Cheat day, is it worth it?

mldoucette

I am in the early stages of counting calories and becoming more active. I am slowly dropping pounds but we were invited out this evening. If I have some wine and go over my calorie intake will that set back my progress?

janejellyroll

Going over your goals will set back your progress. If you have a deficit of, say, 250 calories a day on a normal day and you go over one day by 250, you won't have a deficit for that day. If you go over by 500, that's two days of a deficit you've wiped out.

So, yes, going over calories will set you back. But that doesn't mean you can't sometimes decide that is okay. You don't have to have a deficit *every single day* while you are losing weight. You can decide to eat to maintain for one day or even decide that you want to go over maintaining for a day.

Q_Is_Poison

I allow myself to have a glass of wine or two once a month. The next few days I subtract 100 calories a day until I have made it up. It usually takes me two days to "pay myself back".

pinggolfer96

I go hard on my cheats for the mental and physical response I receive from it. I manage to have new low weigh ins as well later in the week. Just depends on your goals and how your body responds to them

Acacia_Evers

This is just me but I have learned that if I allow myself a cheat day, it will turn into a week, than a month, then the next thing you know I'm up seven pounds. If you measure everything out, you can absolutely eat whatever you want and you'll find that the portion sizes are in fact decent. Plus if you wanna eat a little more, do a little more activity! Last night I had spicy chicken garlic Alfredo for only 700 calories. You know how many calories that'd be in a restaurant? Don't "cheat". Create your meals to your hearts content!

mldoucette

I have a 1200 calorie allowance, I typically end my days with 60+\- calories left. I don't eat any calories gained from exercise, which is usually about 300-350 per day. So if I eat a light dinner and with the calories earned I should be ok with a couple glasses.

amfmmama

I believe in a cheat meal. It took me some time to realize that I don't have to blow a whole day because I cheated, so I don't like to have a WHOLE day. But I think a cheat meal, where I don't stress over every single calorie actually helps me stay on track and keep losing.

Acacia_Evers

Especially since you said you're early. I'm going to give you my advice: don't. We have not yet built up that level of will power and self control to just go crazy at restaurants yet. We really haven't. Instead of the wine, enjoy some unsweetened tea, water, or dare I say it (since it seems to be a sin here!) a Diet Coke.

mldoucette

My problem isn't food. When I started the program I was shocked by the amount of calories I was consuming in wine and beer. The first two weeks with it cut out of my diet was difficult. I would venture to guess that my weight gain was the result of the campground norm of beer as a staple. Which is sad to say. I may just try to enjoy some cold water in a wine glass.

rippedhippie

Cheat day BAD! Cheat MEAL every 7 to 10 days GOOD! Your body will learn to burn the set number of calories per day based on what you eat and what you burn. Throwing a cheat meal in from time to time tricks your system into burning extra calories that enter your system,kind of like attacking a virus. But, as stated in a above post if you cant control it you best not do it.

I do a cheat MEAL about once every 2 weeks...

Acacia_Evers

Just do a little research on the calories of wine and ask yourself if you're ready to burn off that amount of calories tonight so you don't step back. Since you're still so new to this, I would still advise against drinking so early due to the fact that the calorie and potential weight gain or stall might discourage you. A couple of glasses of wine can easily shoot up over 500 calories.

kimny72

mldoucette wrote: »

I am in the early stages of counting calories and becoming more active. I am slowly dropping pounds but we were invited out this evening. If I have some wine and go over my calorie intake will that set back my progress?

My personal opinion, if you let your diet get in the way of your regular life, you will burn out. You have to learn how to fit social situations and the treats you love into your life. This is a process you will be going thru for a long time. As long as you don't go over your maintenance calories, all it will do is slow you down a smidge this week. Take an extra walk, be extra careful with your calories during the day, and then enjoy yourself mindfully at dinner.

