It's the Cheat Days!

B_Plus_Effort

Having lost 35 pounds and feeling amazeballz I wanted to share something that I learned the hardway. When it comes to loosing weight what screws you up is not you eating 4 celery sticks instead of 3, or adding 4 table spoons of Sugar Free Pancake syrup instead of 2 over your egg whites, it's the CHEAT DAYS

now I am not saying don't eat foods that are delicious (I'm looking at you pizza, bagels, hot wings, etc.)

just make them fit your calorie goal for the day, so if you are going to have pizza for lunch eat a smaller breakfast than normal and a smaller dinner, (yes that pizza will screw up your macros for the day, but hey it's what you want right)

so yeah, one day of overeating sets you back, on the scale, in your head, all that, so it's all about being consistent, maybe eat 2,250 calories a day instead of just 2,000 so that you don't have those 3,000 calorie cheat days

find out what works for you but, don't beat yourself up fine tuning the small stuff, no one got fat from eating a whole apple instead of half, ha ha

Jthanmyfitnesspal

As soon as I stop logging, I slowly start to gain weight. I just very slightly overeat. Every several months, I go back on a deficit and correct back (at least for about the last 10 years).

I don't know if it's the cheat days or more like eating that last cookie every day. Either way, it gets ya!

steveko89

I find that even having a "cheat" mentality is detrimental; putting things off limits fosters an all-or-nothing attitude that will eventually fail. Consistency, sustainability, and longevity are where it's at for losing and maintaining weight. A boring, ruthless execution of the basics and championing moderation and sensibility doesn't make for much of a marketing campaign and thus isn't popular in the ever-growing "health & fitness" industry.

callsitlikeiseeit

absolutely! i make what i want fit. by whatever means necessary. and there are random days when I'm over (that's actually few and far between but they do happen because ... life). that's okay.

135 pounds down and now working on losing some covid gain and some I had left to lose ANYWAYS and its all good. trending down, week by week. and I eat out. I have cookies every night. i do love my bedtime cookies. LOL I log it all, and make it fit, and enjoy my food and my life.

Sand_TIger

Very true. I've set a rule that I can eat more of what I want on major holidays but hard experience has taught me that I still can't eat the quantities that I used to, or anything approaching them. Agreed that a cheating mentality is not the way to get long term sustainable benefits. So I'm going to continue my holiday meals but make sure the portion size is smaller, not make as much so I don't have leftovers, make a few healthy swaps, and give my body somewhere to put those extra calories - like a heavy lifting day - around that time as well.

After all, I have to live this way pretty much forever - so why not make it a routine that I can enjoy, but doesn't get out of hand?

alvarezra

Agreed 💯. I have cheat meals and my coach will usually specify macros to it. This keeps me from going bonkers. On full cheat days it’s macros for the day but those are rare. That arrangement totally has kept me from going overboard and I instinctively restrict those meals or days now. It’s almost automatic.

tuckerrj

I'm sure you'll have those that will disagree with you, but not me. Take it from the guy that can EASILY eat 4,000+ calories at the chinese buffet without feeling sick, while I'm cutting weight, I cannot have cheat days. I can undo an entire weeks deficit in one sitting, so what's the point? If I have pizza with the grandkids and I wind up overshooting my calorie goal for the day by 250 calories, once every other week or so, then no big deal. But I'm still logging, weighing, counting, etc. when I do.

AndreaTamira

While I think it is ok to go over calories from time to time I hate the term "cheat day".

No, it's not a cheat day, I track my food. I know how much I went over (roughly if it is food from a street festival or such, but I try to estimate high). I know my weight loss will be slower that week. And that is ok. But, "cheat day"? I cannot cheat my body by declaring it such. It will know.

To me weight loss is about 90% consistency and 100% accountability.

alteredsteve175

Someone in another thread long ago wrote - "Call them treat days, not cheat days." That's how I think of them. Just track everything as accurately as possible and enjoy those days. One day will not derail you.

littleflutterby

I dislike the term "cheat day" too. For a few reasons

Firstly- it's only cheating if I get away with it- which usually I really don't. If I binge then it takes about 5 days for my body to get back to normal- with the extra salt, sugar, water etc.

Also- for me now, I realised how messed up my relationship with food really was. Restricting like crazy just so I could have a few chocolate bars, a family sized bag of chips and a large pizza, is messed up. It affects me physically and mentally.

This time round, I allow myself a takeout on my weigh in day (so Takeout Tuesdays) but I still incorporate that into my food for the day. So I still don't go over.

But my mindset has changed- I am in recovery for food addiction, so really I focus on my mental state, and the weight loss is a positive consequence of that recovery.

Diatonic12

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10676135/cheat-day/p1

Here's another blast from the past @B_Plus_Effort

AmandaOmega

Cheat days can also contribute to a binge mentality. You adhere to a really strict diet during the week, but then you can eat whatever you want on Sunday. I think that this could greatly damage your progress since a lot of people might go crazy on the cheat day and reverse any progress they've made.

Instead, fitting yummy/unhealthy food into your calorie allotment can help limit overeating bad foods while letting you feel like you can still have them.

For me, I'm also OK if eating bad food makes me go over my calorie limits every once in a while. It's going to happen. But logging it can help me stay on track and keep me from going too overboard.

