Cheat DAY works!!! did they work for you too?
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This sounds like a very disordered eating pattern to me. You shouldn't be cutting calories so significantly on a daily basis that you can't enjoy some treats now and then. Severe restriction for six days followed by severe binging on the 7th day sounds incredibly unhealthy, both psychologically and physically.0
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No. Everyday is a Cheat day for me. I don't eat healthily most of the time and eat processed foods for nearly every meal but they fit my macro-nutrients and my calories. Its working well for me.
I sometimes eat healthily when my mother or father cooks because they're quite healthy people but if they don't then the only vegetables I normally eat are in a microwave meal.:ohwell:
I'm 18 and I know my body couldn't handle 8k to 13k at the moment, though if its working for you then fine. Eating like that would definitely destroy all my progress for the week.0 -
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I call them treat days. I pick something I really want or don't eat that often and treat myself to it. I don't see it as cheating when I keep at the gym and work hard to lose the pounds.0
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I usually do it to avoid addiction. you should try buying only the amount you want to eat. that way, once you eat it on cheat day, its all gone so you don't worry about breaking down during the week. I shop for cheat day either in the early morning of cheat day or the night before and only buy what i will eat that day.
That, my friend, is called moderation.
I don't think the majority of people are against cheat days because they "don't work" but because much of the way we think of "cheat days" or cheat meals is detrimental in mindset. If having one day to splurge works for you that's great. My personal method includes having something indulgent most days, eat to my calories (within 50 +/- rather than always under), and having 1 or 2 days a week where I allow myself to moderately splurge with friends or family. Many people would see that as a 'cheat'.
It's all about how you define the rules you work with.0 -
And no offense but you're male and 21 years old. You still have a teenage metabolism. Try that *kitten* when you're 40 and see how well it works. :P
:happy: Agreed!!
This is a recurring thing for me. No offense to the under 30 crowd, but what works for you now *may not* work for you when you're older. Using myself as an example, I ate a horrible "whatever I want" diet, but was "ripped" through my 20s...and was never actually fat at any point in my life. (I just decided that I didn't like the trend I was on as a slightly soft 40 yo.)
I'm not saying you have to stop sharing what works for you, I'm just saying that this little difference might be affecting your results...
...(and yes, I can hear those who *have been* or *are* fat telling me to zip it because I've never had a serious weight problem so I can't relate to their situation...and they have a point).0 -
I think I do more of a cheat meal than a cheat day. I have noticed some decent losses after a weekend of booze and carbs then getting back on track on Monday and showing a 1/2-1 1/2 pound loss by Wednesday. It however does not work for me on a consistent basis. I have to be good for at least three weeks before i can try this approach and get the results I want0
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I probably should have cheat days. It would make me feel better about pigging out haha0
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Agreed, however metabolism generally slows with age. Everyone is different, some people's metabolisms don't slow and others do. Depending on your choice of fuel and amount of exercise, you can raise your metabolism to a high level and burn large amounts of calories at any age. It's just much easier when you're 21...And no offense but you're male and 21 years old. You still have a teenage metabolism. Try that *kitten* when you're 40 and see how well it works. :P
Age doesn't make someone exempt from thermodynamics.
Just about everything is easier at 21, except common sense. :laugh:
Even at a buffet, I can't imagine squeezing in more than 4-5k calories. I would have to barf it all up, then smoke a fat bowl to get hungry again, then barf again.....but a 21 year old guy, hmmm, I guess I can see as high as 8K, if you are drinking a lot of those calories. But the OP said up to 13K. I want to see that diary entry.
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I have read there may be something to restoring leptin levels by having a day to go over on calories if you have been depriving yourself and reducing your caloric intake drastically.
But I don't believe a13,000 calorie binge is healthy, nor do I believe the math that you managed to lose weight with a 3,000cal deficit for the week and a 13,000cal binge on one day.
