Cheat days

gonaturalbody

Hi!
Is it okay to have a cheat day when counting calories? I wouldn't go rogue on it, I just want to lose weight, and do it properly. If cheat days are not allowed then I wont do it, just struggling to find an answer for this question.

kommodevaran

In a cheat mindset, you're a victim and someone that things just happens to. The whole idea of MFP is to take back control of your life. Nothing is disallowed. Not sticking to a calorie deficit will just stop you from losing weight.

rianneonamission

It depends on the person. Some people function better with planned cheat days, but personally I prefer not to demonise food and simply eat everything in moderation. Stops the cravings for me. The idea of a cheat day would leave me longing for those foods all week long and I don't feel that's a healthy attitude to have to food.

I have someone in my friend list who does a cheat day a week, and he quite literally goes a good 2500-3000 calories over in one single day. That's not worth the additional deficit for me on the other days of the week.

paperpudding

The thing about cheat days, If you want to call them that and if you want to do them - your total calories for week still has to be at about your intended level.

If not, you will not lose weight.

So, to me, planned higher days which are balanced out by lower days and the weeks total is still round about target - Sure.
Logging on these days is still neccesary to know how far over you are going.

Cheat days as Total free for all un measure pigout days - not a good idea.

RalphAV

For me this is not an option.
So called cheat days for me will lead to more overeating. I'm dedicated to a lifestyle change that does not include me overeating.
That being said, I do know some who need that cheat day. They do it because they are undereating, (seriously like less than 1,000 calories) and believe that is the best way to keep the body from thinking it's starving. I don't agree with this or recommend it.

tennisdude2004

gonaturalbody wrote: »

Hi!
Is it okay to have a cheat day when counting calories? I wouldn't go rogue on it, I just want to lose weight, and do it properly. If cheat days are not allowed then I wont do it, just struggling to find an answer for this question.

If you can keep it to just the one CHEAT day at a time then sure, why not. For some one CHEAT day leads to two and before you know it you are off the diet.

Remember you are only accountable to yourself.

Good luck.

Scottgriesser

Many discussions on this topic as it is something lots of people disagree on.

Short version: It is totally dependent on the individual and what they consider a cheat meal/day. You absolutely can have a meal/day where you eat more/different than usual. You just have to keep it within your budgeted calories.

Anecdote:Cheat meals/days work for me as I function better on a strict limited variety diet throughout the week with short cardio and strength training, and then on Saturday I do a big calorie burn so that I can eat/drink w/e I want as long as the numbers still match up. I find this to be an enjoyable day all around. I'm able to flip my brain from "food is fuel" from Sunday through Friday to "ooo I want that, I can afford it, I'm going to have it" on Saturday. Others cannot do it or don't like it. Both are just fine.

If you have poor willpower, or you need a set schedule every day, cheats are probably a bad idea.

Bry_Fitness70

Why an entire day? Instead of doing 3 cheat meals in 1 day, why not space them out and do them on different days throughout the week?

sardelsa

As long as you stay in a deficit overall and it doesn't cause you to keep overeating, then it's fine.

janejellyroll

This is your plan and your decision. Nobody can tell you that you aren't "allowed" to eat whatever you want in whatever quantities you want. It's all your choice.

That said, you can have a "cheat day" or "cheat meal" and still lose weight if you're still in a deficit. A "cheat day" or "cheat meal" won't work if it keeps you from being in a deficit overall. Many people find it easy to eat enough in a single day -- or even a single meal -- to wipe out all the calorie deficit from the previous week. If you're in this group, it will impact your weight loss.

If you feel like you want a day when you are going over your calorie goal, you might want to try still logging that day so you can know how much you're eating and see if it is going to impact your overall progress.

cwolfman13

Well, there really aren't any rules

snemberton

What do you mean by cheat day? Eat more than usual? Eat above or at maintenance? Eat foods you normally wouldn't during the week?

By some people's standards, I may look like I "cheat" daily, because I find ways to fit things like ice cream, cake or pie into my day, but in reality, I'm still at a deficit for the day. Yesterday, I did my regular cardio at lunch, but my daughter wanted to do yoga later, so I went with her too. With the exercise and an atypically "light" day overall, I had pizza for dinner (two slices of thin crust pepperoni) and pie for dessert and I was still 800 calories under for the day. I consumed around 2000 calories for the day, but my calories burned were over 2800. My average deficit is 680 calories and I have chocolate nearly every day. I eat burgers, steak, ice cream, mashed potatoes and more. I've lost 11 lbs (some TOM water retention is making me look like I'm back up to only 8lbs lost, but I'm still losing inches, so no worries there.

I refuse to have "cheat days". To me that's like I'm being naughty for having a treat. I don't want an unhealthy relationship with foods. I want something realistic and sustainable for the long term and I can't do that looking at foods as bad.