Cheat Days

Transformer711

Hi everyone. I just wanted to see what people thought of the idea of a 'Cheat Day', I've stayed away from them because I want to get used to my lifestyle change, but I'm thinking of adding one in. Currently, I have cheat meals where I have one treat then eat normally for the rest of the day.

What do cheat days actually involve? What can you eat on them? Is there a calorie limit? And do they hinder one's weight loss progress?

Any comments would be much appreciated

SezxyStef

sorry I can't help with this as I pretty much eat what I want when I want it...I just make it fit.

For me Cheat days indicate food is bad...and I don't believe that.

For example if I want pizza for supper I make sure I have room for it. If I want ice cream after supper I make room for it.

If I want beans and cornbread I eat it. I just eat reasonable portions of it.

Francl27

sorry I can't help with this as I pretty much eat what I want when I want it...I just make it fit.

For me Cheat days indicate food is bad...and I don't believe that.

For example if I want pizza for supper I make sure I have room for it. If I want ice cream after supper I make room for it.

If I want beans and cornbread I eat it. I just eat reasonable portions of it.

Not true. Cheating means going over your calorie goal by a lot... you could probably cheat eating a ton of veggies, and I don't think anyone would qualify them as 'bad'.

For me cheat days are just very dangerous. A meal.. fine. Worst case you'll be over by 500 over your TDEE or something... A day? You can erase your deficit for a week easily. So unless it's a very special day (like Holidays), really, it's not recommended. I had one last week end and I was over by a lot, but I still didn't have dinner, so it wasn't a total cheat day (or I could easily have eaten 5000 calories!).

SezxyStef

sorry I can't help with this as I pretty much eat what I want when I want it...I just make it fit.

For me Cheat days indicate food is bad...and I don't believe that.

For example if I want pizza for supper I make sure I have room for it. If I want ice cream after supper I make room for it.

If I want beans and cornbread I eat it. I just eat reasonable portions of it.

Not true. Cheating means going over your calorie goal by a lot... you could probably cheat eating a ton of veggies, and I don't think anyone would qualify them as 'bad'.

For me cheat days are just very dangerous. A meal.. fine. Worst case you'll be over by 500 over your TDEE or something... A day? You can erase your deficit for a week easily. So unless it's a very special day (like Holidays), really, it's not recommended. I had one last week end and I was over by a lot, but I still didn't have dinner, so it wasn't a total cheat day (or I could easily have eaten 5000 calories!).

What's not true?

Cheating means you did something bad...I don't feel going over calorie deficet is bad...

I have gone 1000 over my TDEE on days, 3000 over my goals some weeks...I am still steadily losing.

My point is "cheat" days aren't necessary, just eat food. If you want a burger eat the burger, if you want a piece of cake eat it...just make sure you make it fit.

Laughter_Girl

I don't like the word "cheat". It sounds so ugly. I call mine free days, and I have one weekly to keep me sane on this journey. :bigsmile: My free days happen every Saturday. Below is an outline of what my free days look like.

1. Eat a healthy breakfast as usual.
2. Head to church to get my praise & worship on.
3. Eat a healthy snack after church.
4. Eat a delicious late lunch with family & friends.
5.Stop eating when I feel satisfied.
6. Remember to eat my fruits & veggies.
7. Enjoy dessert if I want.
8. Drink at least my minimum 10 glasses of water.
9. Remember to enjoy the company more than the food.
10. Log everything I eat.

I hope this helps.

_jessicamarie_

The more I keep at this (and I have logged for over 315 days now) the less I feel the need for a whole cheat day. When I have an entire day of unchecked eating, I feel gross afterward - both physically and emotionally. If I absolutely have to have something, I have it, and I do my best to make it fit into my calories. If I go over for the day, at least I logged it all and kept myself accountable.

I feel, for me, having a built in cheat day wouldn't be a lifestyle change because then it would be a "every day but Saturdays when I eat ALL THE THINGS I wish I could Sunday through Friday" lifestyle. Which doesn't seem to me a lifestyle change, more of a diet.

Francl27

sorry I can't help with this as I pretty much eat what I want when I want it...I just make it fit.

For me Cheat days indicate food is bad...and I don't believe that.

For example if I want pizza for supper I make sure I have room for it. If I want ice cream after supper I make room for it.