Michellemeezie

On "cheat" or "treat" days, I just make sure I log in extra physical activity so I get those burned calories added to my daily allotment. Helps the brain reconcile that it's ok... and gets me to do something active. Win-win.

ninerbuff

I "cheat" everyday. When I took on the mentality that NO FOOD is off limits to eat, I stopped binging and overeating. What CAUSED me to gain weight is when I stopped COUNTING. Since being back on daily counting since last June, it's been easy again NOT to overeat. It still comes down to CICO and hopefully many really start to understand that it's NOT the diet that they are doing to lose weight overall, but the attention to calories.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

joyanna2016

Cheat days (or treat days) don't have to "screw you up" either! I'll admit it IS a slippery slope when you overindulge, but ONE treat day isn't the problem either. Sure it may slow down your progress, but the real key is learning how to indulge and then resume your healthy eating pattern. For me, it actually does me good to be able to guilt-free really indulge in some special food opportunity that maybe doesn't come around that much. I thoroughly enjoy it. I know I can do that because I will eat in a deficit again tomorrow.

willboywonder

Yes! I completely agree. It's okay to have those luscious foods. You just have to plan for them and work them into your eating plan. Rather than eat that whole package of Grandma Cookies, just eat a couple and save the rest for another day, and you don't need to get that Venti Caramel Latte. You can get a Short, the smallest of the hot beverages. Many people don't know there is a short, just like there is a Trenta, the largest Starbucks size which also isn't listed on the menu. While not on the menu, you can still order it.

SouthWestLondon

Agree with this. Whenever I've tried to lose weight before I've always had treat days, and it's always gone the same way...'Oh well, I messed up this morning - may as well write today off as a treat day...' until I was fully off the wagon.

This time, nothing is off the table. I eat up to 1750 calories a day Monday to Saturday. Within that, I have chocolate and takeaways when I want to - but I measure them, track them and fit them in. I find know that I'm going to have a delicious (if small portion) takeout on a Friday night helps keep me more measured on Friday afternoons.

What I do have is not a cheat day, but I have one day a week, usually Sunday where I will allow myself up to 2500 calories if I've come in under 1750 enough to do so. So if on Monday I consume 1500 calories, I'll allow myself consume the other 250 on Sunday. That gives me a day where I am allowing myself to go over a bit, maybe have a bit more of a special lunch or dinner, or indulge a bit more in sweets etc.

Weirdly, because of tracking and recording, even though I allow myself 2500 calories on a Sunday, the past three weeks I've been doing it, I end up well short of 2500 (usually around 2000).

oilphins

I guess everyone is different when it comes to cheat days. Some never have them and others do. I've been at the same weight for the last five years having a cheat day every Saturday. I eat and drink what I want on that day and I've never gained weight from it. Sticking to my routine the other six days of course. The only thing I do is make sure I run or workout that day to burn some extra calories. Do whatever works for you.

stringsNlinks

joyanna2016 wrote: »

Cheat days (or treat days) don't have to "screw you up" either! I'll admit it IS a slippery slope when you overindulge, but ONE treat day isn't the problem either. Sure it may slow down your progress, but the real key is learning how to indulge and then resume your healthy eating pattern. For me, it actually does me good to be able to guilt-free really indulge in some special food opportunity that maybe doesn't come around that much. I thoroughly enjoy it. I know I can do that because I will eat in a deficit again tomorrow.

I like Treat Day so much better! Same concept but kinder to self.... and I agree so much to enjoy thoroughly and get back at it.

brenn24179

I fit all foods in every day and if I go over one day, one day wont kill me. It will if I keep on eating over. I dont like having to log but have done it for 7 years so it is worth it. I have a budget with my money spending so this is the same, budgeting my calories.

B_Plus_Effort

OP here, glad people are finding this relatable, so I just want to share something with you as motivation, here is my 7 day streak (all under my calorie goal, yes even the 2,009 day is fine, yet I had a bagel, a mushroom burger, etc.) not to mention I think all my food tastes good, I think I had a clean week before so now I am simply going for two weeks in a row, maybe the next time I'll indulge will be on Super Bowl Sunday, but this is what it is all about, it's controlled and planned for, and not impulsive and nothing is off the table if it fits your calorie goal, so I showed you mine, show me yours

4Phoenix

I eat whatever I want (so happens I love food that makes me healthy/fit). I don't go over my weight loss deficit and usually a bit below so it allows me to enjoy a few calories over if I choose. This is a built in buffer if I chose to go over a few calories one day. I've found for my weightless strategy this works really well as my body does not get use to a consistent low amount of calories but allows me to have consistent weight loss. I eat nutrient dense foods with low calories...so I don't feel like I am restricting or experiencing hunger. I record and reflect on my macros/micros and calories daily and plan for the next day. My caloric deficit for the week is met every week or a few calories below.

jasdebi2012

Personally I don't believe in "cheat" days. You can "cheat" on your exams, or your partner, or things like these, where a 2nd person is involved and you have some responsibility over them (e.g. as a student to study, as a lover to be loyal and so on). When you have "cheat" days, whom are you cheating? Yourself? That's like seeing yourself as 2 persons, one who is healthy and one who is not, and the 2nd does the cheating against the 1st. In my opinion, this internal splitting and conflict between the two will eventually lead to failure.

Instead, dieting/food choices should be about giving your body what it needs to live. That's it. Do you need a tacobell to live? No. So, there is no need to cheat on any day.
Should someone eat just everything? Well yes, they can also go outdoors and start eating rocks from the ground.

Also, I don't like trading off nutritious food for something that has nothing or little to offer. I do eat pizzas, but I make them myself, I don't buy ready-to-cook pizzas that are filled with high amounts of sodium and carbs of unknown origin, with just a very little amount of protein or healthy fats. So, even on the #PizzaDays I am staying on my calorie deficit and reach my macros.

slimgirljo15

alteredsteve175 wrote: »

Someone in another thread long ago wrote - "Call them treat days, not cheat days." That's how I think of them. Just track everything as accurately as possible and enjoy those days. One day will not derail you.

Yep.. this. I track my occasional treat day and enjoy the hell out of it 🙂