One cheat day a week?

fleabandit

I was just wondering if people take one cheat day a week where you don't count calories? Or are you pretty strict at it 7 days a week? I'm in my first week and fine but I hear so much about taking a cheat day so you don't binge. What you guys think?

stfuriada

If you can get through your diet without cheating, then go for it. Don't just add a cheat day because you hear people doing it.

I personally don't like to schedule cheat days - actually I wouldn't even consider a WHOLE DAY of cheating. A meal is enough imo, if you really feel the need.

raeraeti

Whenever I have a cheat day, I usually go way over and gain some weight back.
A lot of people on here save up their calories for a specific day and then indulge For example, if your goal is 1500 and for 6 days you only eat 1400, then on the seventh day you get to eat 2100 calories. That is basically a 700 calorie treat.

With this method, you will never go over your weekly calories but still be able to have one day of indulgence.
I find it works best for me.

inkydnk3

When was following the Body for Life program I did have one "free day" with that program. I liked it in the beginning because I felt like I had a day too look forward to so if I had a craving for ice cream I knew I could wait for my "free day" and have it. As time passed I soon realized that I was actually even watching what I was eating and making better choices all week long. Didn't even need the "free days" anymore.

rose313

I log everything 7 days a week, but I will have "cheat items" which I just exercise off later.

cedes_88

I think it's important to let yourself cheat once and a while and not deprive your self of everything. I myself have a cheat day and if I want something small in the week I have it. But that's just what works for me. Everyone is different. If you eat clean and start binging, maybe you should think about giving your self a meal or even a day. You just have to find what works best for you.

workoutgirl23

I do this. Not every one likes to do it. but i like it, i think it helps me indulge and keep on track.and i'm still losing weight. i will count calories 6 days out of the week and eat very low calorie, and then on the 7th day, i will allow myself one day off, where i don't count calories. i just enjoy my food, and sneak in some extra treats and a few drinks. i love my one cheat day per week. it hasn't hurt me yet.

Skinny_Jeans_Soon

I dont' log on the weekends but try to stay close to my cal goal. So it is my cheat days but I hardly ever go over. I guess I feel like I am cheating because I don't have to log. 9 times out of 10 I log anyways and am under goal. I am already at my goal weight so I am thinking about really having a cheat day every now and then.

gabyks

I agree it's whatever works best for you. For example, over-indulging for a whole day--especially if it's food that throws my blood-sugar out of whack--really messes me up. My appetite sky-rockets for a few days after, and it's painful getting it back under control. So instead I'll have a cheat meal, usually on the weekend. I want to eat well for life and not feel deprived, so my daily diet is based on foods I enjoy anyway.

Elise_healthy4life

I have a cheat day once a month but I still log it I find this helps me not to plateau find what works for you and do that

paulaann67

I have a cheat meal not all day once I have my weigh in for the week. This is usually something like pizza on a Saturday night.For me it keeps me on this during the week knowing I can have whatever I want for 1 meal!

littleblonde200

I have a cheat meal and pudding,. on weight day i have a treat for me tea. i stay within calories and as the weeks go on my treats have changed as i no longer want the sweet things . I have made my weight day a saturday as that was the one day i would struggle not to cheat. So now i can. I am fine to be good during the week as i no i have this one meal.

Angiesolomon

Now I've reached my goal I let myself cheat, usually on Saturdays. I find any weight gained will disappear in 2 days once I go back to my regular routine. I very rarely cheated when I was losing weight but I didn't have much to lose so it was only three months of being strict!

JesterMFP

Don't do it just because other people are doing it. Carry on as you are, and figure out what works for you. I prefer to work the food that I like into my daily diet so that I don't feel the need to "cheat" or binge at other times. I'm trying to make this a sustainable lifestyle, not just a temporary thing, so I don't like to feel deprived while I'm doing it. I also don't like to think of eating a bit more as "cheating" as it has such a negative connotation, and I'd rather get away from thinking about food & eating as "good" or "bad" or "naughty" etc.

There are some arguments for a physiological benefit from a higher calorie intake from time to time. I'd say if you're going to do it then still log the calorie intake - at least at first. If you go really over the top you could easily wipe out your week's deficit. If you only eat at your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) for that day though, or slightly over, you probably won't do any damage.

dreamin2bethin

bump

Shrinking_Moody

I no longer allow cheat days - but that's because I've been too free w/ them in the past. I do still eat whatever I want, just less of it - and if I really want something - then I work out harder to "earn" more food calories.

crazedcujo

I totally do a cheat day one per week. It totally works for weight lose - of course I still enter EVERYTHING in my diary... and now I just do really a cheat meal - and not go over board. But in the beginning I did the whole day.

Stefanie7125

i find for me, I am pretty strict M-F, and a lot more lenient on the weekends. It doesn't make me feel like I am on a "diet", I always fail at those. Don't get me wrong, I still try to make the best choices. if I do splurge, I don't go overboard. Perhaps my weight loss would have been more at this point if I had not done it this way, but then again, I may have gotten discouraged and given up. So it has worked for me and I won't change it. You'll find what works for you. Good luck!

sel254

I don't consider it cheating as I'm changing my life, not just dropping weight to put it back on as soon as I start eating "normally" again. I eat whatever I want on a daily basis but in smaller portions that I used to, and if I go over I make sure my workout for that day covers what I've eaten.

