Cheat Day: A Necessity or a Setback? Your thoughts?

Crazy_Diet_Mom

I'm against the idea of labeling a "Cheat Day" but I also believe this: the diet and exercise, the program, is part of a complete life and sometimes life includes indulgences. Stay honest, stay reasonable, keep tracking and move on. If you put a label on it you're more likely to overdo all day long, is my thought.

Keep up the good work. : D

veganbaum

Spiking is the only thing that got my weight loss going again after a 6 month plateau. I read the book The Spike Diet and also joined the group here, Spike 84, though it hasn't been active as of late.

Simple description - you cycle your calories for 6 days with three high and three low and then have a "spike" day during which you eat RMR or BMRx2. So once a week I eat 3,000 calories. This has worked very well for me not just physically but psychologically. It keeps me on track during the week and actually keeps me from binging.

I don't consider it a "cheat" day - because it's not. It's planned. My weekly deficit doesn't change. I may eat more indulgent foods on that day, but I don't consider that a cheat. It's just my spike day.

jenfett1

When I first started I would give myself a day to splurge and eat normally. What I found was that I spending three or four days trying to get to my number that I was at the day. I weigh everyday, and I see all of the ups and downs that are normal, but I noticed when I had a "cheat" day my numbers would be up for several days before dropping back to where I was. I decided that it was not worth it to have a cheat day. If I want something that is not in my normal plan then I make damn sure I workout extra hard that day and balance out the additional calories. I gained a lot more will power over the past few months and this method has been working well for me. My motto now is stick to plan everyday, and if there is something i am really craving then work it into my plan along with a double workout.

Alicia7519

I don't have a pre-set day when I am going to have a "cheat day" or "cheat meal." If I am going to stray off of my eating plan, I do it when I have an event or party to attend. Even then, I make sure that I exercise and save calories. Also, I eat something healthy before I go, so that I am not tempted.

70davis

Bump

davert123

For me I don't like the terminology and don't use it. It makes out that my dieting is the be all and end all of my life and there is a 100% right way and 100% wrong way to do it. This is just my psychology and we are all different. But for me I look at my diet as putting pressure on my fat store. If I burn and control my intake the pressure increases and I'll wake up with a little less fat than the day before. If I eat a cream cake then I'll wake up perhaps the same. I also look at this whole MFP experience as changing me as a person. I've changed my intake many times before and it hasn't work (always got fatter) so the problem is my relationship with food, stress, fitness and life rather than the number of calories I consume at anyone time. to this end I am on a lifelong project - it won't end when I get to the numerical goal I set for myself when I was still OCD about it all Don't get me wrong, I am going to still aim for my target weight but things may change as I approach it So what does cheat mean - the word doesn't fit into my worldview at all so its nonsensical. What is more important to me is patterns of behavour - if my sugar consumption increases for a few days then this is something i need to look at, if I start to each takeaways regularity again this is something I need to look at. If I have a cream cake or go out for a meal and enjoy myself with my friends or family - then this isn't a cheat, its a brilliant wonderful day I've just experienced :-)

Motleybird

It's not cheating if you have permission! :laugh:

I'm a returning MFPer. Yes, I did regain the weight I lost, but it took more than a year to do so. One day a week is not going to undo what I've done for the previous six. Last time around I only looked at calories. This time I'm trying for healthy too. I've also cut out tomatoes because of a suspected allergy. :sad:

I don't binge when it's my free day. The good habits I establish during the week start to become actual habits. I've gone back to cutting things in half when I go out rather than eating the whole plate like I think someone will steal it. Even on a cheat day I don't go far over maintenance, if at all.

stines72

Cheat day is absolutely a setback in my mind. I read an article on how it can be a dangerous thing for some people (not all). You wouldn't tell a drug addict to shoot up once a week would you? (that's what the article asked)

GeorgieLove708

A Necessity for some. A Setback for others. And just plain unnecessary for others. Personally, unnecessary. I eat enough and incorporate cravings in with my calories already, so cheat days are pointless.

veganbaum

When I first started I would give myself a day to splurge and eat normally. What I found was that I spending three or four days trying to get to my number that I was at the day. I weigh everyday, and I see all of the ups and downs that are normal, but I noticed when I had a "cheat" day my numbers would be up for several days before dropping back to where I was. I decided that it was not worth it to have a cheat day. If I want something that is not in my normal plan then I make damn sure I workout extra hard that day and balance out the additional calories. I gained a lot more will power over the past few months and this method has been working well for me. My motto now is stick to plan everyday, and if there is something i am really craving then work it into my plan along with a double workout.

When I spike the scale will show a several pound "gain" for at least a few days. It's not a real gain. By my next weigh in day, I would either be at the same weight or would have dropped weight (I'm very near goal, so I drop weight much more slowly). Not saying you should or should not have a free day or meal, just wanted to explain that you didn't really gain weight.

In order to gain you would have to eat all of your deficit plus over maintenance. It's unlikely that you were doing that. It can be helpful to look at your weekly deficit to see what it is (eg a 500 calorie deficit a day is a 3500 calorie deficit a week - so having one day when you go over by 500 calories is not a big deal. You could go over by up to 3500 calories and you would still just be at maintenance and not gain).

sallydurkin

For me I don't cheat.... this is what works for me. I don't crave, but I do know I crave once I cheat. so I don't not on birthdays, not on Thanksgiving (which in canada is this weekend) We are taking a fruit platter with us and the Birthday Cake for our oldest. I do have the full support of my husband who is more strict than I would be if he wasn't there.

