How do you do YOUR cheat day.

theroadto100

I just recently decided I need to start allowing myself one cheat day a week, but I feel like there's so many ways to go about it, I'm just curious as to what other people find works best.

For example, does your cheat day mean going over on your calories? Or does it mean you just make less healthy choices? So would you still consider it a "good" day if you had, say, a burger, but still stayed under on your calories? (Hopefully this isn't too confusing... haha). ANYWAYS, I'm just wondering how other people's cheat days work. And let me know how it's helped progress your weight loss.

This post is such a confusing mess I apologize, haha.

HMonsterX

So would you still consider it a "good" day if you had, say, a burger, but still stayed under on your calories?

I call that a "lean" day if its just the one burger tbh.

Im not "dieting" so i have nothing to cheat on! Just eat a moderate deficit daily, exercise hard, hit macros, its all good!

melsinct

A cheat day is a bit too open ended for me and I could do too much damage in an entire day. Instead I usually have one meal every couple of weeks where I don't worry about calories. This usually comes into play when I go out to eat.

MrsZMartin

I don't call it a cheat day if I stay under calories. Occasionally (say, when it's a big holiday or company comes into town), I'll take a day (sometimes a few) off of counting completely. These are what I call cheat days, but they don't happen every week. I also continue to workout even if I am off counting. For a once a week thing, I would suggest doing one meal where you allow yourself to eat whatever you want, and don't worry about logging it. If you try to log it, in my experience, you can end up with guilt, which makes the freedom not worth it. Such a splurge will not hinder your weight loss, and could likely increase your sbility to stick to your plan on other days and meals. Good luck!!

kneeki

This happened to me a few days ago... I made a (high) protein Cheesecake and dominated it.

yikesy

Any day you stay under/within your calorie allotment is a good day! My 'cheat' days consist of not even keeping track of the calories - or if I am really feeling a little guilty or afraid that I mat go over board with drinks with friends then I try to make sure I workout a little longer/harder that day to help balance out the calories. Obviously the more you cheat on cheat day the less effective your diet is going to be - but we need to live a little as well. I can 'cheat' once a week and still stay within my weekly calorie allotment (think of it as using up banked calories from earlier in the week from exercising etc.).

fdlafon

A cheat day is a bit too open ended for me and I could do too much damage in an entire day. Instead I usually have one meal every couple of weeks where I don't worry about calories. This usually comes into play when I go out to eat.

I think this is a good rule - I had some Chinese food with a friend on Friday, and thought I was in heaven while enjoying it. It was nice to have something that I hadn't eaten in weeks.

I believe that a cheat meal is the way I would handle it. An entire day can do a lot of damage. Enjoy!

kbmnurse

My cheat day is usually a weekend day. I eat whatever I want might have a few beers too.

theroadto100

Thanks, everyone! This all definitely helps me a lot.

itsuki

My "cheat" days are days where I eat less healthy. Generally it's more like a cheat meal, not a whole day. I give myself one cheat meal per week and I can use it on whatever day I want.

For example, today was my cheat day and I went to Burger King and had a 730 calorie lunch. It was delicious. I have no regrets.

I just plugged my whole day into my diary and I'm still under for my goal by about 70 calories. If I had been over that would have been fine too, 'cuz it was a cheat meal. Generally I'm under or on target on my cheat days, and can always throw in an extra workout if I'm over by a lot.

Do my cheat days stop me from losing weight? Well, maybe a little. I've lost just about 10 pounds in 9 weeks. Maybe I would have lost a little more if I didn't cheat, but I would rather lose weight slowly and cheat sometimes, than lose it quickly and then go on a three week food bender and wind up back where I started.

cooter2533

I normally try to keep my cheat days/meals to my maintenance calories or just above. I have been cutting at 1600 cal so on a "bad day" I'll hit 2400 or so.

bhalter

Mine is more a half day. I'll usually save "cheat days" for a day when we have plans with friends. Eat healthy all day except for that one meal and then "indulge" a bit. That way I don't go crazy and end up licking chocolate frosting off a pizza or something.

jenniet04

Sundays are my cheat days. I eat whatever and however much I want. I generally don't log it, but I don't do too much damage because of the goal I'm working toward, so I usually stay within my maintenance calories.

PirateJohn

I don't like calling it "cheating," because that means you're doing something bad. Eating the occasional candy bar or ice cream isn't cheating if it's incorporated into an overall healthy diet.

I remember running the Long Beach Half Marathon and a woman I passed had scrawled on the back of her shirt, "I run for donuts." I couldn't help but comment as I ran past.

cafel3

I don't eat the same number of calories each day. Some days are lower. Then, I use the "left over" calories from the low-cal days so that I can eat my maintenance calories about twice a week. My weekly calories, however, are at or under my weekly goal.

I don't restrict any foods. I just try to eat everything in moderation. I also plan my meals the day before, so if I know that we're going to have pizza for dinner on Friday, I lower my calories the rest of the day.

NsRhea

My cheat day is usually just a cheat meal. I can't put the Chinese food down xD. However, I always try to log it afterward. It keeps me conscious of what I ate. Plus I read that a cheat meal / day can trick your body into thinking you're continually getting that high calorie intake so it continues burning calories at a decent rate rather than becoming accustom to the low calorie meals every day and then stalling out after a month or so.

Kelly_Wilson1990

I don't do cheat meals. I eat healthy versions of all the foods I love so there is no need for a cheat day.

MaximalLife

I eat twice my daily goal during my weekly "free day"
And once a month is my binge day - 24 hours of pure fun - EAT EAT EAT!
About 10,000 calories -- LOVE IT!

