Who are Cheat Days For?

BrianJLamb

Studies show that an OCCASIONAL cheat day like once a week or every other week is actually good for your weight loss. It causes your body to work harder to get rid of the extra calories and in turn causes your metabolism to increase!!! It also helps your mood and from being deprived from foods. Most weight loss plans like weight watchers, jenny craig and others give you extra points of free foods so you can have those cheat days. It becomes an issue when you want to keep cheating and you lose self control. I actually had a cheat day recently last week and i woke up the next morning starving.. that is how I knew it worked. It's okay with self control and not all the time.

EbonyBliss....I think you are dead on. This is what I always try to tune others into, but nobody ever wants to believe me. I undercut my calories most of the week. I will do cardio, not eat my calories, and try to skim by at a low intake. I like the idea of shrinking my stomach all week long. Then on a Saturday, depending on my motivation, I might eat a larger breakfast, or something carby like a bagel, drink some juice, take in all of this stuff I dont normally take in, for lunch I will eat whatever I want, but again it is usually not high quantity because my stomach doesnt want a ton of food anymore and then for dinner I don't limit myself...this weekend I want to try to get some Dominoe's and those new wing thingers for like $5.99 each. I will eat a couple of slices, eat some wings, and then feel like poop. The next day I will feel gross for a good portion of the morning, but that makes me work out harder because I feel not so good. Any bad food cravings are gone, my body can replenish whatever it has been missing all week, and I can workout harder because of all of my extra calories.

ladybg81

I do not do cheat days though I have certainly considered it! My husband is doing this program with me so I feel extra accountable now that I know he is watching me too! I still allow myself treats but I just keep them low cal and within my daily calorie count.

Nailrep

i have one cheat meal - not day - per week. Keeps me motivated for the next week, and I don't feel so deprived. But i usually like to do some cardio on my cheat meal day. And I try to keep the calories of this meal to about 1000 or less.

jjmcin5

I think your answer is the best one. I did Weight Watchers for several years and they intentionally buily in extra "points" to allow you to plan out your week and budget your calories so you can splurge once in awhile and not feel deprived. It worked for me. I agree with the "cheat meal" though and not a whole day, because it can get totally out of control and then spill over to the next day, especially if it's a weekend. Bottom line is we need to be working towards a lifestyle change and that means being able to adapt and make wise choices over the long haul not just daily.

emchamberlain

I don't have a specific, scheduled cheat meal or cheat day but (for example) this weekend I'm going out to dinner with my husband. Am I going to blow it and order 4 courses plus booze plus popcorn at the movies? No. But I'm not going to be at the gym for three hours and panic about logging every last little calorie. I'll keep it healthy, split a dessert, have a glass of wine with dinner, and be right back on track the next day.

Life happens and will keep happening whether we're at maintenance or still working on losing....no need to beat ourselves up about birthday dinners and weddings and date nights!

pink_gerbera

I don't have cheat days but allow treats every now and then. At the wkend OH and I will have a nice meal couple of glasses of wine and sometimes pud, but then for the rest of the wk Im good and it helps motivate me to carry on. On saturday I've got friends coming round for a girly evening, we're having chips from the chippy and choc trifle, so I will just enjoy it and be good for the rest of the wk and prob try and do some more excercise

superwmn

Everyone is different and free meals/free days are always a hot topic of discussion. Each person needs to do what is right for them

THAT said, I take a free meal or a free day whenever the need arises. Since they are part of what I consider a healthy lifestyle, I don't consider them 'cheating'. Usually once a week we have some kind of social function that I use as an opportunity to eat freely which to me means no counting and no restrictions on my food choices.

Birthday dinners, anniversary dinners, cocktail parties, family barbecues, holiday parties... these kinds of events are where I take advantage of a free meal.

Free days are taken on major holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving.

My only rules are:

1 - No more than two free meals or one free day per week.
2 - If there is no food related function or major holiday in a particular week, I do not take a free meal or a free day that week.
3 - I can not eat to discomfort. It's not an eating contest or an excuse to binge and I always wear fitted clothing and a belt to serve as a physical reminder to not over do it.
4 - I weigh in the morning of my free meal/free day and not again until the following week (I'm a weekly weigher).

Giving myself this freedom has kept my weight loss on track and helped me break through plateaus.

Good luck!

