Is it necessary to have a cheat day?

webdevsoup

... but now I have the help of 4 people. I am so pumped to get this weight OFF!

That's GREAT that you have friends to help you!!! Having other people to keep you accountable to your workouts is another great way to keep on the straight and narrow! Good for you!

bwogilvie

I don't have cheat days per se, but I think of my calorie goal in terms of the week, not the day. Some days I eat less than goal, especially if I've exercised a lot or if I'm not that hungry; other days I eat more. As long as I'm under my goal (or not too far over; I set my goal ambitiously) by the end of the week, I'm content.

Thinking of a weekly target allows indulgence (dinner out, or a cheese course) from time to time, while not thinking of it as cheating.

_HeartsOnFire_

No. I do not deprive myself of anything. It's about moderation not deprivation.

emjaycazz

I haven't taken one--It's an option depending on how comfortable I am over the longer term with maintaining my current body shape/profile. However, if a couple of slices of pizza fit into my overall weekly calorie or macro maximum, I go for it. My diary is open--I drink plenty of wine and eat plenty of chocolate and then some. It's just my current approach--I focus on the taste and experience rather than quantity.

wamydia

You'll hear lots of advice on both sides of this, but I think the answer to your question is that no, it isn't necessary to have a cheat day. It really depends on the individual -- you have to figure out what works for you.

I personally don't have a cheat day for two reasons. First, because I have worked very hard to create a sustainable lifestyle change. If I feel the need to take a day off from that lifestyle once a week or once a month or whatever, it's clear to me that I haven't succeeded in making a sustainable change. This is how I plan to live the rest of my life, so if I feel like I have to take regular breaks from it then I need to make some changes so that I no longer feel like I need to find an escape route from how I'm eating. Second, because it is shockingly easy to blow an entire week's deficit on just one day of bad eating. If you run a week's deficit to lose 1lb, that's 3500 calories. You can drink that back (and then some) in some of the Coldstone Creamery milkshakes. Or eat it back on a big meal at a steak house or an Olive Garden. If you eat the chocolate cake at Chili's for dessert, that's over 1000 calories just by itself. Point being that giving myself a license to eat whatever I want without counting could add up extremely fast and ruin all of my progress for the week. It's just not worth it. If I really want chocolate lava cake for dessert, I will make room in my calorie budget without wrecking everything else I've done and I'll be happy twice -- once for the cake and once for not breaking my eating plan.

triniechu

I'm on a very low carb diet and I do a lot of powerlifting. So a cheat day is a necessity for me! I eat so healthy for 6-7 days, that having a cheat day really isn't bad for me. With the diet I'm on, the carbs and sweets on my cheat days help me burn fat! It all depends on your goals.

stacyhaddenham

We use "cheat days" as our date nights so that we can try new places and not freak out if we find it impossible to stay under goal or figure out calorie count in something. That way our 2 nights a month when we set aside work, homework and all other concerns and focus strictly on us as a couple are remain stress free and fun.

That being said the rest of the time and even on those days we eat as healthy and balanced as possible. Lots of fresh fruits and veggies, lean proteins and whole grain carbs.

Looking at your diary, I would suggest something similar. Try eating healthy every day and then make taco bell and a soda a "cheat day". My wife is a huge soda addict so we bought a soda stream which allows us to control the amount of syrup and therefore the calories when she has soda. Now she is down to carbonated water and a squeeze of lemon or lime in it. Making it one of the best investments I have ever made. lol

MarioLozano16

You should at least have a refeed day

zacharydeveaux

It depends on your own perception. Everyone seems to approach their own weight loss with a varying amount of willpower, anxiety, self-control, etc. I had a lot of weight to lose - started at 296lbs. I'm still pretty much in a 'bulk weight loss' mentality and have been for the last 7 months or so. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've gone over my recommended calories for a day. So for me, a cheat day would have been a bad thing I think. The constant routine of watching my calories no matter what I think helped train my brain better to help keep this weight loss permanent. I don't make excuses as to why I "don't have time" to eat properly or to go to the gym. If I were to define a cheat day, I could see it devolving into a routine of 'this is the day I can be bad so I'm going to make it worth it'...and slowly I can see that turning into "well this week I'll have two cheat days but I'm sure it'll be fine because most days are better"....leading to " well this week is shot - I'll pick it up next week"....and so on. What I don't need to happen to me is a downward spiral, so I'll keep my routine as close to perfect as possible for as long as it takes to get my brain fully trained (though I think I've got it down now).