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This is a recurring thing for me. No offense to the under 30 crowd, but what works for you now *may not* work for you when you're older. Using myself as an example, I ate a horrible "whatever I want" diet, but was "ripped" through my 20s...and was never actually fat at any point in my life. (I just decided that I didn't like the trend I was on as a slightly soft 40 yo.)
I'm not saying you have to stop sharing what works for you, I'm just saying that this little difference might be affecting your results...
...(and yes, I can hear those who *have been* or *are* fat telling me to zip it because I've never had a serious weight problem so I can't relate to their situation...and they have a point).
I think this is a recurring point on the boards- we base a lot of assumptions on limited empirical "data" that is personal experience and the experiences of those around us (who are more likely to be similar to us than different). The reality is you really have to gain an understanding of your body and your mental relationship with food. I like you never really felt as though I had a serious weight problem, but really needed to learn my limits as far as intake (especially being on the rather petite side).
Anyway, I very much concur and am baffled at why everyone thinks that their way is the ONLY way, and why it has to be the only one.0 -
I usually do it to avoid addiction. you should try buying only the amount you want to eat. that way, once you eat it on cheat day, its all gone so you don't worry about breaking down during the week. I shop for cheat day either in the early morning of cheat day or the night before and only buy what i will eat that day.
That, my friend, is called moderation.
I don't think the majority of people are against cheat days because they "don't work" but because much of the way we think of "cheat days" or cheat meals is detrimental in mindset. If having one day to splurge works for you that's great. My personal method includes having something indulgent most days, eat to my calories (within 50 +/- rather than always under), and having 1 or 2 days a week where I allow myself to moderately splurge with friends or family. Many people would see that as a 'cheat'.
It's all about how you define the rules you work with.
Yes, when indulging your cravings with a moderate amount of your favorite treat, then it can't be called cheating because it is part of your regular diet. That's how I see it. I quit binge drinking many years ago, and I have no desire to start a binge eating habit. I just eat what I want every day. I do the math and make it work. It's more sustainable to me. My current diet is something that I can sustain for the rest of my life. That's my goal.0 -
What do you exactly eat when your clocking up 8k to 13k worth of calories..? I'd really want to know.0
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I'm female, 18 and when 10 stone 6.5 pounds. When I was younger I was stupid and starved myself and as a result my body went into 'starvation mode' where metabolism slowed down considerably and food I ate got stored as fat. Since then I've developed a much better appetite for food and went from being 6 stone and borderline anorexic to the weight I am now. I started this diet tracker on Saturday realising that my eating was getting out of control. Would it still be suitable for me to have a 'cheat' day considering these previous problems?? If I earned these extra calories throughout the week by exercising?0
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im just focussed on weight loss right now, but i'll be trying a cheat day when i reach goal weight. still, even on a cheat day i can't see me managing to go over 3000 calories and I'll probably make it a saturday so i can go for a run or swim in the morning.
i guess before MFP i would've easily eaten 3000+ calories. lets face it it's just a pizza & chips with a few beers and snacks thrown in, or even just one indian takeaway. however, i'm just not as addicted to sugar as i used to be, and i've learnt how to incorporate 'bad' foods into my diet in moderation.
there isn't really anything i can't have, it just takes a bit of planning in my food diary.0 -
What do you exactly eat when your clocking up 8k to 13k worth of calories..? I'd really want to know.
Usually a couple calzones, 1.5lbs of wings, onion rings, fries, Hersey bars, Oreos, fruit and veggies, pasta, pizza, frozen yogurt and other various frozen dessert treats. And yes, that's all in a day. Also cookie dough. Love cookie dough.0 -
This sounds like a very disordered eating pattern to me. You shouldn't be cutting calories so significantly on a daily basis that you can't enjoy some treats now and then. Severe restriction for six days followed by severe binging on the 7th day sounds incredibly unhealthy, both psychologically and physically.
