Cheat day?

bubblie117

So I have seen some people have cheat days, and I am wondering if it is worth it or not, cause I tend to slip up one day of the week. Does is help? Or has it hindered anyone?

MissAnjy

ONE day won't ruin all the work you've done, as long as it doesn't have a domino effect & keep going for days, and days, etc.
If it's one day, or one meal etc, it won't hinder your weight loss. So long as you can take that for what it was and get back on track!

Marcellus_08

I've always been told to have one once a week. I can't let myself do it. Because once I have ONE free day, it leads to more. I think it depends on your self control. If you feel like you can have one once a week, then by all means:) My friend has one once a week and usually hates herself for it haha, but then that weight just melts off the following week because she commits to working out. I say totally go for it if you trust yourself:)

-Donna

Good luck!

dux1fan

Maybe not a cheat DAY but a cheat MEAL once a week. From personal experience, I have had a cheat meal and I have actually lost weight. It shocks the body, I think. So what if I am over 400-600 calories of my daily goal. The mission is to make this a lifestyle and not a diet. Eat your favorite foods in moderation. Good luck!

kumamushi

I don't schedule a cheat day, because I already have my profile set up to lose the maximum amount of weight. That way if I'm ever off by 100-200 calories or so, it's not a big deal because I'm still under the basal metabolic rate. Sometimes your body needs that extra bit of calories. Just be careful not to eat 2200 calories 2-3 days in a row, for instance.

iamhealingmyself

I don't have a CHEAT day per se, but I have a relaxed day, where I don't worry about logging things, but sometimes I still weigh out what I'm eating but mostly I try to eyeball a serving. I might have more food choices that day for not counting calories. Again, it's a life change, not a diet you will do short term. It's a good test to see how those daily efforts are paying off. Are you still choosing chocolate bars over protein bars or shakes, a sugary doughnut with your coffee or have you learned to evaluate everything you consider picking up to eat first and can you stop at one serving? The point is to still make healthy choices. I don't think anyone is expected to count calories for the rest of their life, just learn to make healthy choices. If you measure everything out, take one day and do it by eye and see how close you are (weigh it, but still eat what you thought was a serving, unless it's crazy off)

Only you can determine what works for you. If you don't think you have the will power to not raid the candy aisle of every store you go into, it's probably not a good idea. Some people thrive on restrictions and rules, others not so much. Try is for a week or two and if you're gaining, don't do it or reconsider what you're choosing.

iamhealingmyself

I don't schedule a cheat day, because I already have my profile set up to lose the maximum amount of weight. That way if I'm ever off by 100-200 calories or so, it's not a big deal because I'm still under the basal metabolic rate. Sometimes your body needs that extra bit of calories. Just be careful not to eat 2200 calories 2-3 days in a row, for instance.

I like that thinking but how do you keep from telling yourself, it's set 500 calories lower than it needs to be and eating yourself out of that mindset? It's like setting your clock 15 minutes ahead then hitting the snooze button because you know the clock is fast?

Elijah0630

bump

shalynna89

Maybe not a cheat DAY but a cheat MEAL once a week. From personal experience, I have had a cheat meal and I have actually lost weight. It shocks the body, I think. So what if I am over 400-600 calories of my daily goal. The mission is to make this a lifestyle and not a diet. Eat your favorite foods in moderation. Good luck!

I so agree! When I first started and I would cheat I'd usually gain 2-3pounds after, now though I can cheat and I feel like it tricks my body. I usually will stay the same weight the next day, but will lose at least a pound within 2-3 days later. Yeah I might feel like a pig after eating it and especially when I work out that day. But its worth it to know I can lose a pound within a few days after. My favorite thing is pizza! I could eat it everyday, on tuesday I had 2 pieces for both lunch and dinner, didn't go over my calories!! I did workout for an hour that night, stayed the same weight when I weighed the next morning and the day after that I was down a pound. I agree with the statement it's a lifestyle change, and lets face it alot of us probably don't want to only eat like we are right now for all of our lives. We do need to learn healthier ways to eat because if we don't the weight is going to come back on. However I personally think having a cheat day is wise because you make your body a little use to having a little extra. So once you get the weight off, even if you cheat a little here and there, its not going to make you gain 5+ pounds after eating 1 thing thats considered bad!