TheEffort

If you don't feel that a "cheat" day is necessary then it isn't necessary.

It's all about you at the end of the day.

SLLRunner

I joined MFP last month to get my weight back in order, and yesterday just so happens to be the very first day I did NOT go over my calorie intake since I joined. I was just curious on what everyone else thinks whether or not its necessary to have a cheat day. I feel like I've had a "cheat day" everyday for the last 2.5 years.

Not for me. I either go over my calorie count or I don't, and mostly I don't. However, when I started logging on MFP, I did go over a lot. It just takes time to adjust to a new lifestyle.

I also don't believe in cheat days because nothing is off limits, except for foods I am either allergic or intolerant to.

astrampe

Not to be a party pooper - but I'm a girl too - although eons older than you, and if I have to live on 1200 cals a day - with or without exercise - I will have a cheat year.....
I'm 179 and 5'8, and I lose on 1600 cals a day...and I have a cheat day once a week....

HeidiCooksSupper

Do what works for you.

We are not ON a diet; all of us HAVE a diet -- like all animals. Now, I had a diet that resulted in me weighing twice what I should. I am adjusting my diet to maintain a better weight. If your diet includes chocolate on Sunday afternoons (or whatever), so be it.

We each need to design a diet which gets us the results we want to have and those results include not only weight and health but a satisfying life as well. You get to decide whether you want to let an extra hot fudge sundae delay your attaining your weight goals. The only "cheating" is if you lie to yourself in the process that overeating won't delay weight loss.

KANGOOJUMPS

if you want one, have one.
if you want 6 , have them,
if you want none, then do that.

kyleekay10

I joined MFP last month to get my weight back in order, and yesterday just so happens to be the very first day I did NOT go over my calorie intake since I joined. I was just curious on what everyone else thinks whether or not its necessary to have a cheat day. I feel like I've had a "cheat day" everyday for the last 2.5 years.

I eat it if it fits my Macros.

Have I hit my carb, protein, fat and fiber goals (or am I VERY close to them)? Do I have some extra calories left over? Yup, I'm going to have that ice cream/cake/drink, etc.

I eat something junky every day. Works better that way for me.

Although, I usually go a little crazy on the weekends. But I still hit my weekly calorie goal despite that.

mamagooskie

nope it's not necessary, but I sure do like to have them occasionally. Gives me something to look forward to.

Deipneus

I joined MFP last month to get my weight back in order, and yesterday just so happens to be the very first day I did NOT go over my calorie intake since I joined. I was just curious on what everyone else thinks whether or not its necessary to have a cheat day. I feel like I've had a "cheat day" everyday for the last 2.5 years.

It's a highly individual thing. Some people swear by them but I never plan a cheat day. The custom began as a "cheat meal" and was expanded by others. I have days where I screw up but they aren't planned. I don't like thinking of this as some kind of test and so I don't see it as a "cheat". But hey, it works for some people.

KingRat79

Whether you have cheat days/meals is really about how you work. If it works for you and helps you to loose weight then that’s all that matters.

The key thing to remember is that your aim should be to be at a caloric deficit by the end of the week.

I personally would not do cheat days but rather cheat meals. In a whole day of cheating you could easily eat enough calories so that you are just never going to be able to make those calories back.