I never restrict myself on the healthy eating days. I just eat a lot more vegetables that are very low in calories and a good chunk of protein for dinner. That way I still get vary full for very few calories. I also drink a couple gallons of water throughout the day which helps curb hunger as well.0 -
I'm female, 18 and when 10 stone 6.5 pounds. When I was younger I was stupid and starved myself and as a result my body went into 'starvation mode' where metabolism slowed down considerably and food I ate got stored as fat. Since then I've developed a much better appetite for food and went from being 6 stone and borderline anorexic to the weight I am now. I started this diet tracker on Saturday realising that my eating was getting out of control. Would it still be suitable for me to have a 'cheat' day considering these previous problems?? If I earned these extra calories throughout the week by exercising?
Of course, just start out small with something your comfortable with. There's no need to rush into a cheat day if you think it may cause you problems. Like I said before, it may not be for everyone. All I know is that it's great for me and fits my lifestyle perfectly. Just be happy with your diet. Thats all you have to worry about.0 -
YES!! You need those days to kinda "confuse" your body out of that normal schedule, its a great way to get over a point you've been stuck at!0
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What do you exactly eat when your clocking up 8k to 13k worth of calories..? I'd really want to know.
Usually a couple calzones, 1.5lbs of wings, onion rings, fries, Hersey bars, Oreos, fruit and veggies, pasta, pizza, frozen yogurt
and other various frozen dessert treats. And yes, that's all in a day. Also cookie dough. Love cookie dough.
Don't you feel like your forcing food down though? I've shrunk my portions down considerably and I'm pretty sure I've shrunk my stomach a little so even slowly eating a cup of broccoli can fill me up for around an hour. If I ate a whole calzone I'd be be pretty stuffed...but if you handle it then enjoy them delicious calories! :drinker:0 -
I'm using MFP to help me develop healthy habits for the rest of my life. Losing the weight is awesome but I want to be able to keep living the same way I am now, portion control and healthy eating. So cheat days/ meals to me are like getting a taste from the past habits I'm trying to correct.0
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8000 calories is CRAZY!! But Awesome that it works for you
I try to be really good during the week, and then a bit more relaxed on weekends.
It's working OK. I'm not losing as fast as I would like, but I don't have much left to lose so that's ok. It's also something I can stick to forever, so I'm happy with it :-)0 -
What do you exactly eat when your clocking up 8k to 13k worth of calories..? I'd really want to know.
Usually a couple calzones, 1.5lbs of wings, onion rings, fries, Hersey bars, Oreos, fruit and veggies, pasta, pizza, frozen yogurt
and other various frozen dessert treats. And yes, that's all in a day. Also cookie dough. Love cookie dough.
Don't you feel like your forcing food down though? I've shrunk my portions down considerably and I'm pretty sure I've shrunk my stomach a little so even slowly eating a cup of broccoli can fill me up for around an hour. If I ate a whole calzone I'd be be pretty stuffed...but if you handle it then enjoy them delicious calories! :drinker:
Exactly why I drink a very excessive amount of water each day. To avoid shrinking my stomach so I can still eat a lot without getting so full I feel sick. I honestly feel like I got limitless room when I don't drink a ton of water, lol0 -
No, it didn't work for me, but I was doing it wrong. I'd overindulge on my cheat meal/food of choice, gain some water weight back and then spend the rest of the week trying to undo it.
I think it all boils down to what kind of person you are. If you can find satisfaction in moderation, then you can pull the cheat day off. Me, I'm the kind of person who doesn't do moderation, period. I'm stubborn enough that I could do moderation if I really set my mind to it, but I've tried it and decided it wasn't the way to go. I find greater pleasure in indulging extremely rarely but going all in and savor every last moment when I finally do, than I could ever derive from watering it down to a little every day, or every week. I'd never be completely satisfied. And that's precisely the wrong mindset to have, going into a cheat day.0 -
What do you exactly eat when your clocking up 8k to 13k worth of calories..? I'd really want to know.
Usually a couple calzones, 1.5lbs of wings, onion rings, fries, Hersey bars, Oreos, fruit and veggies, pasta, pizza, frozen yogurt
and other various frozen dessert treats. And yes, that's all in a day. Also cookie dough. Love cookie dough.
