cheat day? whats that?

MyNameIsNotBob

I'm of the opinion that you really don't need "cheat days" or "cheat meals". If you can't fit an ice cream cone into your caloric needs, you've got longer term issues at hand that will probably lead to yo-yo dieting. I can fit fried chicken, ice cream, chocolate bars, you name it - it's just numbers. Just means I'm replacing something clean with the "cheat food", but I'm still hitting my numbers.

Totally agree. I've lost over 20 pounds eating ice cream, french fries, drinking beer & wine, adding sugar and milk to my coffee...

Of course, I also eat fruits, veggies, lean proteins, whole grains... there's room for everything! I just try to work out a little bit more on the days when I know I'll be indulging in unhealthier items.

NeverStopRunning

I'm of the opinion that you really don't need "cheat days" or "cheat meals". If you can't fit an ice cream cone into your caloric needs, you've got longer term issues at hand that will probably lead to yo-yo dieting. I can fit fried chicken, ice cream, chocolate bars, you name it - it's just numbers. Just means I'm replacing something clean with the "cheat food", but I'm still hitting my numbers.

Many people claim it takes 30 days to make a habit. That being said, I'd highly recommend avoiding cheat days until you're at least 30 days in to your new nutrition lifestyle.

That's some great advice. That's how I look at it as well. If I want my double cream coffee, it replaces something else calorie wise. It really is all about hitting those numbers and making it a lifestyle.

sierrapa

Wow, I'm very impressed with your mini goals. I want to set some for myself. I agree, there is no need to cheat when your making a lifestyle change which is my ultimate goal. I eat everything, but factor it in! Good luck.

rosem1124

I believe in rewarding yourself with something you enjoy ...it is best to keep it in moderation and once a week or once every two weeks is great I find that it helps me not to go overboard.

ladybg81

I personally do not believe in a cheat day. maybe a cheat meal, but not a whole day. If I want something, I work it into my daily calories so I never really consider it cheating.

taso42_DELETED

I would never call it a cheat day, but rather a free day or splurge day. Cheating is when you do something "against the rules".

I'm a big advocate of the once per week free day. You don't have to eat fast food and potato chips all day long; It can be 1 or 2 splurge meals, and the rest of the day can be normal. The benefit is twofold: 1) psychological - imagine if you were never allowed to eat ice cream or pizza ever again. that would suck. what if you could eat it on your free day? that would rule. 2) having a day of increased calories kind of jacks your metabolism after several days of deficit and encourages it to burn fat instead of store it.

Anecdotally, it seems that many people who don't subscribed to this philosophy end up binging after a few weeks and feeling terrible about it. Feeling terrible sucks.

For those that think one free day will spiral you out of control, that's an issue of self discipline. You need to carve it in your mind that eating right is the top priority. A free day is fine as long as you're back on good eating starting first thing the following morning. Don't spiral out of control. Suck it up and control yourself.

maureak

I could cheat if I was on a diet, but this is not a diet.
Keeping track of what I eat, managing portions and getting regular exercise is a lifestyle change and not a diet.

If I want something high fat, like my favorite ice cream, I have it. I just don't have very much of it. Or if I go to a party and eat a lot of salty snacks or high sugar beverages, I still log everything but I don't freak out because I know it's just one day and the rest of the time, I do ok.

So, I don't cheat.

ekicinsk

I don't call them cheat days. I just call them days I do what I want because its my life and sometimes, I deserve things. Take today for example...

I live in a heavily Hispanic part of the city and this weekend is their annual cinco de mayo fiesta, basically a fair. About a mile from my house. I walked there and back plus waking around there for about another hour-hour and a half. You better believe I enjoyed my elote, fried flour taco, tamele, snow cone, and cheese curds (oops, outed myself as a midwesterner...but its really not a party without fried cheese...)

Between all the walking (it was totally uphill on the way home too!) and what I had for food the rest of the day, I am still under my calories for the day. And it was awesome. And I don't even feel "guilty" because I wasn't cheating. I was having a good time with my friends!

Who wants to feel guilty about occasionally throwing caution to the wind? Not me!

wewon

I allow myself a cheat day, but it ultimately becomes a cheat meal. I'm willing to bet that I'm in the norm on that, most people that have been eating healthy can't stomach a true cheat 'day' and consume a ton of calories without losing their appetite.

The benefit of it is that it keeps you from getting bored with your foods, keeps cravings in perspective and also keeps you from becoming a social boor (see all of the "my friend invited me to Burger King! HELP!!!" threads).

I also find that when people become too militant about their diets that they are the ones that fall off the wagon the hardest. It may take a few months, but it does happen.

MARTHAS1611

I have a cheat day and i'ts on Saturday's. I don't go over board but I do treat myself to something I like and would normally stay away from because its fattening or greasy etc. I actually do spinning class at the gym on Saturday mornings so when i do cheat I'm not going over my daily calorie intake. :happy: Treating yourself once a week isn't bad.

lauz45

I can't do cheat days or cheat meals or I lose control, but having said that, I usually allow myself one or two 'naughty' treats a day, so I feel sane and normal and don't have cravings. I just limit it and count it into my calorie allowance. For example, one single cookie in one sitting. I don't tend to keep things like that in the house though, they always come from other people or customers at work.

chevy88grl

I think you've also hit an important point in your question ...
The more our body gets into the habit of eating right and exercising, the more it wants to eat right. So even on your cheat days (as long as they aren't too often) you're likely to eat better than you used to anyway. Don't feel like you have to go overboard on your "cheat days"

I only gave myself a "cheat day" on a special occasion, like a birthday (so I could eat a little cake and ice cream) or Thanksgiving. Even moderation must be taken in moderation, right?

I think you're absolutely right. A week or two ago, I had a day where I decided to eat whatever I wanted. I logged it still - just to see how bad I really was. Well, at the end of the day I had eaten whatever my little heart desired and I was only over by a few hundred calories. The stuff I used to LOOOVE just didn't hold any appeal to me. I had grilled chicken alfredo made with "regular" alfredo sauce and I had a breadstick. Had some licorice. But, really.. when I went back and looked at it a few days later, it wasn't like I used to eat.

chevy88grl

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.

i'm going by what the scientific evidence suggests, not by what people think will or should happen. scientific studies are a lot more reliable than non scientific opinions by random people especially on "starvation mode" and what causes it.

Well. Scientific studies told me a month ago that salt is bad for me. Avoid it at all costs! Blah blah blah and now studies are telling me that cutting salt can raise my risk of heart disease.

There's a study out there for and against everything. I'd much rather hear from real people than a bunch of scientists.

but the "starvation mode" theory comes from the minnesota starvation experiment, so i think using that as a reference makes more sense than using anything else.

It is still a study done by scientists. And there is probably a study out there that will disagree with it.

I know my body. I know what it wants and doesn't want. I know when it's freaking out about not enough food. There isn't a scientist out there who can possibly know my body better than I know it.

And frankly, most "studies" are done at some institute that claims to be the expert on whatever it is they're studying.

You can find a study to support and dispute EVERYTHING out there. Google just about anything and it'll bring up a study for and against it.

LittleMissJamie

At the end of the day, I've realized in a short time how much better I feel without eating the foods that I would want on a cheat day. So why move backwards? I'm not gonna build a day into my week that helps me make less progress. But on the day that I really really want the cocktail, you'll find me in the gym running harder for the cocktail.

For everyone debating the merits of science vs personal testimony. You'd probably waste much less time and breath hearing both sides, trying what moves you, and watching the scale to see what actually works for your body. You can't convince someone that something that worked for them didn't. Likewise, empirical research is far from useless. Keep an open mind and find what works.