Ivey05131980

I need them for my sanity, not so much a whole day, per se, but yes, a eat/drink what I want meal about twice a month is nice!

morethanjustamomto4

I completely agree! My weakness is soda. If someone tells me I can't have it, that's the very first thing I think about and I can't get it off my mind. So of course, knowing me, one sip of it and I'm hooked again.
[/quote

LOL At least you have a specific weakness. :-) I wake up and go to bed thinking about food in general and when and what can I eat next. Well, that's what it was like when I first started MFP. I started almost two months ago. I still find myself thinking about food probably to much (sweet food especially). But I am getting better. :-) I do allow myself "cheat" times or I know I'll just blow this whole thing out of the water. BUT I don't MAKE myself have a cheat day. And if I know when that day might be I try hard to watch the food I eat the day before and after and do exercise those days. (my exercise right now is only riding my bike). Good luck to you!

ninerbuff

I cheat everyday, so no.

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

keflexxxx

after a prolonged period of caloric deficit, leptin levels in the body begin to drop. that's often the cause of stalling when losing weight. now many people use that as justification to eat even less, or do more cardio or w/e and that's not going to solve the problem; it'll just drive cortisol levels up. what DOES solve the problem is a day or two of eating at maintenance or a slight surplus to get leptin levels back to baseline

note how i haven't said anything specific about when you should do this, or how often; it depends on biochemical individuality & other things such as your bodyfat percentage, etc. for my part i do it once a week, but i wouldn't recommend that to someone who's obese.

whitebalance

No "cheat days" here. I'm maintaining now at a very slight deficit, but when I was losing I didn't do "cheat days" either. If I went over one day, I'd make sure I was under enough on other days that week to balance it out.

That said, my intake includes a great big cup of chocolate frozen yogurt nearly every day, plenty of satisfying protein and fat, and such tasty empty-calorie items as onion rings, chips, or fries once or twice a week. If I were losing, I'd probably pass on the empty-calorie stuff, but the yogurt would stay even if I had to accept a slower weight loss rate. It has calcium and protein and, more importantly, it keeps me from feeling deprived and resentful. I see way too many diaries of ladies who are utterly miserable on their 1200-calorie diets, go on a junk food bender, and hate themselves for a week... and then do it again. Might work for some people, but not sustainable for me.

dnamouse

I don't 'cheat'. I just sorta eat food. If that includes chocolate or pizza or cake, then so be it

I just don't sit down and eat the entire packet of Tim Tams any more

Donald_Dozier_50

I don't have "cheat days". If fits into my calories, I eat it. One shouldn't feel as if they are cheating if they have a slice of pizza. For me at least, this isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle. So there's no cheating, there's only moderation.

Totally agree

LillyBoots

I find the whole cheat day idea stupid, giving yourself license to eat crap or over eat is just counter productive. Occasionally we are all going to be in a position where smart healthy choices aren't there but that's no reason to throw away mindfull eating, you just do the best you can.

godisgood4

Hi my name is Kelly I would asked my personal trainer at the gym if I could cheat....and that would be on a holiday depending on what it is like pizza or ice cream not both for example

rainbow198

I plan out my relaxed meals and work it into my calories. Instead of having 4 slices of pizza, a breadstick or two and a coke like before, now I would have 2 slices of plain pizza, a big salad with lots of veggies and a water.

I was not willing to deprived myself and stop eating my favourite high calories foods for the rest of my life so I figured out how to substitute things. It's the sodium I need to watch however.

AegisAngel

I have known people that swore by their "cheat days" as the saving grace for their diets. I haven't been as lucky. I have found that I can't have cheat days because I go overboard. I am actively trying to lose weight right now so I figure I will add a random cheat day here and there once I am at my goal weight. :happy:

scode83

Mind if I hop on this thread and pose my own question?

I'd been doing purely fat loss and had a cheat day every Saturday. Although this was more of a cheat night and with some element of control (i.e. I'd only get in some things to satisfy a few cravings at a time but with moderate portions...a muffin, a small tub of ice cream).

Now I'm doing 'bulking' on weight training days and fat loss on non-weight training days. Can I still get away with my Saturday 'cheat night'? Should I perhaps have it on a weight training day instead? (Saturday is my rest day)

Personally I think it's nice to have one day a week where you can switch off and break the rules a little. It's good for the mind that you've got this to look forward to, as long as you don't obsess over it and on that day you don't binge. When I buy anything that I consider cheat food I only buy the small packs/things that come in small servings rather than industrial size.