Thoughts on "cheat day"

msflores75

I am very new at this. I am on day 8. I have done very well with both my diet and exercise & have already lost weight. Do any of you take a cheat day or cheat meal? If so, how often & to what extreme? I am doing good but I wonder how long I can keep this up. Thanks!

ascotton80

You need to structure your diet in a way that can be sustained long term, not thought of as being "on" and "off".

Structure your plan so that you can indulge in what you want sometimes, in moderate amounts.

liftingheavy

I have a cheat day at least once a week, which usually turns into two, and lately... more. I think an occasional cheat day is good for a metabolism jolt, but only if you are positive it's not a slippery slope back into regular bad eating habits.

So generally I say no cheat days until you hit your goal weight or are close to it - OR if you know that you are disciplined enough to make it just that one cheat day then back on the wagon.

BonnieWegner

I don't have a cheat day or meals. I make sure that I stay within my calories as much as possible. Some days if I know that I'm having a higher calorie dinner, I trade my lunch for a lower calorie option.

You don't have to give up all of the good things, you just have to find a balance for them.

Mistychristensen

I am a big fan of a cheat day! It really helps me to get through the week knowing that I can anything I want, 1 day a week. I did Body For Life which incorporates the cheat day, and consistenly lost 2 lbs a week. When I do use one I am VERY strict during the week. (when I do them, anything goes!)

lisamarie327

I don't think that cheat days are helpful because they just encourage you to eat crap that you know you shouldn't eat. If I want to, or need to, eat something that I would not normally, I allow myself to, but I do not consider it a "cheat" or "cheat day." I think that kind of thinking keeps ppl stuck in bad habits.

kathangel2012

personally I do have a cheat day - in order to keep the momentum going don't go crazy. I like red wine so on Friday nights (my cheat meal I don't make it a cheat day) I have a glass of wine 9oz usually and then I will have pizza (2-3 slices) or last Friday I had a salad with striploin steak and blue cheese dressing. I still do what I can not to go crazy on the bread because I find the next day all I want is bread. Hope this helps. Keep up the good work. Remember it's about calories in and calories burned.

dalgirly

I'm a fan of a cheat day, as I LOVE LOVE LOVE food, and if I just never eat foods that are guilty pleasures for me, I will fall off the wagon.

Cutting certain foods out cold turkey doesn't work for me. So a cheat day works well. Plus I don't find it makes a difference in my weight loss. I find if I focus on exercising, then I'm good.

msflores75

Wow, Thank you for all the suggestions. Gives me something to think about.

diannethegeek

I took cheat days once a week for a long time when I first started my diet. They were usually set on days where the family was going out or on special occasions where it was just too hard to keep track anymore. I lost weight even with cheat days included in my weeks and they kept me from stressing out about my diet too much and helped me stick to it even when I really wanted to eat nothing but hamburgers and pizza forever!

I don't take them anymore, but I'm much closer to my goal and they mess with my weightloss a lot more than they used to. I think that it's up to you whether you take one or not. You'll know your own goals and habits better than anyone on the internet could.

marinebiologist_girl

I don't have a cheat day per se, but I have Sundays off where I don't exercise, so obviously, higher net calories. Almost a cheat day. Though I'm starting to allow myself treats sometimes during the week, in moderation.

EmilyOfTheSun

I would make it a cheat meal, not an entire cheat day

ilovedeadlifts

when I was dieting I'd typically do a cheat meal........sometime in the afternoon.


having a whole day of junk could pretty much offset a week of progress.

Mr_Bad_Example

You need to structure your diet in a way that can be sustained long term, not thought of as being "on" and "off".

Structure your plan so that you can indulge in what you want sometimes, in moderate amounts.

