Are cheat/spike days a mistake? Scared to try it

Options
123468

Replies

  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    Options
    I do cheat days or spike days from time to time but I'm not a big fan of doing it for a whole day. I like to give myself a cheat meal. It actually makes me plan the rest of the day pretty careful so the cheat meal doesn't impact me as bad plus it makes it easier the next day to get back into the swing of things.

    Try a window free for all!!!! I eat from 8-12 and stuff about 4000 calories in there. Of course thats what I cal my reefeed windows asI crush the gym in the AM and then just eat and drink and watch footballllllllllll!

    Who would have thought. CHEATERS WIN!
    That's kind of what I do - a total food orgy.

    It's FUN, and I know when I deny myself during the week, I never have more than a few days before I know I'll be eating like a welfare bum. LOVE IT!
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
    Options
    Honestly, I cheat all the time.
    This is just my opinion and what works for me.
    I indulge in moderation. Yesterday, I had a big chocolate chunk cookie.
    Today, I let myself have a mini cupcake.

    It only takes a small amount to indulge a craving. What you should do is learn to control those urges, and force yourself to learn to eat in moderation. Cheat days have the ability to spiral out of control. Yes, it isn't going to kill you to indulge in something, but if you're dedicating an entire day to eating badly, it could de-rail you from your goals.

    Instead of restricting yourself like that, keep track of your calories, and come up with a plan that allows you to indulge but still keeps you on track with your weight loss goals. :)
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
    Options
    Cheat days are a mistake. they are a binge waiting to happen. They key is to act in moderation over all. If you are craving some chocolate, its better to have a little bit when you want it than to wait till your cheat day. Healthy eating and weight loss is a lifestyle makeover not a fad diet or a diet at all.

    If you know your going to have some unhealthy food during a day, exp your friends want to go out for pizza, your better off to plan around it and eat healthier or workout longer the rest of the day than to just take a day off and binge.

    I completely disagree, it may not work for some but if your trying to lose weight there is a large hormonal advantage to having one weekly. Also your assuming that a cheat day is a binge and it's not at all. Mine are planned and well executed.

    The biggest issue isn't just losing weight, it's keeping it off.
    Dieting is a problem because we need to restrict calories to create a calorie deficit so our body uses stored energy to make up the difference. Restricting calories cause or hormones to go out of whack and eventually slows metabolism and increases our physical cravings. It doesn't work, evidence is in the fact that 95% of the people who lose weight end up gaining it back.

    People who spike have a physiological and psychological edge over those that don't. I'm not saying you have to do it to lose weight and keep it off but it helps. According to the National Weight Control Registry, the majority of people who have maintained weight loss for over a year, exercise an average of 1-1.5 hours a day. I've lost 100lbs, it's been almost 8 years, and I exercise 1-1.5 hours a week, and I spike weekly.

    Also if you are keeping to a low calorie goal to lose weight, say 1,500 calories. Those 1,500 calories should be from the best food sources you can find. Foods that give your body what it needs and ones that help you not be hungry all day long. If you tried to fit in a small blizzard, say 500 calories, you've just wasted a 1/3 of your daily calories, didn't get any nutritional benefits, and you'll be hungry right after.
    Now if you spike at 3,000 calories, this is the day you can fit in the calorie dense foods you've been craving. Plus then your mind starts to make the connection and it becomes almost habit. A blizzard is ok on spike day but not the other days.


    Thanks for this info. I'm going to try incorporating a spike day. Thanks for making a distinction between a spike and a binge. I can easily eat 3000 to 4000 calories in a sitting. That's a binge. Going out once a week with my wife and having a normal restaurant meal isn't, but it will put me over my calorie count for that day. Hopefully, it will give me something to look forward to and prevent a binge, as opposed to triggering one.

    One question: is there any benefit to doubling your BMR on your spike day as opposed to exceeding it by just a little bit?
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    Options
    Numbers wise it's really difficult to ruin your goals from even a really bad Spike Day.

