Cheat Day or Craving Satisfaction?

kluvit

I don't "cheat" just work what I want into my calorie goals. If I know I'm going somewhere where I'll want to eat a less healthy choice (a favorite burger or dessert), then I plan for it by getting up early to workout before starting my day. Most days, I try to save enough calories for a nice dinner and dessert in the evenings, but if something comes along during the day that I really want, I just "trade-it" for evening dessert or get in an extra workout to cover it. Although I rarely go over my daily allowance, when I do, I am sure to have enough deficit throughout the week to cover it, so I am never over for the week.

The biggest change I've made is that I do not eat or drink anything that I don't really want. I will NEVER again waste calories on soggy fries or anything else I won't enjoy just because it's there.

spidertheman

Ok, so I've been dieting ever since I was 256 lbs and now I am around 150 lbs, and I never really had cheat days except on holidays. Now I've been at a platau for about 4 months and I think this whole cheat day thing could help me out. Basically, I'm going to be following something similar to the spike diet.  I will continue to eat at a 3500 calorie deficit each week in order to lose 1 lb a week, and workout as usual (about 4 days a week).  However, instead of logging calories burnt on the day I work out, I will log them under  whatever day my cheat day will be that week.(usually Saturday).  Normally i would eat all my calories burnt on that day, but This way, I can eat to my hearts content and still stay within my weeks calorie deficit.  And I'll also be able to get a break from eating entirely healthy every single day, confusing my body a little, so it won't adapt. Technically it won't even be a "cheat day" since I'll still be staying within my calorie deficit.

For this first cheat day however, I decided to go all out in order to celebrate my hard work so far.   it lasted ALL weekend.  This is my last Saturday cheat day :

Breakfast-  Pancakes, GIANT Hersey bar, and a 6 egg omelet with a ton of cheese.

Lunch- large Calzone(extra cheese,chicken,veggies), chocolate cake, more random candy bars and snacks.

Dinner- 1.5lbs of honey mustard wings!, onion rings, 4 pints of Ben and Jerry's half baked Froyo.

Late snack- I just stuffed my face with chocolate and other snacks all night. 

And now Sunday:

 Breakfast: French toast, waffles, bacon, donuts and other fruit filled Danishes.

Lunch: dominos medium deep dish pizza w/ almost EVERY topping, dominos chicken Alfredo bread bowl, dominos spinach feta cheesy bread, 1 pint ben and Jerry's.

Dinner- extra large calzone w/ extra cheese and chicken,  onion rings, a carton of moose tracks ice cream, a berry smoothie.

Night snack-a frozen  jello Oreo no bake pie, slice of cake, chocolate, and more ice cream.

 Overall, best weekend EVER.  If I didn't care about staying fit I think could go into competitive eating since I wasn't entirely full, haha.  

Now here's the crazy part. It's been 4 days since that weekend and I've lost about 1.5 lbs from what I weighed BEFORE that weekend! This gives me some confidence in my new plan.

So ya, if you eat really healthy all the time, your body needs a break from that too. Go overboard and your metabolism is going to kick into overdrive to make up for it. Just make sure you go back to eating healthy after that day.

spidertheman

Ok, so I've been dieting ever since I was 256 lbs and now I am around 150 lbs, and I never really had cheat days except on holidays. Now I've been at a platau for about 4 months and I think this whole cheat day thing could help me out. Basically, I'm going to be following something similar to the spike diet.  I will continue to eat at a 3500 calorie deficit each week in order to lose 1 lb a week, and workout as usual (about 4 days a week).  However, instead of logging calories burnt on the day I work out, I will log them under  whatever day my cheat day will be that week.(usually Saturday).  Normally i would eat all my calories burnt on that day, but This way, I can eat to my hearts content and still stay within my weeks calorie deficit.  And I'll also be able to get a break from eating entirely healthy every single day, confusing my body a little, so it won't adapt. Technically it won't even be a "cheat day" since I'll still be staying within my calorie deficit.

For this first cheat day however, I decided to go all out in order to celebrate my hard work so far.   it lasted ALL weekend.  This is my last Saturday cheat day :

Breakfast-  Pancakes, GIANT Hersey bar, and a 6 egg omelet with a ton of cheese.

Lunch- large Calzone(extra cheese,chicken,veggies), chocolate cake, more random candy bars and snacks.

Dinner- 1.5lbs of honey mustard wings!, onion rings, 4 pints of Ben and Jerry's half baked Froyo.

Late snack- I just stuffed my face with chocolate and other snacks all night. 

And now Sunday:

 Breakfast: French toast, waffles, bacon, donuts and other fruit filled Danishes.

Lunch: dominos medium deep dish pizza w/ almost EVERY topping, dominos chicken Alfredo bread bowl, dominos spinach feta cheesy bread, 1 pint ben and Jerry's.

Dinner- extra large calzone w/ extra cheese and chicken,  onion rings, a carton of moose tracks ice cream, a berry smoothie.

Night snack-a frozen  jello Oreo no bake pie, slice of cake, chocolate, and more ice cream.

 Overall, best weekend EVER.  If I didn't care about staying fit I think could go into competitive eating since I wasn't entirely full, haha.  

Now here's the crazy part. It's been 4 days since that weekend and I've lost about 1.5 lbs from what I weighed BEFORE that weekend! This gives me some confidence in my new plan.

So ya, if you eat really healthy all the time, your body needs a break from that too. Go overboard and your metabolism is going to kick into overdrive to make up for it. Just make sure you go back to eating healthy after that day.

And no, none of this was forced down just for the sake of satisfying a craving. I was legit hungry And ate all of it, feeling fully satisfied. Especially after seeing I lost weight. I bet my body never expected a weekend like that.

Weebs628

I don't "cheat" just work what I want into my calorie goals. If I know I'm going somewhere where I'll want to eat a less healthy choice (a favorite burger or dessert), then I plan for it by getting up early to workout before starting my day. Most days, I try to save enough calories for a nice dinner and dessert in the evenings, but if something comes along during the day that I really want, I just "trade-it" for evening dessert or get in an extra workout to cover it. Although I rarely go over my daily allowance, when I do, I am sure to have enough deficit throughout the week to cover it, so I am never over for the week.

The biggest change I've made is that I do not eat or drink anything that I don't really want. I will NEVER again waste calories on soggy fries or anything else I won't enjoy just because it's there.

I feel the exact same way!

HelloKoto

I have my cheat days. They are called birthdays, weddings, parties and holidays. So, they are planned, they do not grow into cheat weekends or even cheat weeks.
There is a nice bonus: such days are almost always followed with a huge weight loss.

wgn4166

I dont have cheat days. Some days i crave M&M's. i will eat about 5, then i am good to go