Best advice you could get on the subject.

lovecriminal

I have not reached my goal weight (I aim to lose 25 pounds more) but have the habit of having cheat day once a week but try to make it fit within the calorie goal (but fat / carbs sometimes spikes). I am successful losing weight on regular intervals - should I stop having cheat days ? I will never go down to the old slope though.

vlealesko

I do not have a "cheat day". I count my calories to a " T ". When I really want to indulge in something like a short pumpkin spice non-fat latte with whip from starbucks, I will calculate to see if I can fit it in my daily caloric intake. If I can't then I will work for it - I will go for an hour walk or even 1 1/2 walk to get it For me it is really important to "walk a straight line" because its too easy for me to fall hard off the "wagon"; and I definitely don't want any bad habits to form again. I would recommend against a cheat day, especially if you are new to this type of lifestyle. Stay focused on your goal and how you can get there :happy:

Deejalert

A cheat day can really derail your progress. I would recommend a cheat meal every 2-3 weeks. On this day, aim to stay at or below maintenance calories. It would be easy to go 2k cals over maintenance on a cheat day wiping out the deficit of 2 other days of the week. When I do have my cheat meal, I up the cardio on that day and aim to stay at least 500 under maintenance.

Shelbert79

I have a cheat meal once or twice a week, but not a cheat day. I love pizza and fast food, so that's usually what I opt for during the cheat meal.

Stompp

I'm a "cheat weekend" kinda guy... BUT I log everything, and when I go "over" my goal, I try to not go over my overall estimated calorie expenditure by more than 500 or so if I can help it... it sets me back a day right off the bat, and I also lose the cheat day itself...

Just work it out mathematically... and if you can plan ahead, so it's not so much a "cheat" day as a "splurge within reason" day... you'll be alright.

MVY_

From what I heard from trainers is that if you do have a "Cheat" day do not feel guilty about it and then over work yourself the next day. Just get back on your normal routine and don't weigh yourself. Let it go! This is the thing about all ppl who are trying to lose weight they tend to get upset or the thought of them cheating makes them feel guilty! You ate it! You can't do anything about it. Get over it and move on.

Marksman21

During weight LOSS, I focus on keeping a cheat day. It curbs cravings and keeps my weight in check. In this, its very helpful when you want to focus on it.

During weight MAINTAINING, I loose the cheat day and eat what I like, as long as I keep tabs on what I eat. If I go over a little, no biggie, I go under, same deal.

amberlykay1014

Cheat days/meals usually happen occasionally and accidentally for me. I don't plan them, but when they do, I don't really feel guilty either. We all have to enjoy what we're doing, right? At the end of the day, I know that even with the occasional cheats, I am far more healthy than I was before I joined MFP -- and that's a WIN for me.

melsmith612

I try to work everything I want into my daily allowance but if I can't then I don't beat myself up over it I just try to do better the next time I eat. If I set aside an entire day to purposely go off track then I'd end up eating HUGE quantities of food on that day just to make the "cheat day" seem worth it. Instead I just try to eat well all the time and I forgive myself when I don't, much easier.

IveLanded

I don't think "cheat days" are a good idea when starting out. If you feel "deprived" and you are truly unhappy if you can't have McDonalds (i.e. if you can't treat your body poorly) then I think it's more important for long term success to address that, rather than cater to it. I really hate the whole mentality of "I'm not going to deprive myself!". If your relationship with food is such that you absolutely need to put bad foods into your body to feel whole, happy, and fulfilled.......I think that's something that needs fixing if you want to lose weight long term. It seems to me that if you don't break those habits, cycles, and connections with food then you are probably setting yourself up for failure down the road.

On the flip side of that, if you can be just fine without bad foods in your life, then having them here or there probably isn't going to do any harm. I think it's just important to pay attention to the feelings of "needing" them or not.

jenniferillene

I have cheat days! And Ive lost 75 pounds while doing it! I usually go over my calorie goal on the weekends..not by a WHOLE lot but I dont log those days. You can still eat things you enjoy, I just cut back eating so much of it when I do have it. I was a big overeater..but now I have learned to moderate what I eat and count my serving portions. And typically its not a cheat day for me either..more like cheat meal each of those days

kthurman87

Having a cheat day is healthy. I usually try and have mine at the end of the week and thats only when I make sure I exercised enough for the week and maintain being in my calorie goal. You body needs a bit of fat in order to maintain weight loss. So just don't go overboard on your cheat day. Make it more like a cheat meal

gzus7freek

I create my cheat day during the weekend. I stay under calorie and eat really good all week and then I spurge. For example this past Friday I ate 3,000+ calories because I went to the local Italian restaurant and ate Lasagna, bread and salad. Then I ate a grilled chicken salad and bread for supper. Doesn't seem like much but that lasagna was loaded!! I have been doing this for 2 months and have a cheat day every weekend and I am down 40 pounds.....

