Spike days... A most famous myth.

DakotaKeogh

Look. The fact that we needed MFP in the first place debunks the notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day. We're here cause we lost control. We're here cause we gave up control to food. We're here cause we're junkies.

The notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day is just a weak excuse to fall off the wagon. It's like an ex-junkie celebrating shoot-up day. Or, an ex-drinker celebrating happy hour. You know how that goes.

Take your spike days regularly and then wonder why your clothes size doesn't change. Or, wonder why your scale never moves. Yeah, go ahead and have that ice cream and then complain about it.

We are junkies. We have to be above clean, beyond pristine. Either you have the will to beat that down. Or, you don't. Either you can live without it now. Or, you have to make excuses to dodge what it takes. Is it in you?

So, who are you?

My name is Brett. I'm a foodie who's been eating clean for two years.

MrsSassyPants

I know of no addict on earth that hasn't gone through the process of recovery. This journey has it's ups and downs like anything else. Most people here are seeing vast improvements over where they were, Everything will come in good time. Ah... life's little challenges. For me it's one day at a time...

theartichoke

I'm with you on this one. I don't have cheat/spike days but that's because I choose not to. I refuse to begin walking the slippery slope back to who I was. You're right that it's like an alcoholic having a drunk day. However, there are many men and women here who aren't food addicts. They can incorporate spike and cheat days so that they're helpful! Same way non-alcoholics can have one drink and be done. I just don't happen to be one of them.

Pebble321

You know, I think it's one of those personal choice things - some people do well with moderation all week, others like a day where they don't count calories (I'm not a fan of the term "cheat day"), for me - I tend to eat well most days but don't have a crisis if I'm over or under calories now and again. And I'm certainly not planning on giving up chocolate any time soon.

It sounds as though you have found a way of eating that works for you - and that's great.
But, it doesn't mean that every other single person needs to follow the same path.

veganbaum

Look. The fact that we needed MFP in the first place debunks the notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day. We're here cause we lost control. We're here cause we gave up control to food. We're here cause we're junkies.

The notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day is just a weak excuse to fall off the wagon. It's like an ex-junkie celebrating shoot-up day. Or, an ex-drinker celebrating happy hour. You know how that goes.

Take your spike days regularly and then wonder why your clothes size doesn't change. Or, wonder why your scale never moves. Yeah, go ahead and have that ice cream and then complain about it.

We are junkies. We have to be above clean, beyond pristine. Either you have the will to beat that down. Or, you don't. Either you can live without it now. Or, you have to make excuses to dodge what it takes. Is it in you?

So, who are you?

My name is Brett. I'm a foodie who's been eating clean for two years.

Spike day =/= cheat day. If you *plan* your day (as you do with a spike) and your weekly deficit remains the same, where's the "cheat"?

I was at a six MONTH plateau, didn't lose a thing no matter what I did, just maintained. Started spiking, have been losing nearly every week, some weeks more than others (we all know weight loss isn't linear). My spike day contains some "junk" food *as well as* healthy food. Mostly I use it to enjoy takeout, specifically Thai, which I don't eat any other day of the week.

And as an aside, I have suffered from binging in the past, and spiking has helped me control that in a way that NOTHING has for ten years.

Don't confuse true spiking with "cheating" where people go all out without concern about the health of what they're eating *as a whole* and no concern about their weekly deficit. It's all about the forest.

So, yes, I'll continue to have my spike days. And I won't have to wonder why my my clothing size doesn't change or why the scale doesn't move. And why's that? . . . Oh yeah, because they're both changing, for the better.

happystars82

personally, i don;t thnk i would of lost the 20lbs i have done without doing a spike day at least once a fortnight... only because i love foods and naughty ones at that, so if i have a taste it once a fortnight for one day it satisfys me and i'm happy... and i continue to lose weight........ so think like someone else said, its a matter of what works best for the type of person.

DakotaKeogh

Umm. Okay.

Nu_Mel

I think its the old thing everything in moderation. I'm here because my cheat days, were 7 days a week 365 days a year, not one meal a week or one day a fortnight, or whatever you choose.

I think it's more important to look at where and why you have 'cheat' days/meals. If you devour a pizza after a crap day at work, and call that your cheat meal, it's not, it's emotional eating. If you enjoy 2 glasses of wine out at dinner with friends, then yeah that's 'cheating'. Which I hate using that word BTW. I agree with PP who said, if it's counted into your daily allowances, then it's not really a cheat at all.

chrisdavey

If you are in deficit for 6 days and you have a spike day and the net for the week is still a deficit then the laws of physics say you will lose weight. As well as that, you get psychological benefits of not feeling deprived.

If you go over maintenance from you're spike day & you are trying to lose weight then you're doing it wrong.

Also, for those doing very low carbs then a higher cal/carb day can be very beneficial.

taso42

Sorry you have such a tough time. Not everybody has to treat food like heroin.

micls

Your experiences are not universal.

I don't think I'm a food addict. In the past I was more active and didn't gain weight. I got older, got less active and in the space of a year or two I put on weight (about 25lbs). I realised this eventually, so I changed things. Got more active, and started counting calories. I'm now closing in on my goal and am happy with the way things have gone. I've started making better (not ideal for some) food choices, sorted out my portions and I'm happy out.