Charmagne

SiltyPigeon

I do have cheat days but they are more for others then myself. It is hard on my family to be restrictive all the time. if they want to go out to eat they don't like me stressing about it. yes it does slow me down some but I'm still learning how to incorporate my life style change to a sustainable level for the long term. This is more then a diet so for me i have to figure out how to balance eating and working out so that the need for a cheat day isn't needed because my habits have changed enough that a single day is not going to mess me up in the long run.

^^This^^ :flowerforyou:

SiltyPigeon

Studies show that an OCCASIONAL cheat day like once a week or every other week is actually good for your weight loss. It causes your body to work harder to get rid of the extra calories and in turn causes your metabolism to increase!!! It also helps your mood and from being deprived from foods. Most weight loss plans like weight watchers, jenny craig and others give you extra points of free foods so you can have those cheat days. It becomes an issue when you want to keep cheating and you lose self control. I actually had a cheat day recently last week and i woke up the next morning starving.. that is how I knew it worked. It's okay with self control and not all the time.

EbonyBliss....I think you are dead on. This is what I always try to tune others into, but nobody ever wants to believe me. I undercut my calories most of the week. I will do cardio, not eat my calories, and try to skim by at a low intake. I like the idea of shrinking my stomach all week long. Then on a Saturday, depending on my motivation, I might eat a larger breakfast, or something carby like a bagel, drink some juice, take in all of this stuff I dont normally take in, for lunch I will eat whatever I want, but again it is usually not high quantity because my stomach doesnt want a ton of food anymore and then for dinner I don't limit myself...this weekend I want to try to get some Dominoe's and those new wing thingers for like $5.99 each. I will eat a couple of slices, eat some wings, and then feel like poop. The next day I will feel gross for a good portion of the morning, but that makes me work out harder because I feel not so good. Any bad food cravings are gone, my body can replenish whatever it has been missing all week, and I can workout harder because of all of my extra calories.

I agree with both of you.
Though I only "log" my weight once per week, I "peek" every morning. Over the past two months I have noticed that if I keep my calorie intake the same every day I will stall by Thursday. So, two weeks ago I started "cheating" on Thursdays (and Sundays, but I always did that). Not by A LOT, but by 200 - 300 calories. Sometimes a little more. No more stalling! I lose a little (if only 1/10 of a pound) every day.
I think the occasional cheating is not only ok, but good for you... with moderation, of course. I don't know why, but it works for me! Find what works for you!

123456654321

What do people define as "cheating?" Going over you calories one day? Eating some not so healthy foods but staying within your calories? I do both of these things from time to time and I don't view them as cheating.... just as part of the plan. This is a lifelong commitment for me and It's impossible for me to make perfect choices all the time. Also, a lifetime without treats sound dreadful!

.....I guess it depends a lot on peoples personalities too. I have a lot of self control when it comes to food so I can easily sit down and have 1 serving of chips or 1 cookie and be ok with that. If you have binge tenancies I suspect it would be a whole different story.

muethymommy

I dont have cheat days, I have free days. A day labeled as cheat makes me feel like I am doing something wrong. A day labeled as free means that I have worked solidly for a bit and I need time off. I have a job that goes from 830 am to 500 pm Monday through Friday....Saturday is not a cheat day, I should be allowed to relax.

SOOO...I have free days. They have toned themselves down as I have gotten better at all of this. I find that a free day is pretty good for me since I undercut my calories for the majority of the week.

I agree with this.

jrt9999

I don't have a cheat day but I do eat at my projected maintenance level once a week. As i get closer to my goal I will incorporate more maintenance days. I do this to learn how to eat at maintenance and to reign in the weight loss. Even with the weekly 2,000 to 2,200 calorie day I am still loosing 1.5 to 2 pounds each week, so it definitely isn't a cheat day.

Russellb97

I believe it is extremely important for long-term weight loss for so many reasons.
http://spikediet.blogspot.com/2010/08/importance-of-spike-day.html

Dieting is not fun, but when you have one day a week to look forward to it makes it so much easier to stay on track.

It needs to be a full day, and you need to have a surplus of calories so that your body will store some energy in glycogen. Having a day to NOT use fat for energy is what helps to bring your leptin hormone back up to normal levels.
Like others, I do not call it "cheating" it helps you lose weight. I call it a Spike Day, because it spikes up metabolism and mood.

