How do you feel about cheat days/meals?

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  • kammy92
    kammy92 Posts: 408 Member
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    Me, personally, I don't have cheat days. If I know I'm going to go out to eat and will most likely go over my calories I will workout a little more to make up for those extra calories!! I hate seeing. Red negative numbers when I complete my diary!! It makes me feel like crap!
  • crysmcd1
    crysmcd1 Posts: 54
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    i try not to have cheat days. i will have a "splurge" meal once in a while and i make sure it fits into my plan to some degree. i personally will work out harder that day, drink extra water... i know they say a spike day is good for you but im still not convinced.
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
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    I do carb cycling and its works for me but I time it with my monthly cycle so week before I eat carbs with meals, once they start I don't have any more and body lets go of all the water naturally including extra from the carbs and I usually lose 2-3lbs from what I was before the water went on.

    so I was 9st 12 before this months water went on so would expect to be around 9st 9 when it all comes off by end of next week. rest of month I am wheat free/low carb.
  • I1ahunt
    I1ahunt Posts: 72
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    Depends. Some people view a cheat day as an excuse to go full out and eat everything in sight. Thia does not work.

    Having a small indulgence that you normally would not have is more manageable.

    This....and I plan for my indulgence in advance by cutting back somewhere else during the day or adjusting my workout routine
  • robinogue
    robinogue Posts: 1,117 Member
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    I don't have a cheat day but I will indulge in a cheat meal. I think it's healthy, you can work it in your workout schedule to adjust the calories you will consume. Adjust your diary to reflect those calories/fat that we're added. We all need those days to enjoy.
  • Alicia_Monique
    Alicia_Monique Posts: 338 Member
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    I have cheat days. If I didn't have a cheat day I would eat like a monster constantly.

    But, in all honesty, my cheat days aren't really that bad. I always work out on my cheat day, and I still drink enough water, and I still get my fruits and veg for the day.

    I just wont say no to that piece of cheese pizza! ^_^
  • funmamaof4
    funmamaof4 Posts: 18 Member
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    I belive in a "cheat" meal and only 1 cheat meal/week. You pick what that meal will consist of and enjoy it. Don't go hog wild, but do enjoy something that you once gave up. The purpose in it is to keep your body guessing and to mix up your metabolism once a week. This keeps you from hitting plateus in your weight loss journey. As the other members have already commented this is just 1/week and make it 1 meal or 1 item you wouldn't normally eat during the week due to the calorie content, etc. If you look into various programs such as the Abs Diet, transformation.com (Body For Life), etc. Any program that focuses on getting your body lean and muscular will incorporate this concept to aid in your weight loss. The key is to plan for it and know what you're going to eat and when. Look into these 2 programs if you haven't already and read why they recomment it. They are both great programs and both incorporate the same concept. Works for me as well as many other people. If you're going to do it then make sure you leave the house to do it. You don't want to bring the food back into the house for "later". Pick a restaurant and go to it and enjoy it.
  • korsicash
    korsicash Posts: 770 Member
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    I keep my caloric intake in the same range, I find if I allow myself to go way over it hinders everything. I have found the will power since loosing all this weight that I can have a bite of something and feel satisfied that I tasted it. So if my family is eating something I don't have the calories left for or so bad for me I just shouldn't I find that I can eat a bite and feel satisfied instead of jiped that I didn't get to have any.
  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
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    For some people it works out well. For some people it doesn't. You have to figure out what works for you.
  • warshahn
    warshahn Posts: 4
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    My 24-year-old son does cheat days. He says that it stokes his metabolism, but Ha! He's already got a good metabolism. I don't plan cheat days because I'm afraid I'll have a lot of trouble getting back on the diet. I'd rather find nutritious treats to eat that taste really good but don't cause set backs.
  • Shelby814
    Shelby814 Posts: 273 Member
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    Personally I don't have "cheat days/meals". After 6 months of healthy eating, it has become my lifestyle & I don't feel good if I eat crap. I literally feel sick & it's just not worth it. I did go to my favorite pizza joint on my birthday, ate pizza & garlic bread for lunch which is out of the ordinary for me, but went right back to my normal routine for the next meal. It was what I would consider a special occasion, but I don't plan cheat days into my week or even month. It's not for me, but each to their own. You've got to do what works for you, what's realistic & what makes you feel good, overall, not just for the moment. :)
  • warshahn
    warshahn Posts: 4
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    I read an article that recommended going on a "binge" but keeping the binge under 400 calories. I just don't have that kind of control.
  • babebabeba
    babebabeba Posts: 10
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    Omg. If 'cheating' is having a single piece of cheese pizza, I think you are doing it wrong.

