Does A “Cheat Day/Meal/Snack” Make Sense?
mithion
Posts: 78 Member
I’ve read and heard about cheat days and cheat meals and cheat snacks and correct me if I am wrong but it is a mental thing. I love them don’t get me wrong but I always feel like I’m destroying progress and effort for a few minutes of delicious lol.
Is there any truly bad side effects from a cheat day/meal/snack?
I’m guessing if it’s very sugary your insulin spikes or if it’s very high in calories you might feel very tired after.
Are there any actual serious negative health effects from it? Is it like a shock to your system to go from clean eating to bam loads of fat or sugar or carbs all at once etc.
Is there any truly bad side effects from a cheat day/meal/snack?
I’m guessing if it’s very sugary your insulin spikes or if it’s very high in calories you might feel very tired after.
Are there any actual serious negative health effects from it? Is it like a shock to your system to go from clean eating to bam loads of fat or sugar or carbs all at once etc.
3
Replies
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Do you like being cheated?
That's your answer.5 -
If I know I am going out to dinner to a nice restaurant, I will save some calories all week long so I can have a nice meal and dessert. I don’t like the word cheat.14
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If you are eating so much that you cancel out your deficit week after week then yes that could hurt your progress.
If you deprive yourself then eat all the "forbidden" foods at once you might encounter some digestive upset, you might feel sluggish or more hungry. Or you might feel great. I can have what I call refeed days on the weekend full of high carbs like pancakes, sugar, pasta (things I don't overindulge in during the week) and I'd be just fine, in fact my workout performance improves and I feel refreshed and ready to take on the week.9 -
"Cheat meals" can get out of hand, and has a bad connotation like you are getting away with something. The healthier way to frame it in your mind is that you are choosing to eat a little extra today. Either way. Log it and keep going.
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Who are you cheating on?1
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i eat what i want.
i make it fit in my calorie goals. whether its through eating less somewhere else, going by a weekly deficit, or getting in another work out.
but if im over, its just not the end of the world.
i had 4 oreos tonight. they were good.6 -
I’ve seen several posts like this lately. If the following isn’t where you’re going, ignore me, but if it’s helpful to someone, great!
To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn, otherwise known as eating at a deficit. This does NOT mean you need to give up all your favorite foods or go on a special diet. You want some pizza? Eat a piece or 2. As long as it fits your calorie goal, go for it.
I also find it helpful to look at my allotted calories over the course of a week, rather than daily. In this way, I can eat over my calories one day and make up for it by eating less on another day.
So...to answer you question, no, I don’t do cheat days. I log my calories every day. Some days I’m eating lots of pizza, while another day I’ll have some veggie soup. I find ways to fit the foods I love into my diet so I don’t have to “cheat.”
Good luck to you!7 -
callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »i eat what i want.
i make it fit in my calorie goals. whether its through eating less somewhere else, going by a weekly deficit, or getting in another work out.
but if im over, its just not the end of the world.
i had 4 oreos tonight. they were good.
Lol only 4?
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callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »i eat what i want.
i make it fit in my calorie goals. whether its through eating less somewhere else, going by a weekly deficit, or getting in another work out.
but if im over, its just not the end of the world.
i had 4 oreos tonight. they were good.
Lol only 4?
i was good. only 4.
my husband however i think at 1/3 of the entire pack LOLOL0 -
Personally, I think that if you can’t eat something purely for the pleasure of it, then something is a bit wrong.7
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I lost a total of 64 pounds and now in maintenance because of a cheat day(every Sunday). I don't really call it a cheat day though. I bank 200 calories all week, each day and eat whatever I want on Sunday. I don't fret on Monday when I weigh more because by Wednesday, I am back down to what I was Sunday morning.
As far as shock to the system, yes. I am so lazy on Sunday night, but I still love my family day and eating out with them.
Some people can do it this way and it works wonderful. Some can't. You have to decide if you can eat light through the week to get that day.1 -
"Cheat" is a misplaced term. You really aren't cheating if you keep the promise of healthy eating and regular exercise. Call it a treat not a cheat!
Time and time again many people fail to see that, like a retirement plan, weight loss has to be a long term investment.
Studies have proven that 85% of people who just diet short term will gain back some or all of the weight within a year of stopping the diet.
Having said this, "cheat days" I think are good for you as long as you are in the long term lifestyle change (eat healthy, portion control & exercise)
Don't believe me? Look at Dwayne Johnson's cheat day!!! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6405457/Dwayne-Rock-Johnson-shocks-fans-cheat-meal-featuring-NINETY-pieces-sushi.html
Okay it's an extreme example (he burns calories in his sleep because of all that muscle) but when you have one cheat day a week and the rest are back to the regular healthy eating and exercise it makes no difference except you are happier!