    Say I went totally overboard and I had 8,000 calories!
    My average TDEE is around 3,300

    6 days, I averaged 2,000 calories, 12,000 total
    Spike Day I went nuts and I had 8,000 calories

    So I had 20,000 calories for the week
    I burned 23,100 calories

    So even on a horrible Spike Day I would have lost a pound. I could eat around 11,000 calories and break even.
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    Options
    Cheat days are a mistake. they are a binge waiting to happen. They key is to act in moderation over all. If you are craving some chocolate, its better to have a little bit when you want it than to wait till your cheat day. Healthy eating and weight loss is a lifestyle makeover not a fad diet or a diet at all.

    If you know your going to have some unhealthy food during a day, exp your friends want to go out for pizza, your better off to plan around it and eat healthier or workout longer the rest of the day than to just take a day off and binge.

    I completely disagree, it may not work for some but if your trying to lose weight there is a large hormonal advantage to having one weekly. Also your assuming that a cheat day is a binge and it's not at all. Mine are planned and well executed.

    The biggest issue isn't just losing weight, it's keeping it off.
    Dieting is a problem because we need to restrict calories to create a calorie deficit so our body uses stored energy to make up the difference. Restricting calories cause or hormones to go out of whack and eventually slows metabolism and increases our physical cravings. It doesn't work, evidence is in the fact that 95% of the people who lose weight end up gaining it back.

    People who spike have a physiological and psychological edge over those that don't. I'm not saying you have to do it to lose weight and keep it off but it helps. According to the National Weight Control Registry, the majority of people who have maintained weight loss for over a year, exercise an average of 1-1.5 hours a day. I've lost 100lbs, it's been almost 8 years, and I exercise 1-1.5 hours a week, and I spike weekly.

    Also if you are keeping to a low calorie goal to lose weight, say 1,500 calories. Those 1,500 calories should be from the best food sources you can find. Foods that give your body what it needs and ones that help you not be hungry all day long. If you tried to fit in a small blizzard, say 500 calories, you've just wasted a 1/3 of your daily calories, didn't get any nutritional benefits, and you'll be hungry right after.
    Now if you spike at 3,000 calories, this is the day you can fit in the calorie dense foods you've been craving. Plus then your mind starts to make the connection and it becomes almost habit. A blizzard is ok on spike day but not the other days.


    Thanks for this info. I'm going to try incorporating a spike day. Thanks for making a distinction between a spike and a binge. I can easily eat 3000 to 4000 calories in a sitting. That's a binge. Going out once a week with my wife and having a normal restaurant meal isn't, but it will put me over my calorie count for that day. Hopefully, it will give me something to look forward to and prevent a binge, as opposed to triggering one.

    One question: is there any benefit to doubling your BMR on your spike day as opposed to exceeding it by just a little bit?

    I want to make sure I have a surplus of calories for that one day. Doubling my BMR pretty much guarantees I will. I would rather go a bit over than under.
  • Gabby32675
    Gabby32675 Posts: 3
    Options
    I just started this week, but from what everyone has said I recommend a "cheat" day!!! I plan on having one also because I am afraid if I don't have 1 day a week where I can eat something thats really bad for my diet but makes me happy that I will slide back into my binging on junk thru the day! Let me know how it works for you, I am very curious to see if it works for u
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
    Options
    Please, someone teach me how to figure out how many calories I should have on my "spike" day - I am on a 1200 cal/day diet. How do you use your own BMR to figure this out? And how does it all change as you lose weight? Also, I have a lot of weight to lose - 50+ lbs - is spiking a good thing for someone with this much to lose, or is it better for people who are closer to goal? Also - what does TDEE mean??

    Also, are you supposed to work off those extra calories the day before or after a "spike" day? I have heard people say they are going to crush it all off on the treadmill or do a "refeed" or whatever - doesn't that defeat the purpose?

