How often do you have a cheat day?

cw106

i dont understand the term " cheat day". to begin with.
i take it as an american term?
have searched forum. no firm explanation or definition.
anyone can clarify please?

rgdelacruz43

When I eat something like a chocolate bar, I call it a cheat day. But I make sure I'm still within my daily goal lol.

GatorDeb1

Never. I like what I eat, no need to cheat on it.

GatorDeb1

I never feel the urge to cheat because I already know every Sabbat I will go higher on calories in order to trick my body and avoid a plateau. Just one day a week, no more no less. Never had a plateau to this day with this method. It may not work for everyone though.

Uhm, you know that's actually THE definition of a cheat meal lol

SXMEnrico

I have refeed days usually coupled with high volume workouts. Other than that I'll have a high carb treat if I feel my glycogen stores are depleted.

amusedmonkey

Depends on how you define "cheating", but whither it means fast food, sweets or higher calorie food in general, I have a "cheat day" when the thing I feel like or happen to eat on any given day happens to fall into that category. I rarely have planned days unless there is a certain event or outing. If "cheating" means going over maintenance, then my answer is the same as before, but it happens much less often. I'm usually pretty successful at comfortably keeping it under maintenance.

CJisinShape

Hi new friend!

I never have a cheat day if by that you mean a day you do not log. I don't try to meet calorie goals on a day by day basis, rather I balance them over the week. That gives flexibility for anything I want on a given day and go a little under on others. Not logging means you stick your head in the sand, cross your fingers and hope you don't undo all the deficit you worked hard to achieve. Makes no sense to me.

Plus it reinforces the negative idea that eating sensibly with a moderate deficit is something unpleasant you need a break from. Although Im now on a generous goal on my last couple of kg to loss, I never suffered on less, I ate great and gave nothing up.

I like this answer.

DawnieB1977

Once a week I have a 'treat day' where I have some cake or something, but stay within calories, and maybe once a month I have a day when I go over calories. I never eat exercise calories so have a big deficit for the week anyway.

bigsistruck

I have a cheat MEAL once a week while losing weight, and in the past when I was maintaining I would have a cheat DAY once a week. I never gained weight from doing it and I went pretty crazy on the cheat day. That being said, I would eat pretty low on the weekdays (1,000 calories a day) but I made sure they were good calories and knowing I had a cheat day coming up every week kept me on track.

drepublic

CHEAT MEAL BRAH....not cheat day.

Better to have the Cheat MEAL at night...as if you do it earlier in the day you or more likely to turn the cheat meal into a cheat day. Also make the meal last 45 mintues or less. If you are weight training and have been low carbing it (depending on your particular goals), you may opt for a higher carb meal...though i wouldn't go crazy on fat. Like you wouldn't normally eat an entire pizza or an entire box of donoughts in a meal would you? Don't binge...make it a meal...and you'll be fine.

I have cheat meal with my family or make it date night with the wifey once a week. For us it is Saturday night and it takes the place of meal 5 and meal 6 for me. I am on a structured meal plan so this gives me something to look forward to. Although...Friday is Donought Night in that I pound a few doughnuts after my evening leg workout so those carbs have some place to go (carb backloading).

Hope this helps.

cw106

i dont understand the term " cheat day". to begin with.
i take it as an american term?
have searched forum. no firm explanation or definition.
anyone can clarify please?

Cheat Day...hmmm....Western term perhaps? "Cheating" during a diet means eating foods you are not supposed to have due to the very high calories, sometimes "empty calories" as with most junk food or sweets..usually loaded with sugar, carbs or fat. But sometimes it might be necessary to break a daily calorie pattern as to avoid reaching a plateau. I wouldn't say I "cheat" but I make sure to never eat the same amount of calories on a weekly basis. The human body is amazingly smart and can adapt itself to a daily calorie intake fairly quick.

thanks.

nicsflyingcircus

Never. I may have days where I go over my calories or don't meet my macros, but I don't believe in "cheating" on my "diet". I just eat, mindfully most of the time, log whatever it is and move on.

ETA: And by go over my calories, I mean the limit I have set in my diary, which is below my BMR. I've never gone over TDEE since I began, and rarely if ever over BMR, heh.

And no freaking out, I have 137lbs of body fat to metabolize :grumble:

KylaDenay

NEVERRRRRRRRRR!!!! Eat what I want daily and make it fit

mygnsac

A "cheat" meal (whatever that may mean to you) once a week should not affect your overall progress. Personally, I don't set aside a cheat day or cheat meal. I follow the 80/20 rule, closely monitor my 2-week trend and adjust accordingly.

AglaeaC

Cheating implies dishonesty, faking, and other negative things to me. I don't want such energy sucks in my life, so I aim for moderation every day, every week, and every month.

wubbykid

Once a month!

LaReinaDeCorazones

Never nope, I try and make everything fit, and if I go over every once in a while I don't stress cuz it rarely happens.

cmpnaz

I have a cheat once very 2 weeks ... A half a small bowl of Tortilla chips and salsa and a Bowl of Chili Colorado ( red chili ), no tortillas, from my favorite Mexican food restaurant. The chips are my cheat !