Cheat Days

breakyoface

So I am new to this..3 weeks only and so far I have been very strict with my diet. I was wondering though if you do happen to over eat on your calories..does it do much damage?

corgarian

It only does as much damage as you allow it to.

If you go over your calories one day, just eat slightly below your calorie allowence during the rest of the week to offset it.

Murph1908

Though the diary is split out in one-day segments, you don't have to be perfect every day.

3500 calories is what it takes to lose one pound. That -averages- to 500 per day, and that's what your daily goal is based on for 1 pound of loss per week.

So if you go over one day, just make it up over the next few days. No big deal. I usually go over my daily goal every Saturday when my wife and I go out to eat, but I am under goal on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I play basketball to cover it.

To answer more specifically, "does it do much damage?" It does no damage at all if you offset those calories at some point before or after that day.

It does the exact caloric damage if you don't make it up. If you eat 350 calories over your goal and don't burn it soon, you've done 0.1 pound worth of damage.

That 0.1 pound will either be expected weight loss not realized (if you ate over your deficit goal) or 0.1 pound gained (if you ate over your maintenance number).

brinabj

I'M PRETTY STRICT ON THE WEEK DAYS SO I CAN ENJOY THE WEEKEND A LIL MORE I STILL DON'T GO TO OVER BOARD AS LONG AS YOU GET RIGHT BACK ON TRACK AND I ALSO STILL WORK OUT DURING THE WEEKEND TO GIVE MY SELF EVEN MORE CALS TO PLAY WITH AND I STILL LOSE WEIGHT EVEN WITH MY CHEAT DAY (SATURDAY).

iPlatano

Remember that your metabolism slows down with time while dieting and you want to lose that weight fast before it keeps slowing itself. Cheat days should never be done if your goal is lose weight. Most people can gain 0.5 pounds after having their cheat day, which stops them from reaching their goal weight! Have a cheat meal once a week.

asciiqwerty

my promise to myself is to log everythign accurately, and to try to be below my goal over the week

so when I want chocolate/ice-cream/biscuits/desert i do and I log

there is not point missing out on what you want, it's all about having what you want in moderation and balancing it with excercise when you can

for me anyway - i am not interested in yo-yo dieting, I want to get healthy and keep the weight off, not condemn myself to missing out on all my favourite foods for hte rest of my life as I know that won't work!

BlueBombers

No

deidrahall

I've wondered about this myself. I've read that one cheat meal is okay. That it actually shocks your body. I'm on a 1200 cal a day with workouts 5 days a week. So I'm going to try one cheat meal on Saturdays. See what happens. I guess after awhile on a low cal diet your body starts to hold onto the calories thinking it might not get more instead of burning them off. So the cheat meal throws your body off and keeps it burning the calories. I won't go overboard though. I'm not drinking any wine during the week like I used too ( which I love ) so will incorporate 1 glass on Sat too. I guess some people make it a whole day of cheating but I don't think that's wise. One meal seems reasonable to me. I think all our bodies are different so it might just have to be on a individual bases.

bellaa_x0

i have lost almost 40lbs on my own and am now working with a coach to cut body fat and possibly compete in a bikini competition. per his instruction, if its not on my meal plan don't eat it. however, i am allowed to have 1-2 cheat meals a week (best options being sushi/steakhouse) and should limit "BAD" cheats to once a week. even if i wasn't under his guidance, i would never do an entire cheat day. it would throw me off track too much, not to mention probably end up making my body feel terrible.

thavoice

So I am new to this..3 weeks only and so far I have been very strict with my diet. I was wondering though if you do happen to over eat on your calories..does it do much damage?

It wont do much damage if you dont go way over. REmember.....one bad meal/day didnt make you fat just like one good day/meal wont make you skinny.

I would suggest doing away with a cheat DAY and go toward a cheat MEAL. A cheat DAY can really go overboard and undo alot of what you did for the week. A cheat MEAL is a better option in my opinion.

When I do a cheat meal it is usualy the day of a morning weigh in and I just wait to eat until dinner and then have whatever I want. When you do it that way it is less likely you will blow over your calories

deidrahall

Looks like a few of us here agree on the one cheat meal a week is okay.

Xingy01

Don't think of it as cheating. If you can't sustain your diet, then eat at maintenance for a few days or a week until you're ready to get back at it. No damage will be done. You'll be able to pick back up where you left off. It will take a little longer to lose the weight, but it will be easier.

_KitKat_

I hate looking at it like cheating, cheating on what? If you are changing your eating habits then the things you enjoy need to be included. Otherwise it will be impossible and not fun to continue. The key word is moderation, there are no BAD foods just things that may cost you a little more calories without filling you up, just adjust around it if it is something you want. Denying yourself pleasure is a great way to set yourself up to fail. If you do have a day that you slightly go over, adjust your other days. If you blow a day out of the water. Just start the next day over and maybe learn that excess can cost you time on your goals. It is very unhealthy to look at food as an enemy that must be controlled and that you cheated on anything. Naturally fit people just eat when hungry and stop when full they have moderation.