To cheat day or not to cheat day??

jogami

Do you think it's necessary to have a cheat or do you think it just hinders and puts you back into bad habits?
And if you do cheat is it a whole day cheat or just a meal cheat?

I had a full breakfast yesterday (Sunday), but I felt horribly guilty afterwards! For dinner I only had protein and veg and was still under my calories for the day so I guess it was ok....

It's taken me months, well a whole year to be honest, to be motivated enough to start dieting again and I really do have willpower at the moment which is so surprising me. I'm just scared I fall off the wagon!

Any advice would be much appreciated. TIA!

ChitownFoodie

When I was trying to lose weight, I only had 2 cheat days in 2 months. I felt disgusting and bloated the following day, and it took a week just to lose the water weight. It's up to you, but I personally think its not worth it.

Now that I am in maintenance, it's easier to have cheat days but I still choose to only have a cheat meal instead of a whole days event.

JeanWalker109

I'm savin' ALL my cheat days for my next cruise!!!!! Yeah, baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lik_11

Cheat meal. Cheat day = guilt & frustration.

Ambrogio1

I been doing spike days. On suggest of another member. I think the biggest thing you have to realize is its one day! No IF ANDS OR BUTS!!! 6 days needs to be clean and under your caloric intake.

Also calculating is huge. You have to be accurate and precise.

IMO I believe a calculated day is fine. It helps trick your body and spike metbolism
Also good for mind, also its nie to look forward to it.
I had 5000 calories yesterday. A bit much but I don't feel bad 1 bit. Today I crushed gym and back to 1700 calories.

I will say that this shiould be for someone who has made huge improvements alrady and doesn't have like 100 lbs to lose. You have to earn that day and it hsould be when you start getting close to your target.

Also- I was stuck at 180-183 range. Deplyed spike methods on Sundays and I am 176 today.
WELL NOT TODAY! I am like 185. LOL. 175 on Friday!
WOW

AwesomelyAmber

I always used to 'cheat' on the day that I weighed in... this time around I have not done that. Instead when I do really really really want something not diet friendly I don't beat myself up as much. Because it's ONE thing instead of a day full of things :blushing:

chanstriste13

imo:

it's not cheating if it is -

1. planned for
2. accounted for
3. enjoyed

those are my three big rules. if i get a sudden hunkering for something and eat half a bag of it - that is cheating. if i say to myself, 'you've been hauling some major *kitten* and deserve your favorite meal/snack/drink/whatever - let's schedule that in tomorrow', that is not cheating.

ElizabethRoad

That goes against my whole philosophy. If I really want something I will eat a little of it. If you're talking about having a whole day of junk food then I would not do it (personally) because it makes me feel like crap physically.

However I think that guilt and shame should have nothing to do with eating.

4theking

No, cheat days are not good. Cheat describes something that is bad and forbidden. But do take one day a week and spike your calories.

I spiked one day a week while I lost close to 70lbs and got lean for the first time ever in my life.

Ambrogio1

I had 5k calories yesterday, mostly cheese cake and pulled pork with a side of honey cheerios
I plan on losing 1.5 lbs this week....... Learning how to eat is important. 1 day never makes or breaks a diet
Constantly going over cals and cheating throughout week is not good.

For me personally. I stay under 100 carbs per day and 1700 cals during week. While working out 5 times.
Then I spike on Sunday but even with my spike I am at a loss for calories for the week. So it looks like this insane cheat day but its more about staking cals for 1 day. So plan for it and execute it, you can then have a fun day if you need it.

I agree with this
it's not cheating if it is -

1. planned for
2. accounted for
3. enjoyed

megarooni

I have actually started using my cheat day as motivation in a way. I try to use Sundays for my cheat days because I do not plan out the meals very often. So if I have a craving during the week I will attempt to avoid that craving and think about Sunday when I have the option to indulge alittle more. When Sunday does arrive I often times do not indulge in the craving that I had earlier in the week. I am eating more cheat foods on that day typically but I do not feel the guilt because I know how I worked so hard over the week and I am rewarding myself. I am not going overboard on calories and I am still trying to stay within my sodium levels. It's a day where I do not stress about what I am putting in my body but I still keep track of what I am putting in. I only feel guilty when I eat a large amount more than I should have. But when I keep the moderation intact when having a cheat day I see no problems with it. Good luck!! Keep in mind that feeling guilty for some can lead to emotional eating or sabotage. Learn for the decisions we make and more forward.

brucedelaney

I also spike my calories one day a week and have seen losses of 1.5 to 2.5 lbs weekly. I pretty much follow the same planning that 4theking and mfredo have stated.

maura5880

I spike my calories sometimes too. I don't really plan it out in advance, but I'd say I do it about once every 2 weeks or so. And I also have little treats that I enjoy and fit into my day, which I do not consider "cheating" because I fit it in.

funkycamper

I figure that even thin and very fit people eat off plan sometimes. Few people go through an entire life of deprivation. So I zig-zag my calories and carbs. I also listen to my body and try to do some intuitive eating. If I'm not hungry and don't eat all my calories one day, those go in the "bank" and I can use them for a splurge on a different day. So I do have low calorie days and higher calorie days but I never go over my planned total of weekly calories. This hasn't hindered my weight loss at all but, rather, has kept me on track as I don't feel deprived. Last week I had two small pieces of cake (different kinds) at a birthday party but still had a good loss for the week as my overall calories were still within my calorie goal range. Yes, thin people eat cake too, so why shouldn't I? I totally agree that as long as a splurge is planned and accounted for, that it's not a cheat and nothing to feel guilty about.

