Possibly dumb question:

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thatsillyshana
thatsillyshana Posts: 141
in Health and Weight Loss
My classmates were talking about dieting and they started talking about having a cheat day to "shock" the body and to make sure your body doesn't get used to the decreased calories and plateau. Is this legit? Any time I see a friend with a cheat day, they eat about 4000 calories because they said the more they eat, the bigger the shock. Have you ever heard of this or tried it?
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  • cm1458
    cm1458 Posts: 742 Member
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    I have a cheat meal or two each week. But I dont go a whole day. so far so good. I'm down -102lbs.
  • jenlarz
    jenlarz Posts: 813 Member
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    I' 've done cheat days but not that many calories.
  • Tryinonemoretime
    Tryinonemoretime Posts: 86 Member
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    I would be interested in hearing more replys on this subject. I am in my second plateau since joining MFP in Oct!
  • wendybird5
    wendybird5 Posts: 577 Member
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    I do a cheat day once a week, but not that many calories (I once did 2000 max, but never higher). My trainer said I should do just one cheat MEAL a week instead. It is a helpful re-boost for your metabolism, plus mentally knowing that you can splurge a little on foods that you may be avoiding the rest of the time so that you don't feel completely deprived. But splurge too much and instead you'll just gain a lot of water weight and then the next week all you are doing is burning off that water you gained that day and not making any progress toward your goal. Everything in moderation.
  • jermyljamison
    jermyljamison Posts: 1
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    Cheat days are very common when trying to maintain muscle mass while losing fat. A cheat day provides a reward for you when you diet, and it allows your muscles to be refilled with glycogen after dieting for the previous week.
  • thatsillyshana
    thatsillyshana Posts: 141
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    I think cheat meals are great just because food is delicious. I think they weren't talking about muscle, just losing weight. I think the story was a friend of a friend lost about 130 pounds that way.
  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 Member
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    Some diets do have "Spike" days they differ from cheat days in that you should still be eating clean (keeping your macros inline avoiding junk), but you eat a lot of calories.

    For most people I think having a cheat meal once per week makes sense. Having a free for all cheat day makes it way to easy to undo a weeks worth of moderately good eating.

    It also teaches you the longer term disipline of eating healthy all the time. If you feel a strong need to cheat more than one meal per week you probably are doing something wrong in your diet
  • MinisterTom
    MinisterTom Posts: 108 Member
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    I don't consider what I am doing to be a diet. Those have never worked for me in the past. So, I don't have a cheat day per say, but I did not eliminate anything from what I eat, just don't eat some things as much as I used to. I may eat fast food (no fries) once a week, or something, but I don't go over my cal limit. When I eliminated anything from my diet, my cheat days would be gross over indulgences of those things which I eliminated, normally making me feel sick.
  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 Member
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    here is a long thread on the "spike day" http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/531579--spike-day-nonsense
  • tisha_rae
    tisha_rae Posts: 216 Member
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    I give myself a cheat day - but NOT for that reason, and I don't go crazy, I just allow myself to eat a dinner out or have a few drinks without worrying about it.

    All things in moderation.

    What matters is what you do 90% of the time not 10%.
  • Nissi51
    Nissi51 Posts: 381 Member
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    I always include a controlled cheat meal! This is life. They are not harmful if controlled and are of benefit psychologically. It will keep you in the game for the long haul.

    100lbs lost and majority of it kept off for 15 plus years.
  • CakePlate
    CakePlate Posts: 27 Member
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    I personally do not subscribe to this theory for two reasons, 1) it opens the flood gates for additional cheat days/meals - and slippery slope, and 2) why undo all your hard work? I personally haven't found this to be effective. My body is adjusting to eating more healthfully, why freak it out with a bunch of junk? Give in to cravings in moderation, but don't open yourself up to a backward slide.
  • ravenchick
    ravenchick Posts: 345 Member
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    I've lost 120 pounds without hitting a plateau. I do have occasional cheat days but I don't go too high over my calories. I usually take those days to eat something bad for me that I love. Like Chinese or cheese steak. I think in the long run, everyone's body is different and what works for some, might not work for others. The key is finding what woks for you. Take a day and eat without worrying about your calories then get back to counting and see if it works for you. :smile:
  • thatsillyshana
    thatsillyshana Posts: 141
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    thanks everyone!!!
  • Gerald_King
    Gerald_King Posts: 2,031 Member
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    If you eat your TDEE you won't need a cheat day
  • karenwill2
    karenwill2 Posts: 604 Member
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    I am a food addict. If I cheat, I fall off the wagon for like 3 months and gain a lot of weight back. Never again. It is not worth it. I am not a moderation kind of girl. If you can control it, go for it. If you are like me, DON'T.
  • Rosytakesoff
    Rosytakesoff Posts: 321
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    I can't do it. For me it's too slippery of a slope. I have to keep myself on the straight and narrow.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    Retaining water doesn't stop you from losing fat, it only temporarily disguises your weight. Also, you don't have to burn off water, it doesn't have any calories.
  • desiv2
    desiv2 Posts: 651 Member
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    Honestly, one cheat day has too easily lead to cheat 'weeks' and cheat 'months' for me. So, I try to stay under most of the time. I'll go several weeks without 'cheating', however, if a friend asks me to go out with them then I'll usually get what I want at the restaurant. I know that this is the best way for me, so that I can still enjoy food and going out, but I wont be tempted into slacking on my usual diet goals. I think one cheat MEAL a week is an awesome idea, but if a cheat day doesn't derail you and helps you avoid bad foods throughout the week then there is nothing wrong with it!
  • Living91
    Living91 Posts: 27
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    Check out www.body-improvements.com as they have A LOT of information which will answer most weight loss and fitness questions you have.

    You can't "shock" your metabolism into speeding up, that whole thing is complete BS. Cheat days help you to stay on track because eating 100% healthy 100% of the time can be a drag but 4000 calories on a cheat day!?!?! Let me ask you this, have they actually lost any weight? Unless they're not eating at all the rest of the week then I bet no.

    4000 calories is WAY WAY too much to be eating in one day!! At least for weight loss it is. And frankly 4000 calories in one day is a binge, which is not a mentally sound way to approach food.

    Weight loss is always calories in calories out, so go by that. To lose weight AND look sexy eat nutritionally valuable food and work out if you have the time.

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