What do you think of "cheat days"?

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  • Iron_Duchess
    Iron_Duchess Posts: 429 Member
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    Hi,

    I really don't do cheat days, but treat meals. My husband and I like to go out for dinner during the weekend, so what we do is follow our normal schedule for meals during the day and try not to eat the afternoon snack, so we have more calories for dinner. When we go out we sometimes share a "plate" and dessert ( they are huge portions anyways), that way we order what we want without feeling guilty. We know that is a one meal deal, so after we are out of the restaurant we are back to our healthy routine. I've heard Billy Beck III (a well known trainer) recommend to have up to 3 cheat meals a week, but that it is only 1 plate , when whatever you have in the plate is done, your treat is also done. If you feel that you need those treats plan them and you will see how much better it is than to say "I'm going to eat whatever I want during the whole day".
  • TheBigFish711
    TheBigFish711 Posts: 98
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    I have yet to have a cheat day, or cheat meal, in the 65 days i've been on this diet, but I do plan on having 3 "cheat weekends" in 2013. One after the 90 day mark, one after the 180 day mark, and one after the 270 day mark. I have 4-day weekends planned off from work to rejoice and eat/drink what I want, and go where I want. Other than that, I am planning on being good the rest of the year! =)
  • Khisalandra
    Khisalandra Posts: 100 Member
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    I never have cheat days -- I have cheat meals. Think of how many calories can add up in a day. For me, cheat meals are better and easier to get back on track from.

    This a million percent!! I am the same way, if I fall off the wagon all day it is MUCH harder to get back on.

    Exactly. I'll let myself eat just about anything if I really feel I want it. I just do my best to keep it within my calorie goals. But occasionally (usually every couple of weeks) I know I'm going to go over. In that case I keep it to one meal and try not to blow it hugely... just maybe a few hundred over, if that much. It's a slippery slope for me if I let myself cheat too badly.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    You said in your OP that when you dieted before, you had cheat days and they always ended up turning into a cheat weekend then blowing the diet completely. So is there a reason you think it would end differently this time?

    I stayed 99% compliant for the first 3 months. By that time, healthy eating had become a way of life, and I had lost 25 pounds and was looking and feeling much better about myself. By the time Thanksgiving came around, I felt confident enough to be able to eat some things I didn't normally eat and go over my goal. It did throw me off a bit. I gained 2 pounds and it took me almost 2 weeks to get back on track and lose those pounds. If I hadn't had 3 months and 25 pounds of success behind me, I probably would not have made it back on track, and would have probably quit. But I had made too much progress to go backwards, so I pushed thru it. The same thing happened at Christmas, and it took me several weeks to get back on track.

    I made the conscious decision to go off plan on those days, knowing the dangers. You have to look at yourself and be honest in your abilities to stay focused. Many people have good results with Cheat Days, others, not so much.

    Personally I don't like the term Cheat Day, because it implies doing something wrong. I will have days that I go over my cals, or eat something I normally wouldn't, but I don't consider it cheating and beat myself up about it. I plan for it, or make up the cals another day. I will be counting calories and making healthy choices the rest the of my life, not just until I get to goal weight. I know that I can't live the rest of my life without ever eating cake, or pizza, or whatever. I just have to make choices and put them into my plan when the time comes. And don't make it a habit.
  • jonisteenhoek
    jonisteenhoek Posts: 92 Member
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    I go back and forth on what I think about this. I like the idea of it, but (for me) a cheat day leads to a cheat weekend. Generally speaking, if I want something I have it. I workout pretty hard and throughout a week, I'm usually under my calorie goal, I don't sweat a few calories over here and there. Also, once you've been at this a while, you'll find your need to "cheat" gets less and less.
  • Health_Gal
    Health_Gal Posts: 718 Member
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    If you don't allow yourself to "cheat" now and then, it will be almost impossible to say on a diet.
  • oh_em_gee
    oh_em_gee Posts: 887 Member
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    I never have a whole cheat day really, but I have cheat meals. Pizza for a birthday party? Sure, but I keep it to 2 slices. Cheesecake at grandma's? Yep, a small piece. The other day, my dad made chocolate crepes with whipped cream filling and fresh strawberries, and you can bet I ate a couple, for about 500 calories total. I'm not going to eliminate all junk forever, but I will work it into an otherwise healthy day and maybe go over my calories a little once on a while.
  • salgalbp
    salgalbp Posts: 218 Member
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    I agree with most of the posters here. The whole "lifestyle" vs. "diet" mindset has got to change but it is a slow process. For me I am working on making it more a lifestyle. I've got the gym 4 days a week down and the diet down 4.75 days of the week down. It's the Friday night, Saturday and Sunday thing that I'm working on.

    I was e-mailing my gym buddy this morning when I got to work and telling her we work WAY TOO DARN HARD 4 days a week in that gym for me to screw it up on the weekends and have to start all over on Monday. For me it's the 2 steps forward 3 steps back deal.

    It has taken me awhile to learn this lifestyle and I've come A LONG way and I am hoping that I will continue to grow and live in this lifestyle.

    Good luck!
  • wickedwendy6
    wickedwendy6 Posts: 117 Member
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    If you don't allow yourself to "cheat" now and then, it will be almost impossible to say on a diet.