kumamushi

I don't schedule a cheat day, because I already have my profile set up to lose the maximum amount of weight. That way if I'm ever off by 100-200 calories or so, it's not a big deal because I'm still under the basal metabolic rate. Sometimes your body needs that extra bit of calories. Just be careful not to eat 2200 calories 2-3 days in a row, for instance.

I like that thinking but how do you keep from telling yourself, it's set 500 calories lower than it needs to be and eating yourself out of that mindset? It's like setting your clock 15 minutes ahead then hitting the snooze button because you know the clock is fast?

I've actually been *really* good at staying around 1200 calories every day, surprisingly. I generally make sure that I have a light breakfast and lunch every day, and then a moderate sized dinner. If I have any calories left I can eat, then I have a little something extra a couple hours after supper. Occasionally, I will go out to eat for supper, usually Fridays with my family. As long as I make sure that I start off small for the day, even a big supper won't offset the calorie count by too much. But I've been doing my best to cut a restaurant meal in half and take the rest home for the next day. This technique works great for subs because half a sub from Quizno's runs about 400 calories.

To know if I'm trending in a safe direction, I just look at the net calories chart and see if there's too many days that go above a certain threshold (in my case, 1400). In the past 30 days, there have been only about 3 days in which my net calories went above 1400, and most of my days were closer to 1250.

emott84

I generally give myself a day to be more flexible with my food and not stress too much about going over my recommended calories, but I've been noticing lately that I still will end up logging what I've eaten, even if the numbers aren't exactly awesome to see. I guess it's habit now?
I did take a bit of a weekend off two weeks ago, which I felt moderately guilty about, but the days following, I lost weight fairly quickly - in fact quicker than I had been losing in the weeks previous! I guess it was enough of a jolt to get my body out of a rut, lol. Talk about positive reinforcement :P

nursemom27

I think if you want to go out for a nice dinner or just have a relaxed day from time to time, it's not going to do any harm. Acutally, when I have a day of unhealthy cravings and I give into it, maybe it acutally does me some good, because I usually end up feeling like crap because of it and remember next time to put down the Oreos! :-)

kumamushi

Heh, speaking of which, if I truly gave myself a cheat day that would be a Bad Idea. Back when I was really overweight and living on my own, I had a habit of doing stuff like eating an entire package of Oreos for one meal. Not those "individual sized" packages either.

Celo24

Maybe not a cheat DAY but a cheat MEAL once a week. From personal experience, I have had a cheat meal and I have actually lost weight. It shocks the body, I think. So what if I am over 400-600 calories of my daily goal. The mission is to make this a lifestyle and not a diet. Eat your favorite foods in moderation. Good luck!

Agree with this. I have a cheat meal every Friday night with my wife and we eat whatever the heck we want. We all need to reward ourselves for our hard work and the cheat meal helps me keep from feeling deprived. And, for the record, I've lost 18 pounds (5 pre-MFP) in about 2 1/2 months so it's worked out ok for me.

_Lisa_

I usually cheat on the weekends cuz I am always out and about. I still try and get my workouts in if possible but I don't always log everything. I am finding though that the whole point of logging (for me anyways) is that it is making me more aware of what the "good choices" are and what the "bad choices" are. That way even if I am not counting calories it is easier to watch what I eat. It is becoming more of a lifestyle as I learn more about what I am eating.

