Do a cheat day is helpful after 7 days strict diet plan ?

BilalAnjum

Need Suggestions

springlering62

It depends on how you use it.

Some people think that, because it has a cute name and they’ve tried so hard, that a “cheat day” won’t count.

It certainly does.

It’s like putting too much gas in the tank. At some point it’s going to overflow.

Other people (like me) will eat lower calories for a few days and then have a day or two they eat quite a lot. The weekly average, however, is right on track. I don’t consider that a cheat day. I consider it a balancing day.

The concerning words here are “strict diet plan”. Based on several years of reading posts, your words implie you are hitting it too hard, and are now looking for affirmation or rationalization from others that it’s “ok for you to eat”.

If your diet plan is that difficult, you need to rethink it. People that do that eat too little, binge, eat even less, binge again, and quit.

Why put yourself through that? Pick a slower rate of loss and make it less unbearable. Learn new habits that will be sustainable long after you reach goal, or you’ll find yourself here making a “Back Again!” post.

I’ve lost a ton of weight, and at no point has my meal plan felt punishing, nor have I been hungry.

If you have questions about the process, people here on the boards will absolutely knock themselves out to help and give advice.

Much success to you! 😘

ninerbuff

Cheat means you're doing something you're NOT supposed to. Personally I don't endorse "cheat" days because I think you should be able to eat anything you want. You just have to be RESPONSIBLE for the calories you take in.
When people do all the "strict" stuff, then blow it on a "cheat" day, I think it tends to mess with their mentality if that "cheat" day extents say like on vacation. Then the "cheater" comes back discouraged because they knew they "cheated" and have to punish themselves with having to go back to a "strict" diet. It's an endless story that's done over and over again and why the average person diets about 7 times in their lifetime to lose weight.

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

Lmercado441

Yes

Yes i agree. Diets are too hard!! Portion control and responsible eating is the best thing

Lietchi

springlering62 wrote: »

It depends on how you use it.

Some people think that, because it has a cute name and they’ve tried so hard, that a “cheat day” won’t count.

It certainly does.

It’s like putting too much gas in the tank. At some point it’s going to overflow.

Other people (like me) will eat lower calories for a few days and then have a day or two they eat quite a lot. The weekly average, however, is right on track. I don’t consider that a cheat day. I consider it a balancing day.

The concerning words here are “strict diet plan”. Based on several years of reading posts, your words implie you are hitting it too hard, and are now looking for affirmation or rationalization from others that it’s “ok for you to eat”.

If your diet plan is that difficult, you need to rethink it. People that do that eat too little, binge, eat even less, binge again, and quit.

Why put yourself through that? Pick a slower rate of loss and make it less unbearable. Learn new habits that will be sustainable long after you reach goal, or you’ll find yourself here making a “Back Again!” post.

I’ve lost a ton of weight, and at no point has my meal plan felt punishing, nor have I been hungry.

If you have questions about the process, people here on the boards will absolutely knock themselves out to help and give advice.

Much success to you! 😘

Ten times this!

cmriverside

I kind of tend to eat that way in general. I have been at Maintenance weight for 15 years. I have my calories set at my maintenance amount, and I walk daily. One or two days a week I have a high calorie treat or a bigger regular dinner.

The thing you want to watch is calories. How you work them out during a week is up to you, but like the people posting above are saying, if you're restricting too much during the week that cheat day may wipe out your entire week's worth of lower calorie eating. Just track the numbers over TIME and figure out how to make it work.

Binge/restrict cycles are hard to break. If you're someone who likes to eat 4000 or 6000 calories a day, that's a whole different problem and that will take a different strategy.

BilalAnjum

No

Well. I started dieting exactly five days ago and set 1500 Calories budget for a day. I asked this question because I saw a video in which a person share his workout and exercise detail of his journey. There he said that he use cheat day after every seven days just to fulfilled his desires. I was so amazed because I watch his video almost everyday It give me motivation.

I am a food lover specially junk food, That's why I asked this question because I want to know that whether he suggesting right or wrong because It becomes so hard for me to stick myself in budget as I am a new bee in this routine.

I will keep your words in my mind and liked your advise to. I hoped it really helps me out in losing my weight.

Thanks for Wishing me Success! 🙂

Lietchi

If you find it hard to stick with your calorie goal and food choices, cheat days are not the solution. The solution is choosing a slower rate of loss and making food choices you actually enjoy instead of banning your favorite foods.

I eat foods I like all the time, I am just mindful of quantities and proportions of those foods. Some days a higher calorie intake, some days lower, as long as the average is within my goal it's all good.

BilalAnjum

No

Actually in the earlier days of my plan i felt so uncomfortable but yesterday when I check weight it was two pound less then my actual weight. I wants to reduce sixty (60) pound in six months and cheat day is a hurdle for me in achieving my dream. That's why i ask this question. Your kind advise helped me a lot, Thank You.

