So, how far do you go on a cheat day?

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Replies

  • Kr1ptonite
    Kr1ptonite Posts: 789 Member
    I try to stay on my diet plan year round without cheating. Only because i put on weight super easy, and just having some cake and such can add 2kgs on simple as that, and ruins a week or so worth of work just for a cheat. The only time i really go all out is on birthdays and a super special occation.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    cheat days shouldn't exist. A comfort food on occasion wont ruin your hard work, but I wouldn't get in a habit of giving yourself permission to blow your calories.

    If you are starving, reexamine your exercise calories and what you eat protein wise. If I workout a lot, I am sometimes really hungry the next day, so I will eat back my exercise calories then (your body does not reset at midnight). Also, a ratio of 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat keeps me from eating through my whole kitchen...
  • SutapaMukherji
    SutapaMukherji Posts: 244 Member
    IDK, I don't really have "cheat days". There are days that I don't eat as well as I should, or I may go over, but they are balanced out by all the other days that I was under my calorie goal.

    This
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    Not very. I've gotten used to working out every day, eating healthy and feeling good. While I enjoy the occasional fatty or sugary treat, a little goes a long way because I don't eat it that much anymore. Same with quantity. I just could not stuff myself- it would be uncomfortable.

    If an occasional thickly-frosted cupcake comes across my path and it's not one of my fast days, I may choose to eat it. I thoroughly enjoy it then go back to my usual low-meat, low-fat, heavy-veggie style. Other things- pizza, fries, sandwiches loaded with cheese second and third helpings of really rich food- not worth the calories, IMO. The first few bites are always the best!
  • kristenegeorge
    kristenegeorge Posts: 23 Member
    I think my highest cheat day was around 7000 calories, but I also had an intense workout that day, so really, minus exercise cals, it was around 6000 cals.
    It's because of my ability to just go all out when I'm with my friends that I allow myself to choose one thing that I can eat. Like, let's say you all go out for pizza and wings, instead of eating both, and feeling gross about it, I eat one slice of pizza, and down a bunch of water. And on the days prior to a designated cheat day, I eat below my goal to make up for it, and I try to choose the healthier option of binge foods. Like flavored rice cakes, or maybe the low fat version, just so it doesn't completely throw me off. These cheat days only happen about once a month, so in order to tide myself over until then, I allow myself to have small amounts of whatever I am craving, that way I don't go crazy. Let's say I crave ice cream, I go out and buy the fat free frozen yogurt, and have a cup of it, and that's all I need, and it's also the healthier option.
  • RobP1192
    RobP1192 Posts: 310 Member
    I'm having a cheat day today. Because i went to the movies and ate movie theater food, then decided once i got home, that i was just going to eat whatever, regardless of macro's. I know i'll suffer some weight gain from bloat tomorrow. Then i'll be back lean and mean on Tuesday. No big deal.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Most I've gone is maybe 100 calories, and it was a cheat meal... well not even really, as I still had a healthy entree.

    But really, doing that on days when you're really hungry is a bad, bad idea. You're more likely to overeat by 1000 calories or more if you're just eating high calorie stuff that won't fill you up.
  • egrusy
    egrusy Posts: 196 Member
    I haven't read any of the responses; my honest answer is that I don't "plan" a cheat day or how far I will go. My cheat day usually is because I'm at a restaurant...ooooo....they have Oysters Rockefeller! (or whatever). I want it, I think back on how good I've been, and I order it if I'm comfortable with the fact that I have NO idea what this is going to do to my daily intake. I then log it and move on to the next day :smile:
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    My highest cheat day was 6400 calories for the day.


    That is some serious cheating!
    It also happened to be seriously delicious, which is always a plus when you're going to splurge like that. :D


    What does this food orgy consist of?

    Share, share!
  • Lennonluv2
    Lennonluv2 Posts: 956 Member
    Having one today because it's Father's day and my husband wanted to go out for pizza and then we made him a cake. I went to the gym this morning though so I won't be over by much at all.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    If I have a cheat day, it is usually 400-650 calories over goal if I'm eating at a deficit. If I'm eating at maintenance, I usually don't go over more than 200.

    There have been a couple occasions where I've gone over a couple thousand, but I can count those on two fingers.
  • lisacsmith16
    lisacsmith16 Posts: 64 Member
    I don't have a full cheat day/// Maybe a cheat meal...... Then I work extra hard the next few days to work it of because it will always show up on my scale....
  • inthedistrict
    inthedistrict Posts: 83 Member
    Twice I have gone over on cheat days and have had major setbacks undoing a whole week of exercise and healthy eating. It's not easy when you are craving or just really want something, but it's also about taking a step back, having that glass of water etc. And really consider what you may gain (pun intended) by having that treat and is it worth it. A lesson I need to learn too....:smile:
  • PlayerHatinDogooder
    PlayerHatinDogooder Posts: 1,018 Member
    I go all out on my cheat days.

    Usually I rent a hotel room in a part of town that I won't be recognized in. Then I buy a bottle of tequila and a few other things to make things a bit more 'interesting'.

    I don't just cheat once either. Usually it's multiple times throughout the whole day.
  • keepongoingnmw
    keepongoingnmw Posts: 371 Member
    One of my MFP friends has two cheat days a month. She eats 1200 calories a day and exercises, but does not eat back her calories. Then twice a month she just goes all out. She logs everything in and it uaually is about 4000 calories. She has been very successful with this method and has lost close to 100 pounds.
    If I really want something I work it into my day. I ate two Dove ice cream bars today and only went over my allotment by 20 calories. I am a binger so I prefer to treatmyself about once a week and make it something I really want and a generous amount. I find this works best for me. I tried having something small everyday and ended up eating way over. It has taken me close to two months to figure out what works best for me, hence the super slow loss. I have been pretty good lately and hope it will speed up the weightloss.
  • WhitneySheree88
    WhitneySheree88 Posts: 222 Member
    I have a cheat day (Sunday's because we have family diner and I don't want to be told that "One day wont kill you" by all my family members) but my cheat day has turned into a cheat month, so now I am done. Starting tomorrow I am back on track and no more cheat days ... they are not worth it.
  • kglading
    kglading Posts: 80 Member
    I'm just starting to get used to the idea of cheat days, but I've had some talks with my cousin who hit his 100 lb weight loss mark actually last week, told me that he has one cheat MEAL a week. So take Saturdays for instance. He'll ask if anybody wants to go to Taco Shop (local tex mex restaurant) or ever to the bar for a cheeseburger. He said he never takes it too far though. Like he's never going to go get a baconator and large fries.. Does that make sense?
  • SoViLicious
    SoViLicious Posts: 2,633 Member
    Today was my cheat day, basically I ate what I normally at but just did no log. Oh. Had cake.
  • DrCaspianDoll
    DrCaspianDoll Posts: 87 Member
    https://instagram.com/p/ao60cVHBl2/embed/
    <---first cheatday in 21 days was today! about 2600 calories
  • iulia_maddie
    iulia_maddie Posts: 2,780 Member
    As far from home as I possibly can. I wouldn't want someone to recognize me and tell my husband.

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