    My view is you should focus on getting your nutrition into your body, you should get plenty of exercise, and if that nutrition happens to include awesome yummy things? So be it.

    This is a life thing, not a think about what will be on the scale thing.
  • sunnyskyjb
    sunnyskyjb Posts: 258 Member
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    Yeah, my binges would never be under 400 cals!
  • here_I_go_again
    here_I_go_again Posts: 463 Member
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    Ok, so I have heard a lot of people talking about cheat days or meals and just wondered peoples opinions. My biggest concern for trying them myself would be not having the self control to stop after my meal or day and falling off the wagon.

    If you have tried them do they affect your weight loss? How?

    If not why?

    Thanks in advance!

    Can't do cheat days. I slip back out of control and start eating unhealthy again.For me, I have to stick to clean eating 24/7. That's just me.
  • gleechick609
    gleechick609 Posts: 551
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    This is a lifestyle. There are no cheats. If I want something, I calorie budget and fit it in to meet my macros. I can eat up to my TDEE without gaining fat.
  • samandlucysmum
    samandlucysmum Posts: 320
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    Personally I think cheat days are horrible. It is so much easier to say "I can eat that today and tomorrow I'll be back on the wagon". If you haven't cheated then I suggest not to. Stay strong and stick to your diet because it does make a difference when you eat bad again, even for just one day, it makes a difference! Good luck!

    Totally agree, it's a state of mind thing, it's better to go over a little, and be able to work it off the next week, I used to get into the habit of saying 'i'll start again monday' but 'monday' never came, then I joined this site, and I log everything, and I am doing ok now, no more starting mondays for me, just a constant battle to lose the weight, albeit with a few slip up days, but I feel as strong as ever at sticking to my diet.
  • Kahlan_sw
    Kahlan_sw Posts: 8
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    For me personally I don't look at them as cheats. I think it is a normal healthy diet to eat really well most of the time and have the occasional treat. It's not cheating in my mind, it's rational and normal. If you try to hold yourself to too high of a standard you risk horrible guilt and falling of the wagon if you have something you feel you shouldn't. You shouldn't feel guilty about a piece of birthday cake or for having that slice of lasagne as long as it is the exception and not the rule. :)

    All that being said, I often also go more by my weekly food intake rather than my daily and I aim to keep my weekly under the calorie limit line. I also know that typically Saturday are higher calorie days so I ensure I get in a longer workout those days as well to help keep the food in check.

    just my opinion of course.. and it took me a long time to find this balance. I used to feel horrible on days where I didn't eat as healthy until I accepted that I wasn't doing something wrong and didn't need to feel any guilt. as soon as the guilt stopped my probability of my cheat meal turning into falling off the wagon just stopped completely.
  • samandlucysmum
    samandlucysmum Posts: 320
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    don't have planned cheat days, all I do is, if I have a day where I am really hungry, or say on a sunday, with sunday roast, I do go over, but don't beat myself up over it, I just try to cut down a little over the next few days, or exercise enough to gain back what I went over by.
    I am human after all, with hormones that make me crazy at times, but it is not a sin to go over your allowance, as long as it is not a longterm thing, and just something that happens once in a while.
    At the end of the day, you have to find a system of weight loss that works for you, and if that means you give in to temptation, but then get back on the wagon straight away, then so be it.
  • sfoster3171982
    sfoster3171982 Posts: 76 Member
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    I started with cheat days and now I have cheat meals because after a day of eating bad I would feel so horrible. My stomach hurt and I would get a bad headache. Start with a day see how you feel and if u feel like I did go to a meal. It varies from person to person

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