People who have Spike Day's:
Have more energy
give themselves a physiological break
Increase their metabolism
avoid plateau's
lose more weight long term
are less likely to gain weight back
can easily turn their diet into a lifestyle

Personally I know it's why I've lost over 100lbs and kept it off for several years.

anubis609

I don't know what a "cheat" day is, when in reality it's just an increased consumption of calories. Would it still be considered "cheating" if I went over my daily goal by 500 if it was 500 calories of vegetables? I think the word "cheat" gives the reality of what it is, a negative connotation. People could easily be within, or under, their daily calorie goal eating pork rinds and twinkies every few hours. I don't see the necessity to label extra consumption as something that should be frowned upon.

Besides, creating subconscious guilt about particular foods or calories that you're putting into your body, will only cause stress, in which case -can- hinder weight loss. If I'm going to have an increased caloric intake day, I will log it, make note of the results, then use those results to motivate and initiate the proper succeeding steps necessary to have those results turn to my favor.

I look at everything objectively, so maybe that's a plus for me not to create negative perspectives on anything. There's always a different perspective.

Russellb97

I don't know what a "cheat" day is, when in reality it's just an increased consumption of calories. Would it still be considered "cheating" if I went over my daily goal by 500 if it was 500 calories of vegetables? I think the word "cheat" gives the reality of what it is, a negative connotation. People could easily be within, or under, their daily calorie goal eating pork rinds and twinkies every few hours. I don't see the necessity to label extra consumption as something that should be frowned upon.

Besides, creating subconscious guilt about particular foods or calories that you're putting into your body, will only cause stress, in which case -can- hinder weight loss. If I'm going to have an increased caloric intake day, I will log it, make note of the results, then use those results to motivate and initiate the proper succeeding steps necessary to have those results turn to my favor.

I look at everything objectively, so maybe that's a plus for me not to create negative perspectives on anything. There's always a different perspective.

You are exactly right, "Cheating" brings on guilt and stress which is terrible for weight-loss. It's a "Spike Day", spike metabolism, spike mood, and you'll also spike your weight-loss.
It's completely guilt free, and to do it right you just need a surplus of calories for one day. It can be junk food or it could be clean food. Personally I'm eating donuts, pizza, and ice cream every Spike Day but you don't have to.

anubis609

I don't know what a "cheat" day is, when in reality it's just an increased consumption of calories. Would it still be considered "cheating" if I went over my daily goal by 500 if it was 500 calories of vegetables? I think the word "cheat" gives the reality of what it is, a negative connotation. People could easily be within, or under, their daily calorie goal eating pork rinds and twinkies every few hours. I don't see the necessity to label extra consumption as something that should be frowned upon.

Besides, creating subconscious guilt about particular foods or calories that you're putting into your body, will only cause stress, in which case -can- hinder weight loss. If I'm going to have an increased caloric intake day, I will log it, make note of the results, then use those results to motivate and initiate the proper succeeding steps necessary to have those results turn to my favor.

I look at everything objectively, so maybe that's a plus for me not to create negative perspectives on anything. There's always a different perspective.

You are exactly right, "Cheating" brings on guilt and stress which is terrible for weight-loss. It's a "Spike Day", spike metabolism, spike mood, and you'll also spike your weight-loss.
It's completely guilt free, and to do it right you just need a surplus of calories for one day. It can be junk food or it could be clean food. Personally I'm eating donuts, pizza, and ice cream every Spike Day but you don't have to.

Damn straight, Russell. I believe in spiking too. It's a culmination of every food across the board from romaine lettuce all the way to BBQ brisket and beef ribs. Sweet baby jesus I love me some beef ribs. MMmmmm.

hschimke

I've only been doing this for 10 days and down 5 lbs, BUT I like chewy things like gummi worms etc. I let myself have like 7 of them a day instead of a bag. That helps with the constant craving. I also had today, 2 pieces of delite pepperoni pizza from Papa Johns, instead of 4 regular pizzas, I feel this helps me completely going nuts... BUT down the road, I imagine myself doing ONE cheat MEAL a week. When I go out with friends for beers and appetizers. I need to be human and par-take in normal activities and not attached to numbers. If at some point I start to stall before meeting my goals, then I might tone it down. Just my philosophy..

I also feel you need to create a realistic lifestyle that you can maintain once you have met your goals..

emchamberlain

I don't know what a "cheat" day is, when in reality it's just an increased consumption of calories. Would it still be considered "cheating" if I went over my daily goal by 500 if it was 500 calories of vegetables? I think the word "cheat" gives the reality of what it is, a negative connotation. People could easily be within, or under, their daily calorie goal eating pork rinds and twinkies every few hours. I don't see the necessity to label extra consumption as something that should be frowned upon.

