Junk day on the diet: does it work?

Junk day on the diet: does it work?

Nutrition

The junk day in the diet is a date scheduled on a day of the week for the person to have free meals, that is, to eat all the food they want and in the quantities they want, regardless of the quality and quantity of calories, which could cause some stimulus to follow the weight loss diet during the week.

However, a junk day in the diet does not work as it can lead the person to eat in large quantities, eat high-calorie foods that are not recommended in weight loss diets or even binge eat, which can promote weight gain, making it difficult losing weight or returning to your diet routine.

The ideal is to have a balanced and varied diet, which is not restrictive, guided by a nutritionist, in order to have an individualized eating plan, compatible with food preferences, health status and practice of physical activities, in order to promote the caloric deficit and gradual and sustainable weight loss. Understand what a calorie deficit is and how to do it.

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Why trash day doesn’t work

A junk day diet doesn’t work because it can cause:

  • Weight gain;
  • Liquid retention;
  • Intestinal changes;
  • Difficulty returning to a balanced diet;
  • Loss of achieved results;
  • Difficulty losing weight;
  • Feeling of guilt after feeding.

Therefore, going off the diet a lot on junk day is one of the main reasons for not being able to lose weight or always fluctuating between 1 to 3 kg more or less.

Additionally, trash day can cause or increase the risk of developing binge eating or other eating disorders. Know how to identify the main signs of eating disorders.

Therefore, the ideal is to consult a nutritionist to create a balanced diet that meets individual nutritional needs.

Make an appointment with a nutritionist in the nearest region:

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Healthy diet options

Eating just 1 free meal a week instead of eating a whole day will barely help you control your calorie consumption and avoid ruining your diet. In general, this free meal does not hinder weight loss, as the body can quickly return to burning fat.

This free meal can be eaten on any day of the week and at any time, and can be fitted into days with social events such as birthdays, weddings and work parties.

The free meal can contain any food, but the quantities should not be overdone, as this will maintain control over the diet, avoid eating disorders and encourage healthy eating behavior and an immediate return to the diet routine.

Garbage Day increases muscle?

Although trash day causes more harm to those who want to lose weight, anyone who wants to gain muscle mass should not abuse it either, as overdoing it will make it easier to gain fat instead of muscle.

This happens mainly because the excess calories on a junk day are much higher than what is recommended in the diet, and usually happen on a day without training.

In any case, the ideal would always be to maintain a balanced and healthy diet, free from excess, in order to achieve the desired goals. See which are the best foods to gain muscle mass.

Trash day speeds up metabolism?

It is believed that the trash day can help speed up the metabolism or get out of the plateau effect, because it could increase leptin levels, which is a hormone produced naturally by the body, responsible for inhibiting the feeling of hunger, and which has its levels decrease when there is significant weight loss.

However, There are not enough studies that prove that the increase in leptin triggered by a trash day can help speed up metabolism and contribute to weight loss..

Therefore, it is recommended to avoid junk day and choose a balanced and non-restrictive diet, so that weight loss is sustainable, healthy and gradual. See how to follow a balanced diet to lose weight.

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Graduated in Nutrition and Dietetics from the Central University of Venezuela. Registered with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Venezuela with number MPPS 3781.

We regularly update our content with the latest scientific information, so that it maintains an exceptional level of quality.

Bibliography
  • GANSON, KT; et al. Characterizing cheat meals among a national sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults. J Eat Disord. 10. 1; 113, 2022
  • MURRAY, S.B.; et al. Cheat meals: A benign or ominous variant of binge eating behavior?. Appetite. 130. 274-278, 2018