Cheat day/eating calories back

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  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
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    One has nothing to do with the other. Or very little. I concern myself more with meeting a weekly goal rather than a daily one as I don't eat the same thing every single day so it is easier this way. This does occasionally leave me with an excess of calories on Saturday and Sunday, but I don't just binge on whatever I want.
  • Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim
    Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim Posts: 267 Member
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    bump
  • smtillman2
    smtillman2 Posts: 756 Member
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    I just try to stay under for the week.
  • S108HAN
    S108HAN Posts: 30 Member
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    Oooooo yes. I haven't stuck to my diet at all on any weekend. I burn about 700-800 calories per day in the week and eat about 1600. The at the weekends I still do the cardio but I don't track anything I eat or drink. I eat and drink a lot because I'm very sociable and that's what my friends and I want to do when we get together.

    I decided right at the start that I didn't want to diet. I've done diets and they don't stick. I wanted to change my eating and fitness in a sustainable way and I do feel at the moment I could stick with this forever. After I've lost my weight I'll probably up my calories to 1800 and drop my gym to 300 calories and focus more on weights, see how I go. I'll still blow out at the weekend though.
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
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    Do NOT have cheat days, just cheat meals.
    Eating calories back is counterproductive to burning them off in the first place.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    I work out everyday but I don't eat all the exercise calories back. I just am freely choosing what to eat now. So if I wanted that extra granola bar, apple or beer-I indulge!
  • OspreyVista
    OspreyVista Posts: 464 Member
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    Why would you "save" your calories to eat at a later date? That doesn't make ANY sense.

    Some days I eat my exercise cals back and some days I don't...If I'm hungry then I eat, if not then it's obvious what I do.
    As for cheat days...I don't tend to set a day to cheat...If I eat something bad one day oh well I will live.

    Some people save their calories for a later date, such as the weekend so that they are able to go out with friends and have fun. I've only done it once, for a halloween party this year so that I could eat and have fun with everyone without worrying over the calories I ate. It worked out perfectly and I still didn't go over for the week. This doesn't work for everyone, most of the time unless it's a special event it won't work for me. The results after halloween eating..I did not gain anything back.
  • Sammyj389
    Sammyj389 Posts: 10
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    It's just math. Calories in vs calories out.

    In my experience, it isn't the occasional "cheat", whether it's an entire day or just a meal. It's the extra 100 calories per day, day in and day out, over a year that adds up to "Where did that 10 pounds come from?"! Sadly, that 100 calories is just an extra piece of toast or a cookie -- per day -- which isn't hard to do.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    Sometimes I will save them if I know I have a big meal coming up soon. But most of the time I'm lazy and get a massively fantabulous cheat day even those saved up calories couldn't have covered.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    I think designating a cheat day is a little reckless but having a treat meal from exercise calories I've banked earlier in the week is a good reward/incentive to keep active. Today I've burned an extra 830 calories but will be carrying forward almost half of those for the weekend so that we can eat out. It's not a cheat if it's paid for!
  • DBiddle69
    DBiddle69 Posts: 682 Member
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    I never read any of the other responses when I reply to these types of postings.

    When people think of this as a diet they tend to concentrate on one day at a time...when you realize that this is a lifestyle change there is no cheating involved. You make modifications.

    For example I am alloted 1800 calories per day before exercise that means I can eat 12600 a week, or 54000 a month (30 days). How and when I eat those calories is irrelivent as long as I do not go over the total amount for the tracking time I am using. Reminder I have not yet included any exercise calories!

    Now for me I track mine weekly...Sunday - Saturday...so if on Sunday I run for 7 miles and burn 800 calories I now have 13400 calories for the week and have the whole week to go...so I eat my 1800 calories for Sunday and on Monday I decide to eat 2100 calories I am still on track not to break my now 13400 calories as long as Tuesday - Saturday I do not eat more than 9500 calories for the rest of the time.

    No cheating about it...just modifications!

    I have been know to complete a day during my week and go back and add a snack to it...still under my weekly calories!!
  • BevJoi
    BevJoi Posts: 3
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    I wouldn't see much point in exercising just to eat the calories again.
    Quite the opposite- if I eat more than I should I have to exercise extra to make up for it!

    :huh:
    So, you won't exercise to get more calories to eat, but you'll exercise more if you eat too many calories? Interesting logic.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    Eating calories back is counterproductive to burning them off in the first place.

    Not if it's making you stronger and healthier for it surely? I'd soon be lightheaded on days I do 2 hours or more of exercise if I was restricted to basic calories. It works because you can eat enough to fuel your exercise and that stops you craving high fat/sugar foods to meet your body's energy needs. Your deficit has already been built into your normal calories remember!
  • BevJoi
    BevJoi Posts: 3
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    Ha Ha, :drinker:
  • kelgalon
    kelgalon Posts: 34 Member
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    The phone app lets you look at the weekly average. Thats what I tend to follow. If I want it and Im in the green, I go for it.

    I tend to use the weekly outlook too. If I have an event coming up or know I'm going out with friends then I might workout extra during the week and make sure that it's within the limits for the week.
  • piggydog
    piggydog Posts: 322
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    Having a cheat day is pointless! You can eat back all the weight you have lost in a few weeks and then some with just one meal by 'cheating'...

    If it doesn't fit into my meal plan for the day I do not eat it...period
  • Juliechilli
    Juliechilli Posts: 123 Member
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    I agree with this!
    I love the cheat MEAL concept.

    It will slow my weight loss down over time making me take a little longer to get to my goal but I accept the fact that getting to where I want to go is going to take time.

    If I tell myself I can never ever ever have a Big Mac again I will be less likely to stick to the diet plan. So one single meal every week I indulge at a reasonable level. I work out like crazy during the week.

    It will of course slow you down a little bit but it will keep me going on the diet plan for longer and make me more successful over time. I still stay under my weekly calorie goal.
  • CaseRat
    CaseRat Posts: 377 Member
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    Having a cheat day is pointless! You can eat back all the weight you have lost in a few weeks and then some with just one meal by 'cheating'...

    If it doesn't fit into my meal plan for the day I do not eat it...period

    I know most people here lose 1-2lbs a week, so over 3 weeks that'd be around 4-5lbs, which means unless someone was eating an additional 14000-17000 calories above maintenance, totalling lets say upto 20,000 calories in a day, they certainly won't be undoing all their work.


    I like to have big Saturday nights and not care what I eat or drink; when I'm cutting I'll eat around 1,500-1750kcal on the Friday and Sunday and keep the intake to 80% protein, then Saturday night I can easily put down 4-6,000 calories, drink as much beer and eat whatever I want, and I still lost my aim of 1lb per week.
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
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    The phone app lets you look at the weekly average. Thats what I tend to follow. If I want it and Im in the green, I go for it.

    I tend to use the weekly outlook too. If I have an event coming up or know I'm going out with friends then I might workout extra during the week and make sure that it's within the limits for the week.

    ditto. As far as a "cheat" goes, not really. I log everything, and some days I'm higher than others. As long as my week is good, I don't care. I do tend to eat better earlier in the week because I know o the weekends I might want to drink or eat out.
    Also my workouts are to make me feel good. I sometimes eat the calories, or at least some of them, because I can. I don't feel it's counterproductive at all. You're still gaining strength and fitness either way.

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