IAmTheGlue

No

Think of calorie counting like finances. You have say 10,500 (7x 1500 ) calories to spend a week. Stay inside that goal and at the end of the week you’ll be fine, inside your deficit and losing weight.

Now like with your job, your budget can vary. Stay over? Get paid more. Those are you exercise calories, extra calories you can use to spend on treats or higher calorie foods. For example if you have a big expense coming up, maybe you would do some overtime. If you have a big night out coming up, cut back a little bit or be a little more active to make your budget work to still be in a deficit.

It’s easy to get in a binge/restrict cycle so be kind to yourself and listen to your body. If you are feeling ravenous and ready to eat the house, fatigued and have a headache, maybe you’re doing a too aggressive calorie cut. You have to keep on this forever so do something maintainable.

You can absolutely do this! Just keep paying attention to what you eat and how your body is responding.

Retroguy2000

No

Dieting is hard mentally and physically. It's understandable you need a break. Sometimes your body will be telling you that. The term "cheating" isn't helpful in this context though. The word means you're cheating someone else to get ahead, but in this context it potentially means bingeing, maybe not tracking for a day, perhaps undoing all the hard won progress from the previous week and ultimately leading to quitting the effort.

Just the fact that you use words "strict" and "cheat" suggests to me that you may be aiming for too high a deficit during the rest of the week. It's all about long term calorie deficit, and how best you manage that for yourself is up to you.

If you plan to have an off day, at least continue tracking. Make substitutions where possible. For example I like the fried chicken from a fast food place near me, which I'll have once every few weeks. I used to get the standard meal which includes sauce, fries and a small bun. Now I ignore the sauce and bun, and exchange the fries for mashed potato. Tonight we're having takeout Chinese food, and since I know the entree is filling and calorie heavy, I'll pass on the soup starter that I'd otherwise also have. Get a good workout that day too if you can, which banks you several hundred calories to use and maybe puts you in the mindset to still make reasonably healthy food choices. Basically you'll be banking calories from the previous week to use that day, while still being in a weekly deficit.

Another option is to be consistent with your efforts for say 3-16 weeks, then have a maintenance phase of 1-2 weeks, i.e. return to maintenance levels. That way, your body gets a chance to reset, you can refresh mentally, while still tracking and eating generally good quality food though. During the calorie restriction phase, you can hopefully stick to it because you know it will end soon.

Have a read of this about maintenance phases.

https://www.fortitudenutritioncoaching.com.au/blog/maintenance-phases

BilalAnjum

No

Conclusion of the Post

springlering62 #Pick a slower rate of loss and make it less unbearable. Learn new habits that will be sustainable long after you reach goal, or you’ll find yourself here making a “Back Again!” post.

ninerbuff #Cheat means you're doing something you're NOT supposed to. Personally I don't endorse "cheat" days because I think you should be able to eat anything you want. You just have to be RESPONSIBLE for the calories you take in.

Lmercado441 #Portion control and responsible eating is the best thing

Lietchi #Ten times springlering62 !

cmriverside #Binge/restrict cycles are hard to break. If you're someone who likes to eat 4000 or 6000 calories a day, that's a whole different problem and that will take a different strategy.

Lietchi #I eat foods I like all the time, I am just mindful of quantities and proportions of those foods. Some days a higher calorie intake, some days lower, as long as the average is within my goal it's all good.

IAmTheGlue #Think of calorie counting like finances. You have say 10,500 (7x 1500 ) calories to spend a week. Stay inside that goal and at the end of the week you’ll be fine, inside your deficit and losing weight.

Retroguy2000 #The term "cheating" isn't helpful in this context though.

Hiawassee88

No

How much of your weekly progress are you willing to give up?

How to sabotage yourself: Restrict for 7 days and then reward yourself with a food lollapalooza.

lauraesh0384

I personally don't engage in cheat days. I allow myself to eat pretty much anything in moderation. I went to a birthday party for my daughter's friend today. I had pizza and cake and felt no guilt and didn't feel like I was cheating. I was able to work it into my calories by having a lighter dinner. I think cheat days just undo all the progress you made if you treat it as a free for all.

threewins

No

The concept of a "cheat day" is bizarre. You want to cancel a week of weight loss in one day? Isn't that way you got big in the first place? By eating too much?

springlering62

I love junk food, too. That’s how I found myself obese.

Sorry this turned out to be a very long -and probably boring- post.

The benefits of losing the weight far “outweigh” (ha!) the joy of eating junk food. I won’t lie. It took me a while to get to the point I didn’t miss it and crave it.

I do build some room in my calorie budget for “junk”, otherwise I’d go nuts.

I am two or three years into maintenance. Tastes change, and I’m always adjusting what I eat.

Sunday mornings we always take the dog for a ride in the convertible to go get a giant Apple fritter doughnut. It’s a big event for the dog. Lately, even the fritter has been too much. This morning I found myself choosing a smaller doughnut, and had some cottage cheese with a crumbled protein bar to go with it.

