What are the pros and cons of having a cheat day for meals?

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  • eyano001
    eyano001 Posts: 11 Member
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    Well, I had a day off yesterday and I totally regret it. All the hard work off the week is gone. I'm back on track but I think the day off does not work for me. Maybe a meal off would be more realistic.
  • LiftingStrong
    LiftingStrong Posts: 6
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    I'm a just recently turned seventeen-years-old and an athlete who typically does about fourty-fifty minutes of treadmilling a day so I might be in the minority on this. I don't have cheat days, ever. I just don't see the point in them, my goal is to get lean and get rid of this leftover belly flab from all the fat I've worked hard to lose. I just think if that cookie is really worth it? Is that one minute of happiness worth a another hour or day of being flabby chested. I'll have my "cheat" days when my stomach is flat, but for now I don't. All it takes is a little willpower and self-restraints. If I think about having a bowl of "Pops Cereal" I just don't and when I make it to my mean of celery, pretzels, lean turkey meat, water, and wheat bread I'm full and I don't feel like eating anymore and I'm grateful I chose not to eat that junk. Just finished dinner a minute ago, have 625 leftover calories for the day. I'm full right now and am leaving it at that.

    Please explain why a cookie would have a different effect on body composition to wheat bread?

    Huh? I didn't mean to start an argument, I was just weighing in on the topic and giving things from my own POV. ._.
  • BigH89
    BigH89 Posts: 44
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    Huh? I didn't mean to start an argument, I was just weighing in on the topic and giving things from my own POV. ._.

    Research "IIFYMM". It doesn't have to be wheat bread, brown rice, lean meat all day every day. As long as you hit the correct amount of calories, macronutrients and micronutrients per day you're good to go.
  • LiftingStrong
    LiftingStrong Posts: 6
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    Huh? I didn't mean to start an argument, I was just weighing in on the topic and giving things from my own POV. ._.

    Research "IIFYMM". It doesn't have to be wheat bread, brown rice, lean meat all day every day. As long as you hit the correct amount of calories, macronutrients and micronutrients per day you're good to go.
    I know, I just honestly don't really care much about whether or not it fits the calorie needs. Overall, I've just been trying to stay away from sugary things, it's just habit I've picked up since I've been playing football and the the constant work-outs. You could say I have a phobia of sugar these days. :P But, I hear what you're saying.
  • april_mesk
    april_mesk Posts: 694 Member
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    Really, now just starting out, I feel like a drug addict getting out of rehab, I dont want to even think about cheating any day. I am afraid I will slip or fall off the wagon

    It is exactly this. If you are a food addict as I am (recovering)...it's hard to come back off of a cheat. Although, tonight I have cheated, I feel awful and will be back on wagon tomorrow. Doesn't help that I am really not supposed to be eating wheat because I just have no tolerance for it. I have done this on and off again thing too many times. It used to be really, really bad. Now, I have gotten better with it. I would seriously binge bad. I have lost 75 lbs. before only to put most of it back on. Now that I am making a daily ha bit of checking in here. It is somewhat like therapy and helps. Need to get my workout in gear, though too. Good luck on your journey and if you ever need to talk, add me as a friend.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
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    I'm a just recently turned seventeen-years-old and an athlete who typically does about fourty-fifty minutes of treadmilling a day so I might be in the minority on this. I don't have cheat days, ever. I just don't see the point in them, my goal is to get lean and get rid of this leftover belly flab from all the fat I've worked hard to lose. I just think if that cookie is really worth it? Is that one minute of happiness worth a another hour or day of being flabby chested. I'll have my "cheat" days when my stomach is flat, but for now I don't. All it takes is a little willpower and self-restraints. If I think about having a bowl of "Pops Cereal" I just don't and when I make it to my mean of celery, pretzels, lean turkey meat, water, and wheat bread I'm full and I don't feel like eating anymore and I'm grateful I chose not to eat that junk. Just finished dinner a minute ago, have 625 leftover calories for the day. I'm full right now and am leaving it at that.

    I mean, if you're on the road to glory, why sacrifice a piece of that for a piece of candy?


    Say, isn't MFP for people aged 18+? Or am I wrong on this.
  • binknbaby
    binknbaby Posts: 207 Member
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    I'm a just recently turned seventeen-years-old and an athlete who typically does about fourty-fifty minutes of treadmilling a day so I might be in the minority on this. I don't have cheat days, ever. I just don't see the point in them, my goal is to get lean and get rid of this leftover belly flab from all the fat I've worked hard to lose. I just think if that cookie is really worth it? Is that one minute of happiness worth a another hour or day of being flabby chested. I'll have my "cheat" days when my stomach is flat, but for now I don't. All it takes is a little willpower and self-restraints. If I think about having a bowl of "Pops Cereal" I just don't and when I make it to my mean of celery, pretzels, lean turkey meat, water, and wheat bread I'm full and I don't feel like eating anymore and I'm grateful I chose not to eat that junk. Just finished dinner a minute ago, have 625 leftover calories for the day. I'm full right now and am leaving it at that.

    Please explain why a cookie would have a different effect on body composition to wheat bread?

    True, true... A cookie has many of the same exact ingredients as a slice of wheat bread. A cookie can still be made of whole grain flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, etc. It may have a slightly higher concentration of simple sugars, but not by much, especially when comparing to many "mainstream" or "big-brand" breads. In fact, many breads--even whole wheat ones--have high fructose corn syrup, which a homemade cookie would not. Point being, even foods we think are "healthy" can actually be just as bad (or worse!) than what is considered "junk" food.