Cheat day is what has really helped me through it this time. I have never lost more than 10 pounds before and by the grace of God Almighty I have made it so far this time.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

i think that people get hung up on semantics. There are meals that should be enjoyed ON OCCASIONS or at least not with any degree of regularity--these are perfect for "cheat meals." Now a true "cheat meal" could potentially undo a substantial portion of one's weekly deficit (think pasta and cheesecake from the cheesecake factory--that could be a whopping 2000-2500 calories in addition to the rest of the day's meals). That's why these meals should not be had very often but that doesn't mean you can NEVER have them again--nor does it mean that you haven't changed your lifestyle, quite the contrary. Realizing that you have to make better choices MOST of the time while also enjoying the occasional "food fest" is indicative that you have made a lifestyle change!

On a day to day or week to week basis you can have treats--make them fit into your calorie budget and plan accordingly. If that means "saving" or "banking" an extra 500 calories during the week so that you can eat an extra 500 each saturday then so be it. Saturday would then be a perfect day for dessert after dinner or maybe a slightly larger portion of steak than you would usually have.

Does that make sense?

elisheva

I don't necessarily have cheat days, but every once in a while I feel like it's important not to care. Every once in a while I have to get out of healthy eating mode and just relax. But I get a ton of exercise daily (I walk dogs professionally and ride my bike to get everywhere!). Also you have to think about why you're having a cheat day. Holidays and special occasions are great for cheat days, but if it's emotionally charged, or you just feel unhappy then that's not a good time to cheat.

Being in tune with why you want to eat junk is a great way to make sure you don't eat it. If you reallllllly want a chocolate cake, bake yourself a mini chocolate cake - it's healthier and way more satisfying!

adriadawn19

I try to eat the stuff i want when i want it but in moderation vs depriving my self of something and then eating all of it when i finally get a hold of it. And i definitely do not eat "clean" but what i am doing is working for me. you just have to find what works for you and stick to it. Think of it as a lifelong change not a diet.

wolfchild59

Personally, I didn't take any planned cheat days or cheat meals until after I reached my first weight loss goal. I found that it was easier to stay on track by just always staying on track initially. But then once I had that first real sense of achievement and really felt like I would be able to accomplish my overall goals, I found it easier to loosen the reigns.

Though, I did go through a period of absolutely no cheats or treats of any kind again when I was struggling as I got closer to my ultimate goal weight and it turned me into a total ball of bitterness and stress that time. So not having any cheats may or may not work, depending on your state of mind.

But I also discovered that a weekly cheat meal or cheat day just does not work for me. I instantly go up on the scale by a fair amount after even just a small cheat. Like last night I had just a single cheat meal, and only went over my actual TDEE calories by about 400 (not my net/deficit, my actual burn as per my BMF), but the scale had me almost three full pounds heavier than yesterday. And while I know that's not real weight, I also don't just drop it in a day or two after plenty of water or being back on my regular eating. I probably won't see the drop back to what I was before until this weekend.

And it was daily weighing that helped me realize that cheats didn't work for me. I had tried giving myself a weekly cheat as so many people on here were recommending at that time and found myself still not losing anything at all when doing my weekly Saturday weigh-ins, sometimes even going up (my cheats were on Sats or Suns). I kept doing the cheats, thinking I was trying to break a plateau, but then I started daily weighing.

That was when I discovered that I'd gain two-six pounds on the scale the day after a cheat, then I'd spend the following week dropping that weight back off in increments each day. Then I'd see my Saturday weight and it was back down to what it had been before I had the cheat.

So I stopped the regular cheats and now keep them to once, maybe twice a month, planned for and typically scheduled to be for a party, celebration or a nice day out with the hubby. I still see that scale jump, like today, but I know that once I lose the weight from the cheat, then I'll go back to actual losing again after that rather than being stuck in the cycle that I was.