I myself have a "treat" day once a week. I still track using MFP but I tend not to go overboard and it is a pleasant change and I am usually over my daily caloric limit by 400- 1000 calories! I still end up losing weight because my weight loss goals are long term, slow and steady. 28 lbs in 12 weeks with a treat day every weekend!1 -
It just depends on your preferences. I, personally, need to have at least one cheat meal a week. It's my "reward" for being good. If I stay in the "green" all week then I'll "treat" myself to one unlogged meal of pure indulgence a week. This is typically some kind of going out to eat event where I don't log anything and I get whatever I want off the menu.1
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i don't believe in cheat days or meals because it sounds like I'm doing something bad. I eat what I want, fit into my daily points ( i am lifetime at WW) or my calories and if it's a little too much then I work it off at the gym or eat better at the next meal or next day!!!2
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I feel like it can lead you down a slippery slope. Each time I've decided to do a cheat day, I've ended up "falling off the wagon" so to speak. It really depends on how much self control one has.0
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My original question was more from a health standpoint. If I’m eating chicken and veggies and fruits and all healthy food most of the time and then suddenly I inhale half a chocolate cake is that unhealthy? Would that like be a shock to my system?0
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I don't cheat. Why would I want to cheat against myself???? That doesn't make any sense!
I do consciously choose how many calories to consume. I balance a higher day with a lower day. It's that simple. Yesterday was appetizers, wings and beer. Today is oatmeal and vegetable soup.1 -
My original question was more from a health standpoint. If I’m eating chicken and veggies and fruits and all healthy food most of the time and then suddenly I inhale half a chocolate cake is that unhealthy? Would that like be a shock to my system?
If you inhale it, it might clog up your lungs.
Seriously, f you are eating protein and veg most of the time and suddenly flood your system with sugar, you could end up in the bathroom for awhile (or not end up in the bathroom, bowels are funny things, but they generally like a bit of consistency). But it won't do any permanent damage.
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My original question was more from a health standpoint. If I’m eating chicken and veggies and fruits and all healthy food most of the time and then suddenly I inhale half a chocolate cake is that unhealthy? Would that like be a shock to my system?
Everybody (and every body) is different. Different people respond differently to different situations. I eat out with someone. We can eat the same thing and they end up with tummy issues, when I don't. Another meal it's the other way around because we ate something different. Whatever you decide make sure you still get your base nutrients you normally take in.0 -
My original question was more from a health standpoint. If I’m eating chicken and veggies and fruits and all healthy food most of the time and then suddenly I inhale half a chocolate cake is that unhealthy? Would that like be a shock to my system?
When I've substantially reduced certain things in my diet (greasy foods, certain sweets) and then have an unusually large indulgence, I usually pay the price. Years ago, I could put away slice after slice of greasy take-out pizza no problem. Now if I have more than a couple of slices, I'm pretty much guaranteed to spend the evening in the bathroom.
It's not really an issue of nutrition/health, it's just about what your body is accustomed to. Often we see people on here who are feeling ill due to their sudden increase of "healthy" foods. 0 -
My original question was more from a health standpoint. If I’m eating chicken and veggies and fruits and all healthy food most of the time and then suddenly I inhale half a chocolate cake is that unhealthy? Would that like be a shock to my system?
Some people do find that they have negative physical consequences when they eat more fat/sugar/sodium than they've become accustomed to. Others (like me) don't really notice anything at all.
Some people have touchier digestive systems than others, but if you're asking if there is some universally applicable "shock to the system," I don't think there is any evidence to show that this is a real thing.1 -
I’ve read and heard about cheat days and cheat meals and cheat snacks and correct me if I am wrong but it is a mental thing. I love them don’t get me wrong but I always feel like I’m destroying progress and effort for a few minutes of delicious lol.
Is there any truly bad side effects from a cheat day/meal/snack?
I’m guessing if it’s very sugary your insulin spikes or if it’s very high in calories you might feel very tired after.
Are there any actual serious negative health effects from it? Is it like a shock to your system to go from clean eating to bam loads of fat or sugar or carbs all at once etc.
Assuming it is only a day there are no negative side effects. Even an occasional sugar spike is not going to cause any problems unless you take insulin and need to adjust the dosage.
In other words, keep looking at the big picture and don't sweat the small stuff. It isn't worth the stress.0 -
Depending on the week I might eat one higher calorie meal/day (around 2,500-4,000 for a planned cheat day & even then I don't consider it a cheat day) & then work it either into my overall maintenance for the week or leave either half a pound or pound deficit). I carefully plan & log my calories & weigh out my foods to ensure I am accurately accounting for all of my food.
A lot of people who don't have great planning skills, don't accurately weigh food, aren't accounting for calories could easily undo a weeks deficit or even a few weeks depending on how many calories over maintenance their cheat meal, cheat day, or even cheat week is.
If I have a few higher calorie days I just eat less the following days in that particular week. I typically eat 1800 & will then eating around 1650-1700 calories the rest of the week.0 -
I recommend that you check out the post "Of refeeds and diet breaks." It lists some interesting resources that discuss the benefits of having planned cheat days and diet breaks1
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I really avoid the “cheating” term / idea because I have a history of disordered eating. That mindset can be very dangerous and trying to balance tracking intake and exercise without obsessing is challenging enough.
I look at my caloric intake, macros, and nutrients weekly. I routinely work in the more calorie-dense foods that I enjoy through portion control and “banking”. If I get to a point where I have plateaued after a considerable loss, I may switch to maintenance for a bit (refeed) before continuing. I would still continue to monitor and log.0 -
Doesn’t make sense to me.
If it makes sense to you and helps you, go for it. This is all about what works for each of us.0
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