Besides, creating subconscious guilt about particular foods or calories that you're putting into your body, will only cause stress, in which case -can- hinder weight loss. If I'm going to have an increased caloric intake day, I will log it, make note of the results, then use those results to motivate and initiate the proper succeeding steps necessary to have those results turn to my favor.

I look at everything objectively, so maybe that's a plus for me not to create negative perspectives on anything. There's always a different perspective.

You are exactly right, "Cheating" brings on guilt and stress which is terrible for weight-loss. It's a "Spike Day", spike metabolism, spike mood, and you'll also spike your weight-loss.
It's completely guilt free, and to do it right you just need a surplus of calories for one day. It can be junk food or it could be clean food. Personally I'm eating donuts, pizza, and ice cream every Spike Day but you don't have to.

Damn straight, Russell. I believe in spiking too. It's a culmination of every food across the board from romaine lettuce all the way to BBQ brisket and beef ribs. Sweet baby jesus I love me some beef ribs. MMmmmm.

I'm curious -- I've seen mostly men on the boards talking about spike days. I wonder if it works as well for women, who have slower metabolisms and aren't looking to build as much muscle?

singer201

Usually once a week we have some kind of social function that I use as an opportunity to eat freely which to me means no counting and no restrictions on my food choices.

Birthday dinners, anniversary dinners, cocktail parties, family barbecues, holiday parties... these kinds of events are where I take advantage of a free meal.

Free days are taken on major holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving.

My only rules are:

1 - No more than two free meals or one free day per week.
2 - If there is no food related function or major holiday in a particular week, I do not take a free meal or a free day that week.
3 - I can not eat to discomfort. It's not an eating contest or an excuse to binge and I always wear fitted clothing and a belt to serve as a physical reminder to not over do it.
4 - I weigh in the morning of my free meal/free day and not again until the following week (I'm a weekly weigher).

I haven't done a "free meal" or "free day" since I've been on MFP (only 3 weeks), mainly since it hasn't come up yet. However, I know there will be potlucks at work and dinners with friends, and this plan sounds reasonable and responsible to me. Thanks for the good guidelines.

Rose

Russellb97

I don't know what a "cheat" day is, when in reality it's just an increased consumption of calories. Would it still be considered "cheating" if I went over my daily goal by 500 if it was 500 calories of vegetables? I think the word "cheat" gives the reality of what it is, a negative connotation. People could easily be within, or under, their daily calorie goal eating pork rinds and twinkies every few hours. I don't see the necessity to label extra consumption as something that should be frowned upon.

Besides, creating subconscious guilt about particular foods or calories that you're putting into your body, will only cause stress, in which case -can- hinder weight loss. If I'm going to have an increased caloric intake day, I will log it, make note of the results, then use those results to motivate and initiate the proper succeeding steps necessary to have those results turn to my favor.

I look at everything objectively, so maybe that's a plus for me not to create negative perspectives on anything. There's always a different perspective.

You are exactly right, "Cheating" brings on guilt and stress which is terrible for weight-loss. It's a "Spike Day", spike metabolism, spike mood, and you'll also spike your weight-loss.
It's completely guilt free, and to do it right you just need a surplus of calories for one day. It can be junk food or it could be clean food. Personally I'm eating donuts, pizza, and ice cream every Spike Day but you don't have to.

Damn straight, Russell. I believe in spiking too. It's a culmination of every food across the board from romaine lettuce all the way to BBQ brisket and beef ribs. Sweet baby jesus I love me some beef ribs. MMmmmm.

I'm curious -- I've seen mostly men on the boards talking about spike days. I wonder if it works as well for women, who have slower metabolisms and aren't looking to build as much muscle?

It absolutely does, my definition of a Spike Day calorie wise is 2X (BMR) and BMR is individualized. It does help build muscle of course but the main purpose is to spike up metabolism.
Part of metabolism is simply the metabolizing of food so when we eat less it slows down a bit, and when you eat more it spikes up. Studies have shown that it goes up more with overeating than it goes down with under-eating which makes dieting with a spike day extremely amazing.

emchamberlain

Russell, just want to thank you for your advice. Adding in a spike day has helped me bust through a month-long plateau. Awesome!

oreyna49

Very interesting...thank you guys so much for the input. I'm new to this also, and any advise I can get from people who are well into their goals is truely appreciated.

nikkishai

Cheat days don't work for me. My cheat day turned into a cheat weekend and that set me back a week. When I have a craving for a cheesy chimichanga or some jelly beans, I monitor my portions and adjust the rest of my meals to accommodate the extra calories. Also, I only buy "cheat" foods with cash, and I'd rather steam veggies than go to the ATM.

jadeumbrella

I don't really even consider what I'm doing dieting. I've been on it for a week and lost 2lbs. I eat what we have (My family is poor, so we never have a lot) and I usually stay under the goal. Today I had a cupcake I made for my best friend's birthday, it was 272 calories and I don't feel bad about it. But I exercise quite a bit, I burn about 200+ calories a day just running up and down the stairs to class all the time (I'm always late...ALWAYS).