I 'cheat' on the weekend. I don't count calories, I eat a lot more crap than during the week. This is what makes me eat healthier and exercise mid week. i keep my exercise calories and use them at the weekend to enjoy the food I want to eat. If I didn't have this,l wouldn't have the motivation to keep eating healthier.

So I have 1 very bad night (Friday), moderate but certainly not good on a Saturday, and a reasonable calorie but not necessarily healthy choices Sunday. This is nearly a third of the week. I still lost the weight I wanted to lose (almost there), I'm reaching my goals and I'm happy doing so.

This works for me, eating clean works for you. Neither is universal and others will have different things that work for them.

Scott613

Umm. Okay.

I'm not sure you know what a spike day is. Who says you have to eat junk. It's a once a week eat 2x your bmr while the rest of the week youre in a deficit. In the end you're still in a good deficit.

hongruss

Although we are on different roads, our destination is the same.

And on that note, IT IS WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU!:huh:

Russ

douglasmobbs

From what I have seen spike days are based on dividing your total weekly calories by 8 and having that on 6 days per week and 2 portions of your calories on the 7th day.

Its a different way to control your food intake. I would be worried about my control if I embarked on a diet with this pattern as the weekly spike may actually knock me off track and turn into a spike weekend and so on. However, I can see why this pattern would help others keep control.

Horses for courses. So long as its healthy the diet that suits you is best for you.

Beezil

Sorry you have such a tough time. Not everybody has to treat food like heroin.

^ ^ ^ Agree.

StrawberrySt

Sorry you have such a tough time. Not everybody has to treat food like heroin.

Agree ^^

I've never been addicted to food or out of control and that's not why I'm here. I don't eat clean, I just eat healthier and am more aware of what I put in my body and how much.

Different strokes

GlutenFreeWench

For me, I can't do an entire spike day. I can only do a cheat *meal* occasionally when I'm on it. And that's when I'm not feeling like I could go spinning out of control

But for me, food is like heroin. I'm a recovering food addict, and I have to be every day for the rest of my life.

But, for someone else, they can have great success with one day as a cheat day or spike day:) As long as the rest are healthy.

Like I always say- everyone's journey is their own. We all travel our own ways:)

Elizabeth_C34

Sorry you have such a tough time. Not everybody has to treat food like heroin.

Agreed.

chocolateandvodka

popcorn munching commenced.

rovernio

i have lots of spike days but 2 months before summer i only drink water and eat clean 8 weeks no cheating.

4theking

Here we go again. Why does what someone else does bother a person so much that they have to make a thread about it. Been spiking three years and I seem to be doing ok. I have helped many, many people that had plateued, using the spike method. Some people can eat at a weekly deficit and lose weight consistently. Others are not so fortunate and spiking fixes some of their hormonal issues that inhibits fat loss. If you want to deprive yourself go ahead but that doesn't make you any more special than me.

chazbo35

Although we are on different roads, our destination is the same.

And on that note, IT IS WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU!:huh:

Russ

ABSOLUTELY AGREE ^^^^^

jetscreaminagain

I think it's more important to look at where and why you have 'cheat' days/meals. If you devour a pizza after a crap day at work, and call that your cheat meal, it's not, it's emotional eating. If you enjoy 2 glasses of wine out at dinner with friends, then yeah that's 'cheating'. Which I hate using that word BTW. I agree with PP who said, if it's counted into your daily allowances, then it's not really a cheat at all.

Yeah, I totally disagree with this. If you enjoy 2 glasses of wine out at dinner with friends, that's living your life and not letting a new kind of food obsession take over and edge out your relationships. If you have a crap day at work and you eat a whole pizza, this is not necessarily winning, but its just a thing. You get up the next day and you keep going. Honestly, better to do that, IMO, than to be like a dry drunk and stress out at everyone around you and basically be a jerk because of your day. And if you had some pizza because that's where the group was going and the group is a group that you want to hang with and you can't always say no and keep your friends, then, you know what, eating pizza is a life activity and choosing to do it rather than be a food Nazi is a WIN.

If its counted in your daily allowance, it isn't even a spike day. If you keep your deficit reasonable across the week, spike/cheat days can be good. As an example, this week, Monday I lifted hard and was spent afterwards. I had too big of a deficit when I closed out. Tuesday I was hungry all day. Monday's deficit doomed Tuesday's eating. I was over by a smidge on Tuesday after adding some dancing to burn some calories. Tuesday wasn't a planned high calorie day, but it also wasn't "cheating" it was correcting Monday's food mistakes and FUELING a body that needed food.

Seriously though, the rigidity that is on here sometimes about food is really harmful and detrimental. Obsession with food, whether it is the proud overeating as if it were an accomplishment or the extreme and unyielding restriction that means you can't enjoy a couple drinks with friends, or a meal with family that has no earthly idea how to cook a reasonable meal, well, it ruins the rest of your life..