Mguilmot

If you "need" that cheat day, and in that cheat day you "need" to eat what would be called "bad food" as in: McDonald's (and those sorts), I think there is something wrong with your mindset concerning foods and you are still addicted :-))
I am not saying I never eat those foods, but I do not "need" them in any way.
If you "need" them, then have one, but do not forget to look at the total at the end of the day anyway. You can eat clean for 6 days and then eat 7000 calories on your cheat day.
If you do not "need" a cheat day, then don't have one. I don't have cheat days. I have a day that I go over by a serious amount every once in a while, but that's more due to poor planning, or not being able to control which foods are on the table. Like birthdays of close family :-)

jpvieira

I've done cheat days pretty regularly and lost, I like that it keeps me disciplined during the week knowing I can have all the stuff I am craving on Saturday. That said, lately my losing has slowed down quite a bit so I think I'm going to adjust and make cheat day maybe just a cheat meal, and rather than once a week do it every two weeks. We'll see how that goes!

Toy1020

Cheat Day's never work out for me at least then, because i never knew when to STOP Cheating!!!

jpvieira

[/quote]
HA! Interesting perspective. You've earned my enlightenment, although I didn't feel like posting.

Basic rundown: leptin is a cellular signal in adipose (fat) tissue that, when high, signals the brain that the cells are happy and satiated because they have energy. The body likes this - the body wants to have lots and lots of energy to hold onto. When leptin is low, those adipose cells decrease leptin signaling leading the brain to believe there is minimal or no energy available for expenditure. This is why drastic diets and too low calories fails: the body fights back. When you're 7% BF like I am right now you have to cheat almost every 3 days just because I have very little energy stored up before going catabolic.

Long periods of complete liver and muscle glycogen depletion can bring this onset. If you're >15% your leptin is still plenty high because you have energy to burn. Mental/social reasons for "cheat meals" are apparent and obvious but people often think they deserve more than they need. Choosing the right meal is an experiment in its own. Cheeseburger and fries do wonders for my physique but cheesesteak ruins me. Prior to a photo shoot or competition ill deplete carbs completely then down a whole pizza the morning of.
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Hey thanks for the explanation. You have earned my enlightenment today. :-) I've been at this for a bit, currently at 17%bf and have just started to incorporate weights into my routine. Your advice is going to help. I don't want to get down to 6% or anything (ideally would like to be abt 10%) but for now I'm going to leave the cheats off the plan and see how it goes. Thanks again!

writergirljodie

I use a cheat day every week! It's awesome!! The reason I use the cheat day, though, is strategic and I'll explain it. Your body has a natural response to calorie restriction - starvation mode. After restricting calories for several days your body has a tendency to hold onto fat and burn muscle over fat and many people experience plateaus in their weight loss. This is due to the leptin in your body that regulates your fat loss. Leptin then tells you to eat more calories so the hunger kicks into overdrive. So, you're no longer losing weight and your hungrier than ever! Enter the cheat day. Taking one day out of your week to have a free for all, loading up on all your favorites, and loading up on calories and starches, reboots your leptin levels, basically telling your brain that you're not in a state of famine. This actually gives your metabolism and keeps you burning fat over muscle. It's been said the best time to lose weight is just before you start a diet. So, if you think of it this way, you're re-starting your diet every week the day after you cheat! Good luck to you!

cedarghost

Here's my simple take on it. If having one day or one meal a week to eat whatever you want is going to keep you on track long term, it's worth it. The biggest enemy we face is our own psyche... we get frustrated and quit. Anything we do to keep from quitting is a good thing.

Granted, it depends on how calorific your cheat is, but if you're eating at a 500 calorie deficit 6 days a week, you'd need to eat a buttload to completely offset that... you'd need to eat at maintenance level, plus an extra 3000 calories to break even, and more than that to gain weight.

If you were eating at a 500 calorie deficit 6 days a week, and at maintenance level ( which would, in that case, 500 calories more than your MFP goal) one day a week, you'd lose about 0.85 pounds instead of 1 pound a week. So over 6 months time, you'd lose about 22.6 pounds instead of 26. To me, that would be worth it if it made me feel happy and satisfied and able to stay on track.

Exactly. I don't worry about what i eat on saturdays. I eat at a 750 calorie deficit every day and i don't eat back from working out 4 days per week. There is NO way personally, I could offset that with a cheat day. The really wierd thing is, I may have a soda, a doughnut, etc. but i have gotten to the point, i don't really crave that much unhealthy stuff anymore.
Today for example, I had a Mountain Dew and a Creme Horn and a Filet O Fish from McDonalds. But i had oatmeal for breakfast and will probably have greens and venison stew for dinner because that's what i am craving today and i will probably still come in under maintenance.

HypersonicFitNess

I don't do cheat days, however there are times....long weekends away that are less than stellar for my diet. For instance my anniversary; I will be having wine, champagne and creme' brulee'...I will likely feel sick the next day b/c I am not used to the amount of fat and sugar I get. I will still try to keep a watch on my calories and try to log things in. I will also eat lower the days before and after so that my week isn't busted (we're actually taking a long weekend away...so 4 days).

LilEmm

Women will always be above 15% body fat.

If you're +15% body fat cheat meals have no place in your diet.... yet.
It's all about leptin control - there's a science and an art to it.

LilEmm

Great attitude! I'm with you.

Its only "cheating" if what you're living on is a restricted regimen. I'm not. There is a place for everything in the way I am eating now...which sometimes includes CHOOSING to enjoy something I don't eat frequently. Its not cheating. Its also not a "reward" for being "good" the rest of the time. Its living consciously, with the awareness of what I am eating....one choice at a time. Life without an occasional indulgence is barely worth living.