Angierae75

A friend who has lost 125# in about 18 months has a cheat day every single week, and still loses weight most weeks (she's very, very close to goal.)

It can work, as long as "cheat day" doesn't turn into "cheat weekend" or "cheat week."

jogami

Thanks everyone! I felt very bad after my cheat meal yesterday so I think I'll avoid it until I've reached a goal, say 5 kg off means one cheat meal. I'm always under my cals, even when I feel I've had a "fat" day, I just need to excercise and drink more water!

I'm still very new to this so if I can ask, how do I change my preferences? ie. my plan always allows me too little protein and too much carbs, I'd like to switch the two around as I love my protein and have IBS so now that I'm on diet I'm staying away from pasta, rice and bread! It's showing as my belly is already looking flatter and I don't still look pregnant but rather just fat!

TIA!!!

Brandicaloriecountess

I do not have a cheat "day". I pick things that I want to eat that I normally would not and work it into my calories.

When I was on vacation, a cruise, I did have one day where I ate like a sloth all day LOL. I just did and didn't worry about it

UsedToBeHusky

I don't really have a cheat day but I don't deprive myself either. I try to plan my meals in advance so that I can satisfy cravings without hindering my progress. I might throw caution to wind at special food occassions, like my sister's wedding shower this past weekend. But I also try not to let it bother me. If I do go over, I'll shoot for a big calorie deficit the next day to balance it out.

uhoh_billy

I tend to work the food I love (like Wendy's or chocolate) into my regular diet whenever I want it (work out like crazy to afford the cheeseburger and fries!) because I know personally, if I didn't allow myself to eat what I wanted, and made it more like a diet than a lifestyle change, I'd go crazy. But saying that, I get 1 cheat day a month when I can go over my calories and not feel guilty, where I don't log at all. And since I started in January I've noticed my cheat days have gotten less and less... intense than they used to be haha. But I still like them, because I'm working hard to do this and why shouldn't I take a day off? One day of going over my calories isn't going to throw my whole self into reverse, because I know I still want to lose the weight! And I doubt I can eat 3500 OVER my goal in one day and gain a pound! haha.

Basically, if you know it won't make you die of guilt or throw you off the bandwagon, why not? It feels good for the soul, and being healthy is about more than just your weight.

Ambrogio1

Eeryone should strive to get to a pt where they can eat whatever they want whenever they want.
I mean some ppl or most light and fit ppl talk about how they don't like to eat bad foods, I get that but if you do youshould be able to eat anything at any time. Mainly because you know what you have to do to combat that. If your over indulging then eat smaller at another meal or go for long periods with nothing. Maybe work harder in gym, understand its one time thing and a treat.

IMO the most beneficial piece of advice I could give is to plan for your treat. Spirt of the moment binging is what stops progressions. Its the day you smash the cabinet open and devour tons of chocolate and feel terrible after it.

Plan for the day or meal. DO IT BIG. And be happy.
IF we cannot be happy then its for what?????? IF your happy eating brussel sprouts well then fine, eat your brussels.
If your happy eating an entire pumpkling pie on sunday with a qt of milk and you have itplanned out and accounted for then well
BE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I CAN'T WAIT!! lol
Its my spike day. I will double or go 2.5 times my normal days intake.

But back to that. I then mon-sat eat 1700 cals and 125 or less carbs

Last week I took in 5200 calories which blew out my orignal thought of 3400.

I might be down 2 lbs this week.

Good Luck allllll

MF

JeSuisPrest

I don't think it's necessary. I do not have a designated cheat day and for the most stay within my calorie goal. But every now and then I go outside that goal. Like last night for instance, it was a friends birthday and he insisted I have a piece of chocolate cake. It was a bit larger than I wanted, but it was good, and I ate it.

robinogue

I started off with having cheat days Saturday-Sundays and things went well. I could have a balanced meal Mon-Friday with no issues. Know I've become accustom to eating right so even on my Saturday-Sunday's I find myself choosing all the right meals and eating with in a balance. I think (for myself especially) if we put too much on "diet" then we ultimately begin to fail because of all the pressure we put on ourselves. I say have a day or so. with that then the very next day you adjust your food intake and up your workout to accomidate what you've eaten.

mbeuchert24

I don't have cheat days or meals because I am not on a diet. I am changing the way I eat, not what I eat. I will tell you that I've been on this current weight loss path since June 21. In that time my weight has gone up twice, both times were the week of my TOM. Every other week has been a loss or stayed the same. I also haven't exercised but twice in the last month (life & sickness *sigh*). I think if you deprive yourself of the foods you love you are setting yourself up for failure. If you eat what you are craving in moderation then your body gets satisfied.

megz4987

I don't find it necessary so much. If Im craving something that's not exactly healthy (which doesn't happen often anymore), I allow myself that meal. I don't schedule a cheat meal in, I go with how I feel.
And I neeevver do a full on cheat DAY.