Cheat days

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FitKim39
FitKim39 Posts: 39 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
:p anyone here have any success with cheat days? Do you think it's a good idea? What do you do to allow yourself something 'bad'?

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  • TrishSeren
    TrishSeren Posts: 587 Member
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    I just eat what I want and factor it into my calorie allowance. Wine 2-3 times a week for example.
  • greg_87
    greg_87 Posts: 8 Member
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    I don't like cheat days, cause it usually leads to binge eating. My will powers just to weak for that lol. I've seen success with cheat days though, but with people that still keep track of their calorie intake. The whole idea of taking one day a week, and eating whatever you want all day. will just kill whatever progress you made that week.

    I allow myself cheat treats or meals through the week. But I still track it, and try to keep a routine. An idea I got from a mens health article. Basically take 10% to 20% of your daily cals, and indulge in your favorite food 2 to 3 times a week. For example if your daily cals are 2k, then 200 - 400 cals 2 days a week can be used on whatever you desire. slice of pizza, brownie, ect. Most people would be much more likely to stick to their diet with this approach. It gives you breaks from your normal diet through the week, and won't destroy your progress.
  • vanityy99
    vanityy99 Posts: 2,583 Member
    edited September 2018
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    FitKim39 wrote: »
    :p anyone here have any success with cheat days? Do you think it's a good idea? What do you do to allow yourself something 'bad'?

    Usually my cheat days are Friday, Saturday so those days I keep my calories low until its time to drink 🍸and feast🍔.

    I’m aware that most of the weight gain I see on my scale after a cheat day is mostly water weight so its all good.
  • rsj7799
    rsj7799 Posts: 74 Member
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    If I know I'm going to go out I'll pre-log my booze, dinner, Fudgie the Whale ice cream cake, or whatever the night before. Then I can just eat a bit less during the day or come in a little under the day before to compensate or eat at maintenance for that day even if I'm trying to lose. Hasn't slowed my progress.
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
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    If you do a search on the forums, you will find dozens of threads with exactly the same question in the title. Some people "cheat", some people eat things they want and count calories without considering foods good/bad/allowed/forbidden and others are very strict with what they allow themselves to eat.

    At the end of the day, it's all personal preference. If you consume fewer calories than you burn over a period of time, you will lose weight.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited September 2018
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    A cheat DAY is pretty big. One can eat a ton of extra calories in a full day (I know I could).

    I generally fit in any extras. Cut a few snacks that day. Get some more steps in (or once i am running again - get a run in).

    Some will cut 100 or so calories every day to "save" for a bigger meal on the weekend (one mean) and still fit in their WEEKLY goal.

    I personally believe in a splurge meal (one meal) every 3-4 weeks. But I try to keep it to a reasonable amount over my daily goal (not 1000 calories extra).


    Weight loss can be practice for normal life once we hit maintenance. Yes we'll have a few extra calories to work with at maintenance but we still have to eat reasonable most of the time and splurged need to be "reasonable" as well.
  • melnthom1
    melnthom1 Posts: 6 Member
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    I think a 'cheat day' is OK if you are willing to accept that you may not lose weight that week. Everything is always about planning so plan for your 'cheat day'. If it is on a Saturday, then do an hour of kickboxing (burns almost 1,000 calories) or something else with a high calorie burn to start your day out and ensure you build up some other small calorie deficits earlier on in the week. It also depends on how much you are going to cheat on your 'cheat day'. How about a 'cheat meal' instead of a whole day?
  • AwesomeOpossum74
    AwesomeOpossum74 Posts: 106 Member
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    Simple plan: If you want a cheat day, plan ahead for deficits on other days.

    I don't do cheat days. I just eat what I want, and try to stay within my calories. If I know I'll be eating more for dinner, I skimp a little on breakfast/lunch, and/or cut out snacks for the day. On those days, I might go really heavy on protein to try to stave off hunger.
  • Millicent3015
    Millicent3015 Posts: 374 Member
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    FitKim39 wrote: »
    :p anyone here have any success with cheat days? Do you think it's a good idea? What do you do to allow yourself something 'bad'?

    I don't have 'cheat' days because I don't like what that implies-- that I'm abandoning my 'normal/good' eating pattern to sneak in food on the downlow that the powers that be have decided is bad and should be heavily restricted or totally forbidden.

    I allow myself to have whatever I want within my calorie total. Sometimes I go over my total, but I can eat less calories in the previous or following days to offset that. I don't limit any foods because no food is 'bad'. It may be less nutritious and more calorie dense, and it makes sense healthwise to have less of it, but it's still food, and I enjoy it as part of a balanced diet without having to feel like I'm cheating, or even that I have to 'cheat'.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
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    I had a cheat week (not intentionally, it just happened) during a trip to Hawaii to celebrate getting to goal (and below) and it's turned into a cheat year and a half and 19 pounds back up. Stay the course, eat what you want while maintaining a deficit and don't succumb to the silly notion that cheating will help you with your goals.
  • anl90
    anl90 Posts: 928 Member
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    I overall allow myself to eat what I want. I try to cut as many bad sugars as I can out of my diet, but other than that I simply watch the amount of what I eat. I find this is what helps me succeed. If I restrict myself too much, I am setting myself up for failure. But everyone is different. Just be smart about it - if you think incorporating those 'bad' foods into your diet will make you do poorly, then keep them out. If you think you will be fine, however, live a little. We are on this Earth only once, so enjoy it while you can.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
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    I don't do cheat days or meals. I just budget my calories so that I can have treats. Last Saturday, I had coffee for breakfast, nothing for lunch, all because my daughter wanted to go to Famous Dave's for her birthday - basically a 2000 calorie dinner. I went over a little (300), so I am going under by 100/day for three days to offset it.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    I eat a free meal every week and lost all my weight..and I think it is what helped me reach my goal. I always had that to look forward to. But..just one meal..and I never binged or stuffed my face. So, I guess it is subjective as to what a cheat meal is.. But for me it was going out having a few cocktails and eating a fish or steak dinner.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
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    While I was losing I allowed myself one meal every three weeks or so that brought me up to around my maintenance calories for the day. Had I done a cheat day I would have wiped out my deficit for the week which wasn't worth it to me.
  • mlsh69
    mlsh69 Posts: 31 Member
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    FitKim39 wrote: »
    :p anyone here have any success with cheat days? Do you think it's a good idea? What do you do to allow yourself something 'bad'?

    Once in awhile, it is fine

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