CHEAT DAYS?
cristareid
Posts: 6 Member
Do you guys do them? Why or why not? Once a week? Twice a week? If you do how many calories extra do you eat?
I just want one cheat day! lol
I just want one cheat day! lol
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Replies
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Nope because I plan fun stuff into my daily calories - I just had a serving of gummy bears11
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For me, it would be way too easy to wipe out a week's deficit in a single day so I don't do them. I prefer to just figure out ways to have what I want within my goals.
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If you do them, you better log them accurately. You risk blowing your whole week on 1 meal if you dont at least have some portion control with it.7
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Yes. Once a week - usually on the weekend. Or sometimes one random meal in a week. I do a lot of weights and cardio though.1
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Nope, I fit whatever I want into my weekly calorie goal0
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I don't really call them cheat days, more like planned calorie surplus days (~500 extra for two days). I calorie cycle and eat less during the week so I have more flexibility to indulge on weekends. It's not a free for all though. I think it can work for some people, and not for others.4
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Maybe it's just me but I don't get the whole cheat meal thing. If it fits in the calories for the day and you want it why not eat it? Looking at eating something as cheating in my mind associates guilt. I realize everyone is different. I hope you find what works for you!
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happyauntie2015 wrote: »Maybe it's just me but I don't get the whole cheat meal thing. If it fits in the calories for the day and you want it why not eat it? Looking at eating something as cheating in my mind associates guilt. I realize everyone is different. I hope you find what works for you!
This, exactly.
If I want something and it fits within my calories I'll eat it. No "cheating" required.2 -
I thought it would be a cool thing to do once. Horrible idea. I felt like crap because I ate crap and a little guilty. If I want something I fit it in. If it doesn't fit, there's always the next day but by then I'm usually over it.1
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No, because what am I cheating on? If I want something, like the pizza I'm eating tonight, I work it into my goals.5
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There is no "cheating." Every choice is just that... a choice. Every action has repercussions. So you look at your options, you consider your goals, and then you make a choice. PERIOD.
To me it's very dysfunctional to have a plan and goals, and then "build in" a period where you will be doing your damnedest to sabotage those goals.
Like many have said, make your choices and react accordingly. Want pizza? Ok! Work that into your meal plan. Eat less, pair it with something healthy, but have that pizza. Want more pizza? Then do another 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill. Make it balance out.
If you are really asking if you can binge eat unhealthy foods and still lose weight... well, you know the answer to that.5 -
Well what you want or need is entirely up to you.
Personally I've found that cheat days completely derails me. It doesn't usually affect my weight, it affects my state of mind. I figure if one day of cheating doesn't affect my weight than neither will one more... or a third. Than I'm off my diet for a month or so. So I can't do cheat days.3 -
You realise you control what and how much you eat? So if you want a "cheat day", you can have one. There is no food police.
That said, I'd recommend ditching the negative food associations. You can choose to eat what you like when you like - I find that if I don't place restrictions on food, I want/need the less nutritious stuff less. I don't crave food because I know I can eat it if I want it.
Perhaps consider your calorie goal over the week, and save calories during the week to "spend" on the weekend - just log everything. You can still achieve your goals, enjoy more calorific foods and win in both cases!
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No. I've had a much better relationship with food and less temptation to overdo since I started telling myself "A treat is not necessarily a cheat." I give myself enough calories to work in indulgences. Sometimes, it means eating a lighter meal, having fewer snacks, or exercising more. Occasionally, (i.e. vacation) I decide to eat at maintenance instead of at a deficit for that week. But most of my overeating comes from feeling that my hunger/emotions/stress is out of control. Planning and pre-logging and anticipating and recognizing that I CAN have a chocolate bar/meal in a restaurant/piece of potato kugel etc and I haven't 'blown my diet' tells me that I AM in control.
Back when I was doing WW, as soon as I left the meeting, I would stop at a grocer, grab an ice cream treat and a pastry, stop off for pizza and fries, and tell myself I'd be 'good' again the next day. And at first, when the weight was still coming off, somehow the cheat night became 'I can indulge the next day, too. It's a whole week to weigh-in.' And eventually, 'I went off the rails and I'm not going to weigh in this week because I know I was 'bad'. I'll go again next week.' Eventually, next week never came.
