cheat day method; fact or fiction?

rachelwinning
rachelwinning Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
Ive had several people at my gym and a friend swear by using one day a week to indulge over your calorie count because it supposedly revamps your metabolism. Does this help shed the pounds or is this simply unbeneficial?

-R
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Replies

  • Logsv
    Logsv Posts: 36
    I believe more in just indulging when the time is right. I will always try to hold off on a craving or a cheat food for as long as possible and then only buy a small quantity so I can't over do it. Another thing I like to do is buy the cheat item and then stash it in the freezer. Skittles, gummy worms, bagels, chinese food, Wendy's (......well not Wendy's that would be a sin against the delicious food that is Wendy's and Wendy's must be consumed immediately or else you will anger the fast food gods) but you get what I mean.

    By the time it thaws enough to chew, I not only appreciate it more but I also will eat less of it since my craving usually diminishes faster once I know I'm actually going to be getting to eating it. Thawing allows time for the guilt to set in before I even take my first bite which helps curb my appetite.

    xo
  • Logsv
    Logsv Posts: 36
    Bump
  • pittskaa
    pittskaa Posts: 319 Member
    i cant do this because once i indulge, i cant stop. so for me, every day i have a little something as a small treat so i dont go crazy and binge one day.

    but thats just me :happy:
  • Eagles802051
    Eagles802051 Posts: 54 Member
    Yes cheat meals are great! If your eating healthy all week and consistently, a cheat day is fine! Now this doesnt mean eat 10,000 calories or anything crazy but 1,000 calories over your daily is fine. It helps keep me motivated all week because i know on saturday i get to plan out my free meal and i dont splurge all week. Its not as much about spiking your metabolism as it is really just breaking up the repeative nature of eating the same things day in and day out. Without my cheat meal id pry go crazy from eating chicken every day.
  • FireBrand80
    FireBrand80 Posts: 378 Member
    Whether it's beneficial or not depends on the context, but it wont "revamp your metabolism."
  • ZugTheMegasaurus
    ZugTheMegasaurus Posts: 801 Member
    Pretty much any method that claims to significantly alter your metabolism immediately is bunk. However, some people do like having "cheat days" for other reasons. People who adhere to strict diets might want to have cheat days in order to keep from getting burnt out and discouraged on their program. Other people use it to plan/justify indulging at special events or family gatherings.

    Personally, I don't do it. I don't stick to any particular diet program; if I want something, then I eat it. But I also have an easy time with portion control and choosing healthy foods and only very rarely experience cravings, so I'm really lucky in that regard. For a lot of people, it's hard to have just a bit at a time, so it can be more satisfying to have certain things on a cheat day so that they can have a little more of it.
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
    When I had cheat days, it was no more than 400calories never 1000+calories!

    I was able to reach my goal and now that I am maintaining, I find that having continued cheat days here and there hasn't affected my weight at all. Plus now, I eat 100% of my burned calories, while during my weight loss, I only ate 25% - 50%.
  • FITnFIRM4LIFE
    FITnFIRM4LIFE Posts: 818 Member
    Every Sunday-no counting-no worries. Eat what ever I have craved or want. Maintained over a year and do this every Sunday;-)
    Keeps me on track all week, Love Sundays!
  • ashleen7
    ashleen7 Posts: 258 Member
    I find a cheat meal is easier to work into my calorie total for the week, if i gave myself a whole day i'd just undo my whole weeks work!
  • bassmanlarry
    bassmanlarry Posts: 117 Member
    I have found a cheat meal every once in a while helps maintain my sanity, but even then I don't just go crazy with the calories.
  • goldfish29
    goldfish29 Posts: 44 Member
    I'll have a splurge MEAL from time to time. Helps keep my sanity and it doesn't seem to delay my losses. If I am eating something particularly salty like Chinese I may have that earlier in the week after I've weighed so that I can loose the excess water weight by the time the next Monday rolls around. I never have a splurge day though, only a meal.
  • Patovader
    Patovader Posts: 439 Member
    I have done this every week for almost a year (check my diary) and lost an average of one pound every week (have been maintaining since April). IMO it works, but that's not to say it will work for you, we are all different after all and it depends on how much self control you have...

