Has anyone lost weight with 'cheat days'?

wriri7_x

I was wondering whether anyone has lost any weight with a cheat day once a week?
My day goes like-

EXAMPLE:
Small breakfast
Mixed kebab with chips for lunch
Milkshake in the evening
1 crisp and 1 chocolate and some sweets

I eat 1200 calories 6 days of the week, so will a cheat day hinder my weight loss?

blueboxgeek

I'm following a specific plan at the moment but in the past have alternated calories a little, allowing more at weekends and had success losing weight. My weigh in day was always Friday morning and Mon - Friday I would stick to around 1300 calories, and then over the weekend I would allow around 1700 - 1800 calories.

I just made sure that I hit a good amount of protein, plus fruit and veggies and then would allow maybe 400-500 calories of "junk" whether that be higher calorie foods that I avoid to stay within my goals during the week (such as chips or pizza) or it would sometimes be a bar of chocolate and a glass of wine.

Of course it will have an impact on your weight loss, but just allowing a few hundred calories more won't be a massive impact, and I think for some people, it can be benefitial to have this treat to look forward to and can help you stay on plan better during the week.

I would also switch about it needed. For instance if I was going out with friends for a meal during the week I would have the extra calories on that day instead of the weekend.

DancingMoosie

Yep, I've lost all the weight I wanted to while eating out every weekend. Just make sure that you are at a deficit for the week as a whole. You can always cut you calories back the day before, or do an extra workout to "earn" extra for your "cheat" day.

WhyLime113

Definitely not gonna hurt, since you eat seems way too low most days. A cheat day would probably be beneficial.
I'd actually recommend increasing your calories intake because 1200 is too little for most people (but hey, you might be good for that, I don't know your specs). Even then you could fit a cheat day no problem.
As long as you stay close to your deficit the extra calories one day shouldn't hurt you.

elliej

It's not a 'cheat' if it fits your macros. Eat what you want but in small quantities or work your butt off at the gym to 'earn' it.

animatorswearbras

I eat about 1400-1500 Mon - Fri cheat with booze and a bit extra food on Saturday then usually with naughtier food again on Sunday (maybe 2000 day sat and sun on average). I have under 20 pounds to lose but lose on average 1 pound a week.

I have my settings set to sedentary and half a pound loss a week but I think I'm possibly more in the lightly active zone as that would explain how I'm losing faster when I "cheat" every weekend.

I find that it's not exactly cheating but not worrying as much about my macros on a weekend if I'm invited out keeps me sane (I try to still be healthy but I don't want to stop having meals and a few drinks with friends on a weekend) This works for me and fits in with my lifestyle and I still manage to lose so I give the odd cheating the thumbs up. However if I was having a boring weekend in I'd probably try to keep in 1400 cal range, my cheats are more flexible than set in stone, I just try to have more good days than bad if that makes sense

Oscarinmiami

earn your cheat day with lots of excercise

BoxerBrawler

I typically keep my daily calories around 1000 to 1100 a day. About once a week I overload on healthy treats and snacks and go up to about 1400 (still lower than my weight loss daily calorie requirement I know). I have found that as long as I carry a deficit and I am consuming mainly lean protien and veggies that one or even two high calorie high carb "Treat" days or nights don't hinder my weight loss at all. I have around 10 lb's to go. Good luck Just keep it all within your calorie range for the day or the week.

Laughter_Girl

It has worked for me thus far. Saturdays are my free day. On that day I'm mindful not to overeat, savor every bite, aim to get my protein/veggies, drink plenty of water, and log everything I eat. Ultimately, you'll have to find the method your body best responds to.

Wishing you the best on your journey.

gregpack

It depends on how you define "cheat day". How many calories are you gonna eat?

I know some guys will eat just a "cheat meal"- and go eat 6000 calories at a chinese buffet, then wonder why they're not losing fast enough or at all.

I couldn't have a reasonable "all day cheat day" but I used to have one "cheat meal" a week. That day's calorie total ended up being just a little bit over maintenance,

For you, one day a week at or just a bit above maintenance would probably be beneficial in you reaching your long term goal.

martyqueen52

Cheat days are idiotic.

