Cheat days and weight loss

kschamlu

Hey guys,

I hope you're all doing well.

I just want to ask a few questions about cheat days...

what do you guys think about having cheat days on MFP? Do you have them? If so, do you still lose weight?

I know some dieticians recommend having a cheat day once a week to rev up your metabolism. Is this the case with calorie counting?

Any help, tips or advice will be really appreciated.

Thank you

zoeandrews1606

I have always has a cheat' day on weigh day doing slimming world but it never helped me lose weight. I have just started calories counting and might still have a little treat on the weekend but will still track it and try and keep near my daily allowance

heartshapedvox

Whether or not a cheat day will wreck your progress depends on what you mean by cheat day. In reality, it's supposed to mean a day where you eat up to maintenance calories, and have a few foods that you wouldn't normally eat the other 6 days. But I see a LOT of people who seem to think it just means go all out and binge eat til you're sick, basically.

NiqueKristan

I sometimes have cheat meals, and I try to limit them to twice a week. However, I usually eat dessert every day. A small cupcake, fun sized m&ms.. Satisfies my sweet tooth and I haven't had a cheat meal in a couple weeks. Works for me. 24 pounds down since mid January.

Capt_Apollo

i'll randomly have days where i eat a lot, for whatever reason. a special occasion, a family affair, whatever. i don't log, but if i do, i'll have no problem going over. but i won't weigh myself the next day, or if i do, i won't be too upset with the result.

for instance, sunday was my cousins christening. i ate a lot, drank a lot. i also worked out in the morning to create a deficit, but i went way over budget. i weighed in today a whooping four pounds more than i weighed on sunday. did i get fat over night? no. it's the booze and the food. and trusting from the four poops i took today, i'll probably be right at what i was tomorrow morning.

BritDillinger

I have cheated before and have regretted it every single time. I have poor self-control and allowing myself a cheat day turns into a cheat week. I just cannot do it. Nor do I want to anymore.

Maybe if I hit a plateau in my weight-loss, but it wouldn’t be overly carby things. Maybe go to 50g net carbs instead of 10g net carbs in that day.

So, if you are like me and cannot handle a cheat without a slip then I’d recommend not doing it. If you can handle it, go for it. But don’t go extreme with it. You’ll gain water weight back, but after about a week you will see progress again.

Drewlssix

It's more a psychological thing, and that only really applies if you are on some sort of strict elimination diet.

Look at how many calories over maintenance you would need to eat to gain even one pound in a day, the worst you are likely to do is slow your loss or stall it out for a day or two.

Eat what you like and meet your calorie goals on a daily basis and cheat days won't be that important. Rather think about free days. Those times when you are taken out or there is a party and you can't count so accurately or plan ahead. If you are in deficit more often than not an occasional indulgence won't amount to anything.

Drewlssix

It's more a psychological thing, and that only really applies if you are on some sort of strict elimination diet.

Look at how many calories over maintenance you would need to eat to gain even one pound in a day, the worst you are likely to do is slow your loss or stall it out for a day or two.

Eat what you like and meet your calorie goals on a daily basis and cheat days won't be that important. Rather think about free days. Those times when you are taken out or there is a party and you can't count so accurately or plan ahead. If you are in deficit more often than not an occasional indulgence won't amount to anything.

I_Will_End_You

It won't help you lose weight, but going over a bit every once in awhile probably won't hurt your weight loss, either.

honeybee_kisses

I don't have cheat days but I have a treat every Saturday night, something like a chow mein and a chocolate bar or pizza and ice cream.
Last weekend I went out drinking, drank ridiculous amounts of wine and ate pizza AND a huge burger and chips I was dreading getting on the scale but thankfully I didn't gain I just stayed the same. Just goes to show its what you do most of the time that makes all the difference

DC_TheDrivah1

I did cheat meals once a week. Then as I got used to that I started doing a cheat meal once every 2 weeks. And I'm actually starting to just eat up to my maintenance level once every 2 weeks. A cheat DAY would be awesome tho lol.

callsitlikeiseeit

i dont do cheat days or meals.

i eat what i want and make it work with my daily calories. if i need more calories, i do more exercise.

i earn my food! LOL

katekc22

I try and eat fairly healthy and stay in my calorie goal, but I do have cheat meals or cheat days..depends on how my week went and I still am losing weight.

