Cheat Days - Yes or No?

thebalanceline
thebalanceline Posts: 52 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does this help you stay on track to have a day where you eat without worrying about whether you meet your calorie goal or not? I met my calorie goal every day this week, except I went way over today because I ate (awesome) wedding cupcakes and wine and didn't go to the gym to burn the extra I consumed. But at the end of the week, my average was over my limit by 600 calories. This still equals weight loss though, as I am still creating a deficit. I'm just wondering if having a day where you go over significantly really means that much in the long run if you still average the appropriate amount of calories weekly. Calories in, calories out, right?

Replies

  • neilbontoft
    neilbontoft Posts: 2 Member
    From my experience it's about being sensible. From a mental stand point I found I needed a day every now and again. The important thing is to remember that if you want to lose weight then these days should be the exception rather than the rule.
  • Charie1981
    Charie1981 Posts: 25 Member
    I had a cheat day on Saturday for one meal but I still tracked my calories just so I know what I ate. I didn't even eat everything that I counted made me feel better. You don't want to over do it and gain back the weight you lost.
  • lynz4589
    lynz4589 Posts: 389 Member
    I have a "cheat" day but only go about 200 cals over :)
  • missomgitsica
    missomgitsica Posts: 496 Member
    I don't see the harm in having a cheat day now and then. I'm new to the fitness and weight loss thing--or at least new to being serious about it--but I know that in the future, I'm going to need to cheat a few times just to keep myself sane. I have deep and unhealthy emotional ties to food that go back to traumatic events in my childhood and mental illness, and I know that's not going to go away overnight. So if cheating on my diet now and then keeps me mentally healthy enough to stick to my diet and work hard all the other days of the week, it seems like a small issue.
  • amiebaby101
    amiebaby101 Posts: 8
    Cheat days yes! without them its hard not to go crazy! being women our bodies crave things at certain times
  • bjdw1
    bjdw1 Posts: 140 Member
    I went from 90kg to 72kg in about 5 months and had "cheat weekends" maybe twice a month where I'd go probably 5,000 cals over or more with alcohol. No doubt I'd have lost the weight faster without the booze binges but I'm not on a time limit.
  • uwdawg07
    uwdawg07 Posts: 372 Member
    I have a cheat day every week where I don't work out and we go out to dinner. I try not to go too crazy. I eat light earlier in the day and then enjoy the heck out of dinner! I probably go about 500-600 calories over what I normally eat.

    If I didn't have my cheat day I never would have made it this far. It is really important to me!
  • angelbabyskies
    angelbabyskies Posts: 17
    Yes, but just don't go overboard like eating 5000 cals of pure junk. On my cheat day I usually eat 1800-2000 cals, but I "bank" calories for this so I'll still have a weekly deficit of 3,500. Trust me eating only a few hundred more than you usually do is great once you stuck within range all week :tongue:

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