Is there such a thing as an okay "cheat" day?!

lolowjc05

I was talking with another community member and I remembered something that I think have accounted for some of my problem with yo-yo"ing". The Atkins diet that I was introduced to about 10 years ago said, all protein, no carbs for 6 days a week but 1 day a week, you could have that day to eat something decadent. To me, now that seems like a really unhealthy thing. Your body starts to turn into this fat burning machine and then it's like throwing a wrench into the whole thing. Like a jolt to the system!! I don't believe in this mindset anymore but is there a time when you can say, "okay" I can have a cupcake or candy bar without completely disarming your goals, maintenance, etc?

malibu927

Yes. I work some type of dessert (usually ice cream or gelato) into my goals nearly every day.

rankinsect

Likewise, I work all the foods I like to eat into my daily eating. It's not sabotaging my goals, it's perfectly in line with my goals. My main goal of all of this is to practice a lifestyle I can do forever, and I'm not giving up sweets forever, that's for sure. Even things that could accelerate my weight loss are excluded if I can't incorporate them into my lifestyle permanently. I am not one for candy bars in general, but I'll include cake, donuts, etc. into my diet, albeit less frequently than I used to eat them.

On special occasions (maybe 10 days per year) I have days I don't have any set calorie goal, but just eat moderately - basically, I shouldn't be the one person at the table pigging out. Sure, I eat more than I'd normally do on those days, but again, I'm not allowing my diet to stop me from living my life. 10 days is irrelevant compared to the 355 remaining days.

Sabine_Stroehm

lolowjc05 wrote: »

I was talking with another community member and I remembered something that I think have accounted for some of my problem with yo-yo"ing". The Atkins diet that I was introduced to about 10 years ago said, all protein, no carbs for 6 days a week but 1 day a week, you could have that day to eat something decadent. To me, now that seems like a really unhealthy thing. Your body starts to turn into this fat burning machine and then it's like throwing a wrench into the whole thing. Like a jolt to the system!! I don't believe in this mindset anymore but is there a time when you can say, "okay" I can have a cupcake or candy bar without completely disarming your goals, maintenance, etc?

To be honest that doesn't sound like the Atkins diet to me. Not the "all protein, no carbs" or the "eat something decadent" part. Not very Atkins like at all.
Are you currently on a low carb diet?
I work a treat in to most days. Be it something sweet, or something higher calorie, or some wine. More often something higher calorie, or wine, mainly because sweets aren't my thing any more.

lolowjc05

Thanks guys, this helps me to see that it's okay but with planning!! I think my personality is a little bit of all or nothing which doesn't help with the ups and downs. I'm not trying to do a no card but I am watching my "bad" carbs and mainly focusing on my caloric intake by using MFP.

Hearts_2015

lolowjc05 wrote: »

I was talking with another community member and I remembered something that I think have accounted for some of my problem with yo-yo"ing". The Atkins diet that I was introduced to about 10 years ago said, all protein, no carbs for 6 days a week but 1 day a week, you could have that day to eat something decadent. To me, now that seems like a really unhealthy thing. Your body starts to turn into this fat burning machine and then it's like throwing a wrench into the whole thing. Like a jolt to the system!! I don't believe in this mindset anymore but is there a time when you can say, "okay" I can have a cupcake or candy bar without completely disarming your goals, maintenance, etc?

what's a 'cheat day'? You mean a 'treat day'? If you were to work in something daily that fits your cals/workout.. why would it need to be called a 'cheat food'? Never understood the work cheat on here....

Sabine_Stroehm

lolowjc05 wrote: »

Thanks guys, this helps me to see that it's okay but with planning!! I think my personality is a little bit of all or nothing which doesn't help with the ups and downs. I'm not trying to do a no card but I am watching my "bad" carbs and mainly focusing on my caloric intake by using MFP.

Planning is the key. Just factor it in.

arditarose

Yes. You're an adult. You can choose what to eat and when and nothing is unhealthy within the context of a balanced diet. If you go over calorie goal, expect to lose less that week.

xxghost

I "cheat" quite a bit, but I always plan ahead. If I know I'm going out with friends, or that I'll cave to my mom's cooking when I visit, I spend an extra hour in the gym. I always recommend calories in/calories out, until your plan calls for something more specific. It has always brought me the most success, and it is so easy. Can I have this? Yes, I can, if my calories allow it.

Good luck!

amandasimons50

If I really really want a cookie, I eat a cookie. I usually have a bit of a deficit everyday (without going hungry) so I let myself have it. I know if I don't, I'll binge which throws me off way more than the occasional treat.

jx12

We have a cheat day once a week where we don't count calories or worry about it. We just eat what we like too. If you haven't read them, to of the greatest books that address this are "French Women Don't get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano and Sylvester Stallone's "Sly Moves". They both address different ways to incorporate what you enjoy into your diet.

Dreysander

I have dessert every day. Lately it's been a greek yogurt, blueberries and a Ghirardelli square. I used to do a crazy pig out cheat day once a week, in fact I lost 100 pounds doing that, but it would put me in kind of an unhealthy mindset afterward.