Don't you feel like your forcing food down though? I've shrunk my portions down considerably and I'm pretty sure I've shrunk my stomach a little so even slowly eating a cup of broccoli can fill me up for around an hour. If I ate a whole calzone I'd be be pretty stuffed...but if you handle it then enjoy them delicious calories! :drinker:
Exactly why I drink a very excessive amount of water each day. To avoid shrinking my stomach so I can still eat a lot without getting so full I feel sick. I honestly feel like I got limitless room when I don't drink a ton of water, lol
It seems very strange to be trying to force your stomach to not shrink, in order to eat a crapload of food. It seems a little wrong, somehow actually, and honestly, not very healthy, regardless of weight loss.0 -
What do you exactly eat when your clocking up 8k to 13k worth of calories..? I'd really want to know.
Usually a couple calzones, 1.5lbs of wings, onion rings, fries, Hersey bars, Oreos, fruit and veggies, pasta, pizza, frozen yogurt
and other various frozen dessert treats. And yes, that's all in a day. Also cookie dough. Love cookie dough.
Don't you feel like your forcing food down though? I've shrunk my portions down considerably and I'm pretty sure I've shrunk my stomach a little so even slowly eating a cup of broccoli can fill me up for around an hour. If I ate a whole calzone I'd be be pretty stuffed...but if you handle it then enjoy them delicious calories! :drinker:
Exactly why I drink a very excessive amount of water each day. To avoid shrinking my stomach so I can still eat a lot without getting so full I feel sick. I honestly feel like I got limitless room when I don't drink a ton of water, lol
It seems very strange to be trying to force your stomach to not shrink, in order to eat a crapload of food. It seems a little wrong, somehow actually, and honestly, not very healthy, regardless of weight loss.
well i'm not trying to force it. its just a side effect from drinking a lot of water. drinking a lot of water keeps you feeling full and also helps boost your metabolism and helps muscles recover faster from workouts. i always try to drink at least 100 oz a day at minimum to make sure I'm always fully hydrated. especially because you never know when your gonna get the urge to go for a jog on a nice summer afternoon.0 -
I agree with you on this, it works for me anyway!
As a lot of people have already said they don't have cheat day they eat what they want in moderation. I was doing that fairly successfully for about two months and then I hit a plateau. I tried switching up my calories and exercise and nothing. One weekend I ate as much of what I wanted to the feeling of full and did light walks in the evening. I started back at it on a Monday and over that following week my plateau was gone and I was down almost 3 lbs. I don't know why this works for me it just does. One thing I have learned while working on myself is that weight loss makes no sense. It is not linear and once you think you have it down your body decides something different. I was doing everything as far as more calories out than in and eating clean 90% of the time and my body stopped dropping weight. Switching up my routine seemed to kick start my weight loss. To each his own!0 -
I agree they work. I don't eat that many cals but I definitely clock a few thousand on my all-out cheat days. Muscle gain, fat loss, and cardio endurance gained. All eating not so great at times.0
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I've been using MFP consistently for almost 4 months now, and I have a cheat day every week. Lost about 20 pounds 0
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What do you exactly eat when your clocking up 8k to 13k worth of calories..? I'd really want to know.
Usually a couple calzones, 1.5lbs of wings, onion rings, fries, Hersey bars, Oreos, fruit and veggies, pasta, pizza, frozen yogurt
and other various frozen dessert treats. And yes, that's all in a day. Also cookie dough. Love cookie dough.
Don't you feel like your forcing food down though? I've shrunk my portions down considerably and I'm pretty sure I've shrunk my stomach a little so even slowly eating a cup of broccoli can fill me up for around an hour. If I ate a whole calzone I'd be be pretty stuffed...but if you handle it then enjoy them delicious calories! :drinker:
Exactly why I drink a very excessive amount of water each day. To avoid shrinking my stomach so I can still eat a lot without getting so full I feel sick. I honestly feel like I got limitless room when I don't drink a ton of water, lol
Would you open your diary so that we can see what you are eating. It sounds like you may eat very little calories during the week.0
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