    A question to those that use them, do you still track your calories for the day and how many extra will you typically consume?

    I had a cheat *meal* today. I allow myself two cheat meals per week. Today I ate slightly lower cals in my other meals because I knew the big one was coming. Overall, my cals were still under target (and I haven't even worked out yet!), but my fat and protein were over. Although I'm not really worried about either one, because I feel the MFP rec's are a little low for protein, especially for a woman of childbearing age (should be more like 70-80, not 60), and the majority of fat I've had today was olive oil and fat from eggs--both very easy to metabolize.
  • CaliforniaSweetheart
    CaliforniaSweetheart Posts: 989
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    As others have said, no need for a cheat day, make your treats fit in with your regular eating. No need to feel deprived.
  • conflictedlikethe5thdimension
    conflictedlikethe5thdimension Posts: 31 Member
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    Ive posted this question of facebook; a cheat day per week or a big binge day per month instead? people say you cant gain a pound in a day so they binge once a month on junk and what not.
  • tutti777
    tutti777 Posts: 72
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    I did a program a few years back and lost lots of weight and inches. "Crack The Fat Loss Code." And, I think I'm heading in that direction again. It isn't the easiest program to learn, but it works. For some reason, on this program, fruit is very, very limited and I love fruit. On this program, after the first 2 weeks, you have a "Cheat Day." In fact, after another few weeks, you actually have a cheat day on Wed. & Sat. It really helped me stay on track for the fact I knew in a few days, I would be able to have something really, really good. I ate burgers, fries, dessert but you didn't over indulge. Good luck!
  • meangrl29
    meangrl29 Posts: 40 Member
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    same issue for me. cheat days turn into cheat weeks. then cheat months. next thing you know I'm losing & gaining the same 5 lbs for several months.
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
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    I try to work treats into most days so that I won't feel deprived or start obsessing over a particular food. I generally don't plan to have a cheat day. Because I'm pretty consistent most of the time with staying within my guidelines, when stuff comes up (office party, date, holiday, birthday etc) I usually just go ahead and eat what I want and let that be a 'cheat day' - I don't like that term though. I like to think of it more as I'm not cheating, I'm just not making a point of restricting calories today.

    This whole undertaking has been a mental thing more than anything else. I know from yo-yo dieting that just as soon as I zero in on a food and decide it is 'bad' and 'forbidden' that it's only a matter of time before I binge on it, either because I'm stressed out or because I'm obsessing over it. In the past that has led directly to me quitting entirely and regaining any weight I lost. Same thing for the idea that if I net more than 1600 calories, it's "cheating." So for my mental health :wink: and personal motivation, it's been easier for me to try to incorporate treats into my diet where I can and use the special occasions to allow myself to quit thinking about food and just eat what I want. I do log those special occasions, just to stay on track. I have lost weight at a consistent rate even with those non-restricted days, even when I had 4 of them in a row at Christmas (one of which was an almost 5000 net calorie day).

    Almost nothing has been MORE personally motivating than to see via my results that I can not restrict and eat A LOT 4 days in a row and still have a good loss for the month. It really is all about what you do most of the time and that is very freeing to me.
  • irishblonde2011
    irishblonde2011 Posts: 618 Member
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    I'm not a dog I don't reward myself with food lol thats a joke by the way ;)
    I'm one of those all or nothing type of people sucks I know so I'd rather not is to much of a trigger for me...
    You could always have a cheat meal rather than a whole day?
    Eat what you would like but keep in mind portion control?

    Good luck
  • ladyshills
    ladyshills Posts: 58
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    I never plan cheat days, but if I hit a plateau that lasts for a week or more I will have a cheat day- & I usually end up losing big the next weigh in.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
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    i'm close to my goal weight, so i've been having a lot of cheat meals lately. i haven't gained any weight as a result, so seems to work okay.
  • lvtruu1
    lvtruu1 Posts: 211 Member
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    Cheat day? Never outside of vacation or a holiday.

    Cheat meal, if you have to. If you IIFYM you can basically eat whatever you want. There really are no bad foods. Just bad quantities.
  • CharityGC
    CharityGC Posts: 499 Member
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    I do have a cheat meal on occasion but I also allot treats during regular days as well (whoever came up with the 90 calorie Snickers mini cream bars is a genius, in my opinion!). I track calories even if I know I'm over. It helps get me back in line at my next meal/day.
  • Amber1070
    Amber1070 Posts: 106 Member
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    I find it gets me off track. If I want something extra I have to fit it in or burn it off.
  • glitteredgrave
    glitteredgrave Posts: 194 Member
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    I rarely have "cheat days" anymore. Maybe about once a month? I fit whatever I want into my macros. I stress less about it. I don't binge anymore either, haven't for about a year maybe. I'll move things around and plan days ahead if need be

    Pros: You get to indulge, get it out of your system, have a worry-free meal with famliy and friends etc
    Cons: Some people, like me, DO stress out and worry about it. You could also possibly get off track
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    It depends on your individual preferences. If you had a bunch of people eat a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal, some would just eat it like any other cereal, and others (like me) would eat all the regular bits and leave the marshmallows for last, so you can finish off by eating a bunch of marshmallows. YUM!

    If you're the type to save the marshmallows for last, you might prefer "cheat" days.

    If you are doing it as part of your plan, you're still eating the same number of calories as you would have, just changing the distribution to match your preferences.

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