And that's sad. I don't want to be sad. I want a full, happy life that allws me ALL the options, including with food AND with clothes and activities. And, I'm getting it, thank you very much.

chrisdavey

I think it's more important to look at where and why you have 'cheat' days/meals. If you devour a pizza after a crap day at work, and call that your cheat meal, it's not, it's emotional eating. If you enjoy 2 glasses of wine out at dinner with friends, then yeah that's 'cheating'. Which I hate using that word BTW. I agree with PP who said, if it's counted into your daily allowances, then it's not really a cheat at all.

Yeah, I totally disagree with this. If you enjoy 2 glasses of wine out at dinner with friends, that's living your life and not letting a new kind of food obsession take over and edge out your relationships. If you have a crap day at work and you eat a whole pizza, this is not necessarily winning, but its just a thing. You get up the next day and you keep going. Honestly, better to do that, IMO, than to be like a dry drunk and stress out at everyone around you and basically be a jerk because of your day. And if you had some pizza because that's where the group was going and the group is a group that you want to hang with and you can't always say no and keep your friends, then, you know what, eating pizza is a life activity and choosing to do it rather than be a food Nazi is a WIN.

If its counted in your daily allowance, it isn't even a spike day. If you keep your deficit reasonable across the week, spike/cheat days can be good. As an example, this week, Monday I lifted hard and was spent afterwards. I had too big of a deficit when I closed out. Tuesday I was hungry all day. Monday's deficit doomed Tuesday's eating. I was over by a smidge on Tuesday after adding some dancing to burn some calories. Tuesday wasn't a planned high calorie day, but it also wasn't "cheating" it was correcting Monday's food mistakes and FUELING a body that needed food.

Seriously though, the rigidity that is on here sometimes about food is really harmful and detrimental. Obsession with food, whether it is the proud overeating as if it were an accomplishment or the extreme and unyielding restriction that means you can't enjoy a couple drinks with friends, or a meal with family that has no earthly idea how to cook a reasonable meal, well, it ruins the rest of your life..

And that's sad. I don't want to be sad. I want a full, happy life that allws me ALL the options, including with food AND with clothes and activities. And, I'm getting it, thank you very much.

very well said

Nelski

Oh boy, another hater. The way I choose to spread out my weekly calories shouldn't upset you, because it has nothing to do with you. I can have a spike, cheat, free or whatever kind of day you want to call it and still be in a weekly deficit. Maybe this is a problem for binge eaters with an eating disorder but that is different. It works for me and I want to enjoy my life and food so this is how I will continue to do it.

IronmanPanda

The notion of rest day is just a weak excuse to fall off the wagon. It's like an ex-junkie celebrating shoot-up day. Or, an ex-drinker celebrating happy hour. You know how that goes.

Oh crap, you mean I have to work out 7 days a week? WTF yo!?

HonkyTonks

Spike days have worked fine for me in the past as long as I achieve an overall weekly deficit. I don't know that it boosted my weight loss or anything like that but it was good psychologically.

At the moment I am trying to just eat whatever I want (eat to hunger, etc) and do my two fasting days per week.

tabulator32

Based on the info in this forum, I have used "spike" days to break weight-loss plateaus and start losing again.

It appears to have been actually beneficial, in addition to not having done any harm.

Above and beyond that, its a good thing to occasionally reward yourself with good food and have a meal you really enjoy regardless of the exact calorie count. I mean, the purpose of us doing all this work is so that we can ENJOY our good lives, isn't it?

Ambrogio1

Look. The fact that we needed MFP in the first place debunks the notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day. We're here cause we lost control. We're here cause we gave up control to food. We're here cause we're junkies.

The notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day is just a weak excuse to fall off the wagon. It's like an ex-junkie celebrating shoot-up day. Or, an ex-drinker celebrating happy hour. You know how that goes.

Take your spike days regularly and then wonder why your clothes size doesn't change. Or, wonder why your scale never moves. Yeah, go ahead and have that ice cream and then complain about it.

We are junkies. We have to be above clean, beyond pristine. Either you have the will to beat that down. Or, you don't. Either you can live without it now. Or, you have to make excuses to dodge what it takes. Is it in you?

So, who are you?

My name is Brett. I'm a foodie who's been eating clean for two years.

Spiking is for the advanced, responisible Nutrition/Sport enthusiast. Its not for someone who cannot control there own diet and habits.
That is true. Its not a myth if you can't do it. I use refeeds all the time. They don't just work. They bring me to the next level

Ambrogio1

Here we go again. Why does what someone else does bother a person so much that they have to make a thread about it. Been spiking three years and I seem to be doing ok. I have helped many, many people that had plateued, using the spike method. Some people can eat at a weekly deficit and lose weight consistently. Others are not so fortunate and spiking fixes some of their hormonal issues that inhibits fat loss. If you want to deprive yourself go ahead but that doesn't make you any more special than me.

People who can't do it have to defy it. They can't rationally believe they are weak and have a problem.
I always had a problem with someone not enjoying just one drink, just one smoke, just one twinkie. I don't understand it. It doesn't mean it doesn't exist, it does. I should start threads ripping drug adicts. Well because it doesn't happen to me so it doesn't exist right?

Yanicka1

Sorry you have such a tough time. Not everybody has to treat food like heroin.

This.