Are Cheat Days Really Okay?

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  • kdsp2911
    kdsp2911 Posts: 170 Member
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    A cheat day implies that your "normal" day isn't sustainable. I believe that for successful permanent weight loss, you need to adjust your lifestyle in such a way that you are losing weight while enjoying life. While losing weight you need to be at a calorie deficit on a consistent basis. When you get to your goal you will increase your calories or decrease your activity to maintain the weight. I think we make it too hard sometimes...

    ^^^ This! If your lifestyle isn't something you can LIVE everyday, then you aren't going to lose the weight and keep it off. If you resist every craving, every singe day of your life, you are more likely to "fall off the wagon" and end up binging.
  • watfordjc
    watfordjc Posts: 304 Member
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    It depends on your mind, but generally satisfying your cravings occasionally helps you (me) stay on track rather than giving up completely. Some people consider cheat days as being "off diet" and subsequently don't go back "on diet" the next day. Some people do calorie cycling and have their cheat day on the calorie surplus day and others do a maintenance week every few months (the idea being to tell the body the metabolism doesn't need to be slowed down because the calorie restriction isn't a permanent thing).

    I tried maintenance days but always ended up within my deficit because I burn a lot of calories. These days I just satisfy my cravings on the days when I burn a lot of calories and do extra exercise on days when I'm going to have an unknown calorie consumption (e.g. visiting family).

    If you eat at maintenance for a day, the only weight you'd gain is water weight. If you eat at a surplus one day, and a deficit for 6 days, and it adds up over the week to an overall deficit, you'd lose weight (albeit fluctuating sodium intake, exercise, and natural weight fluctuations may mean it takes a while for that trend to be obvious).
  • JessiBelleW
    JessiBelleW Posts: 815 Member
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    Let's say you're eating at 500 calories under your TDEE every day.

    but one day you feel the need to eat something extra. Perhaps you met a friend and go out to eat.

    well, if you eat those 500 calories that day, then you're STILL only eating at TDEE. You won't put *any* weight on, but equally you won't lose any that day.

    Cheat is a bad term, I'd call it a FREE day. All you did was pause for the cause!

    This is such a sensible and logical way of looking at things! I've had a rough week calorie wise but this makes it feel much better - I probably will not have lost much weight (if any!) this week - but since the calories I am aiming for are under my TDEE I also won't have gained any weight this week either!

    Thanks for the much needed reality check :)
  • TylerJ76
    TylerJ76 Posts: 4,375 Member
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    I've heard it doesn't count as cheating if you're outside of the country you normally live in.

    *area code
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    No. Cheat MEAL. Not cheat day. Also, the "everything in moderation" still applies here. Eat what you want but done gorge yourself on it.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    I have mine on Sundaysm but be careful with it... I try to still stay within my calories, I just dont over eat like I was used to doing months ago. But I will eat a burgar and fry with not a bit of guilt. :-)

    You don't go over your calories on a cheat day, but consider having a burger cheating? I'm not sure you fully understand the concept of a cheat day.
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    You really think a cheat day is going to undo everything you've worked for.......? Like, you lose 10 lbs in a month's time, have a cheat day and gain the 10 lbs right back? ;)

    No but it could possibly undo an entire week. Think about it. If you successfully burned 3500 calories in one week and then ate fast food breakfast, lunch, and dinner and had a dessert all in one day you've undone all your hard work for that week. Why would you want to do that?
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I personally don't get the point of cheat days. I understand making healthier choices is the way to go, but you're allow to have a meal or day where you can just enjoy whatever. I rather think, "Everything in Moderation"
  • kbmiller27
    kbmiller27 Posts: 70 Member
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    To me, a "cheat day" is just a day I chose to eat less healthily than other days. I usually try to plan around them for instance when i know I'm going out to a restaurant or party or whatever.

    When I started this a little over a year ago, I was truly in the mindset of it being a lifestyle change, and have actually never looked at it as a "diet"

    So, no cheat days for me, because I allow myself what I want as long as it's in moderation and I'm still where I need to be calorie-wise. It's the only way I've figured out how to make this actually a sustainable thing, and I hardly ever feel like giving up because I am not so restricted every single day.

    well...... except now that I"m pregnant I really miss my wine. :laugh:
  • autumny70
    autumny70 Posts: 127 Member
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    I've heard it doesn't count as cheating if you're outside of the country you normally live in.