The hardest part is turning it off.

rudegyal_b

ive cheated once, have no intentions of doing that again anytime soon...i just treat myself daily within limits

SKINNYMESOON2B

I was actually pretty bad this weekend. I usually eat pretty good, but this weekend I choose unheathly things to eat including chicken strips and fries and cold stone ice cream. I did however realize what i was eatting and logged it and managed to stay under my calorie goal. But that little set back for college hangover eatting ended with Sunday night. Im vouching to stay on track.

determinedsocialworker

I don't really do a cheat day, either. I workout 5-6 times a week at the gym no matter what and I generally have a meal that is kind of out of the ordinary for me. It is generally pizza because I adore it, but it has to matter to me...before I never thought much about what I was eating. I count what I eat as best I can so I am making a conscious decision of what I am doing, and a ballpark of how many calories it's going to be and then I decide if it's worth it. For me, sometimes I do it and realize after that it wasn't, and i learn for next time. But I don't find a full day does anything good for me. I may have a cheat meal or a cheat treat per week, but generally stay within my calories. I don't generally eat back my exercise calories but on that day, maybe I do, and maybe I go over, but not too often. I want Onederland by May 1, so I find having that goal keeps me pretty well on track. Good luck figuring out what works best for you.

kvreeken

Recommendation: ALWAYS input your food to MFP. Even on Thanksgiving...you get the idea. It is incredibly informative.

I usually give myself one meal (not day), on the weekend, where I indulge on my favorites (anything involving bacon, steak, big monster sandwich, etc.) Even if I'm over for the day, I make sure that when I am eating it i'm in the moment. Meaning I savor every bite and NEVER regret it afterwards. Get back on your healthy eating at the next meal.....Just a thought.

thepanttherlady

I'm not on a diet so there is no "cheating" for me. I enjoy fast food/eating out so once a week I get to eat what I want for one meal. Any other day I choose to eat out, I make a healthier choice and stay under my calories.

I log EVERYTHING just because I still want to be accountable for what I've eaten. It helps me decide if I REALLY want that particular meal. If I go to Jack in the Box, the meal I like is easily 1330 calories with dipping sauce. Seeing the numbers on the diary has more than once made me change my mind and eat somewhere else where the meal I eat is less than 1k calories.

If I go over my calories in a day then I "recalculate" my calories on a weekly vs. daily basis so I still maintain a caloric deficit. This works easily for me because I get 1630 calories in a day. This may not work for those that get less.

KareninCanada

Our trainer recommended we plan a "cheat meal" instead of a "cheat day"... here's her math. Say you've kept a consistent 300 calorie deficit all week, netting you an 1800-calorie deficit by Friday night. Saturday is your cheat day.

Breakfast - three 4-inch homemade whole wheat pancakes, 3 tbsp syrup, 2 eggs, apple juice = 770 calories (personal example - whoops)
Lunch - McDonald's: 2 McMinis, med fries, small Coke, vanilla cone = 813 calories
Supper - 2 pizza pockets = 460 calories
Snack - can of diet Coke and a snickers bar = 271 calories
Snack - microwave popcorn in the evening = 160 calories
plus you skip your workout in favor of a movie because it's your day off... = let's say 300 calories not burned

Now your cheat day is at 2774 calories... more if your usual workout burns more than 300 calories... enough to undo the entire rest of the week. And that's assuming there was no alcohol involved.


That was pretty sobering. So was realizing that my 2"x2" piece of birthday cake this weekend cost me 200 calories. :grumble:

MrDude_1

my cheat day is very simple... its the weekend, so i go hang out with friends. maybe we order a pizza.. maybe we're all out and get food somewhere... in anycase, i just live my life.

my life is not lived nor dictated through food. i am in the USA where theres so much food, it takes effort to not eat. so on my cheat day, i go do what millions of americans consider their normal diet... and of course thats tons of food. lol.

Sunshine2plus2

Mine was not a cheat day but a cheat meal. Every saturday I would go out usually for a mexican food meal!

mgmlap

a cheat day for me is eating loads of processed carbs. Since I eat Primal...processed carbs are a no-no. My macros are 20 carbs/30 protein/50 fat....so I usually stay within my calorie goal..but carbs are usually 150 or so grams..which is way high for me. I do get carb bloat when its all said and done..but that drops off wtihin a day or 2

cynhip

I'm not a cheater. Whats the point? You got to have the commitment i think in order to reach your goals. Wasn't cheating what got us larger in the first place? Now that I started feeding my body the right foods and right amounts, my body craves wholesome good for me foods. I just don't see the point in having cheat days.

dolfn1972

My cheat day is actually a total free day. I do not count calories....(sometimes I log...but no biggie if i dont) I eat what I want ...and if i dont feel like exercising that day ...I dont. I have one free day a week..usually sunday. This was at the advice of 2 sperate trainers that I went to. It allows you and your body a day off. This is not for everybody..but it works pretty well for me. Also i know i can have what i want that day. The funny thing is that by sunday ..all the cravings I had during the week are gone..and i usually keep it in reason...unless of course i am having wings...lol. Good luck

AlabasterVerve

We used to eat take out every Friday and Saturday and decided the best way to break that habit was just to have the last Friday of the month be our cheat day. So I'll have take out and I have a ton of baking ingredients left over from the holidays so I might buy some butter and make cookies too. It'll be interesting to see how it works out.

LuciaLongIsland

I'm not a cheater. Whats the point? You got to have the commitment i think in order to reach your goals. Wasn't cheating what got us larger in the first place? Now that I started feeding my body the right foods and right amounts, my body craves wholesome good for me foods. I just don't see the point in having cheat days.

Agree!!!