If you let yourself go and eat WHATEVER, WHENEVER you can easily surpass 3,500 calories from high calorie foods and gain fat, fast.

Incorporate IIFYM lifestyle and eat what you want as long as it fits your macros to avoid "cheat" days which technically are binge days that set you way back.

cebreisch

My dad liked having a cheat day. He said even God took a day off on Sunday. He felt like if he was good all week, then he could "relax the rules" on one day. He said when it got to his cheat day, the stuff he wanted he could get by with having a "reasonable amount" - and ended up having less of it than he might have if he had had it all week long.

I know a lot of people swear by them, but I'm not sure it's for me. I would tend to go "wild" with it and would go way overboard.

If you can loosen the reigns a little without going overboard, then great - give it a try and see if it works for you. I would approach it cautiously though.

MamaFunky

I couldn't have a reasonable "all day cheat day" but I used to have one "cheat meal" a week. That day's calorie total ended up being just a little bit over maintenance,

I was getting ready to say the same thing...instead of a cheat day...have a "cheat meal". If I know we are going to eat mexican one night, I just eat smart for breakfast and lunch and then enjoy my dinner with no guilt. You have to find a healthy balance. I don't really like the term "cheat day". Try to make healthy choices the majority of the time and those times you feel like a "cheat" meal, snack, etc. will be fine.

KristinaB83

On the weekends I tend to go a little crazy... sometimes going up to like 4,000 cals or so... But I've lost weight every week.

tlcarolinagirl

I don't have a cheat day but once a week I have a cheat meal. By that, I mean, I have some fries or maybe some mayo on my sandwich. Nothing crazy, but I usually eat 1600ish calories that day as opposed to the 1200. I have lost 20 pounds since December 1st doing this.

BoxerBrawler

Yes, agree with the two above me. A cheat "meal" is better than a cheat day.

Personally if I try to do a cheat day I'll just end up binging all day long and the healthy stuff turns into the bad stuff quickly! However, either Friday or Saturday night my husband and I have dinner out. Somewhere extravagant and pretentious haha. I'll typically stick to healthier choices but get whatever I want from an appetizer to dessert.

denny_menter

It has worked for me, but I have to watch it that I don't go overboard. I've been logging in MFP and programs like it for years now and I have a good estimate for what I eat even when I don't log. On an off day, I still weigh whether that bowl of ice cream is worth a 4 mile run to work it off. I can't help it!

I look at it more like a "don't log" day than a cheat day.

GBrady43068

It's not a 'cheat' if it fits your macros. Eat what you want but in small quantities or work your butt off at the gym to 'earn' it.

QFT. This ^

Honestly, I don't worry about going over my day by 200-300 calories once or twice a week because there's a built-in calorie deficit AND I usually am "planning" for it...I already know I want to eat out, get Ben and Jerry's, whatever...so I take it easier on the meal or two before it that day and hit the gym harder to try and "earn" it. So far, I've kept losing a modest amount (1-2 pounds) all but one week since October. (The one week was the week of Christmas day if you're wondering )

sandhusaab16

I have lost weight with cheat snacks or meal...however they were fit in my diet plan

csmccord

I have a cheat meal. I do my weigh-ins Friday mornings. So Friday evening is my cheat meal. My wife and typically go out Friday night for dinner, so that is my one meal to throw caution to the wind and make poorer choices. Now, that doesn't mean that I'll go absolutely nuts and go to a buffet and pack down a few thousand calories while stuffing myself until I can't walk.

What this means is that if I want to get fries and a greasy burger, I'll do it, because that's my favorite food. Will I still log the calories? Yes because I feel it's important to be honest with yourself. Plus, you get to see just how expensive those foods really are. I'll typically skip the bread, and get a side salad with some low-cal or healthier dressing such as a vinaigrette.