That was then. This is now. I'm not cheating. I'm not fooling anyone including myself. I own my food choices and I see that I can have the occasional calorie-dense food, keep to a deficit, and still lose. And when I have one of those indulgences? I'm not being 'bad'. I'm having an indulgence. And I have it without the complimentary sides of guilt and negative self-talk that always came at no extra charge. And the weight is coming off.0 -
Who are you cheating? I have trouble with that whole terminology. If you want a refeed day, build it into your plan. There is actually some benefit to doing this. But no. No cheating myself.0
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I don't plan them. Since my deficit is set at aggressive and I exercise like a madwoman....if I'm out on the weekend with my kid and significant other and there's food...I just try to eat things with nutritional value of some sort rather than candy or fried chicken or whatever.
Ironically, our YMCA (my gym and pool) had a food truck event with beer, wine, and bands this past weekend. It was an easy way for us to grab dinner on a Friday evening, so we went. There were no really healthy options, But I just got what I wanted. A bacon and cheese burger with horseradish sauce and a small side of truffle fries for all of us to share. (The burger and bacon are thed main "cheats" here because I don't eat beef or pork except rare occasions).
Then I had a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream (because it was the good kind...the green kind). I logged it all and didnt think twice. I probably went slightly over my calories. But kept it reasonable and fun.
I technically go over my calories every weekend because I'm set at 2lbs per week and only workout Monday to Friday. My boyfriend finds it hard to cook meals for breakfast and lunch that are under 1200 Calories on my rest days and I don't really care as long as they're fresh ingredients and healthy. It still averages out to about -780 to -850 calories weekly. Close enough for me.
So I personally prefer to just stick to my plan and if a "cheat" happens...I'll have fun with it and be extra disciplined the next 2 days to make it up. I would never have a 3,000 calorie day or anything like that, though. I don't have that kind of appetite.2 -
@cristareid What is your idea of a cheat day?1
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happyauntie2015 wrote: »Maybe it's just me but I don't get the whole cheat meal thing. If it fits in the calories for the day and you want it why not eat it? Looking at eating something as cheating in my mind associates guilt. I realize everyone is different. I hope you find what works for you!
This, exactly.
If I want something and it fits within my calories I'll eat it. No "cheating" required.
But what happens if it doesn't fit?
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I make it. Either I have a smaller portion or I exercise more or I decide to have a lighter lunch, etc.0
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Over the course of the year it took me to lose 9 stone, I never once had a cheat day.
Eating too much was what made me fat in the first place and kept me fat for most of my adult life and I really didn't (don't) want to be fat anymore.
A cheat day is essentially an excuse to eat too much. Whichever way you cut it and whatever rationale you use to justify it, you cannot change the fact that cheat days involve eating too much.
You have to ask yourself the question (and I did ask myself many times), if it's more important to you to eat the extra food or to stop being fat?
To me it was more important to stop being fat, so each time temptation came my way, I didn't cheat.
If your goal is to lose weight, why would you do things that prevent you from reaching that goal?
A lot of people state that the occasional cheat day won't hurt overall, and maybe that has worked out for them.
But if you have a hard time making good food choices and sticking to them, then building cheat days into your weight-loss plan is only making it harder to succeed.
"Be stronger than your strongest excuse."
Good luck!
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Would you cheat on your partner once a week? Then why cheat yourself out of good health? Find healthy alternatives that last a lifetime.1
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I fit treats into my calorie goal regularly.
On holidays (<1 a month), I don't log. But I don't go all hog wild either. It's more of a mental break from logging than permission to eat everything under the sun.0 -
Structured re-feeds, diet breaks & free meals = YES
Cheat days = NO
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Sometimes I have 4-5K cal days but they're usually planned every few months (like Ribfest coming up for me in july lol). If I have a day that I overeat and it's not planned it's usually to the tune of 2500 cals and my TDEE is about 2200-2400 depending so I'm not too worried if that happens every few weeks.
ETA: I still log and track everything I eat to the best of my ability so at least I have good data
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I don't bother with cheat days because for me I have been learning moderation, for example, I was craving a chocolate bar yesterday so bought a Big Turk, ate half of it after supper for dessert, then the other half will be tonight after supper. So my point is I allow myself to eat whatever I want BUT in small portions and spread out thru the week, etc.
To me I have to look at the rest of my life after I hit my goal, can I eat like this to maintain and yes I can. To me cheat days sounds too "diety" if that makes sense.0 -
I honestly think a cheat day is good for you. It shocks your body.0
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I agree with the idea that "treat" should not equal "cheat". I plan accordingly during the week . On most weekends I try to stay light on breakfast & lunch, knowing I'm going to "indulge" in dessert, something high calorie because we are eating out, and most likely a cocktail. I exercise 5-6 times weekly to give myself extra calories to "play with." I feel like I have to life my life and not make food into the focus. During the week I eat fairly clean - nothing processed and lots of whole grains, veggies, fruit & lean proteins.0
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