rlysrh

I allow myself a cheat day about once a week. I still make sure not to go over 1800, so I'm not gaining weight that day, I'm just not losing any either. Normally its a day where I go out for drinks with a friend. That way I can still drink and have a social life without gaining weight. (:

marilynnotmonroe

My "cheat day" ended up to be all of Valentines weekend and Monday Valentines day and the next day too- WOW! No cheat days for me for a while.:flowerforyou:

katbass

I dont have to "cheat" because I allow myself everything Ive always eaten and enjoyed, I just enjoy it in moderation now. Its a lifetsyle change, not a diet. If I feel like I "cant" have something, I want it more. If I plan ahead and workout, then I earn more of those "bad" foods I used to eat, and I dont have to feel guilty or like Im "cheating".
I do have days where I dont log everything if Im out and about, but I dont go crazy and Ive also found that my mindset has changed so much that I tend to stick with healthy choices and actually come close to my daily goal without even trying.
If I think of this as a diet, I am doomed to fail since I will eventually stop "dieting" and gain the weight back. In order to get slim and stay that way, I have to allow myself freedom to eat what I want.

curleesam

I have a treat evening as oppod to a whole day. All week I will look forward to a takeaway on a Friday evening or a few glasses of wine and some chocolate. Just so long as it doesn't turn into an "all u can eat" day then it's fine. Personally it helps me stay good the rest of the week knowing I've got my Friday night treat.

iamhealingmyself

I don't schedule a cheat day, because I already have my profile set up to lose the maximum amount of weight. That way if I'm ever off by 100-200 calories or so, it's not a big deal because I'm still under the basal metabolic rate. Sometimes your body needs that extra bit of calories. Just be careful not to eat 2200 calories 2-3 days in a row, for instance.

I like that thinking but how do you keep from telling yourself, it's set 500 calories lower than it needs to be and eating yourself out of that mindset? It's like setting your clock 15 minutes ahead then hitting the snooze button because you know the clock is fast?

I've actually been *really* good at staying around 1200 calories every day, surprisingly. I generally make sure that I have a light breakfast and lunch every day, and then a moderate sized dinner. If I have any calories left I can eat, then I have a little something extra a couple hours after supper. Occasionally, I will go out to eat for supper, usually Fridays with my family. As long as I make sure that I start off small for the day, even a big supper won't offset the calorie count by too much. But I've been doing my best to cut a restaurant meal in half and take the rest home for the next day. This technique works great for subs because half a sub from Quizno's runs about 400 calories.

To know if I'm trending in a safe direction, I just look at the net calories chart and see if there's too many days that go above a certain threshold (in my case, 1400). In the past 30 days, there have been only about 3 days in which my net calories went above 1400, and most of my days were closer to 1250.

That's great! You are really putting into practice what you have learned so that it's truly a lifestyle change that you can manage for maintenance. I only hope to have such stamina once I reach my goal weight. I'm an emotional eater and I really want to avoid falling back into that trap, even if I'm making healthy choices, I tend to get off of portion control. I think having these days where we get to put into practice what we learn by weighing and measuring can help us once we get to our goals.

iamhealingmyself

I dont have to "cheat" because I allow myself everything Ive always eaten and enjoyed, I just enjoy it in moderation now. Its a lifetsyle change, not a diet. If I feel like I "cant" have something, I want it more. If I plan ahead and workout, then I earn more of those "bad" foods I used to eat, and I dont have to feel guilty or like Im "cheating".
I do have days where I dont log everything if Im out and about, but I dont go crazy and Ive also found that my mindset has changed so much that I tend to stick with healthy choices and actually come close to my daily goal without even trying.
If I think of this as a diet, I am doomed to fail since I will eventually stop "dieting" and gain the weight back. In order to get slim and stay that way, I have to allow myself freedom to eat what I want.

