The idea of Cheat Days doesn't make sense...

elisa123gal

I have a problem with the mind set that there is a difference between "dieting" "goal" " maintenance"…then add in cheat days and eating exercise calories back. It goes on and on… The more obsessed and painful we make getting fit..the more it never really happens.

So when I have a high calorie meal, i don't call it "cheating" …how about call it life.?. all I do is eat mindfully the next few days…workout a bit more the following days. what is the big deal?

About 15 days into my fitenss effort I made the choice to consider myself already at maintence. I'm going to eat healthy and workout forever..and practice balance. And that means knowing when to dial it back because I had a rich meal the night before.

As i look aroudn the gym at the totally fit people working out.. that's what they do.

JSE81

I don't cheat and I don't have any 'guilty pleasures' both those terms imply I'm doing something wrong. Instead, I eat whatever the hell I want, every damn day, as long as it fits my calories. Some days are healthier than others but I always find room for chocolate or cake

Exactly this. Great explanation.

marcia724

Yea I could never do an actual cheat DAY, especially when trying to lose weight. When I'm on maintenance then I allow a treat or two on the weekend. . . .not a cheat DAY!

earlnabby

I DO NOT have cheat days. I occasionally have a day where I overeat, but I do not "cheat". No foods are forbidden, everything I eat is part of my overall eating plan no matter how many micronutrients, or lack of them, there is. If I overeat one day here and there, so be it.

Usually after an overeating day, I will go to my MFP reports and figure out the average net calories over the last seven days, including the day with the high number. More often that not, my average is slightly below my net goal so I already made up for the one higher calorie day by staying a little under for the week. That way I don't feel like I need to "make up" for the high calorie day by eating less the next day, I can just keep on swimming forward.

Yanicka1

I don't know....I kept the weight off for the last 4 years and I can't be perfect all the time. Work for me

cincysweetheart

I rarely have "cheat" meals anymore. I just eat within my calorie goals and fit in treats that way.

But… "cheat" meals actually make perfect sense to me when considering it a lifestyle change. I am trying to change the way I eat overall… Less for one…. but also, more fruits and veggies. Whole grains. Lean meats and dairy. Less boxed dinners and fast food. However… I don't consider it realistic that I'm *always* (meaning 100% for the rest of my life) going to eat that way. Or that I'm always going to eat at or below my calorie goal. Allowing myself a "cheat" meal every now and then when I just eat whatever sounds good (or whatever is served) or I just eat what I want without measuring/weighing out every bite… that is perfectly in line with a lifestyle change. Most days I will be eating good healthy foods at or below my calorie goal. But every now and then I will allow myself to just eat.

BTW… I put cheat in quotes, because it's a common term that most people understand and one I use myself… but I certainly don't look at it as if I'm actually cheating or doing something wrong.

MelodyandBarbells

The semantics in this thread, just ugh. You know what the OP meant

I watch a weekly deficit. Wednesdays and Fridays almost always work out as cheat days. I went over by 900 calories yesterday due to a catered lunch at work which I very much enjoyed and a burger and blizzard for dinner. I'll likely still end the week with my 1/2 lb deficit due to eating normal the rest of the week and my workouts. My lifestyle has changed because I didn't used to do this three years ago and I am more or less at my goal weight with any additional losses being a bonus. Can't ask for much more, really. Maybe I could have done it without eating junk food, ever, but to me , the concept is too dull to even bother finding out.

SunofaBeach14

The semantics in this thread, just ugh. You know what the OP meant

I watch a weekly deficit. Wednesdays and Fridays almost always work out as cheat days. I went over by 900 calories yesterday due to a catered lunch at work which I very much enjoyed and a burger and blizzard for dinner. I'll likely still end the week with my 1/2 lb deficit due to eating normal the rest of the week and my workouts. My lifestyle has changed because I didn't used to do this three years ago and I am more or less at my goal weight with any additional losses being a bonus. Can't ask for much more, really. Maybe I could have done it without eating junk food, ever, but to me , the concept is too dull to even bother finding out.

