For many people trying to lose weight, the “cheat meal” feels like a well-earned break from strict dieting — a chance to relax, enjoy something decadent and return to routine refreshed.
Eric Trexler, PhD, a fellow in the Department of Health, Wellness, and Physical Education at Duke University, recently co-authored a study in Nutrition Reviews examining the surprisingly complicated world of cheat meals.
The analysis with researchers in Hong Kong looked at both psychological and physiological effects of loosening dietary rules and found that planned indulgences can help some people stay on track.
But the science also warns that unplanned or binge-like episodes may fuel guilt, shame, and unhealthy eating patterns.
“People really overestimate the physical impact of a cheat meal and dramatically underestimate the psychological impact,” said Trexler who conducts evolutionary anthropology research and collaborates with global health researchers at Duke University School of Medicine.
Though his doctoral research explored dietary nitrate and blood flow, he’s also examined what he calls “non-linear dieting strategies,” an approach that intentionally includes higher-calorie days or meals during weight loss.
He breaks down what people misunderstand most about these meals, what the science actually shows, and how mindset matters more than the calories on the plate.
The real consequences are psychological, not physical
Trexler said people tend to panic about how many pounds they’ll gain from a single cheat meal.
The truth? Physically, one big dinner does almost nothing long-term. Mentally, though, framing it as cheating can fuel guilt, shame, and the feeling that you’ve blown your diet which can derail progress.
When an indulgence is spontaneous or emotionally driven, the guilt that follows can easily snowball into overeating — turning a single cheat meal into a cheat weekend, and then a cheat week.
Planned indulgences can support long-term success
When a higher-calorie meal is intentional and fits within a larger eating plan, people tend to stay more motivated.
“A dietary strategy that has a lot of planned dietary deviations in place tells you, you can do this,” Trexler said. “You can implement these lifestyle changes. You don’t need to be perfect 100% of the time. You need to be good enough most of the time and you are."
Cheat meal for pleasure vs. cheat meal event
Eating a special holiday meal with family is one thing. Planning a food event is entirely different. Social media hashtags like #cheatmeal showcase food events: towering burgers, stacks of pancakes with a side of sushi, or dessert spreads topping 9,000 calories.
“A key distinction is whether a person is having a high-calorie meal to enjoy a specific event like Thanksgiving dinner, or if the high-calorie meal is the event,” Trexler said.
Researchers warn that these food events — often promoted by fitness influencers — can normalize binge-like behavior and distort people’s sense of what’s typical.
Cheat meals don’t boost metabolism enough
Yes, your body burns a few extra calories digesting a big meal. But no, it doesn’t come close to offsetting the intake.
“There is a temporary increase in metabolic rate, but it’s small compared to the large influx of calories,” he explained. In other words: a cheat meal isn’t canceling itself out.
The real risk comes after the cheat meal
Trexler said there are two red flags to look for:
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Turning one indulgence into a multi-day binge
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Overcorrecting with extreme restriction or punishing exercise
Both patterns mirror the binge-restrict cycle common in disordered eating. Ideally a person enjoys the meal and returns to normal eating.
The science on cheat meals is surprisingly thin
Incorporating cheat meals has become a popular strategy in the diet and fitness communities, but Trexler notes that very few high-quality studies on the role of cheat meals in dieting exist. The review identified eight relevant papers.
Authors say more research is needed to help health care and fitness professionals in devising safe and effective diet strategies for sustainable weight loss.
Takeaway
According to Trexler, cheat meals aren’t inherently good or bad. The key is how intentional they are, how you think about them, and what happens afterward.
Instead of “cheating,” a term that suggests a moral failure, he urges people to think about planned flexibility as part of a sustainable eating pattern — one that lets you enjoy your grandmother’s caramel cake “without worrying how many eggs or cups of sugar are in it,” he said.
“Eating isn’t just about nutrition,” he said. “Eating is a social and cultural event. At a certain point, implemented long enough, changes become the norm. You realize you can enjoy sitting down for dessert and having one piece of cake instead of two.”