petee5854

Ok, here's one for the experienced mfp participant...I have been counting calories on mfp for quite a while now and my wife and I have got it where we consume only slightly more than the very minimum calories per day required for men and women. So, on a typical day my total caloric intake may be 300-800 calories under the goal for the day to lose .5 to 1 kg per week( I have tried varying amounts of goal loss.) I have felt a bit more tired and sore in the upper arms and shoulders and sometimes don't do my upper body workout during the week. I walk just over 2 miles each day all workweek. But, I seem to have a lingering subtle soreness and almost a bit of weakness somewhat regularly now. Am I not consuming enough calories, or, could it be that I need more protein in my diet? Would appreciate all feedback...

orlandodenise

I had a cheat day 10 days ago to celebrate uk mothers day. I had loads of wine, carbs ( im low carb ) and a WHOLE chocolate orange ( 900 cals ) ... By the end of the day Is eaten 3800 cals ! Thats the ONLY cheat day ive had in almost 3 months.

Psychologically - Im not really able to do a cheat day. It develops a " taste " for stuff I no longer eat. Im very pleased for all those that can eat what they like in moderation but I never got to 330 pounds doing that. So I keep away from the stuff and dont have hunger cravings for them.

The cheat day threw off my weight loss for a week. Only really today have I caught back up to where I " should " have been had I not pigged out. Thing is I had to work even harder at the gym and really keep tabs on the food.

Tbh - it really wasnt worth it and I dont plan to do another !

AmazonMayan

I haven't eaten many exactly nutritious foods today, but I've kept it in my calories. I started the day with a filled donut - which I never do anymore LOL. It's the first time since logging that I've successfully started the day with sugar and not kept eating sugar - yay goal! But anyway, I also had a not so nutritious breakfast sandwich and then this afternoon had chicken selects from mcd's - no fries though.

I did eat some roasted asparagus for a snack and a few boiled eggs so the day isn't a total loss (macros are taking a hit though lol)

I made it fit without going over my calories.

I'm at day 81 I think and I've only had one day that was a total blowout. I still logged it all and it was last week. I didn't binge, I just ate very high calorie items (ribs). I still lost weight. I don't know if I would lose doing that often though. I've had a couple days where I got near maintenance calories, but still not in the gain zone.

eta: most days I eat tons of veggies and better choices overall.

holly55555

Instead of a cheat day, I set my calorie goal a little higher (to 1 lb a week) and try to hit my weekly calorie goal instead of my daily goal. So basically, Monday-Friday I eat below my daily goal. On weekends, I have a "cheat" meal of whatever I want but keep the portions reasonable. I just make sure I don't go over my weekly calorie allotment and I still lose my 1 lb a week

Oneironaut

Like others have said, I do cheat meals rather than cheat days. I still am in a caloric deficit by the end of the day most of the time.

I generally reserve them for nice restaurants or really good home-cooked meals.

hhnkhl

Cheat days dont mean anything. It depends on what you eat as well as calorie deficit. I eat a burger for dinner at least twice a week. I go to a buffet once a week for dinner and consume mostly salmon, chicken, salad, and maybe a spoon or two of anything carbs. I dont use sauce at all for the salad. I still have good results. Exercise plays a big role for me as well. Also, I drink over 2 liters of water a day.

ForeverSunshine09

I have a cheat day every Saturday and I have consistently lost for the past month and a half. I still stay under maintenance for the day but, I eat what I want without regards to how nutritious it is.

macgurlnet

With a calorie goal of around 1300 (higher if I do some exercise or I'm not sitting at my desk all day), I go for high nutrient, lower calorie stuff most of the week. And then on the weekend I'll indulge in higher calorie stuff - a bowl of pasta from Noodles and Company, a burger & fries from Culvers, etc.

I generally was eating out 1-3 times a week anyway, but now I'm just more conscious of how much I SHOULD be eating so I tailor my choices to that a bit better I'll sleep in, maybe have a snack, go get my lunch and then have a light dinner so I stay within my limits.

It's all about moderation. I don't see it as a cheat meal - I see it as being lazy and not wanting to cook again, lol!

~Lyssa

stevesgirl824

1 cheat meal a week, and I log it. That way I can make sure I don't blow my weekly calorie deficit. I Think cheat days are a bad idea, unless it's Thanskgiving or Christmas.

7lenny7

Cheating implies that you're getting away with something. When you have a "cheat" day you're really not cheating because your body knows what you ate and the calories still count. You may fool yourself, but you're not fooling your body.

tracie_minus100

A whole day, no, I don't do that. I do allow myself to go over my calorie budget for events/special events though. (So a meal, not a day).

kschamlu

Thanks for all your input guys. The reason I asked is that yesterday I went over my calorie allowance by 1000