And if you do end up overdoing it, the key is to learn from it. Figuring out how to handle social situations involving food, figuring out what your trigger foods are for overdoing it, and how to deal with it without becoming a hermit, is one of the most important lessons you can learn!

jillglw

Acacia_Evers wrote: »

This is just me but I have learned that if I allow myself a cheat day, it will turn into a week, than a month, then the next thing you know I'm up seven pounds. If you measure everything out, you can absolutely eat whatever you want and you'll find that the portion sizes are in fact decent. Plus if you wanna eat a little more, do a little more activity! Last night I had spicy chicken garlic Alfredo for only 700 calories. You know how many calories that'd be in a restaurant? Don't "cheat". Create your meals to your hearts content!

This is totally me- one cheat day inevitably derails me, sometimes for months!!!

ElizabethOakes2

Some people can do splurge days (cheating would imply that I'm cheating someone, splurge means it's a treat.) and some people can't. I 'save' calories during the week if I know there's something special coming up, have a nice time at whatever the event is, and then get back on track. My husband can't do it. If he over-eats at one meal, he wants more and more the next day and the day after. It can take days to get back on track for him.

Question: Why aren't you eating back your exercise calories? At 1200, unless you're tiny, you're going to burn out pretty quickly. If you're new to calorie counting, sometimes it's better to start with a much higher number and then cut back 100 calories a week at a time until you're at your target weight loss.

mldoucette

I am not eating back my calories because I am honestly not hungry enough to eat them back. I am by no means tiny, but my end goal is to only lose 12 pounds, which is the 12 pounds I gained over the summer. My start weight was 143, and I am 5'3". Prior to getting on to MFP, my eating habits were terrible, lots of processed, fat foods. Pretty much empty calories, and lots of them. With the diet change to healthy eating I am eating more food, but less calories.

Asher_Ethan

The biggest reason I've lost weight and kept it off for a year is because I allow myself a meal with unlimited calories every once and awhile. I will usually cut my daily calories a week leading up to this glorious event.

shadowfax_c11

Depending on the size of your deficit a so called "cheat meal" may not set you back at all. You may see a gain die to sodium intake but really it won't slow you down much as long as it is not a regular thing.

I am not really a fan of using the word cheat to describe eating foods that might be calorie dense and equally delicious.

Cheat: VERB
1: act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination:

You really can't cheat on weight loss. If you eat too many calories consistently you will either not lose or you will gain. If you eat too many calories once in awhile it might slow you down a bit or halt all progress depending on if you are above or below your maintenance number. There is no lasting advantage to be gained by making cheating a habit.

All of that said. There is no reason you can't enjoy eating out, eating "junk food" or whatever now and again. As long as you are comfortable with the results that this may have. You are only fooling yourself if you expect there to be no consequences. OTOH you really don't have to be 100% perfect all of the time to have success either.

Orphia

I have wine pretty much every day, and I never go over my calorie limit.

Exercise (and a balanced diet) for the win.

lezerlies

I allow myself a splurge meal every once in awhile. I couldn't imagine living my life without ever just letting go and enjoying myself for a meal, that's an easy way to burn out really quickly. Hell, I've allowed myself "cheat" weekends before. I'm not pigging out all day every day, I'm just eating what I want, when I want without counting calories. I need the break. Then again, it's not hard for me to get back on track when my "break" is over, either. I've been consistently losing for almost 6 months now. Slowly, but consistently.

Lizzypb88

I have a cheat DAY once a week! I've lost 45 pounds so far, and doing it once a week of not counting calories I'm losing exactly 1 pound a week! I truly believe it jump starts your metabolism, as long as you keep up on water, it's not like I'm able to consume tons of food because I'm used to eating so little during the week anyways.. With 1 pound loss a week and a cheat day I look forward to, it absolutely makes me happy and is something I've been doing long term and really isn't that hard.. The problem is you have to have the will power to stop and go right back into diet mode and most people can't.. But knowing that in 7 more days I get a cheat meal or day, I stick with my diet, just my 2 cents! If you're in the beginning of your diet, I wouldn't, but if you've been at it for months then give it a try

dcsandpiper

Orphia wrote: »

I have wine pretty much every day, and I never go over my calorie limit.

