cheat day

ericar21
ericar21 Posts: 71 Member
edited December 3 in Health and Weight Loss
hey everyone! so the past 5-6 months i have been doing really good with eating healthy and working out. i work out about 5-6 days a week doing insanity and insanity max 30. some weights in-between. i eat healthy about 1500-1800 calories a day. lots of protein..chicken,veggies,some fruit,good fats.
alright so i usually have a lot of energy when i do my workouts and i usually don't get that hungry through the day when I'm eating healthy/dieting. Today when i was working out i didn't have any energy. i felt really sluggish during my workout and when i was done i felt drained and nauseous. i don't normally feel like this but for some reason about once a week after eating healthy for so long its like my body is craving certain things or fattening foods. it seems that after i have a "cheat day" or "cheat meal" i feel so much better and back to normal. i read online once that you should have a cheat meal once a week. my cheat meals usually consist of like 3-4 slices of pizza.. if you have a cheat day does it ruin your hard work for the week? does anyone else have this problem and have any advice or tips for me? thanks

Replies

  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    Listen to your body and feast!
    Next day go back to your diet and your mind will be free from cravings and energy will be restored :smile:
  • ericar21
    ericar21 Posts: 71 Member
    thanks guys! just a little confused on "cheat meals" because i read online that it is good for you but other people are saying its bad.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    cheat meals were my salvation when I was dieting a while back.

    Enjoy them. I wouldn't go cheat DAY but a nice solid full pizza cheat meal - bring it on. With ice-cream for dessert, preferably covered in Nutella.
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    People who say it's bad either have no clue or are lying.
    Just be in control and don't feel guilty after.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I feel revitalised and full of energy the day after a cheat day. I have one every 2 weeks or so.
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I feel revitalised and full of energy the day after a cheat day. I have one every 2 weeks or so.

    Me too! I'm a beast at the gym the day after.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,130 Member
    It depends on your definition of cheating. If you work 6 days to accumulate a 3,000 calorie deficit and then blow an extra 2,000 calories in one day, you've undone the majority of your hard work.

    Is it ok to go over once a week? Sure, and like you said, it would probably do some good as well. But I would still log it and be cautious. It's super easy to undo your deficit with an overindulgent meal or day.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    "Cheat" is a right that people claim when they actually wish to weigh much less and refuse to work much now.

  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    "Cheat" is a right that people claim when they actually wish to weigh much less and refuse to work much now.

    Not sure what you mean but if you look at my progress photos "cheating" is exactly how I lost and maintained the weight for 12 years. Every week I had a day with a calorie surplus and still do today. If you look at my diets side by side from the dozens of times I failed and this time, the only major difference you'd see is that weekly high calorie day.

    A major mistake we've all made is dieting and focusing on the short-term and not how we can manage the long-term.
  • JaxxieKat
    JaxxieKat Posts: 427 Member
    Ah, I saw this post over on the Bodybuilding forum. The guys over there gave you some very sound advice, especially about staggering days of eating at maintenance level and eating at a calorie deficit. Nausea during exercise is not normal. It means you are either dehydrated, lacking nutrients, on the verge of heat exhaustion, or you're pushing yourself too hard. The problem with the 3-4 slices of pizza just to "feel better" is that it isn't really splurge. It seems like you're using it as a fix to remedy how awful your workouts are making you feel, which is a really slippery slope to be on. Cheat meals are for people who are going to a special event and know that they will be confronted with tempting, higher-calorie food options and would enjoy partaking without feeling like they shouldn't. If you're within your calories, then 3-4 slices of pizza is fine. It's not the food, itself, that's bad. It's just that most of us prefer to use up our calories over the course of the day and not consume them all in one meal.

    If you're having cravings, check your macros and see if there is an area you're coming up short.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    You might want to reduce your daily calories if you're planning to have a high calorie day once in a while, but that's pretty much it.
  • megginanderson
    megginanderson Posts: 276 Member
    ericar21 wrote: »
    thanks guys! just a little confused on "cheat meals" because i read online that it is good for you but other people are saying its bad.

    Even Shaun T eats peanut m&ms and other treats;) I plan a splurge meal once a week. its just a night off from counting, weighing etc. then I am right back to it the next meal... in theory;)
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    megginanderson wrote: »
    ericar21 wrote: »
    thanks guys! just a little confused on "cheat meals" because i read online that it is good for you but other people are saying its bad.

    Even Shaun T eats peanut m&ms and other treats;) I plan a splurge meal once a week. its just a night off from counting, weighing etc. then I am right back to it the next meal... in theory;)

    If you can keep it somewhat under control and not let it turn into cheat days, (which honestly is something i've never encountered, one day is enough to get it out of my system), then having a dont care day can be good for body and soul.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    It is your business if you want to have a "cheat" meal or day..as long as you're happy with your progress who cares.
    As for getting nauseous at the workout? That happened to me years ago when I worked out too hard. Like on the biggest loser they all throw up because they're not used to the aggressive workouts. Right now.. I find myself getting weak and faint during some of my workouts.. I've decided to eat some sort of snack in the car right before I go in..and save half for when I finish so it never happens again.
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