If I want beans and cornbread I eat it. I just eat reasonable portions of it.

Not true. Cheating means going over your calorie goal by a lot... you could probably cheat eating a ton of veggies, and I don't think anyone would qualify them as 'bad'.

For me cheat days are just very dangerous. A meal.. fine. Worst case you'll be over by 500 over your TDEE or something... A day? You can erase your deficit for a week easily. So unless it's a very special day (like Holidays), really, it's not recommended. I had one last week end and I was over by a lot, but I still didn't have dinner, so it wasn't a total cheat day (or I could easily have eaten 5000 calories!).

What's not true?

Cheating means you did something bad...I don't feel going over calorie deficet is bad...

I have gone 1000 over my TDEE on days, 3000 over my goals some weeks...I am still steadily losing.

My point is "cheat" days aren't necessary, just eat food. If you want a burger eat the burger, if you want a piece of cake eat it...just make sure you make it fit.

We're just arguing semantics. I guess 'cheat' depends on how you look at it. I agree that for me there is no 'cheat' when it comes to food types, but going over my goal is definitely cheating. Does that mean it's going to derail me and stop my weight loss? Clearly not... but it's still cheating. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made a diary to follow in the first place.

Sylvitryinghard

I used to have a cheat day in a week but since Im eating for half of Africa then its just slowing down the progress...

liannexxx

Hey are you doing a cheat day or a cheat meal? I do 1 cheat meal a week but I try not to make it ridiculous x

christa279

I don't really like the idea of a "cheat day". When I've done it in the past, I ended up feeling guilty afterwards and it felt more like a planned binge. I guess it depends on what your overall goal is. If you are dieting so you can lose weight before bathing suit season, then I guess it could work. For me, I am changing my lifestyle so that I don't put the weight back on and I can be more healthy overall.

Currently I don't deprive myself of anything. If I want it, I make it fit. Saturdays I tend to go over the calorie limit set in MFP, but only by 100-200 calories, and I never make a big deal about it. The big thing for me is accountability and as long as I am being honest with myself and logging it, then I am good with it.

SezxyStef

sorry I can't help with this as I pretty much eat what I want when I want it...I just make it fit.

For me Cheat days indicate food is bad...and I don't believe that.

For example if I want pizza for supper I make sure I have room for it. If I want ice cream after supper I make room for it.

If I want beans and cornbread I eat it. I just eat reasonable portions of it.

Not true. Cheating means going over your calorie goal by a lot... you could probably cheat eating a ton of veggies, and I don't think anyone would qualify them as 'bad'.

For me cheat days are just very dangerous. A meal.. fine. Worst case you'll be over by 500 over your TDEE or something... A day? You can erase your deficit for a week easily. So unless it's a very special day (like Holidays), really, it's not recommended. I had one last week end and I was over by a lot, but I still didn't have dinner, so it wasn't a total cheat day (or I could easily have eaten 5000 calories!).

What's not true?

Cheating means you did something bad...I don't feel going over calorie deficet is bad...

I have gone 1000 over my TDEE on days, 3000 over my goals some weeks...I am still steadily losing.

My point is "cheat" days aren't necessary, just eat food. If you want a burger eat the burger, if you want a piece of cake eat it...just make sure you make it fit.

We're just arguing semantics. I guess 'cheat' depends on how you look at it. I agree that for me there is no 'cheat' when it comes to food types, but going over my goal is definitely cheating. Does that mean it's going to derail me and stop my weight loss? Clearly not... but it's still cheating. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made a diary to follow in the first place.

Im not arguing anything you said what I said was not true....so I asked what wasn't true.

Bry_Fitness70

I do occasional cheat meals, not entire cheat days.

Rosannajo88

IIFYM

I dont really understand the cheat day concept. Im not cutting anything from my diet because I LOVE FOOD, ALL THE FOOD, ALL THE TIME.

Also, wine.

If I want a bingetastic weekend then I make sure I work my *kitten* off and earn those extra calories so I can enjoy them and not get miserable with myself because I ate a whole cake instead of a finger of frosting (this has happened and will probably happen again). But then a magical thing happens when you are sweating on the couch unable to move, you think "dude, I just worked so hard for that deficit, I dont wanna waste it on rubbish food".

