Thoughts on Cheat Days?

calleefrances

I am a firm believer that everyone needs a break, I am just wondering how you all go about your cheat days (if you allow yourself the occasional cheat day).

I have a big family party coming up (my family who is rarely ever together) when we get together it is a party, and it will be in my home town, with hands down the best pizza in Canada. Whenever we get together there is food, music and booze.

Here is what I was thinking, this coming Saturday will be my "cheat day"
- I will have a normal breakfast and lunch.
- I WILL have wine (and it won't be a glass you guys.. we get a little buzzy)
- I WILL have 2 slices of pizza for supper.
- At the actual party, I will avoid the bowls of chips and the cheese trays, and I will find the veggie tray.
- I will still log my calories, I just won't kill myself when I go over my macros, and possibly over my calories.

How do you guys feel about this? I won't do it every weekend, and I have been following my calorie intake all week, I plan to as of Sunday as well

Thoughts? Experiences?

abitofbliss

I think your idea is great! I am a firm believer in cheat MEAL not a cheat DAY and that seems like your plan. Hope you have a great time with your family!

Gallowmere1984

I never did it when I was neck deep in bodyfat at 265, because all it ever seemed to do was slow me down. Now that I'm much lower (151.9), I'll throw in a high calorie day almost every week, because it has a much smaller impact, and I have no issues with shaving calories off of the other six days, if I feel compelled to.

calleefrances

@Gallowmere1984 nice! yeah I am definitely not swimming in fat, I have a few pounds to lose but for me I mainly need to tone up and just watch it more than I have in the past. I doubt this one day will throw my life off course, I just need to work on not feeling so damn guilty for enjoying myself every now and then

angelwowings23

When I started to implement nutrition into my fitness regimen, I went HAM. I didn't have a cheat day for almost 3 months. From there on, I've had at least one cheat day a week. I continue to have success doing this as long as it's controlled. Obviously if you have a 2000 calorie deficit for M-F and then eat that much over what you burned...you aren't going to have long-term success. However, I find the leaner you get...they can become helpful for physical progress as well as overall positive mental health. Not allowing yourself some wine or what-have-you will wear on you over time and will lead to binges or just giving up the healthy eating regimen altogether. I know some people discourage them because once they have a taste of the "bad" foods, they find it hard to get back on track. I don't have that issue. As long as you don't allow Sunday to be a continuation of your cheat day...this is perfectly wonderful as a plan of attack. This is a journey, not a race. And long-term success needs to include some balance. ENJOY!

MelaniaTrump

Cheat days: most horrific waste of 6 months of my life.
I will "save up/ or bank" calories for an occasion for the week before, but that is not cheating.

Escape_Artist

I don't have cheat meals / day. I just fit what I wanna eat in my macros. If I plan on going out and having a big dinner or something I'll just eat less at lunch and balance it out. I do allow myself a buffer of around 500 cals extra every week so I don't sweat if I do end up going over. Works fine for me so far

errollmaclean

Sounds like a very solid plan! I'd call it more of a treat day. It's a good experiment to see how it goes. It's good information to have and you can either work more treat/cheat days in or avoid them if you find it doesn't work for some reason or try another approach.

I do a daily treat, but stay within my macros and calories (flexible dieting/iifym)

Anabug81

I don't do cheat meals or cheat days I just work whatever I wanna eat into my day and if I go over on my macros oh well it happens, life happens. I'm not talking 5,000 calories in a single meal but eating at maintenance as been working for me.

michelleepotter

I watch my weekly calories rather than just each day. I almost always have at least one day per week that I can go over my calories without actually going over for the week. And if I have a bad week, I remind myself that 1750 calories over for the week is just maintenance! I don't think I've ever gone that much over, so I pretty much always still lose, even if it's not as much as I'd like to.

LiftandSkate

I hate the whole cheat day/meal concept. I think it encourages thinking about food in terms of good and bad instead of as fuel and nutrition. I may eat more on some days than others, or splurge on a special treat now and then, but I fit it into my overall calorie and fitness goals so I don't have to feel like I'm "cheating."

JeromeBarry1

Is this about cheat days or your family party? Enjoy your party. Who are you cheating?

calleefrances

@BABeautifulBadass I can see where you are coming from, and I get that. With my macros and calories though a treat a day would throw me way off. I like the idea of sticking to my guns through the week, and then splurging a bit for one day on a special occasion like this. I'll be back on the horse Sunday, and honestly... I probably won't even go over (or that far over) my calories... it will be the fat and carbs that are a little off the rocker (maybe we will see) I just mean.... if you live your life by the rules 90% of the time, your weight loss can handle that 10% of fun

cerise_noir

I'm not for cheat meals or cheat days. If I want a break, I'll just eat at maintenance. I haven't cut any foods out of my WOE, so there's no need for me to have a cheat meal or day.

LiftandSkate

Callefrances, I think it has a lot to do with your overall relationship with food. I have struggled with binging in the past, so "cheat days" are dangerous territory for me. Your plan sounds perfectly reasonable and balanced. And lol @jerome, who said it far better than I did.

kbmh611

BABeautifulBadass wrote: »

I hate the whole cheat day/meal concept. I think it encourages thinking about food in terms of good and bad instead of as fuel and nutrition. I may eat more on some days than others, or splurge on a special treat now and then, but I fit it into my overall calorie and fitness goals so I don't have to feel like I'm "cheating."