    ^^ Totally agree with this!

    I do cheat days. Every Saturday is my free day - I log nothing, I don't workout and I eat what I feel like.....without going overboard. I'm a big advocate of this because I believe it helps me stay on track on the other days of the week. My cheat day never leads to cheat weekends and cheat weeks/months because I always know there's another one coming in just 6 days. I guess I might be lucky to be the sort of person who can stop at one day.

    A bit about me: I started trying to lose weight early Nov last year, so have only been doing it for about 3 1/2 month. Beginning weight was 77.6kg - current weight is 67.6kg. I think that's pretty successful. :happy:
  • Shellbug75
    Shellbug75 Posts: 74 Member
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    You said in your OP that when you dieted before, you had cheat days and they always ended up turning into a cheat weekend then blowing the diet completely. So is there a reason you think it would end differently this time?

    I stayed 99% compliant for the first 3 months. By that time, healthy eating had become a way of life, and I had lost 25 pounds and was looking and feeling much better about myself. By the time Thanksgiving came around, I felt confident enough to be able to eat some things I didn't normally eat and go over my goal. It did throw me off a bit. I gained 2 pounds and it took me almost 2 weeks to get back on track and lose those pounds. If I hadn't had 3 months and 25 pounds of success behind me, I probably would not have made it back on track, and would have probably quit. But I had made too much progress to go backwards, so I pushed thru it. The same thing happened at Christmas, and it took me several weeks to get back on track.

    I made the conscious decision to go off plan on those days, knowing the dangers. You have to look at yourself and be honest in your abilities to stay focused. Many people have good results with Cheat Days, others, not so much.

    Personally I don't like the term Cheat Day, because it implies doing something wrong. I will have days that I go over my cals, or eat something I normally wouldn't, but I don't consider it cheating and beat myself up about it. I plan for it, or make up the cals another day. I will be counting calories and making healthy choices the rest the of my life, not just until I get to goal weight. I know that I can't live the rest of my life without ever eating cake, or pizza, or whatever. I just have to make choices and put them into my plan when the time comes. And don't make it a habit.

    I am thinking differently just because I have never been this serious about weight loss and I am focused and determined. Also I have seen others on this site who has had success in losing weight along with their cheat days/meals.
  • TrishLG
    TrishLG Posts: 173 Member
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    Cheat days are suppose to reset to high the body's metabolism. If you are dieting, the metabolism drops, that blow out day, resets it on high so when you swing back into diet mode, you lose instead of plateau. I haven't tried it, I would slip back into all blow out days, can not trust myself.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Cheat days are suppose to reset to high the body's metabolism. If you are dieting, the metabolism drops, that blow out day, resets it on high so when you swing back into diet mode, you lose instead of plateau. I haven't tried it, I would slip back into all blow out days, can not trust myself.

    I can see doing this in a way where you have a higher calorie day, but you log your food, so you are still in control and are just eating more calories that day. This way you can see what your calories for the week are and can see how it affects your weight loss. I had a day yesterday where I didn't log anything til the end of the day. I knew I was over cals for the day, but was surprised that I had only gone over by 130 cals. I thought it was a lot more. But I knew exactly what I ate and how to log it.
  • lolly2721
    lolly2721 Posts: 56 Member
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    I personally like to have a cheat day. It's not like I go overboard and eat an entire cake, but I just don't count calories that day. I eat what I want and until I am full. I have found that I don't go over my calories very much at all, but this is just me. I know others that will have a cheat day and they go overboard.

    You will have to try it yourself to see what works for you.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    I don't have cheat days.. if I ever would have one, it would be to trick my body but not necessarily cheating. There are just some things that I refuse to eat anymore. I'm perfectly content with how I eat now and my body is happy.

    If you can't handle it, my advice is to not do it.. but learn how to incorporate a treat or something you really want into your daily calories IMO. I mean, I love ice cream, its in the fridge but I don't HAVE to have it.. maybe tomorrow after going to the store and buying something healthier I can work it into one of my snacks.. for now, I will have an apple and a glass of water.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    I never have a whole cheat day really, but I have cheat meals. Pizza for a birthday party? Sure, but I keep it to 2 slices. Cheesecake at grandma's? Yep, a small piece. The other day, my dad made chocolate crepes with whipped cream filling and fresh strawberries, and you can bet I ate a couple, for about 500 calories total. I'm not going to eliminate all junk forever, but I will work it into an otherwise healthy day and maybe go over my calories a little once on a while.

    This
  • SCsexy1
    SCsexy1 Posts: 44 Member
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    I never have cheat days -- I have cheat meals. Think of how many calories can add up in a day. For me, cheat meals are better and easier to get back on track from.
    I agree 100%. And you have to cheat or treat yourself once in a while to something you love.
  • Schmidty102
    Schmidty102 Posts: 168 Member
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    I don't ever plan a cheat day, but yesterday I did some really intense Ultimate Frisbee and burned close to 700 calories playing alone. The team I play with went out for pizza afterwards, and so I had a cheat meal, but only because I knew I would be able to fit in under my calorie intake for the day. If I know I will have to eat more calories (because of family outings or another factor) I will try to exercise more that day.

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