break from restriction.
Risk of Bingeing: For others, particularly those with a history of disordered eating, cheat days can trigger cycles of bingeing and intense guilt, leading to unhealthy behaviors and sabotaging progress.
Cheat Meal vs. Cheat Day: A single cheat meal is generally safer and more controllable than a full cheat day, which carries a much higher risk of undoing caloric deficits.
Strategic Indulgence: Planning your cheat meal, controlling portions, and practicing mindful eating are critical to enjoying a treat without causing significant setbacks.
Post-Cheat Recovery: After indulging, focus on hydration and eating nutrient-dense foods, and avoid overcompensating or getting caught in a guilt cycle.

The concept of the 'cheat day' has long been a subject of debate in health and fitness circles. While some proponents believe it provides a necessary mental break and metabolic reset, many critics warn of its potential to derail progress and foster an unhealthy relationship with food. The physiological and psychological effects of taking a cheat day are complex and vary greatly depending on the individual, the diet they follow, and how extreme the indulgence is.

The Physiological Impact of a Cheat Day

Metabolic and Hormonal Shifts

When you follow a restrictive, low-calorie diet, your body's metabolism can slow down as a survival mechanism. A sudden, significant increase in calories from a cheat day can temporarily influence your body's metabolism, a process referred to as a 'refeed'.

Leptin levels: Restrictive dieting can cause a drop in leptin, a hormone that suppresses hunger. A cheat day may temporarily boost leptin levels, helping to curb hunger signals for a short period.
Metabolic boost (temporary): Some theories suggest the spike in calorie intake can provide a temporary metabolic boost, signaling to the body that it is not in a state of starvation. However, experts widely debate the significance and duration of this effect. For many, the metabolic increase is not enough to offset the excess calories consumed.

Weight Fluctuations

One of the most immediate and noticeable effects of a cheat day is a temporary increase on the scale. This is not typically fat gain but rather a combination of factors.

Water retention: Indulging in high-salt and high-carb foods, like pizza or fast food, causes your body to retain more water. This effect is temporary and resolves in a couple of days as you return to your regular diet.
Glycogen replenishment: If your cheat day is high in carbohydrates, your body stores the excess carbs as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Each gram of glycogen is stored with water, which also contributes to the temporary weight increase.

Digestive Discomfort

For those accustomed to a clean, healthy diet, a cheat day can shock the digestive system. A sudden intake of processed foods, sugars, and fats can lead to feelings of sluggishness, bloating, and indigestion. This discomfort can sometimes last for days, making it harder to feel motivated to get back on track.

The Psychological Effects of a Cheat Day

Motivation and Adherence

For some, a scheduled cheat day serves as a powerful psychological tool. It can provide a mental break from a strict regimen, giving them something to look forward to and reducing the feeling of deprivation. This can actually improve long-term adherence to their diet.

The Risk of a Negative Mindset

Conversely, for many, the 'all-or-nothing' mentality of a cheat day can backfire spectacularly.

The guilt cycle: The act of 'cheating' can instill feelings of guilt and shame, especially when it leads to excessive overeating. This negative self-talk can erode self-esteem and trigger further emotional or binge eating.
Triggering binge patterns: For individuals with a history of disordered eating, a cheat day can easily spiral into an uncontrolled binge. The neurological response to highly palatable foods can trigger a feast mentality that is difficult to stop.
Moralizing food: Labeling food as 'good' or 'bad' can complicate one's relationship with eating. Cheat days reinforce this mentality, whereas a flexible eating approach encourages a more balanced perspective.

Cheat Day vs. Cheat Meal: A Comparison


Aspect	Cheat Meal	Cheat Day
Portion Control	Easier to control and limit indulgence to one sitting.	Much higher risk of overconsumption and undoing a week's calorie deficit.
Weight Impact	Minimal physiological impact; temporary water weight is negligible.	Higher potential to erase weekly calorie deficits and cause notable water retention.
Psychological Effect	Provides a release without a complete loss of control, reducing guilt.	Can encourage an 'all-or-nothing' mindset and trigger prolonged binge cycles.
Sustainability	More manageable for long-term diet adherence by incorporating planned, moderate indulgences.	Can be harder to return to healthy habits the following day due to a feeling of total abandon.

