The infamous "cheat day"

sickscorpion12

The cheat day. The one day per week/two weeks/month/etc where there's no regard for a healthy lifestyle. It's all about pizza, beer, chocolate, and football....

I've heard and read contradicting information regarding the ol' cheat day. Some say it's beneficial. Some say it's detrimental. Some say it doesn't matter, because it implies you're on a diet. What are your thoughts?

ThePlight

I decided to not make it a cheat day. If I want something, gosh darn it, I will have it.
I just have to make sure to put it into my calorie intake for the day, but I WILL have it.

Mr_Knight

The cheat day. The one day per week/two weeks/month/etc where there's no regard for a healthy lifestyle.

That sure isn't *my* definition of a cheat day. Doing that once a week is a great way to undo a week's worth of deficits.

Llamapants86

I look forward to special occasions where I don't have to track what I have eaten. Those happen only on big family dinner days (Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter). It is just too much to have to try to track what I eat at those. I will also decide that I am going to let myself have a treat and track it. Those happen pretty often and usually don't screw up my calorie count too badly.

MB_Positif

I don't plan them. The times that I have gone overboard I have usually been 200-500 calories over maintenance and I figure that is fine considering I am under more often than I am over like that.

sickscorpion12

That sure isn't *my* definition of a cheat day. Doing that once a week is a great way to undo a week's worth of deficits.

What's your definition of a cheat day?

I look forward to special occasions where I don't have to track what I have eaten. Those happen only on big family dinner days (Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter). It is just too much to have to try to track what I eat at those. I will also decide that I am going to let myself have a treat and track it. Those happen pretty often and usually don't screw up my calorie count too badly.

How often? Having a candy bar when you have a few extra calories to spare?

I've heard that you need to let your body know, every now and then, that you're not always in deficit mode. Otherwise you may trigger starvation mode. But I figure if you trigger that starvation mode, you'd know it by maintaining or even gaining weight.

lil_lizt

I have a cheat day, where I allow myself to eat whatever I like for one meal, or a few drinks. I do workout harder that day and the following day. For me, it keeps me eating healthy the rest of the time as I have that day to look forward to where I can have my fav foods (like pizza! Lol). I know it doesn't work for everyone, but it does for me. I've read in some places that it can speed up weight loss but I forget why and I'm not sure if its true or not though. I've lost weight a few times before falling off the wagon off various reasons and always done the same and it works for me and keeps me on track. I rarely eat or drink to excess on that day though

BrendaLee

It works for me.

colortheworld

I have 'cheat days' on special events like family get togethers that don't happen too often. I've found that even though I consider it a cheat day, my eating habits have changed to the point I rarely go over maintenance.

Mr_Knight

That sure isn't *my* definition of a cheat day. Doing that once a week is a great way to undo a week's worth of deficits.

What's your definition of a cheat day?

Eating at maintenance/TDEE without paying attention to my macros, and logging it.

"Starvation mode" as you're using it doesn't exist.

Llamapants86

That sure isn't *my* definition of a cheat day. Doing that once a week is a great way to undo a week's worth of deficits.

What's your definition of a cheat day?

I look forward to special occasions where I don't have to track what I have eaten. Those happen only on big family dinner days (Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter). It is just too much to have to try to track what I eat at those. I will also decide that I am going to let myself have a treat and track it. Those happen pretty often and usually don't screw up my calorie count too badly.

How often? Having a candy bar when you have a few extra calories to spare?

I've heard that you need to let your body know, every now and then, that you're not always in deficit mode. Otherwise you may trigger starvation mode. But I figure if you trigger that starvation mode, you'd know it by maintaining or even gaining weight.

Yeah like a candy bar or a bowl of ice cream. I don't think I am at risk of going into starvation mode (I keep a deficit but a pretty small one), but it does help me keep to my deficit the rest of the time.

I also look at it as habits that I have to keep for the rest of my life and life without candy would just suck.

TheSlorax

I don't really need them. today AND yesterday I ate 600 calories worth of brownies for breakfast and managed to hit all my macros and come in under. boom.

Loasaur

I have a "cheat day" but it's not really a whole "day." I usually weigh-in every Monday, so I have my "cheat day" on Monday as well, so I have the rest of the week to "make-up" for my "cheat day." My "cheat day" is usually just something like, "Oh, hey, I'll have some extra potatoes at dinner today." or, maybe a soda instead of water, maybe a candy bar, maybe some beer. I don't go overboard and I don't consider these things I can't "have," but on Mondays, I have a little more than usual. :P I probably go over my deficit calories by 200-300 which I don't consider bad. It works for me so far.

MickeyCastello

I do a cheat day on Fridays only if I've lost any weight at all. I don't get real carried away though. I did this all the way through my journey and it must have worked, because I consistently lost a pound and a half a week.

sickscorpion12

I do a cheat day on Fridays only if I've lost any weight at all. I don't get real carried away though. I did this all the way through my journey and it must have worked, because I consistently lost a pound and a half a week.

Seems to be the common theme here I think. Thanks for summing that up. As long as you don't go overboard, a few hundred extra calories every now and then won't kill your efforts.

Rogsman

I thought about doing them, but don't think it's a good strategy for me. Not controlling food intake is what got me here to begin with, I feel like I need a target.

That said - I'll absolutely put the calorie calculators away on Thanksgiving and Christmas, eat whatever and however I want, not think twice about gaining 10 lbs those days. Then the next day the kitchen scale is back out and counting resumed.

So no routine "cheat" for me, but enjoy the holidays.

cppeace

When I was in the "I've lost 65lbs " zone a year and a half ago I got their allowing myself to go waaaaayyyyyyyy over calories one day a month. I logged them best I could but never worried about it. I lost just fine doiing so.
Kimmie

CMB1979

you may trigger starvation mode....

You can't trigger a myth into reality. lol

ladyzerlina

I do a cheat day every three months, but I do track it. I tell myself that if there's anything I want I have to walk to it to buy it, so that usually balances it out a little bit. Last time I had to walk for 3 hours to get to cinnabon and pizzaiolo lol, so I ended up only going to maintenance.

HaileyMarieOlson

I used to have my cheat days the same days as weigh-in ... I like doing my weigh-ins on Thursday, because for me it really breaks the week up. Like, weigh-in Thursday, weekend right after where I get to relax a bit, and then only four weekdays before I weigh-in again. It always really kept me on track, because by Monday I'm like, "Crap! Better work hard, weigh-in's only 3 days away!" Anyway, it meant my weekends I could be a bit more relaxed and I never saw it effect my weigh-in on Thursdays.

sickscorpion12

you may trigger starvation mode....

You can't trigger a myth into reality. lol

Well, you can start rumors and trigger a myth into reality, I guess.

But seriously, I have no idea what you're talking about. Unless of course you're talking about Chupacabra.