I agree. Cheat days can tank a diet for some people. I have quite a bit to lose so I want to stay on track everyday. It is hard when you have to go to a party though. But when I do have to go to one, I just cut back my calories earlier in the day or the day before. Not because I'm going to go to the party and binge eat, but just because I know that it's hard to track calories of what you are eating at a party and I know it's pretty much going to be a guessing game. I've done cheat days in the past and I feel like it's 3 steps forward 2 steps back when you have one. But whatever works for you.

MissusMoon

"Everyone deserves a break"? Nope. I'm maintaining this for life. Last time I did cheat days and it taught me that maintenance would be like cheat days. Gained it all back and then some. 60lbs down, no cheat days, not missing out on anything because I fit everything into my regular days, including eating out.

pebble4321

That doesn't sound like a "cheat day" to me.
It sounds like an enjoyable party with family where you have a solid plan to eat well with a few indulgences (eg. wine!)
You might eat more than your calorie allowance for the day, but that's just life, and as long as it's not every day, I don't see any problem with it. Learning to make smarter choices in all kinds of different occasions seems to me to be a very important skill for maintaining weight loss and you're planning to do exactly that. Nice work!

StealthHealth

My thoughts on cheat days - they can be useful but they are typically misused and/or implemented far too frequently.

I think for most dieters they are something that should be implemented "as and when required" and that this is unlikely to be on a weekly or even monthly basis. There are many people who post on these boards with tales of woe "I'm eating right but not losing" that, when questioned admit to a cheat meal or day per week. These cheat meals are sometimes wiping out the weeks deficit.

I suspect that the cheat day/cheat meal concept has gained traction because of the many, many Instagram fitness people who post "epic work outs" and "epic cheat meals" but nothing of the day-in-day-out weekly/monthly grind of controlled eating. Even then, for a lot of the fitness Instagramers, I suspect (and I've spoken to a few who confirm that this is their method) cheat meals are carefully considered and macros taken into account.

With respect to family gatherings, when dieting, I find that I can usually fit a pretty massive meal and drinks into my weekly plan (I often fast on days when I intend to eat big in the evening) but if I can't I don't worry about it much and get back on plan ASAP - family life is too important to me to do otherwise. And, @calleefrances you plan looks sensible - enjoy.

Wophie

Sounds like you have your cheat day already well planned! I used to give myself one cheat day a week, but I don't schedule one in anymore, as it sometimes feels that I'm eating bad for the sake of it. The only time I have a cheat day now is last night for example, when we had a spontaneous meal out after work. I'd already eaten a small amount of chocolate in the day, so I put the day down to being a cheat day.

The key is to enjoy yourself but don't go over the top. If you end up eating 3000+ calories and binge eating, then you may undo your work that week. For example, when I went for a meal to Prezzo with my partner to celebrate a promotion, I had pasta but chose the lighter option (less pasta more salad) so I could have wine and cheesecake after

calleefrances

MissusMoon wrote: »

"Everyone deserves a break"? Nope. I'm maintaining this for life. Last time I did cheat days and it taught me that maintenance would be like cheat days. Gained it all back and then some. 60lbs down, no cheat days, not missing out on anything because I fit everything into my regular days, including eating out.

I can maintain this for life while having a day haha, I understand that they throw you off course, but personally I've never had a problem having a bit of a slack day then getting back up the next. One day over my fat or sugars is not going to add weight on to me, never has.

I was just seeing how people go about their cheat days on my fitness pal. you obviously don't have them, and that is fine. a one day break, is not quitting!

calleefrances

@StealthHealth thank you! I agree one day eating bad for the sake of eating bad can undo a week's progress, but honestly, my cheat "day" is a cheat meal, and I have been eating under my allowance all week, so I think I will be ok!

Caitlinbc

The only time I indulge is on holidays(Thanksgiving, Christmas etc), my birthday, vacation and other special occasions. I don't go hog wild but I will enjoy myself.

cwolfman13

I don't call them cheat days as the implication is that I'm doing something very wrong...I call it having a life and having a little fun now and then is pretty irrelevant to the bigger picture.

BarbellzNBrotein

cwolfman13 wrote: »

I don't call them cheat days as the implication is that I'm doing something very wrong...I call it having a life and having a little fun now and then is pretty irrelevant to the bigger picture.

Yep, this. The phrase "cheat day" kinda sets you up for failure.

redraidergirl2009

If you have to have "cheat days" the diet you are on probably isn't for you.

evilish

A "treat" or "cheat meal" that stays within your calorie allowance should just be called "normal" eating . A "cheat" meal to me would be like an extra 450 calories just from wine, plus a little this and that... I could see one of these meals adding up to 2000 calories easily. Whatever works for the individual, though! Have a great party, I'm sure you'll be just fine!

calleefrances

@redraidergirl2009 I am not on a diet thanks though!

forlaura

For me, cheat days/meals, seem to set me up for sabotage... I think it's a "know thyself" kind of thing... If you can "cheat" here and there and make it fit into your plan, than more power to you... I find achieving a reasonable balance and allowing myself an occasional addition to my day works best for me.

seekingdaintiness

What is a "cheat day"?

redraidergirl2009

calleefrances wrote: »

@redraidergirl2009 I am not on a diet thanks though!

You would have to be in order to have "cheat days".