cheat day? whats that?

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LittleMissJamie
LittleMissJamie Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
HI all,

So I just finished trading tips and what works for me with one of my friends that has been working successfully to lose weight for the last 10 months (He's lost nearly 60 lbs!). He's swearing by the importance of having a cheat day, one day of the week when you eat whatever you like and forget the calorie counting. I considered it but the only thing that I was craving this morning was Red Berry Special K, not exactly cheating. I was just wondering whether any of you have a "cheat day" and why and how you work it into your healthy living (I've stricken the D word from my vocabulary lol).

Thanks. Happy Saturday!
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Replies

  • Hype
    Hype Posts: 349
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    Bump
  • lindseydodd408
    lindseydodd408 Posts: 11 Member
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    I don't have a cheat day, but twice or three times a week I'll have a cheat meal or snack... but I try to earn it first in the gym so I still don't go over my cals.
  • rodneyderrick
    rodneyderrick Posts: 483 Member
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    Yeah. Saturday is my cheat day, but I don't get crazy with it either. I still count my calories, but I don't fret if I go over my calorie count slightly.
  • Tracenspace
    Tracenspace Posts: 53 Member
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    I'm interested in the replies to this too!
  • DiamondRubyMom
    DiamondRubyMom Posts: 147 Member
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    I have a cheat meal once or twice a week. If I go the whole day I'll blow it too much but one meal gives me the freedom to stick to it the rest of the week.
  • bigmamma3
    bigmamma3 Posts: 134
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    I've wanted to ask this too
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    I dont have a cheat day if I want something I just account for it on my calories ...if its something with outrageous caloric count i split it in half....
  • denitraross
    denitraross Posts: 326 Member
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    Here is my thoughts on cheat days...once a week is way to often, you will have defeated the purpose of eating good all week to do it that often....once a month is plenty....however, count the calories and log them so u can track it. Also work out great the day of and the next day to balance it off..
  • chic_mama_25
    chic_mama_25 Posts: 90
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    I don't have a cheat day as then I allow myself to slip back into bad habits and it become like a cheat week lol.

    If I have a massive workout (900 cals) then I let myself have something luxurious like wine or cake (or a big bit of CHEEESE ), cos I DESERVE it! But I try to stay healthy 95% of the time.

    Like, for example, I can't really imagine ever eating french fries again. The idea actually grosses me out a bit.
  • LittleMissJamie
    LittleMissJamie Posts: 7 Member
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    I don't have a cheat day, but twice or three times a week I'll have a cheat meal or snack... but I try to earn it first in the gym so I still don't go over my cals.

    Yea, I was thinking this would be a better option. A whole day would probably be the beginning of a downward spiral for me lol.
  • funfitfoodie
    funfitfoodie Posts: 630 Member
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    I have a cheat day every Sunday because a) It gets my metabolism working harder again and b) I can save up all the cravings for the week and get to have them on Sunday - if you can't banish the cravings at least get them in a controlled manner. If I ate what I craved when I craved it I would probably have at least 1 "cheat food" everyday. I would rather have one "bad day" then a bad food everyday - that said my "bad day" is completely guilt free because of point (a) lol!

    I hope this makes sense?

    Idk - cheat days work well for me :)

    Tomorrow I'm satisfying my chips and gravy craving - so excited!

    EDIT: just to add a "cheat day" is not the same as a binge! I don't sit in bed with family sized bar of chocolate after family sized bar of chocolate. Its very important not to go overboard!
  • healthekate
    healthekate Posts: 22 Member
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    It's a really good idea to have a responsible cheat day once a week to avoid a plateau. It's sort of the same concept of calorie cycling; it keeps your body from entering starvation mode, and it keeps the body guessing. It's really important that you only eat healthy foods, though. No McD splurges! Keep your sodium levels down, and keep it balanced, but eat more calories than you normally would. Good luck!
  • theresea37
    theresea37 Posts: 5
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    I've been thinking about this too this week. I haven't purposefully had a cheat day, but I've gone out to lunch or dinner a few times on weekends and gone over, but still tracked them. This week, I was looking at reports and noticed that I've had my biggest weight loss weeks following those Saturday or Sunday "cheat" meals, so I'm thinking there's something to it.
  • mkennedym
    mkennedym Posts: 253 Member
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    cheat days shouldn't be used by people unless they have a history of success. if you are just starting to lose weight, leave the cheat day for something you do 6 months or 12 months down the road when you already have lost 20 or 40 lbs.

    also, if you have a history of losing focus/motivation then you should definitely not have cheat days.

    basically: cheat days are for closers.
  • funfitfoodie
    funfitfoodie Posts: 630 Member
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    It's a really good idea to have a responsible cheat day once a week to avoid a plateau.

    Introducing a cheat day is how I got off my plateau - I just haven't updated my ticker for about 2 weeks!
  • FTIM2015
    FTIM2015 Posts: 460 Member
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    I'm having a cheat meal tonight as the BF is taking me out as he's been working away. Worked out and saved over 700 cals yesterday and have over 650 left today.

    Going to do some walking before we go out to make sure I earn a few more, and then stick tight to my allowance the rest of the week.
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
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    Isn't "Cheat" anything rather Backwards thinking? Think about it....if you do all this hard work to reach goals...why contradict those efforts with a "reward" that's the same as taking Two Steps Backwards??

    Yes...three steps forward...two steps back....will get you to the goal...but is that ideal??

    It's OK to have an off day every once in a while, and you don't have to give up things you love to meet your goals...you just need to be concious of your choices.

    This comes from having a healthy and active lifestyle as a natural part of your life, that allows for you to enjoy these things from time to time...In Moderation.

    It's the concept that you're "Cheating", alluding to feeling guilty or not, is where the thinking is backwards...since if you're concious of your choices in your entire lifestyle, you needn't feel like you're cheating or guitly about anything you choose in your diet.
  • mkennedym
    mkennedym Posts: 253 Member
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    btw: people who think starvation mode happens to anyone who uses a calorie restrictive diet. that isn't true. starvation mode takes severe calorie restriction for months before it begins to mess with your metabolism. in fact, despite "starvation mode" kicking in for the subjects of the minnesota starvation experiment, basically the subjects went from losing like 3 lbs a week to 2.6 lbs per week. it wasn't a huge drop (this is obviously relative, since the subjects were losing more than 3 lbs per week, but you understand with what i mean).
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    Well. I've actually been changing this recently.....

    I don't normally have cheat days -- only once in a great while. Well, the last time I had one? I logged everything and it honestly wasn't that much of a "cheat". So, I decided that instead of doing cheat days - if I want something, I will just eat it. Log it and keep going.

    I do always give in to my cravings though otherwise you'll just eat a bunch of other stuff trying to quench the craving you're having. No use eating 300 calories of stuff you don't want when eating 150 calories of what you do want would solve the problem. :)
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    btw: people who think starvation mode happens to anyone who uses a calorie restrictive diet. that isn't true. starvation mode takes severe calorie restriction for months before it begins to mess with your metabolism. in fact, despite "starvation mode" kicking in for the subjects of the minnesota starvation experiment, basically the subjects went from losing like 3 lbs a week to 2.6 lbs per week. it wasn't a huge drop (this is obviously relative, since the subjects were losing more than 3 lbs per week, but you understand with what i mean).

    I think this is different for everyone. When I don't eat enough, my body freaks out on me. I've learned a lot about my own body in the last year or so. I know what it likes/doesn't like and having its food intake restricted ticks it off - and does it very quickly. So, I think every single person is different and responds differently to calorie restriction. Just like everything - you can't generalize how long it'll take for this or that to happen. We're all different.

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