Obese me would have gone buck wild and had the apple fritter plus several other gourmet doughnuts, too. Maintenance Me looked madly forward to that single fritter, until all of a sudden, something that big is just gross.


I guess what I’m saying is, be honest and put everything in your diary. Can you make changes? Substitutions? A little here and a little is what made us overweight, but shaving a little here and a little there can also help us lose weight.

It sounds silly, but I missed ice cream. Early on, I accidentally figured out how to make a nutritious smoothie that tasted just like a Frosty, a chocolate ice cream shake from a popular fast food restaurant. I ate my smoothie twice a day. Creating a nutritious, low cal substitute that tasted like a treat was life changing.

I realized I was drinking a gallon of milk every three days. I gave up drinking milk for eating cottage cheese and yogurt. More satisfying to eat than drink. (If only I could figure out how to make a low cal paneer!!!)

I love chocolate passionately. I can’t keep milk chocolate in the house. I get the darkest, bitterest chocolate I can find. Usually, an ounce or two is plenty to satisfy me. Much less risky than milk chocolate.

I keep few treats in the house, and those are based on calories. Meringues, lower calorie ginger and lemon thin cookies, low calorie crackers and sardine spread.

“Treats” nowadays are fruit with cottage cheese, jerkies, protein bars, low calorie yogurt mousse, air popped popcorn, and homemade low cal ice creams. Because I trained my tastes to change-slowly- I’d rather have these than junk food.

Last night we experimented making shawarma. I cut and changed ingredients wherever I could to cut calories. It wasn’t perfect, but it was still pretty darn good. My husband, who is also on MFP, was staggered that he had a giant filling meal with ten ounces of chicken for well under 500 calories.

I learned I can brown meats and vegetables perfectly well in a super hot skillet. When baking, applesauce is a low cal substitute for oil. We don’t miss the oil. I got a new bottle of oil yesterday because my old bottle is going rancid from lack of use.

Recognize your weaknesses, and be willing to experiment. Yes, it may feel like you’re giving up tastes and “mouth feel” (foods cooked in oil”, for example) but on the other hand, your taste buds, beaten down by years of junk food will revive. Foods will start tasting so much better.

Strawberrries, cherries and oranges are revelations now. For years I could barely taste them and never bothered to eat them as a result. Now, they are so sweet, it’s almost painful to eat them.

And finally, your goal of ten pounds a month is very very ambitious unless you are well into obese range, as I was, and you mind your calories strictly, and work out a lot. I actually increased my calories quite a bit during this period and kept losing weight. But I stuck like glue to the calorie budget.

It’s possible, but the rate of loss will slow about month four or five. It will feel like you were galloping along and then hit a brick wall and everything stopped. It didn’t. It just slows. The lower your weight, the harder it is to lose more.

Be patient and be kind to yourself.

kshama2001

talk2bilal77 wrote: »

Actually in the earlier days of my plan i felt so uncomfortable but yesterday when I check weight it was two pound less then my actual weight. I wants to reduce sixty (60) pound in six months and cheat day is a hurdle for me in achieving my dream. That's why i ask this question. Your kind advise helped me a lot, Thank You.

60 pounds in 6 months is an overly aggressive goal if you would be at your ultimate goal weight after that loss.

1500 calories per day is the absolute minimum for a man, and only appropriate if you are very very short AND sedentary.

Hopefully you are exercising, at eating back your exercise calories.

This might be a helpful read for you. Replace "1200" with "1500" and "woman" with "man."

https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/

xrj22

A friend once told me that there is no such thing as a "cheat" day. Cheating is breaking the rules to give yourself an advantage or a benefit. You dont benefit from breaking rules on your diet. It just sets you back. They are "sabotage" days. Not cheat days.

AnnPT77

Eating uneven amounts, or different types of foods (even different perceived "goodnesses" of foods) on different days is fine, if that makes you happier.

Calling it a "cheat day", IMO, is just introducing a completely unnecessary amount of drama into the situation. Me, I don't like drama.

If the totality of your eating, over a period of time, is calorie appropriate on average, you'll achieve your weight management goals. A few days to a week is a reasonable time horizon, generally, IMO.

If "cheat day" means not counting calories that day, in a context where calorie counting is your weight management approach of choice, you're making your path more difficult, IMO.

When I was losing weight and in the early months of maintenance, I logged everything, even days when I was over goal, even if I had to estimate. It wasn't that hard, and I wanted to get a clear, data-based picture of my calorie needs. Now, in my 7th year of (mostly) logging, I don't log every single day, though I still log most of them. I've been maintaining a healthy weight for 6+ of those years, so I'm comfortable with my approach. "Cheating" is not in my vocabulary, when it comes to weight management.

I don't feel guilt or shame if I choose to eat over my goal calories, or even over my maintenance calories. It's just food, it's not some epic conflict of good and evil, sin and expiation. Guilt, shame - they burn no extra calories, feel icky. Why would I invoke that sort of thing?

YMMV.