Cheat days?

AKAMrsR

I have heard a lot of talk show guests and read articles saying that cheat days help people stick to diets all of the other days. I TRY to limit myself to 1 cheat day per week, and I usually only go over calories by 100-200 or so. Also, I am usually under calories by that much on the diet days. My problem, is that I will tend to maintain my weight throughout the week with my dieting, but my cheat day will add on 2-3 pounds! (I weigh myself everyday just to see). Then, the following week is spent getting back to where I was before the cheat day. I don't want to completely give up the food I love and going out, but I need to be LOSING weight, not yo-yoing. Any suggestions?

TavistockToad

if your 'cheat' is only 100-200 cals over there is no way you are gaining 2-3 pounds of actual fat, as a pound of fat is the equivalent of 3500 cals.

jayb0ne

Make sure to keep drinking water and keep an eye on your sodium intake.

I have a cheat day every week on Saturday after morning weigh in. I generally go up 3 pounds from my weighed weight by Saturday night and spend most of the week until Thursday or Friday getting back to the previous Saturday's weighed weight and Friday is when the 1 or 2 pounds is lost for the week - although it's all speculative as every other weigh except my Saturday morning one is done at random times and could easily be well off depending what I've eaten that day, how much water I've drunk etc.

Don't stress about daily fluctuations, your weight can be affected daily by any one of a number of factors. Take your official weekly weigh in as your actual weight and try to do it on the same day each week, first thing in the morning, after using the toilet but before eating anything.

Elle408

It could be water weight, depending on the treat that you're eating! If it's full of sodium or carby then it can certainly add extra water weight, it won't be real fat or poundage!

As for the treat days or meals themselves... if you do have them, you need to accept that it will effect the rate of your weightless, especially if you don't have too much to lose in the first place. Every treat you have knocks away at your deficit, meaning it will take you longer to lose that pound.

But to make this lifestyle change sustainable it's often a good idea to allow yourself the foods that you enjoy or to find healthier alternatives that fill that gap.

xraychick77

the idea of 'cheat' days are bad imo.

reason is because many people dont have the will power to just stop at a little treat, or a cheat meal. its a bad idea because it can (not for all people now) make us more inclined to over eat, hence blowing all the work we've done the previous week.

i read it put in this way...why would you reward your weight loss with food? its like a smoker trying to quit rewarding themselves with a cig after quitting.

I am not saying that you shouldnt indulge..just do it more smartly than a whole week of deprivation and one day of or one meal of joy. instead, work treats into your calorie counts for each day. that way you dont feel like you are depriving yourself. hence possibly causing binging.

this of course also can have its pitfalls. but like anything its will power. i dont have cheat days..and i eat what i want every day. if i want an ice cream cone i have one, if i want a cherry turnover i have one, i just make sure they fit into my calorie intake for the day. simple as that.

HannahPendrigh

read this

http://www.healthdiscovery.net/articles/scale_lies.htm

there are many reasons why the scale changes through the day/week. you definitely wont have been gaining 2-3lbs on 100-200 calories its impossible!!

try to weigh yourself just once a week - at the same time on the same day, i know it's hard but then you get an accurate reading and you're not discaouraged, or at the same time given false hope, throughout the week

kellybones

I don't have cheat days - I have cheat meals. Two of them each week.
I read somewhere that you have to "behave" and eat healthy about 80% of the time.
Out of 21 meals, 2 cheat meals is <10%.

I have them on my rest days and it's my Saturday morning out to breakfast with my husband - the only time we go out together. And on Tuesdays I meet a friend at a local organic bakery/fancity food place - all delicious healthy foods but in larger portions than I would normally be allowed to eat.

I'm still losing 1-2lbs a week using this system.

I've done the no cheat meals thing - and my record time of eating no cheat meals or days was 90 days (p90x) and then I went off the bandwagon like a crazy person and put back on 10lbs that had taken me over a month to lose. So, this time, to lose those 10lbs, I'm scheduling in "cheats".