    Good luck :)
  • gshoemaker06
    gshoemaker06 Posts: 264 Member
    I have a cheat day but not to 'revamp'. It's more to make the cravings in the week more manageable knowing I only have to wait a couple of days to get me some delicious ice cream.
  • kendunn579
    kendunn579 Posts: 391 Member
    I'm eating everything (well almost) that I did before only a lot less of it. And counting the calories. I've also added a few tasty low calorie snacks to spice up the diet. And I track everything on mfp.

    So I'm not going without anything so don't crave what I'm not missing.

    But if I want something bad - say a slice of the delicious lemon and lime sponge cake my wife made this morning, I'll have a small slice and pay for it with an extra walk (20 mins at 3mph for every 100 calories).

    I've lost 16lbs in under 6 weeks by carrying on eating the things I like but less of them and the naughty ones I "buy" with extra exercise.

    Working for me.
  • carriempls
    carriempls Posts: 326 Member
    Every Sunday-no counting-no worries. Eat what ever I have craved or want. Maintained over a year and do this every Sunday;-)
    Keeps me on track all week, Love Sundays!

    This is pretty much me, except the no-counting is usually Saturdays. I purposely keep my weekday calories lower so I can have more on weekends when I have social engagements and such.
  • wlkumpf
    wlkumpf Posts: 241 Member
    I went to a birthday party and overdid my cheat a little last sunday but am already back on track.
    Normally during the week I pick a cheat time.This week 1 gyro from the fair.
    Next week. Drinking BL55 camping ;)
    Last week was cheesecake at a bday party but I ended up with lots of chips and homeade salsa too with a hamburger on white bun etc...


    I like the cheat day, not for nutrition reasons, but because it stops me from cheating the rest of the week! I plan it out and look forward to it. I plan more a cheat meal or snack maybe a desert, not a whole day! Maybe 2000 extra calories, anything more than that I excersize ahead of time for... HOWEVER.... many times I plan a cheat I find I don't NEED it when I get to time to eat it, too much fun to plan but like to keep the motivation going instead :wink: I simply needed the reason to pass on cheats during the week!

    So, plan a small cheat, cappuccino on a saturday morning. Some extra ham and gooey cheese in an omelet. A small shake from McD's, Some honest to goodness french fries. REAL PIZZA!!!!! BUT when the time comes make sure you want it bad enough. You may just pass it up to keep the scale moving as well. IF you can't pass on it, finish it and then start dreaming about next weeks cheat!
  • drwgal
    drwgal Posts: 66
    I have one very small splurge daily, which amounts to an 8oz glass of juice. For me it helps cut the sugar and sweet tooth craving. I also only drink the juice if I have already had my 8 glasses of water, it's my little reward for drinking water. I used to NEVER drink water, besides what was in my coffee or tea, so if I want that juice I have to drink my water. Then on Sunday's I have my cheat day...I can indulge in whatever I want, in moderation of course. I don't think it actually plays into revamping your metabolism, but I do believe that if your really into making certain changes, it revamps your brain. I know for me, after my cheat day, I feel guilty as all hell, which pushes me even harder to eat right the rest of the week, and it motivates me to really push hard in my workouts to burn all my cheats.
  • BSBgirl337
    BSBgirl337 Posts: 119 Member
    I think it can definitely help you control yourself the rest of the week. If you have problems not eating fries or ice cream or whatever, you can talk yourself out of it through the week, and know you can have it on Saturday or whatever day you pick. If it's not necessary for you, and you control your eating well without cheat days, I think that is better overall for your weight loss.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    As far as I've seen, cheat meals ("DAYS" is a bit much) generally work better for men, who have higher metabolisms and can/should eat more calories, than for women. I do not do "cheat meals". Cheat meals have the potential to undo any deficit you've created during the rest of the week. While I think it's totally fine to go over your calorie allocation sometimes (everyone does), I don't like the idea of binging or allowing your eating to get out of control.
  • runfreddyrun
    runfreddyrun Posts: 137 Member
    just like your body gets bored with the same exercise and plateaus, you have to vary your calorie intake about once a week. providing a spike in calories keeps your body from getting into a rut with the same number of calories consumed every day. or at least this is what i've read.
  • torn8o
    torn8o Posts: 2 Member
    The last time I got in shape, I faithfully took a cheat day once a week, and still lost an average of two pounds a week. If you are eating right and exercising for 6.5 of the 7 days a week, you will still lose. In my opinion, it isn't a factor in "resetting" metabolism. But what it DOES do is add an element of confusion to your body and helps keep it from going into a starvation cycle, which really does hamper weight loss efforts. There are a lot of additional benefits. If you are working out hard, you really need to supercharge your energy levels at least once a week. Your workouts will benefit and you will notice the difference in intensity. My very best days in the gym are ALWAYS the day after a cheat day. And there is the psychological benefit of never feeling deprived or hemmed in by a strict diet. If there is something I crave during the week, I just tell myself that I'll save it for my cheat day. Plus, it's awesome for days when I know I'll be going out with friends, which is usually at least once every weekend. I typically limit my cheating to just one evening, rather than an entire day, though. The reason for this is I found that if I went crazy and ate anything I wanted ALL day long, the next day I would wake up and feel like I had been run over by a bus.

