Is it intellectual so that you can stay committed or is it physiological and has some metabolic impact?
For people who are on very low calorie diets that are hard to maintain it may theoretically give you something to look forward to. This can be a path to disordered eating though. It fools your brain into thinking “good” foods are bad and “bad” foods are good.
First, I don’t cheat. Cheating on myself feels like crap.
Next, I take exceptions because I don’t want to eat 100% clean (I have a pretty restrictive diet bc of my chronic illness) 100% of the time. I need to be able to take an exception that’s planned and executed according to plan every couple of weeks.
When I took cheat meals (regardless of metabolism science) it always ended up in increased insulin reactvity and cravings, then brain hampstering leading to binging. Case Study, but the further I get away from “cheat meals” the healthier I am, physically and mentally.
My cheat days got so bad that I am realing myself back into 80% good 20% bad. So 4 meals are good quality meals and my 5th one is kinda a cheat meal. I feel this method will work best for me so I dont have to look forward to a cheat meal/day at the end of the week. Dieting after a while becomes tough and restricing yourself and telling yourself you cant eat foods screws with your mentality making you want those foods even more.
I love making fried food. I make literally the best Tempura battered vegetables. I also make double fried French fries that are so light and crispy that is better than any restaurant.
But I know it’s terrible for you so I limit to making these things once a month. On the plus side, I make fried food so well that I don’t crave fast food since it’s not nearly as good.
I like drugs. I like alcohol. I like good food. I can’t do all those things and look like or be who I want to be. So I do them once in a while so I can achieve my goal.
The unhealthy thing is suffering because you deny yourself simple indulgences that make life worth it. Life needs flavour - for some people that means eating a pizza in a parking lot once every few weeks. The benefits are that you get to enjoy things. It’s all a balance.