Does cheating help or hinder?

cebreisch · June 2013

My dad likes to do that - be good for a week and take Sunday's off to cheat. I know some people can handle that - I'm not so sure that's for me. I like to have "little cheat's" throughout the week. If I took a day off - I'd be running with it, and WAY overdo it.

55in13 · June 2013

One of the things this article states is

What's up with that? They say some studies support it but provide no link but provide two links to studies that refute it. Then it goes on into the explanation about how it gets that small, but in the context of eating more to get it - meaningless short term rise in metabolic rate. Biased journalism at its finest.

ShannonMpls · June 2013

Yes, "cheat days" make sense forever; strict adherence to one calorie goal is what doesn't make sense for me.

Sometimes I go to family reunions. Or on vacation. Or camping. Or out to an amazing prix fixe restaurant with beer pairings. Or any number of events that are fun, social, and calorie counting would be a major buzzkill. Props to those who pull out their iPhones and guess at the calories in a microbrew and halibut on lentil puree with a shaved fennel salad; that's not for me.

I don't call these days "cheat" days as I have nothing to cheat on. Call them whatever you want: refeeds, days off, spike days. All I know is that today was my 740th consecutive log-in on MFP. I would not have lasted that long if I had counted calories every. single. day. I work out hard, I count calories strictly most of the time.

Some of the time, though, I enjoy myself. Thoroughly. And that's why I consider this sustainable.

133 pounds lost in 15 months. 9 months - so far - of maintenance. YMMV, but it worked for me.

jacksonpt · June 2013

Then you're not paying attention.

Find a way to have a donut or a candy bar or whatever such that it works within your total calories and macros. Say a candy bar is 200 cals, mostly fat and carbs. You have one for a snack some afternoon, so then for dinner that night you would have something like chicken breast (all protein), and wham bam thank you ma'am, you're still within your total cals and your macros are reasonably balanced.

That's what we in the bizz call "win".

Terpnista84 · June 2013

I think people have a different idea of what is cheating. Even on days when I relax a bit because I am far under my calorie goal for the week, I won't go overboard and eat bad all day; I still eat within reason.

Since I am pretty good at staying in my calorie goals, cheat days serve me no purpose except for a way to make up calories that I didn't consume during the week.

crisbabe81 · June 2013

I find that a cheat day or meal a week is a good reward for a week of hard work. In the past I would go off the reservation and EAT EVERYTHING, so much so that It would take me 2-3 days to lose the weight I gained. I also found that getting back to dieting on Monday was SO hard. And I would have cravings during the week. However, during that weight loss I was restricting sugar, carbs and fat (A LOT). This time I am taking a different approach and trying to only have one meal of a cheat on Sunday and I'm allowing fat, carbs and sugar. My goal each day is to not go over the limit MFP set for me, but to get as close as possible on Protein. I had to change a few of my goals based on some research, I felt this would work best for me. So far this approach is working very nicely for me (I've had a few hiccups) but getting back to clean eating is much, much easier.

So all in all, I say it can help and hinder depending on how you do it. But, for me It's a success!!!

FearAnLoathingJ · June 2013

There is not a yes or no answer to that, because its different for everyone.

Terpnista84 · June 2013

Thank you! This is exactly how I am. Before I thought I was doing something wrong because I didn't have cheat days. I was thinking maybe I wasn't disciplined enough because I wasn't yearning for one. But I find ways to eat the things I want while still being in a deficit. It is definitely possible. Even if it means you have to workout more. Personally, I don't see anything appealing about working out for hours just to enjoy junk food. I'd rather eat the bad stuff when my activity levels can accommodate it.

jacksonpt · June 2013

Most people will find this approach far more sustainable than greater restriction paired with occasional cheat days. Good for you for getting a handle on it.

Terpnista84 · June 2013

It isn't bragging so please don't get offended. I definitely agree with him here. Would you rather things you like on a daily basis and not feel deprived, or spoil yourself with a cheat day that might throw you off track? You don't have to deprive yourself to the point where you need to cheat. You just have to learn how to balance what you eat and change your mindset.

Terpnista84 · June 2013

Thanks! I've been able to sustain a healthier lifestyle for longer than 3 months because this approach is far more realistic.

Terpnista84 · June 2013

Congrats on your progress so far, sweetie. But may I offer one piece of unsolicited advice? Your cheat breakfast is precisely why I feel that cheat days are less effective than the other approach of eating the things you want in moderation. Eating junk in moderation prevents you from binging and teaches you about portion control. You got the bagel, pastry and the high calorie coffee because you probably felt deprived from dieting and have consumed close to 1,000 calories in one meal. Instead of getting it all at once, why not incorporate one item at a time through the week. It will satisfy your cravings and you can still fit it into your calorie goal if you plan correctly.