    Hope this helps ... :smile:
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    Yes, it can help to restore leptin levels which, in turn, helps people lose fat. In short, it's a way to send a message to the body that you're not in danger.

    This is less necessary when someone is beginning their weight loss journey, but becomes increasingly important as a person becomes more lean.
  • ShaneOSX
    ShaneOSX Posts: 198
    You're going to be forced to indulged at some point whether on vacation, with guests visiting, at a work dinner, etc. There's no reason to build it in, unless you need to build it in to maintain self control.

    What does appear to be true is that Varying what you eat will help you lose weight, as opposed to finding exactly what works and letting your body get used to that. Another thing that works for some people is eating (for example) 2000 calories one day and 1000 the next, as opposed to 1500 both days. These are both common methods of breaking through a plateau.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Yes, it can help to restore leptin levels which, in turn, helps people lose fat. In short, it's a way to send a message to the body that you're not in danger.

    I believe the problem though, is that leptin drops back down very fast when you resume deficit.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    Yes, it can help to restore leptin levels which, in turn, helps people lose fat. In short, it's a way to send a message to the body that you're not in danger.

    I believe the problem though, is that leptin drops back down very fast when you resume deficit.

    If it stayed permanently elevated, it would be a perfect world. It is, however, a net positive.
  • ckay220
    ckay220 Posts: 271 Member
    chinese food, Wendy's (......well not Wendy's that would be a sin against the delicious food that is Wendy's and Wendy's must be consumed immediately or else you will anger the fast food gods) but you get what I mean.
    I could not breathe upon reading this part fro laughing soooo hard! Got me coughing at my desk! LOLLLL
  • Sister_Someone
    Sister_Someone Posts: 567 Member
    It didn't work for me, but I was doing it wrong.

    I'm the kind of person who's happier completely avoiding something I love but is bad for me than trying to have a little bit of it. So I'd almost always overindulge in my cheat meal of choice, gain some water weight, and then spend the rest of the week undoing the damage. So I decided to just knock it off and stick to my schedule all day, every day.

    I'm not saying you should swear off the cheat day, all I'm saying is, if you do decide to try it, that up there is how you shouldn't do it.
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    I don't know why, but it was very successful for me back in the early days of this year. This was before I started doing regular workouts and eating more calories on those days; instead, I would go out to dinner with my wife on Friday evenings, and aim to eat a large enough meal that I was at or slightly above my TDEE for that day (instead of at my usual ~700 calorie deficit at that time).

    As with any diet change, I'd just say: give it a try for a while and see if it works for you. If it does, great! If not, try something else. :smile:
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
    Whether it's beneficial or not depends on the context, but it wont "revamp your metabolism."

    This^^
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    I think it's probably more mentally beneficial for me than anything else. Knowing I get to cheat once in awhile makes it so that I don't feel deprived constantly, and I know something good is coming up soon.

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