Then please explain it to me. I have IDGAF days pretty regularly and still lose. It works for me. I'm having a hard time reading the OP as anything but sanctimonious.

vjohn04

I eat what I want. Therefore, cheat days are non existent.

tennisdude2004

OK, we're not just here to lose weight, we want to keep it off, right? This is a lifestyle change, right?

Then how does the idea of a "Cheat Day" fit in?

Don't all my days eventually show up on or off my thighs?

Really? Strange question. Surely a cheat day is a reward for the sacrifice you have made for the rest of the week.

I don't know about you but when I allowed myself to just eat what I wanted in the quantities I wanted I put on weight, therefore I had to change my eating habits (as I suppose most people on MFP) and this required me making a sacrifice.

So for most a cheat day is a day off. Its a bit like work - Monday to Friday you sacrifice your time to earn money to live and enjoy life then you get your weekend (your cheat days) to enjoy yourself and recharge and get ready for the next working week!

eric_sg61

i hear ya OP!
if i dont restrict anything, then cheat days are totally unnecessary.

#IIFYM4LYFE

This. If you have to "cheat" then your diet is not sustainable

aliceclutz90

Cheat days have wrecked my progress (even though they were recommended to me by a personal trainer).

I'm attempting to just fit in controlled treats in my daily calories as and when I feel the need for them instead of going all out at the weekends and cancelling out any calorie deficit I've achieved during the week.

It's quite difficult to get out of the restrict-binge mentality though but fingers crossed I will get there with time and patience.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Yes, i plan to be perfect forever. FOREVER.

SingRunTing

The majority of the time, I just work treats and such into my calories and macros. I don't find a need to have a planned cheat day/meal every week because I'm not depriving myself of anything.

However, there are certain special days that I don't worry about calories. Like my birthday or Christmas. Or the day I went to Six Flags. But these days are very rare (less than once a month), are decided on far in advance (its not a "what the hell, I already ate like crap today so just give in" kind of reaction), and are unavoidable. I can't imagine thinking about my calories or my macros on Thanksgiving.

I think that this is part of making this a lifestyle chance and a sustainable plan. Its what you do the majority of the time that matters. Taking certain days to completely relax, not worry about food, and just enjoy time with your loved ones are a necessary part of life. A lifestyle that doesn't include them is going to lead to failure (IMHO).

vismundcygnus27

I would go absolutely nuts if tried to eat perfectly all the time. I'm rather diligent about cooking healthy meals and eating reasonably well when I'm at home or work, but if I have a night out, I'm not gonna sit there nursing a vodka tonic and staring at my friend's burger in bitter envy. If I started obsessing about calories every time I went out for a beer, I'd be a miserable person to be around.

gypsy_spirit

I find that cheat days are overwhelming to me (the last 2 words mean this will be my opinion). I can not overeat ( such as a cheat day would imply) and feel good anymore. My plan allows me to work in a few things I like throughout my week.

The most important step I have made is to not let all the delicious food be my source of happiness or the solution to life's problems/stress.

Do I still enjoy my favorite foods? Yes. Do I make them my reason for living? No.

RHachicho

It can work for some people but for the vast vast majority it will only lead to posts here on mfp along the lines of OMG I COUNTED TEH CALORIES FOR 3 DAYZ AND STILL NOE WEIGHT LOSS WOEH IS ME!

If you are planning to make this "cheat day" a regular thing for the rest of your life then it can work. Sometimes I could see a pathological comfort eater who just needs to have a mini binge once a week. That little blow out during the weekend and the anticipation of it stops them from just .. you know binging whenever. But for normal people who are just a bit peckish? No I think its's a terrible idea.

VeryKatie

cheat day (for me) is typically a day where at the end of the day I get a treat for myself that i normally wouldn't get. I think people get the wrong idea because they here cheat DAY and thing the whole day your at McD's stuffing your face when its really a day thats still in your calories limits but your might get something that on an otherwise normal day you wouldnt get because it would mess up your macros

That's a good way of thinking about it... I go with the stuff my face method a little too often. It was supposed to just be on my birthday and Christmas Eve.

Missjulesdid

OP is there a reason why cheat days can't be part of a lifestyle change? If people are losing weight with cheat days, then why wouldn't they be able to maintain on them as well? Your post doesn't make sense...