    Thanks - Russel lost me there for a second with those last few posts - just when I thought I had it down pat. So confused... But happy to be learning! :)

    Edit to add one more question: What happens on the scale when you do these spike days? I am a daily weigher - what can I expect the day after a spike day, and the following days after?
  • shreyaj
    shreyaj Posts: 196
    Options
    I do a cheat meal vs. a cheat day. I need to keep myself disciplined or I fall off the wagon easy. It's all about what works best for you. Even if you do a "cheat" day don't eat 20 cupcakes eat the things you like and don't normally eat while adhering to your diet but still within moderation.
  • LuckyAng
    LuckyAng Posts: 1,173 Member
    Options
    BUMP! Bumpity bump bump... bump. :wink:
  • rotnkat
    rotnkat Posts: 393 Member
    Options
    I'm saving this for later.
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    Options
    Please, someone teach me how to figure out how many calories I should have on my "spike" day - I am on a 1200 cal/day diet. How do you use your own BMR to figure this out? And how does it all change as you lose weight? Also, I have a lot of weight to lose - 50+ lbs - is spiking a good thing for someone with this much to lose, or is it better for people who are closer to goal? Also - what does TDEE mean??

    Also, are you supposed to work off those extra calories the day before or after a "spike" day? I have heard people say they are going to crush it all off on the treadmill or do a "refeed" or whatever - doesn't that defeat the purpose?

    Thanks - Russel lost me there for a second with those last few posts - just when I thought I had it down pat. So confused... But happy to be learning! :)

    I'm sorry, TDEE is total daily energy expenditure

    It's a formula that estimates about how many calories you burn daily; including BMR, activities, and exercise. It's helpful when looking at a week at a time. You don't burn the same each day, but it's an average of them all. I was just trying to prove the point that if 6 days you eat well, one bad day won't hurt you.

    Spike Day for me is simply 2X(BMR)
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    TDEE
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    Options


    Also, are you supposed to work off those extra calories the day before or after a "spike" day? I have heard people say they are going to crush it all off on the treadmill or do a "refeed" or whatever - doesn't that defeat the purpose?


    No actually this is great. If you do cardio before, you deplete your glycogen stores even more so when you spike or "refeed" your body actually adapts and begins increasing the amount of energy it can store there. Huge bonus! Glycogen is the buffer when you have excess calories before they are stored as fat!

    The day after you spike is actually the best and usually most effective workout of the week. Strength and endurance are at their peak.
  • FITnFIRM4LIFE
    FITnFIRM4LIFE Posts: 818 Member
    Options
    Thanks for great info,Russell!
  • njean888
    njean888 Posts: 399 Member
    Options
    Love this thread, finally something I can use. Thanks OP for posting it.
  • ajfrench
    ajfrench Posts: 323 Member
    Options
    bump
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    Options
    Thanks for great info,Russell!

    Your welcome, but I love helping. My journey through obesity was my tribulation so I could I could share my story with those who want to hear it.
    I'm not saying my method is the only way, I'm just trying show another option.

    Spiking has totally changed my life, from 330lbs 8 years ago to having my bodyfat under 10%. Who would have thought that was possible?
  • ingfit
    ingfit Posts: 180 Member
    Options
    Bump! Liking this theory more and more!
  • Cr8tive_Ingenuity
    Cr8tive_Ingenuity Posts: 181
    Options
    i think a so called cheat day is very important as long as you dont go back to your regular lifestyle and a cheat day becomes almost daily.. the zigzag of caloric intake is very important..often i find myself losing more weight after a few days of having a cheat meal..for instance my caloric intake was 1200 calories, then i raisedit up to 1500 calories..once in a while i will consume 2500 calories but i only do that when I am feeling the urge to eat. i do not plan on having cheat days but when i have one, i dont feel guilty about it at all. That doesnt mean i go to five guys and order a burger with fries..it just means i might have eaten way too much cheese and whole wheat crackers lol...cheese is my god and i am powerless to it
  • elva929
    elva929 Posts: 2
    Options
    My nutritionist once told me to follow my diet and excersise routing 6 days a week and reward myself with a cheat day... As long as you are concious of what you are eating and not binging you should be fine. I found that it really helped me, I did not over indulge on my cheat days I ate and continued to be concious of what I was eating... Everyone's body works differently, but I personally found that this worked for me. Good luck
  • roots1913
    roots1913 Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    bumping to read later

Categories