To have a scheduled "cheat day" or not to "cheat day"?

southkonahi

For FRIENDLY discussion, do you believe there are, or are not, overall benefits to having a regularly scheduled "cheat day"?

Me, absolutely not. I just see it as an excuse for myself to have a day of low will power and permission to self-sabotage the work I am putting in to lose weight. I can accept for myself having a "cheat meal" for a special occasion or event, but not a regularly scheduled "cheat day".

Your opinion? Your experience? Remember, be nice folks. We are all in this together.

Lietchi

The problem is that there is no single definition of cheat day. Some see it as a day where they log nothing and overeat. Some see it as a day where they go over their calorie goal, but still log what they eat. Or a day of eating foods they usually don't 'allow' themselves to eat. Etc.
So what do you mean by cheat day?

I don't particularly like the term 'cheat' since it has moral implications. I have days where I'm in a deficit, days where I'm at maintenance and days where I'm over maintenance. Sometimes going over maintenance is planned, sometimes not. Sometimes it's because of a special event, sometimes not. It might just be because my because I feel like my body needs it, or simply some PMS cravings. As long as I'm on track overall, everything's fine. I log everything (but obviously it will be less precise when I'm eating out).

wunderkindking

I also hate the word cheat. I don't do 'cheat days'. I do, however, take regular breaks from eating at a deficit - ie: I eat at maintenance. Once in a very blue moon I shrug my shoulders and just eat the food even well over maintenance (think the last of those was thanksgiving). No guilt, no strife, and honesty no real change in how fast I lose weihgt.

Also, I cut nothing out of my diet anyway. There's not a lot of 'willpower' involved in losing weight for me, most of the time - just making reasonably good and informed choices about quantities of various food (ie: more vegetables, less ice cream).

If I felt like I had to go 'hog wild' once a week to stay sane I, personally, would look at whether what I was doing the other 6 days was sustainable for me and make some changes.

As for experience: I did this (breaks and occasional 'eat whatever it's thanksgiving') when I was starting to lose at obese, I did it halfway through at overweight, and I'm still doing it at 'healthy BMI, let's see if we can lose 10-15 vanity pounds). It's worked just fine the whole way.

wunderkindking

I should also say, as a separate post, my goal the whole way through weight loss is to **not** work hard at it. Any change I make, for me, has to be able to be carried out and carried through on autopilot. Ie: It has to be easy for me.

And honestly? It has been. Tiny changes, one at a time, building upon one another add up to bigger changes and substantial results.

If I make it hard, if I have to think too much, if I have to really seriously exercise willpower, then I'd not have had half the success I have now.

88olds

No cheating. Really there’s no way to cheat. The scale won’t allow it.

I’ve always thought that my food diary is the center of my plan. If I’m facing special circumstances where I can’t make the numbers work I up my numbers. But everything still has to be logged. I’ve never looked on it as cheating. It’s just a matter of the tree that can bend doesn’t break. I’m not out to prove how tough I am.

But just running wild for a time with no plan? I used to go out wining and dining and probably knock down 3000+ calories. No thanks.

janejellyroll

I personally don't do "cheat days," but I do have days when I decide to go over my calorie goal. This has nothing to do with "will power," for me it's about having a balanced life that includes time for fun. It's like a vacation. I might spend more money if I'm on vacation. If I spent that way daily, I'd probably struggle financially. But for a few days a year, I can afford to do it, so I do. My will power hasn't failed, it's just that I don't personally feel that every day needs to be the same in order for me to succeed.

southkonahi

Interesting comments. It seems that many of us might allow ourselves to occasionally splurge on the calories, but not pre-plan for a scheduled "cheat day".
As for defining what a "cheat day" is.... well, since I don't do a cheat day, I cannot define it. I was asking based upon comments I see that some people look forward to their cheat day, or go outside of the usual careful eating on their cheat day].
Thanks for the discussion.

ninerbuff

Lol, I think the term "cheat day" was invented by the fitness and diet industry to give dieters HOPE for some type of normalcy of societal eating patterns. mentioned above, there really is no definition of "cheat day" or "cheat meal". Your body doesn't define what it's eating, your mind does.

I "cheat" EVERYDAY. Processed food, candy, sugar, high fat, carbs, etc. are all part of my everyday eating. I just CONTROL MY CALORIES and macro/micro nutrients.

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

Lhenderson923

No. Cheat days shouldn’t be needed. I don’t want to feel like I’ve created something that I need a break from once a week. I’m creating lifelong habits which includes appropriate amounts of ALL foods.