Cheat DAY works!!! did they work for you too?

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.

Never had one so I wouldnt know.

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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.

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 want

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.

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...

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.

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.

What do you exactly eat when your clocking up 8k to 13k worth of calories..? I'd really want to know.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

I've been using MFP consistently for almost 4 months now, and I have a cheat day every week. Lost about 20 pounds