LA723

I was just wondering if people take one cheat day a week where you don't count calories? Or are you pretty strict at it 7 days a week? I'm in my first week and fine but I hear so much about taking a cheat day so you don't binge. What you guys think?

I did one cheat day per week when I lost the bulk of my weight. I compared it to spending money. I don't always buy unnecessary things but it is ok to do it now and then. It worked for me and I understood that it was a one-day-per-week thing only.

CassieReannan

I havent had a whole cheat day yet.. just cheat meals. I'm losing fine.

Bobby_Clerici

I have always had a "Free Day":drinker:

At first it was a huge food orgy - 24 hours, but as time went on, I steadily cut back to a few cheat meals on that day.
And no, I do not count calories. LOST 70 lbs doing this.
The challenge sometimes is turning it off when the day was through. Sometimes I did not, and my results suffered.
The arguments for a free day/cheat day are both psychological and physiological.
It may be that a cheat day shocks your body and resets metabolism. Maybe, who knows?
I think it does...
And it's a mental boost knowing I never need to go more than a week before I can binge on junk if I want.
And sometimes I want.
That's why I do it.
And my results speak for itself. The fruit of anybody's philosophy is their success or lack of
Anyway, good luck to YOU!

WhitneyAnnabelle

I did the one cheat day thing, which turned into two or three cheat days. I've decided I don't have the discipline right now, but when I do, I'll try it again. I think it's good to just be able to indulge...unless you really need to get back on the horse, so to speak

kristykritter

I have a cheat meal after my Sunday morning weigh-in. I also double up on exercise that day. I still log everything I've eaten for the meal and try to stay within my calories. It's amazing how simple it is to have a 1,000+ meal. Just goes to show how the weight was put on.

Charloo1990

I think it's important to let yourself cheat once and a while and not deprive your self of everything. I myself have a cheat day and if I want something small in the week I have it. But that's just what works for me. Everyone is different. If you eat clean and start binging, maybe you should think about giving your self a meal or even a day. You just have to find what works best for you.

Ditto this. Saved me typing the same thing haha. If i didnt have my Saturday treat day to look forward to, guaranteed i'd bimge through the week. I still lose weight so would never give up my day lol. And there are no limits on my treat day, if i want it i have it.

whitejessamine

I have BED. If I have a "cheat day," I will binge. It would be giving myself permission to binge. Instead, I allow myself a certain number of calories per week. (11900, which averages to 1700 per day). Everything I eat counts, but if I'm under that total, I know I'm doing okay. That gives me leeway to do a little splurging once in a while, since I'm usually at around 1400 calories per day. Cheat days can derail your diet if you overdo them...which is another reason I count the calories no matter what. If your average calorie intake is increased enough by your cheat day, you'll only be cheating yourself out of weight loss.

johannasmith

I don't even like the word "cheat". I think for me it insinuates something less permanent. If I am going to do this, then I just need to build things into my diet that I like. Also, I have in the past eaten a days worth of calories in one cheat day.

kittyminxx

Noooo don't do a whole cheat day!!!!

I tried this and in one day I can put on one weeks worth of loss in a day

You can have a cheat meal - but i'd still log the meal and check it keeps you under your calorie goal for the week

If you eat more calories than you burn you will gain weight

But if you're super strict all week and then have a naughty meal once a week then that will help you lose weight and shock your body's metabolism

But if you're naughty all day theres 3 times the amount of naughty calories you'll eat rather than just one meal

But if you really want a whole day off, I suggest you burn off as much of the calories you can the next day to compensate

ssilvey726

I generally agree with folks who say if you're going to cheat, just do it for a meal. Cheat days where you don't count calories are counterproductive.

If you're unwilling to even count it because you've cheated so badly, you probably shouldn't be cheating that much. If you go a few hundred over your already-planned out loss, no biggy. But if it's so bad that you don't even want to look at it, probably too much.

Dave198lbs

If you can get through your diet without cheating, then go for it. Don't just add a cheat day because you hear people doing it.

I personally don't like to schedule cheat days - actually I wouldn't even consider a WHOLE DAY of cheating. A meal is enough imo, if you really feel the need.

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pabloext

I don't consider it cheating as I'm changing my life, not just dropping weight to put it back on as soon as I start eating "normally" again. I eat whatever I want on a daily basis but in smaller portions that I used to, and if I go over I make sure my workout for that day covers what I've eaten.

This post is, in my view, the most relevant post on the thread. It is a lifestyle change. If you are looking at as 'cheating' then you really aren't adopting the change as part of your lifestyle but as something temporary that you will then move away from later on.

Additionally, I would say never get caught up on deviations, whether they are for a meal, a day or even two days. What matters is what you do over a period of time. I try to look at everything in a monthly cycle. How did you do for the month? If for the month you are meeting your goals, then you are doing just fine regardless of if you ran over your daily counts a couple times.