CHEAT DAYS?

cristareid
cristareid Posts: 6 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
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
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Replies

  • oliverlmills
    oliverlmills Posts: 1 Member
    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.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Nope, I fit whatever I want into my weekly calorie goal
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    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.
  • xPia
    xPia Posts: 19 Member
    edited June 2017
    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.
  • mllr1328
    mllr1328 Posts: 55 Member
    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.
  • PinkCuddleMonster
    PinkCuddleMonster Posts: 37 Member
    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.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    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!

  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    edited June 2017
    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.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    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.
  • WendyLeigh1119
    WendyLeigh1119 Posts: 495 Member
    edited June 2017
    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.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    @cristareid What is your idea of a cheat day?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    xPia wrote: »
    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?

  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    I make it. Either I have a smaller portion or I exercise more or I decide to have a lighter lunch, etc.
  • MontyMuttland
    MontyMuttland Posts: 68 Member
    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!
  • FinFoxPT
    FinFoxPT Posts: 106 Member
    Would you cheat on your partner once a week? Then why cheat yourself out of good health? Find healthy alternatives that last a lifetime.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    FinFoxPT wrote: »
    Would you cheat on your partner once a week? Then why cheat yourself out of good health? Find healthy alternatives that last a lifetime.

    or eat food you enjoy that fits your calories and macros...
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    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.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Structured re-feeds, diet breaks & free meals = YES
    Cheat days = NO

  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    edited June 2017
    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 :)
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    FinFoxPT wrote: »
    Would you cheat on your partner once a week? Then why cheat yourself out of good health? Find healthy alternatives that last a lifetime.

    What is a healthy alternative to cheating on your spouse? Asking for a friend
  • highwood125
    highwood125 Posts: 31 Member
    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.
  • tooy1234
    tooy1234 Posts: 12 Member
    I honestly think a cheat day is good for you. It shocks your body.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    tooy1234 wrote: »
    I honestly think a cheat day is good for you. It shocks your body.

    In what way?
  • BusyMomaNJ
    BusyMomaNJ Posts: 3 Member
    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.
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