Don't let your cheat/snack today hurt your diet tomorrow

Dmaster1214

Before you make the decision to have a little snack before bed, or what to eat on your cheat day, remember that it can make a huge difference to the difficulty you encounter going back to your diet the next day.

A lot of people I've notice think it's just a "one day" thing and you'll go back to it tomorrow, but the body doesn't work that way.

It does not "reset" every 24 hours. Your metabolic system works 24/7.

This is why some people go on vacation, or eat bad on the holidays and the weight gain never stops. They have created a viscous cycle of hunger and cravings that takes a lot of willpower to break.

If you decide to have a big carb/sugary meal on your cheat day, or as a snack the night before, don't be surprised if you wake up the next morning EXTRA hungry, craving the wrong food, and find yourself going over your calories because it was just "too hard".

Always think of how your diet will affect the whole week rather than just today.

Next time you have a cheat meal, observe how you feel the next morning. If you feel fine, that's great.

If you feel RAVENOUS, weak, craving sugar.. You have overdone it. Your blood sugar/ insulin levels have not normalized from the junk you ate. Take notes on what food you ate and don't repeat the mistake.

Francl27

Or you have PMS.

barbecuesauce

Dmaster1214 wrote: »

Before you make the decision to have a little snack before bed, or what to eat on your cheat day, remember that it can make a huge difference to the difficulty you encounter going back to your diet the next day.

A lot of people I've notice think it's just a "one day" thing and you'll go back to it tomorrow, but the body doesn't work that way.

It does not "reset" every 24 hours. Your metabolic system works 24/7.

This is why some people go on vacation, or eat bad on the holidays and the weight gain never stops. They have created a viscous cycle of hunger and cravings that takes a lot of willpower to break.

If you decide to have a big carb/sugary meal on your cheat day, or as a snack the night before, don't be surprised if you wake up the next morning EXTRA hungry, craving the wrong food, and find yourself going over your calories because it was just "too hard".

Always think of how your diet will affect the whole week rather than just today.

Next time you have a cheat meal, observe how you feel the next morning. If you feel fine, that's great.

If you feel RAVENOUS, weak, craving sugar.. You have overdone it. Your blood sugar/ insulin levels have not normalized from the junk you ate. Take notes on what food you ate and don't repeat the mistake.

I did not experience this at all when I did 16:8 and backloaded my carbs. I woke up with more energy and had better runs.

Also, "cheat days" lol. Who are you cheating? Silly concept.

Unknown

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rushfive

A lot of people do snacks and "cheat meals", but keep it under calorie goal or at maintenance. If they do go over you can balance the calories out over the week to make up for it.
Carbs fill me up and I stay fuller longer. Maybe you are talking cake,donuts?
Sugar and carbs are not evil, they can fit into a day fine and keep me sane. I eat the same just smaller portions.
Never woke up with a sugar craving or starving... but I guess it is different for everybody.

Vacation are a break from your everyday life, use common sense there.. enjoy it. Then go back to your routine. Doesn't have to send you off on hunger and craving..... the vacation kind of takes care of that.

shadowfax_c11

If it is under or at your calorie goal it is not a cheat. If it is over your goal but you are still in deficit, it is not a cheat. If you choose to eat at maintenance for a da, it is not a cheat. If you go over your maintenance for a day but are still at or under your weekly caloric deficit it is not a cheat. Just because it has carbs, sugar fat or salt or goes above your macro goals does not make it a cheat.

If you are eating "clean" and going over your calorie goals, you are fooling yourself. This might be considered cheating.

I do agree that habitually going over your calorie goals is self defeating. The idea is to create good eating habits not to find ways to justify overeating on a regular basis.

kristydi

Ya know, one of the things I've learned along the way is that even if I do go way over my calorie goal and it does hurt my weight loss, its not a major tradgey. So I meet my eventual goal a few days later than I might have otherwise, so what? It's not a race. There is no deadline. The really important thing is not to let it become a pattern. To just get back on track and let the overage go. It is just one day, as long as you don't make it more.

I haven't found that carbs or sugar cause me cravings or vicious cycles, so I don't worry about them.

I do try to keep my overages below my maintenance calories so I'm not going backwards.

Kexessa

Dmaster1214 wrote: »

Before you make the decision to have a little snack before bed, or what to eat on your cheat day, remember that it can make a huge difference to the difficulty you encounter going back to your diet the next day.

Thankfully I don't 'diet'. I eat normally. So I guess all that doesn't apply to me? Snack before bed? It's snack in bed. With Netflix.

I sleep so much better knowing there isn't leftover frozen yogurt running around in my freezer.

AlabasterVerve

Not everyone has an issue with carbs so they have no clue what you're talking about. Others may eat the recommended high or moderate carb diet normally so the cravings and hunger are normal for them.

Still, it's a great post for those who do not tolerate sugar and carbs well and haven't made that connection for themselves yet.

Dmaster1214 wrote: »

If you feel RAVENOUS, weak, craving sugar.. You have overdone it. Your blood sugar/ insulin levels have not normalized from the junk you ate. Take notes on what food you ate and don't repeat the mistake.

I usually only overindulge on holidays which isn't a mistake, it's a deliberate decision. :drinker: On those occasions a fasted workout is the quickest way for me to get back on track and have my appetite return to normal. Understanding that it's a physical issue with a simple solution (not a lack of willpower, a "relationship with food" issue or emotional trauma etc. ) makes it a lot easier for me to stay on track even when I choose to indulge.

emily_fox

My cheat day is today. I don't plan on going overboard. I would still like to stay within my caloric goal. But there's something unmotivating about knowing you might blow your whole week for one cheat meal. It kinda makes me want to skip it altogether...but I know myself, I need a little indulgence here and there or I won't stick to eating right.

Christine_72

Kexessa wrote: »

Dmaster1214 wrote: »

Before you make the decision to have a little snack before bed, or what to eat on your cheat day, remember that it can make a huge difference to the difficulty you encounter going back to your diet the next day.

Thankfully I don't 'diet'. I eat normally. So I guess all that doesn't apply to me? Snack before bed? It's snack in bed. With Netflix.

I sleep so much better knowing there isn't leftover frozen yogurt running around in my freezer.

If you're eating at a deficit then you are on a diet IMO...

malibu927

I had ice cream at 9 PM last night. I'm up for the day now (almost 4 AM) and won't eat breakfast until about 9 AM. I don't feel the slightest bit hungry until then. I have ice cream almost every night and it's never affected me in the way you say it would.

MeiannaLee

Ive never fallen off the wagon. It has nothing to so with 'cheat days'.
OP you just have no self control.

RHachicho

Yeah I've noticed this phenomena but honestly the occasional junk or treat isn't going to take a lot of willpower to deny the next day. Yeah if you go on vacation and eat loads of crappy food it might be a bit hard but that's once a year. And honestly you have to live your life. If you are so concerned about weight gain that you can't even let loose on your annual holiday then you have your priorities completely and utterly backwards.

Even if you go low carb one day you will die.
Even if you have perfect diet and exercise habits one day you will die.
Even if you never eat junk and live like some kind of puritan monk one day .. you will die.

Being too old sucks anyway. No one wants really wants to be 90+ it's not really life anymore it's waiting for death. Life is short don't forget to eat the cake the cake is *kitten* awesome.

vadim605

I wish I read this 20 mins ago. Had a perfect diet last few weeks and just binged roughly 2500-3000 calories lmao. Not counting it and just back on the wagon tommorow.