Now that I have my weekly eating sorted out for the most part I'm considering adding back in a no track day.

lolowjc05

Thanks all, I like the idea of a small splurge like Greek Yogurt and a small piece of chocolate instead of a whole day. For now...at least...

GsKiki

I never restricted anything from my diet, I'm just always aware of what, when and how I'm eating it.
I have shared my experience about cheat day on my youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zyz1kT7cxY) and I would definetely not recommend it. It made my cravings worse, and it simply didn't work for me. Now I'm just aware of food I'm eating and I enjoy every bite of it, no guilt

Bonny132

I splurge once a week, every week. I eat under the rest of the week and eat what I want on that one day. Funnily enough I no longer go mental and stuff myself, but it means I can eat out, have a take away, wine etc or have some cocktails.

For me this is a lifestyle change, I am practicing for the rest of my life. I will not be good 24/7/365

amarz298

I would recommend a cheat meal. I always did Saturday nights my cheat dinner. I always made sure it was on a workout day too. It really helped me stay on track during the week. If I was really craving something I knew I would get it Saturday night.

blossomingbutterfly

Personally, I eat what I want when I want how I want and make it fit into my goal. If it doesn't fit, I exercise to make it fit. If it doesn't, then I accept that it doesn't. I'm in this for a lifestyle change, not a diet and not short term. Once I get to maintenance, I will have treats, I will eat out when I want to, I will enjoy life, thus I'll do it now too. You can't restrict yourself and deprive yourself - that doesn't work.

Find what works for you.

lolowjc05

I like the idea of one meal on a day that you also worked out. I struggle too because I find that splurging effects my cravings so planning is good but I feel I need to be a bit more strict in the beginning.

kmitchall

This question will certainly spark a forever long debate! lol, in my book the answer is a resounding NO! No cheat day. What are we cheating? Ourselves? See, to me-choosing a "cheat" day is like rewarding myself with food because I did good the other 6 days. Im not a dog, I don't reward myself with food or biscuits.

AFitJamie

I think a few people struggle with the concept of a "cheat" day / meal / whatever because once you get engaged with MFP you really begin to do the calories-in-vs-calories-out balance and simply recognize that if you track everything, you can do what you like. Your pace of success is up to you and depends on how you want to live and what you want to do.... There are foods that are very calorie dense (a small amount of it contains a large number of calories) that can sabotage your week's efforts on a "cheat day" and it isn't all that hard to eat a LOT of calories.

Perhaps a simple example:
Let's say I meet my targeted 500 cal deficit each day for 6 days.... I'm down 3000 calories and expect I should have burned off most of a pound of fat... (which we know would be ~3500 cals) now ... I go out with friends on a "cheat day" and after having a reasonable breakfast and lunch totalling 1300 calories so far for the day, I go to Boston Pizza with friends and have 2 beer, share a cactus cut potatoes, have a starter caesar salad and small meteor pizza. (I could very easily do this - actually I have) I think "It's ok, it is a cheat day".... My day's total is 1300+320+415+210+1870=4115.... If I burn 2000 a day normally - I'm 2115 cals over for the day... In one simple meal I've undone more than 4 days of effort... not the end of the world - I'm actually still down 885 for the week... I'm not going to gain weight, but I may not be moving in the direction I want at the speed I had hoped. If I worked out on the day of my dinner out I could have had some improvement on the calorie count, but I'm not every going to exercise off an extra 2115 in a day...

For some people, they will go slow and need to keep their life balanced - a day out with friends is important - so they will go to BP and not worry about it from time to time.... Others let "cheat days" become more common... If I did 2 days like the example above in the week, I'm gaining weight... so we need to be cautious - you get the idea.... Many people think a day like this helps them stay on track over the long term and will take a slower consistent movement over bailing on the idea of weight loss entirely because it gets in the way of their life too much...

You just need to figure out what you want. Me? I do go out with friends and have a larger meal at times - part of living life, but we all need to be aware of what we are doing and the impact it has. I don't think of it as a "cheat" - as mentioned - it isn't a reward for good behaviour at all - For me, it is living life and having balance at times - but When I'm on a weight loss period, I try to keep them limited.

So the answer if really yours to decide - Is it ok to have a cheat day? r

lulalacroix

I think that for the most part I'm not going to have "cheat" days. When I want a so called "bad" food, I will just work them into my calorie goal for the day. I just had an almost cup of delicious ice cream with blueberries. It was so creamy and delicious. I am done eating for the day and still have 150 calories left over. No reason to cheat for me.

KathyApplebaum

I'm also in the "cheat day = huh?" camp. I work treats into my week on a regular basis. If I have a special event coming up or really want that rack of baby back ribs, I work in a long run or bike ride. If I go over my calories one day, I don't beat myself up -- I just cut back a bit (or exercise more) the next two or three days.

My hips know exactly what I ate, so I may as well let my brain in on it, too. Own that decision and move on.

KWKirkbride

Don't have cheat days, have cheat moments. If I want some chips or a slice of pizza at the place on the corner I'm going to have some f'n chips and that slice of pizza. That said, I'm working out on a regular basis and maintaining a healthy diet the rest of the time. As long as you're putting in the effort on a regular basis you damn sure can eat some things you love.