I feel like counting calories works better for me because I don't have the means to really diet. Like cut everything out and start eating practically nothing like I did on Atkins. I feel like this means I can relax a little bit and just count the calories I consume. Because honestly, most of the time in my house we starve.

raven1114

i do a cheat meal or treat about once a week. nothing major, i'll still log in everything else i eat for that day but on my 'cheat day' i may say have an extra cookie and not count it or have a small glass of wine and not count it in. take last week for example we had baked potatoes with the works, i used that for my cheat meal/day. i'm usually about a few hundred below my goal anyways so the occasional cheat treat isn't going to throw me off.

Achoooo

I might do a cheat meal or 2 if I was in maintenance.
For me I'm just starting and I want results more.

If I wanna eat something a bit naughty, I find a way to work it into my calories for the day.
I love Reese's PB cups and candy bars, but instead of getting them at 270+ calories, I found some at 170 calories: 3 musketeers truffle crisp, and the Easter Reese's eggs.

I know I will want to have a few drinks Saturday night, so I'm putting in some extra time at the gym, and I'm figuring in advance what I want to drink and what it will take to burn it off.

I try each day to get the fiber, calcium, protein, etc that I need and the proper amount of vegetables, then if I wanna have something that's considered junk, I just work it in. If I go over by say 25 calories or even 50 I'm not gonna sweat it, but so far I've not gone over by more than say 20 calories.

I feel that works better for me than a cheat day. If I ever did "cheat" I don't consider it "cheating". Seems like such a negative thing for it... I just log everything, and if one day I go over by 500 calories so be it - I just don't do it often at all. I aim to have 95% of my days at or just under my calorie allowance.

So my advice is, if you want that doughnut, have it, log it, then try to make up for it during workouts. I also think pre-planning is good - going out is the worst for me, so if I look up the website for the restaurant, I can make a better choice without feeling deprived, do an extra mile or 2 and it's not so bad.

travelprincess

I have been on a life style change since February 9th and have lost 17 lbs so far (13 before joining MFP). Saturday is my cheat day although I usually eat pretty light most of the day and give myself one meal out that I have wanted all week. I have to add that half of it ends up coming home and my husband eats it. I also never skip on the exercise.
This week is a fish dinner. It gives me something to look forward too at the end of the week for being so good otherwise.

nienie21

i let life take care of cheat days for me. if i'm having an especially awful day i might allow myself a few more calories. or if i meet with friends i'll allow myself to eat out without worrying as much.

i don't really cut out bad things from my diet completely, but instead i have them in much smaller portions, significantly less often.

Exactly. Well said.

michelec64

I know I'm probably a little different in my thinking, but I don't call them cheat days. My wife and I have designated Friday as date night, and we usually go to a restaurant, or cook something very tasty, and probably a little fattening at home. My view is that I don't want to diet the weight off. If I diet the weight off, what happens when it's gone? Will I never eat a fattening foods again? Not Hardly. So I eat now like I'm going to eat for the rest of my life. Heck last week I had a few slices of pizza mid-week, and a soda or two. Moderation is the key. If you're eating healthy all day everyday, a strong craving for something tasty can be satisfied. Just don't go over board with it. I still dropped 6 pounds last week, so that let me know that things are going well, pizza and all.

That's exactly how I feel. Sundays I eat anything I want, calories be damned. I don't do anything crazy like eat a whole quart of Haagen Dazs and chase it with a box of Oreos, but I will have the bacon/egg/homefries brunch and dinner is whatever i'm in the mood for, which can be anything from steamed fish and veggies to a cheeseteak hoagie. I find that having that one day of "freedom" is great incentive for me to stay on track for the rest of the week because it gives me something to look forward to. For me it's all about keeping my eating habits in moderation, which means that I can't overdo it but I can't deprive myself either.

TonyaJ83

I don't have a "cheat day". I WANT my weight off BAD! But I do allow myself some extra goodies IF I work for them! Gotta burn some calories to earn some extra!