I agree with this too. I don't diet by denial because, like you said, you'll start to obsess over it and then not be able to have just a little. I've noticed though that as you get used to making healthier choices, the desire and cravings tend to go away. If your feeding your body healthy carbs, fats and protein your body won't need to make you crave anything. That's a safety mechanism in our bodies to make sure we get what we need, the fact that we choose to eat a hershey bar over a chocolate bran muffin is entirely up to us. Sometimes the biggest problem is falling victim to convenience. There's nothing convenient about a 600 calorie cereal bar

iamhealingmyself

So we've all decided that have a day off is a good thing, BUT do you think they should be logged as a means to judge how well we're doing "off the diet mode" or should it just be a day without worrying about the numbers? I see someone said they took the day to eat but still logged the food. Is that helpful or counter productive? If you know you're going to judge what you eat afterward, will we still have the freedom to trust our skills?

Does this make sense? I haven't been logging my day's off, but I've only had a couple since I started in January. I know exactly what I've eaten so I could log it for today's day off, but it wasn't part of my plan.

surfhag

It helps me with the rest of the week. If I am losing on a daily rate, then I will definitely splurge on one day of the weekend. If I haven't lost any weight during the week, then I will stay on my plan. Good Luck!


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twogoots

No cheat days here, just learning to average out when I can afford to have that meal and drink that is extra calories. So tomorrow I am going to have to tighten the foods I eat and add in some EXTRA cardio!!! I am heading out for my night of mexican food. Good luck figuring out what works for you!

cindy4mica

i've had cheat "days", but found that as long as it's not several days in a row, it won't affect my weight. somehow i might actually lose a pound. however, sometimes cheat days result in several in a row if you don't have the will power to have just one.

hellen72

Bump

cindy4mica

So we've all decided that have a day off is a good thing, BUT do you think they should be logged as a means to judge how well we're doing "off the diet mode" or should it just be a day without worrying about the numbers? I see someone said they took the day to eat but still logged the food. Is that helpful or counter productive? If you know you're going to judge what you eat afterward, will we still have the freedom to trust our skills?

Does this make sense? I haven't been logging my day's off, but I've only had a couple since I started in January. I know exactly what I've eaten so I could log it for today's day off, but it wasn't part of my plan.

i always log in my food (if i remember) - even cheat days. there are days i've actually been over by a full day's worth of calories! but it just motivates me to do better the next day. we can't "pretend" we're perfect so we need to be cognisant of our weaknesses & little "failures", as well as our successes.

Lisa1971

I don't think it's a bad thing to have a "cheat day." Sat or Sunday is a cheat day for me.

hellen72

I have found that having a net calories of X and I lose steadily but last week ( and this is not the first time) I had X+300 on 2 days, I was still logging an overall deficit though. However the scales went up bu 1-5 pounds. It has taken a week to get back to where I was. It is as if any calorie I eat over X is really 10 calories!

I am guessing funny things are going on with water retention.

iamhealingmyself

I have found that having a net calories of X and I lose steadily but last week ( and this is not the first time) I had X+300 on 2 days, I was still logging an overall deficit though. However the scales went up bu 1-5 pounds. It has taken a week to get back to where I was. It is as if any calorie I eat over X is really 10 calories!

I am guessing funny things are going on with water retention.

Maybe it's not so much the caloric increase but the types of foods you are choosing? Could be more salt than you realized or were used to eating, could be that maybe your elimination cycle is off that week if say you ate more rice, bread and less fiberful items so you're not as empty as you'd normally be. I'm finding that the case this week although I eat yogurt everyday at least once a day but I have noticed my overall fiber intake is down a little over what it was.

ontheheap

I have a "cheat day" once a week where I eat all of my maintenance calories. I do this to keep my metabolism from slowing down due to the 1000 calorie/day deficit I have on the other days. I've noticed that I seem to lose 1 - 2 lbs the day after I do this, almost like it resets my body in preparation for the next week of calorie restriction. Once in a while I'll have a couple of days like this in a row (eating whatever foods I want, but not exceeding my maintenance calories) and then I'll do a 24-hour fast to reset my system. I find that allowing myself the things that I want (in moderation), and making healthy choices the other 95% of the time, is much more realistic for me over the long term. It's been working great for me so far!