The best thing to do is to stop thinking your on a diet, you can break diets. You are changing your lifestyle, your not cheating if you just fancy having a naughty day, but its good to know you have earned it.

victoria_1024

The reason I have been loving MFP is because I haven't been feeling any need for a cheat day! I'm still eating yummy foods but reasonable portions. When we get Subway, I still get a cookie because I love their cookies. I just eat ONE instead of THREE, and I just am careful with the rest of my day so I don't go over. I really haven't felt restricted and it's been great!

Last weekend, I went to a party and did decide to be a little lax with my food. So I didn't measure anything and I took dessert and everything. I still tried to log what I ate the best I could, which I know wasn't perfect, but at least I had some general idea of how much I ate. That was as close to a "cheat day" as I've gotten.

martyqueen52

Hi everyone. I just wanted to see what people thought of the idea of a 'Cheat Day', I've stayed away from them because I want to get used to my lifestyle change, but I'm thinking of adding one in. Currently, I have cheat meals where I have one treat then eat normally for the rest of the day.

What do cheat days actually involve? What can you eat on them? Is there a calorie limit? And do they hinder one's weight loss progress?

Any comments would be much appreciated

Look up IIFYM

justal313

I don't take "cheat" days because I am not on a diet. If I want to eat more than is typical for me, I'll step up my exercise for the day.

Typcially I plan ahead and I can just re-jigger my day to make room for a beer or ice cream or salted caramel cheese cake or that 3rd slice of pizza. If I haven't planned ahead I just get more exercise and if I wind up over for they day, I go easy for the next few and it all balances out.

Thinking you are "cheating" will prompt you eat something "bad" and think since you already were bad that all bets are off for the rest of the day.

Stop thinking like you are on a diet and this all gets easier.

Change "I can't" to "I don't" or at least "I prefet not to" Once you think like that you've cracked the code.

SezxyStef

IIFYM

I dont really understand the cheat day concept. Im not cutting anything from my diet because I LOVE FOOD, ALL THE FOOD, ALL THE TIME.

Also, wine.

If I want a bingetastic weekend then I make sure I work my *kitten* off and earn those extra calories so I can enjoy them and not get miserable with myself because I ate a whole cake instead of a finger of frosting (this has happened and will probably happen again). But then a magical thing happens when you are sweating on the couch unable to move, you think "dude, I just worked so hard for that deficit, I dont wanna waste it on rubbish food".

The best thing to do is to stop thinking your on a diet, you can break diets. You are changing your lifestyle, your not cheating if you just fancy having a naughty day, but its good to know you have earned it.

You kinda miss the point. And, I get a little tired of people saying this. Some people want to eat MORE than their allotted calories. They don't want to earn them, they don't want ANY restriction. They just want a day to enjoy food. This site is filled with foodies. Some people really enjoy eating. They love it. They want it. It's easy for some people to talk like you, but others can't stand being restricted and they want a break from it.

I understand the idea of IIFYM, I practice it. But, some days, I say "*kitten* it. I just want to eat all the food". It happens. I used to have cheat days. Now I have non-logging days. No big deal, I hit my goals. So, pfffffttttt!

Actually I think you missed to point...a lot of us are foodies...and we enjoy our food everyday...not just "special days"

I don't "earn" calories as I am on TDEE so extra exercise doesn't matter.

I don't restrict myself from the food I enjoy and I eat as much as I can while still feeling comfortable..there is no point in eating so much you are in agony that is not a healthy relationship with food.

As for not logging...eh personal choice but you are not holding yourself accountable for those days...which is fine..some of us prefer to be accountable everyday.

Asheea

I don't like the word "cheat day". I use the word Free Meal. DH and I work hard M-S and Sunday is our Free Meal. We grab Sonic or something after church to eat with the kids. It's our family tradition. We have one free meal a week. Dinner is back to clean food.
It helps us stay on track because we're pushing ourselves to eat right so we can be rewarded with bad good food. We haven't quit our "diet" since we've incorporated the free meal. We're happy and have stuck with our diet and fitness journey for 298 days so far.

2013sk

If you want a cheat day - Put one in!!! Why not???

ALOT of people do - I do too, One day out of my week is normally really high - I think well why not, I eat pretty clean during the week, I am going to have one day to have whatever I want - Then I get back to normal, exercise and drink water as usual!

Your look forward to it - : )