However, I think everyone needs to find the method that works best for them. I certainly have found what is best for me and cannot be convinced otherwise haha. Best of luck to you!!

P.S. I have NOTHING against bacon

Wetcoaster · June 2013

Speaking of bacon....I saw a sign for bacon jerky at the Farmer's market.....I need to stop in next time.

As far as cheating helping or hindering? Depends on the person I guess. I have lost 103 pounds by "cheating" all the time.

melindasuefritz · June 2013

why cheat it hinders
eat what u want dont deprive yourself exercise it off

sunglasses_and_ocean_waves · June 2013

Ninerbuff is one of the most knowledgeable & (surprising for this place) one of a small handful of gentlemen. You really needn't attack him or make accusations when you're advocating some diet trick. You asked for opinions. Don't get insulted when people (especially knowledgeable people) offer theirs.

Having said that, to answer your question, I don't do cheats. But I'm not the type of person who stands in line in a hot parking lot for some drippy ice cream the first hot day of the summer (and every other hot day after that). I also no longer weigh myself. Interestingly, we are so busy in the summer that I make myself "refeed" in the afternoon .I don't do salads for lunch like I usually do. I eat high calorie sandwiches (well, high for me). In the afternoon if we're at the ocean, I don't mind fried clams or lobster roll. If we're at the lake, I don't care if it's a slice of za. I know that after a workout in the am and a day of swimming, walking, frisbee ... etc, I need serious calories. By end of July my clothes are usually really loose, so I guess it works for losing weight. Or perhaps I'm just not eating back all the calories I need to be eating. Or maybe like Ninerbuff said, I just figured out how to eat within my needs/goals.

ctatchuan · June 2013

If you watch what you are eating 5-6 days/week and exercising regularly there is absolutely no reason why you can't have "days off".

I don't know about you guys but I for one am not going to shy away from a good meal and a beer when I'm out with friends on the weekends especially after I've been good with my foods all week. If anything it pushes me to work harder the next day (and indeed, depending on what I ingested sometimes an entire week) at the gym

Live to eat not eat to live peoples =D

stevwil41 · June 2013

I think it depends on the person and their frame of mind. When I'm really into the health/weight loss thing a cheat meal once a week is a wonderful thing. It takes care of my cravings and generally doesn't impede my progress. When my resolve is wavering a cheat meal can send me into a week long spiral of eating poorly.

jezahb · June 2013

I was more irritated by the tone. If he had said "I am more an advocate of changing your lifestyle completely and recommend balance. So if you want to eat "cheat" foods balance that with as many calories burned in exercise" I wouldn't have been upset. The tone came across to me as "Well you aren't smart enough or don't have enough will power to eat only in moderation". It seemed rather patronizing to me, he didn't offer advice on HOW to learn to eat in moderation, or balance them, just said that if you cheat you are less evolved than him. That is what I took issue with, was the lack of helpful usable advice, he just dropped in and said "You only cheat if you aren't good enough" essentially and left. Not helpful to me. In fact people defending him were more helpful in explaining what he meant, and giving me better ideas on how to balance that latte I want with an extra 15 minutes on the treadmill than he was!

Also going to add I am sensitive to that as I have heard it way too often before, and it never ever helped me. People who didn't judge me, didn't tell me that my slip ups were related somehow to me not trying hard enough to balance things or whatever other stupid stuff are the ones who finally made me feel like I could lose weight. If I only ever had people like ninerbuff who said "You want that muffin, spend an hour on the treadmill and have a spinach leaf for dinner" I would have NEVER started dieting. It seems too extreme, and frankly never worked in the past for me, I always broke down over the constant strain of resisting what I wanted for months and regained it all plus 10 lbs.

action_figure · June 2013

That's what I had to learn. "Treats are only treats if they're not daily occurences." Do you fast as well, btw? I did this Lent and it was amazing!

chrisdavey · June 2013

I'm an IIFYM guy with 80/20 sort of rule but the fact is if you want to stay satiated on a relatively low calorie intake then the great majority of your food will have to be "clean". In these cases, a cheat/refeed can help with dietary adherance if they know they can have the "forbidden" item later that week. It can be a hinderance if they decide to eat anything and everything on this day and cancels out the deficit created during the week.

If you are at maintenance or surplus then there should be no reason to "cheat" IMO.

If you want to do a proper refeed, I'd recommend higher carbs, above maintenance cals and low fat. Still aim to get adequate protein.

If you are low carbing and glycogen depleted then there is more specific amounts of carbs required to replenish glycogen stores.

Does cheating help or hinder?

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