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

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 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.

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.

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.

I find it gets me off track. If I want something extra I have to fit it in or burn it off.

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.

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.

I don't eat that crap, but if I did I would also save the marshmallows... cheat days/meals never once. (outside of a vacation, and christmas/new years but by then my weight loss journey was basically over)

To say you're cheating implies you're doing something wrong. If I am craving something enough I will fit it into my calories for that day and maybe push myself a little extra at the gym.

Having one cheat meal a week keeps me sane.

Cheat days are called living life!!

Its not a matter of what your eating, its about eating in a way that you can sustain for life. To those people who say they don't cheat occasionally does this mean, that for the rest of your life you are going to avoid certain foods.

You need to be able to work out how to eat and enjoy life, while still losing weight.

I believe everything in life needs balance,

I think you missed the point many made. It isn't a "cheat" meal if you make it fit your calories. Going over a few hundred calories isn't a big deal. Going over 1000-2000 calories and calling it a "cheat" meal is just dumb. Once you start reaching your goals you of course can loosen up somewhat. If you know you are going to blow it out Saturday night and go over 1000 calories just eat a few hundred calories less the days before hand.

The big issue, is what exactly is a "cheat" meal. I don't go out for burgers. So if I go out for a burger is that a "cheat" meal? Eating something that I wouldn't normally eat isn't cheating. I eat what ever I want. Yes most the time make the "smart" choice. On Chistmas I had 4 different pieces of pie. One after another. That was cheating. I think has to do with your mentality. How do you deal with it. It depends on you. Most of what people call "cheat" meals really aren't. It is the misconception of good vs. bad foods. There is almost no bad foods. You can eat anything and lose weight. It is all about the quantities you eat.

A few:

Pros: Better adherence for some people. Potential to eat foods that may be off limits depending on your philosophy OR depending on your macros (an IIFYMer with really low TDEE/low CHO may not be able to eat certain foods and still hit their macros). Potential for short term increase in gym performance.

Cons: Worse adherence for some people (fall off the wagon). Additional calories.

When cheat days started making me ill and giving me the squirts, I gave it up.

The big issue, is what exactly is a "cheat" meal.

It's not a food it's a mentality. Some people enjoy being mischievous and breaking the rules here and there, so it benefits them to think of it in that way. It's like skipping classes in high school or having a Ferris Beuller's Day Off.

I have a weekend routine that includes lunch out with my daughter on Friday, and with my son on Saturday. The restaurants they choose often don't have great low-calorie choices, so I guess you could consider these as "cheat days". But I actually try to make the best/healthiest choices I can. So, on the weekend, I may have a meal that is higher than average, but I make up for it with lower calorie dinner and less snacks. Occasionally, I completely blow it (like with movie theater popcorn), but with the next meal, I just resume healthier choices.

I've never done cheat days. I just work whatever I want to have into my calorie goal. I've never really felt the need to "cheat" by doing it that way.

^^ This. If I know I'm going to want a cheeseburger for dinner, I work it off with exercise (or most of it) in the beginning of the day, and am really careful about breakfast and lunch. That way I get my cheeseburger without feeling guilty. I wouldn't think a cheat "day" is a good thing, but instead one cheat meal.

Pro: you get to eat things that you normally wouldn't. It can also help with your metabolism.

Cons: After a while not eating junk food you start to ignore it. Cheat days can bring back those temptations