I've lost all my weight, while still having a cheat meal each week. But, I don't view it as cheating really. I plan that meal out as I do most others, and I still log the calories. It's typically the only day that I go over my calorie goals, even after exercise. I find that this one meal is enough to satisfy my cravings for the "bad" food for the majority of a week. I think it's important to indulge every once in awhile. If you don't, you get damn tired of eating the healthier stuff. Yes, some people can get away without doing it, but it worked for me.

rockmama72

I could never get the hang of losing weight until I got rid of the concept of cheating and started thinking of weight loss as a game of balance. I eat more calories when it's worth it, like a really good Italian dinner or a big fat steak. Of course they have more calories and will add to my totals. Who cares though? If I do it like this I won't give up on my plan just because I think I blew it by cheating.

somefitsomefat

Let's be frank about this. Cheat days keep you thinking like a fat person. It's the same "I love food so much and it's so important to me that I need to have as much of it as possible to make me feel good." Just my two cents. As a couple people have said, just work the foods enjoy in to your regular diet. Also, try to address why you feel like you need a whole day to pig out.

kr1stadee

At 1200 calories a day, you're creating a massive deficit. Having a cheat day will not hinder anything.

You may fluctuate a little with water retention but you won't gain fat, especially with eating so little to begin with.

AbstractSilver

Actually, eating at or above maintenance on occasion has helped me break past some plateaus. I'm not sure if there is any hard science to back it up, but if I haven't lost weight in weeks, if I let myself go WAY over one day I always, without fail, lose a pretty large number at that week's weigh in. I've heard people hypothesize that extended calorie cutting lowers leptin levels, and that having a day where you allow your body to eat whatever it craves can 'reset this'. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but it totally works for me. Now, I only do this every 2-3 weeks. Allowing myself to eat massively over my maintenance level on a weekly basis would probably not work out so well.

EDIT: Don't be freaked out if you see a gain right after this. Normally I gain for 1-3 days and then have a huge 'whoosh' and end up way lower than I was before the cheat day.

feltlikesound

No cheat days here. If I want to eat something crazy, like my favourite calorie-crazy pasta dish at our favourite restaurant, I work my butt off to ensure it won't throw me off. On an average day, as we go to the gym near-daily, If I WANT fries, or cake, or what ever, I can choose to fit it in.

I think cheat days set up a cycle of feeling like you're dieting/depriving, with food as a REWARD. I don't want food to serve as a reward in my life, or my fitness journey to seem like the enemy that I finally get to ignore on cheat day.

Jordancsmith99

What i do, rather than have a 'cheat' day, is have what I call a maintenance day once a week (sometimes twice). This is where I would eat my maintenance calories (2500) rather than 1500. This allows me to go out for a meal and not worry about what I eat, or maybe have a large bag of sweets or something like that, plus you don't have the guilt of thinking your cheating.

kdsp2911

I believe its all about establishing a healthy relationship with food. Food is not the enemy. You have to make good, mindful choices everyday but you also have to allow yourself to live life. If you go over, move on. One bad day isn't going to ruin all your progress. I personally try to incorporate something I really like, but account for it elsewhere. *See advice above about working out to earn extra or only "going over" once a week or once a meal* We have to break out of the mentality that food is the enemy, overcome our unhealthy relationships with food, and build good and lasting healthy habits. It's life, and no one is perfect.

MVY_

I don't know. I have cheat days and I eat whatever is in my calorie goal...ppl reccommend eating healthy and with more nutrition so that you are benefiting your body. However, I have seen a lot of body builders after a while have a cheat day where they eat more so that their metabolism kicks in to gear to burn all that off.

Cheat days are not bad as long as you have it in moderation! Don't get upset about cheating...

lexbubbles

I 'cheat' about once a week, but the day moves around. Last week it was on Friday because I knew I'd be going out to Ed's Diner with my housemate.

However I also knew my meal would come in at like 1,600cals which is more than my daily cal intake (especially when you factor in breakfast!) so I had a double workout day and still ended up under my MFP 'goal'

The week before that we ordered in pizza. I didn't double workout and just let it slide - although I did go under my cals a bit for the rest of the week to rein it in.

Still losing about 1.25lb - 1.5lb a week.

chani8

I save up cals during the week so that I can eat extra on the weekend.

catylina71

Do more exercise on days you know you will be eating more so that you will not go over your calorie count. that is what i do. also as others have said, i am still sensible about what i eat, but i eat the foods i have been craving. just in the right portion amounts. like i might put mayonnaise on something or have some pizza or a burger or a good Italian dinner, maybe order Chinese. of course not all on the same day. i usually only do it for dinner one night a week. usually Friday night.