How to Manage Indulgences Strategically

For those who choose to incorporate planned indulgences, a strategic approach is key to avoiding negative consequences.

Plan ahead: Schedule your cheat meal in advance around a social event or a specific craving. This gives you something to look forward to without a spontaneous, high-risk binge.
Practice mindful eating: When indulging, eat slowly and savor every bite. This helps you tune into your body's hunger and fullness cues, preventing mindless overconsumption.
Balance and quality: Consider making a healthier version of your favorite treat, such as a homemade pizza with whole-grain crust and plenty of vegetables.
Adopt the 80/20 rule: Instead of a full cheat day, many find success following the 80/20 rule: eat balanced, nutritious foods 80% of the time, and allow for moderate indulgences for the remaining 20%. This promotes flexibility without a feeling of restriction.
Don't let one meal become a day: The single biggest trap is allowing a cheat meal to extend into a full-blown cheat day or weekend. Get right back to your regular routine with your next meal.

Post-Cheat Day Recovery

After a period of overindulgence, it’s important to recover properly to minimize the setback.

Hydrate: Drink plenty of water to help flush out excess sodium and reduce bloating caused by high-salt or high-sugar foods.
Eat nutrient-dense foods: Focus on high-fiber foods and lean protein to help you feel full and restore essential vitamins and minerals.
Get moving: A light workout or long walk can aid digestion, help level out blood sugar, and burn off some of the excess calories without overdoing it.
Practice self-compassion: Don't beat yourself up over one bad meal or day. Dwelling on guilt can lead to a negative mindset and further overeating. Accept what you ate and move forward with your plan. For further reading on managing cheat meals, see this guide from Healthline on Should You Have Cheat Meals or Cheat Days?.

Conclusion

A cheat day is a double-edged sword, offering potential psychological relief but also carrying significant risks of derailing progress and promoting unhealthy eating behaviors. While some individuals can use a planned cheat meal strategically to maintain long-term adherence, a full cheat day can lead to excess calories, guilt, and a disordered cycle of restriction and bingeing. Ultimately, the healthiest and most sustainable approach for many is to adopt flexible eating guidelines, such as the 80/20 rule, rather than rigid restrictions that create the need for extreme 'cheating'. Listening to your body, planning indulgences mindfully, and focusing on overall nutritional balance are far more effective strategies for lasting health.

Frequently Asked Questions

A single cheat day will not ruin your entire week of dieting, but an excessive caloric surplus can erase the deficit you created. A large calorie intake can offset several days of progress, but a quick return to your routine can mitigate this.

The weight increase is primarily due to temporary water retention and replenishment of muscle glycogen stores, not fat gain. High-carb and high-sodium foods cause your body to hold more water, which resolves within a few days.

While a large calorie intake might temporarily increase leptin levels and slightly boost your metabolism, this effect is often modest, short-lived, and not proven to be a reliable strategy for weight loss.

For most people, a planned cheat meal is a safer and more controllable option than a full cheat day. It satisfies cravings with less risk of excessive overconsumption and undoing your weekly calorie deficit.

Focus on drinking plenty of water, eating nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables, and getting some exercise, like a long walk. Avoid feeling guilty or overcompensating by excessively restricting calories the next day.

No, individuals with health conditions like diabetes, obesity, or heart disease should approach cheat meals with extreme caution, as they can cause significant blood sugar spikes or other negative health impacts. It is best to consult a healthcare provider for personalized advice.

The ideal frequency varies, but for many, a single cheat meal once a week is a sustainable approach. This helps maintain motivation without causing significant metabolic or psychological disruption.