Exercise (and a balanced diet) for the win.

Are you losing ? I love my wine but have finally decided I have to give that up for a little while to start losing. My problem is wine reduces my ability to say no. ..and I crave salty, fatty snacks.

Orphia

dcsandpiper wrote: »

Orphia wrote: »

I have wine pretty much every day, and I never go over my calorie limit.

Exercise (and a balanced diet) for the win.

Are you losing ? I love my wine but have finally decided I have to give that up for a little while to start losing. My problem is wine reduces my ability to say no. ..and I crave salty, fatty snacks.

I've lost 30 kg since April, so yes, I'm losing!



I still have full control after one wine (or two at most) of an evening.

I decide what I'm going to have for a treat in the evening, and I make sure I do enough exercise to earn those calories.

zcassel

Asher_Ethan wrote: »

The biggest reason I've lost weight and kept it off for a year is because I allow myself a meal with unlimited calories every once and awhile. I will usually cut my daily calories a week leading up to this glorious event.

Legendary.

That being said I've been looking into cheat meals and the like, I don't think personally I can justify getting off my diet just to indulge in something outside my primary meals and work snacks. That being said, I totally understand the urge to pull the trigger on something other than your normal meal, just make sure to track it and make up for it during the course of the next few days or compensate throughout the week.

sarahq81

I've had some big nights out since Xmas and still kept going in the right direction. I love a drink. But I have started having a glass of champagne or prosecco, or a few gin and slimline tonics instead of large wines. Large wine is about 250, I have have 5 g&ts for that!! Also no way I am missing out on socialising for the sake of a diet. No way.

bearhntrcb

some people can cheat and make it work, I can't, it usually throws me right off.

anniebag28

I use my exercise calories that I have earned so this allows me to drink what I want with in reason

ForeverSunshine09

I have done with and without cheat days. Personally I do better with them. It took me being off my deficit for 2-3 months to figure that out but, I honestly do better knowing I have a set cheat day. Everyone is different and you have to find out what works for you.

ilex70

My personal opinion, if you let your diet get in the way of your regular life, you will burn out. You have to learn how to fit social situations and the treats you love into your life. This is a process you will be going thru for a long time. As long as you don't go over your maintenance calories, all it will do is slow you down a smidge this week. Take an extra walk, be extra careful with your calories during the day, and then enjoy yourself mindfully at dinner.

And if you do end up overdoing it, the key is to learn from it. Figuring out how to handle social situations involving food, figuring out what your trigger foods are for overdoing it, and how to deal with it without becoming a hermit, is one of the most important lessons you can learn!

This.

I will say that alcohol in particular can be tricky just because when people drink they tend to be less inhibited in their eating too.

I don't have regularly scheduled cheating, but someday hopefully I make it to goal and maintenance and presumably will want to have a life.

Cheats I remember so far this time were Christmas, a little for NYE, a couple of meals with out of town visitors, a little for the Super Bowl and then yesterday for Valentines.

I went to the gym in the morning (over 12,000 steps for the day) and started my day like most others. Then I spent time with my family. Ate samples at Costco, ate at a Mediterranean place, dropped off my daughter at a childcare center, went to see Deadpool with my husband, went to pick up our daughter and she didn't want to leave so we went to a bar for a bit...shared a burger and ate a few fries. Guesstimated and logged this morning as best I could.

Now back to the usual plan.

phyllis731

You may want to increase exercise to account for the extras that you'd be eating and drinking.

Francl27

It totally depends on your deficit. If you keep a huge deficit during the week, a cheat day will probably not derail you that much. If you keep a reasonable deficit (which most of people on MFP don't do, IMO), then it might very stall your weight loss.

Also depends on what's a cheat meal for you. One hamburger or a 5000 calories day...

Overall it's better to have a reasonable calorie goal and eat what you want within your calories. For special dinners, have a good workout and eat lightly the rest of the day, if you can.