The sheer deprivation of dieting can drive your headspace into a bad place.

Abstaining from your cravings is torturous and distracts your focus from the task at hand: winning your upcoming bout.

These cravings aren’t entirely your fault, it’s actually the way you’re hardwired. Research in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found you have sensors in your mouth that are programmed to both crave and thoroughly enjoy stodgy and calorific foods.

That’s not to say you’re powerless to resist the grime served at your local fast food haunt, but you shouldn’t beat yourself up when its fat-filled scents make your stomach rumble. Fortunately, the odd cheat meal won’t make you come in overweight. In fact, having a little powwow with your favourite foods – no matter how bad – is a valuable tool in your weight loss arsenal.

Research at the University of Illinois found that in the long term a high-protein diet – the cornerstone of most fighters' eating habits – was the best at keeping lean. What’s more, the researchers discovered participants with the highest success didn’t devotedly stick to the diet plans with every meal – they cheated every so often and still lost weight.

Proof that as long as the majority of your diet is full of healthy foods you don’t have to be a drill sergeant with your knife and fork. So, before you empty a grease trap into your grill, here’s how to do it the right away.

1: CHIP ON YOUR SHOULDER

They say achieving a six-pack is 30% training and 70% nutrition. But nutrition doesn’t always mean brown rice and whey. “After consistently eating ‘clean’ your metabolism can drop, resulting in a slowing down of your fat loss,” says Moodi Dennaoui, a sports nutritionist to weight class athletes such as world champion boxer Billy Dib.

“Eating a cheat meal once a week – even in the lead-up to a weigh-in – will kick-start your metabolism and refuel your energy supplies. It throws your body into shock and elevates your metabolic rate by 25–30% for almost three to four days after the meal.” So you’re actually doing yourself a disservice if you’re not cheating.

2: SOFTEN THE BLOW

The trick with a successful cheat meal is to isolate your craving then fulfill it. “So if you’re sporting a hankering for fat then avoid carbs with that fatty meal and vice versa,” adds Dennaoui. “If carbs are on your cheat meal menu then include more fibre with them to off-set the damage.”

3: OFFSET THE GUILT

Cheat meals shouldn’t be a balls-to-the-wall affair. Instead, you should buffer their damage with other vegetables. “Fibre is important to eat with every cheat meal. Take a burger, for example. Eating it with a side of green salad aids digestion and makes you less likely to store the fat. 

“You can also go for a very light stroll afterwards to even out the calorie influx,” Dennaoui says. This can deduct almost 150 calories from your cheat meal and get your metabolism going again. 

4: WHITE MAKES TIGHT

Stick to dairy to get several essential vitamins and minerals. “You need vitamin D to avoid muscle wastage and increase your fat burn,” says Dennaoui. “Opt for Greek yoghurt as your dessert of choice and you’ll be saving on empty calories from sugary binges while stocking up on the essential vitamin. You only have to avoid it until a week out from your weigh-in and switch to taking calcium and magnesium supplements.” 

5: EMBRACE THE BREAK

It’s not just the body that responds to a diet sabbatical, your brain also needs a break from the blandness of chicken and wild rice. “Even when training hard you need to feel as if you’re living life, and the occasional cheat meal gives you a sense of normality,” says Dennaoui. 

“It also provides a reward and break from your diet which makes you more likely to stick to it in the long-term. When you’re presented with a tempting situation then you’re more likely to stay on track because you have something to look forward to.