I track what I eat for those meals and I make sure that they are exactly what I want to eat (this Saturday is chocolate chip pancakes that I have been CRAVING for the last two weeks) and are completely satisfying to me. I'd rather have two meals out of 21 be higher in calories/fat/sugary carby goodness than to have an un-schedule trip off the bandwagon.

All of this being said - what works for some people doesn't work for others. If I try to have my treats scheduled in like some people do - I will end up over on calories EVERY time. I apparently can't have just one treat - it always seems to morph into two or three or ten. So, I've compromised and don't have cheat days but instead cheat meals that I still track.

Phew. Lots of words!

emereyda

well I wouldnt worry about the things like 'cheat days'. Do not limit yourself with diet... It has to be the new way of living, but not 'then I lose those extra pounds I will get back to my 'eating crap' habbit You cannot completely avoid chocolates or cakes in your life and one day to eat the whole cake. Or be on diet all month and then eat 2 large bigmac measl with milkshake a day. You can treat yourself with fatty deserts or fast food once in a while, but just watch your portions, dont make it a cheat day a week (coz you will be waiting only for that day) just change your habbits and state of mind, you can convince yourself whatever you want (I convinced myself that I dont like crisps and fizzy drinks ))) good luck

brown_eyed_girl_06

BUMP

Qarol

I am not a fan of weekly cheat days. I personally think that's too frequent. I limit my cheat days to 1 or two a month. But I AM a fan of cheat days. I get why some people aren't, and if that works for them, great! Or if people only want to have cheat meals instead of cheat days.

But I need something to look forward to. It helps me stick to it knowing I've got a cheat day coming up. Then for that day, I can eat without guilt because I'm not eating all this out of a moment of weakness. It was planned. I didn't cave.

surfrgrl1

My cheat 'day' is Friday, and that is because my boyfriend and I go out for dinner on that night after work, so really I guess its more of a cheat meal as someone else described it. We look forward to that dinner date, and I don't worry too terribly about what I'm going to have, I don't let it derail the rest of the week. I find my choices have naturally progressed to healthier ones as I become more conscious of what I'm eating. We generally split the appetizer and split the dessert. I think we have to be realistic. Unlike smoking, where cigarettes can be taken away cold turkey - your body can survive without them, but food.... you cannot eliminate from your life. In this journey, we all seem to find what works and what doesn't, but it takes some time and help from our MFP friends! :flowerforyou:

ddoolittle

I had the same problem! I had a trainer who called them "reward" days instead of "cheat" days. But I would do the same, gain 1-3lbs and spend the rest of the week playing catch-up. I'm guessing it's because of the salt, sugar, alcohol and fat content of "reward" foods and drinks that set us back. I decided finally to schedule my reward days. I actually have them on my calendar and they usually coincide with an event. I just had one on my wedding anniversary, and my next one will be Labor Day weekend. It's also nice to have something to look forward to!

ddoolittle

Unlike smoking, where cigarettes can be taken away cold turkey - your body can survive without them, but food.... you cannot eliminate from your life. In this journey, we all seem to find what works and what doesn't, but it takes some time and help from our MFP friends! :flowerforyou:



LOVE THIS!

AngieMMc

I don't like the idea of "cheat days" because for me, this is a lifestyle change and with that change comes a lot of modification from my current lifestyle. My personal goal, and it's different for everyone I am sure, is to begin eating more healthy foods and trying to change my "favorite foods" from what they were to more along the lines of what they SHOULD BE. With that said, I can't imagine going through life without another tortillas with cheese dip, but the good news is that I don't have to and I do have it every once in a while, but I do not consider it a "cheat" because I stay within my calorie allowance by working our harder on the days that intend to have an extra treat. It's a trade off for me and often a deal breaker if I don't feel like working out longer and harder than normal If I choose to eat a higher fat meal, then i know it means I have to work out harder to earn it. Anyway that's my philosophy on this issue as it has been my experience in the past that "cheat days" set me up for failure and is exactly what got me to 277 in the first place. Good luck to you in figuring out what's best for you in this.