Is it necessary to have a cheat 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.