    I heard that too. Oh, and Vegas.
  • Snikkee
    Snikkee Posts: 295 Member
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    Let's say you're eating at 500 calories under your TDEE every day.

    but one day you feel the need to eat something extra. Perhaps you met a friend and go out to eat.

    well, if you eat those 500 calories that day, then you're STILL only eating at TDEE. You won't put *any* weight on, but equally you won't lose any that day.

    Cheat is a bad term, I'd call it a FREE day. All you did was pause for the cause!

    I like that, free day, and pause for the cause. :)
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
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    You really think a cheat day is going to undo everything you've worked for.......? Like, you lose 10 lbs in a month's time, have a cheat day and gain the 10 lbs right back? ;)

    No but it could possibly undo an entire week. Think about it. If you successfully burned 3500 calories in one week and then ate fast food breakfast, lunch, and dinner and had a dessert all in one day you've undone all your hard work for that week. Why would you want to do that?

    You'd have to eat an ADDITIONAL 3,500 calories in one day, on top of your regular calories to gain that extra lbs... I don't find that very likely. Even if it is JUST 3,500 calories a day, I don't find that a cheat day, that is more along the lines of a binge day...
  • Mainebikerchick
    Mainebikerchick Posts: 1,573 Member
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    I don't really have a cheat day per say.

    I usually just cheat every night after dinner once the wife and kids have gone to bed.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • sexymuffintop
    sexymuffintop Posts: 636
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    I don't really have a cheat day per say.

    I usually just cheat every night after dinner once the wife and kids have gone to bed.

    You just cannot help yourself can you. Ha, as if you would find anyone mad enough to marry you anyway :bigsmile:
  • harvo
    harvo Posts: 4,676 Member
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    As someone that almost died in 2005 I will not die with too many regrets. One day of cheating, no matter how many calories you eat, will destroy any work you have done any more than 1 day of heathly eating will cause you to get healthy. The part that can be hard is being disciplined enough to continue on your healthy eating once you have had that cheat day. I have eaten fast food 5 nights a week for about 2 weeks and I am still losing. but I am umping ballgames 6 nights a week and walking on lunch and breaks.
  • lambchristie
    lambchristie Posts: 552 Member
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    Jami,

    First let's change your mind set/thought process. I am in the process of doing the same thing.

    What I mean by that ... let's get rid of the negative words ... i.e. 'cheat' days.

    Nothing should be off limits to us, what we need to do is to eat in moderation, balance, portion control.

    If you want a hamburger for instance ... have one ... but make it a healthier version. Perhaps have a lettuce wrap vs using a bun, don't put mayo on it, just mustard (or use lite mayo), add tons of veggies. If you want fries, have sweet potato fries if that is an option as they are not as calorie laden. If you want a soda, go for the smallest one, not the super size one. CHOICES we make will make or break us in life. Enjoy life. Enjoy food. Just don't let food rule your world.

    Best of luck,
    :wink: :smile: :flowerforyou:
  • Snikkee
    Snikkee Posts: 295 Member
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    You really think a cheat day is going to undo everything you've worked for.......? Like, you lose 10 lbs in a month's time, have a cheat day and gain the 10 lbs right back? ;)

    No but it could possibly undo an entire week. Think about it. If you successfully burned 3500 calories in one week and then ate fast food breakfast, lunch, and dinner and had a dessert all in one day you've undone all your hard work for that week. Why would you want to do that?


    Makes sense!!!



    I personally do not have a "cheat day" because I know my eating habits and how impulsive I am. My cheat meal would turn into a cheat week or month. Until I feel I have the right amount of self control, my clean eating will remain in place with no wiggle room for what is unclean. Everyone says, "use moderation," well easier said than done. :)
  • collier_nufc
    collier_nufc Posts: 2
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    n
  • purplelizzard
    purplelizzard Posts: 93 Member
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    I have 2 cheat days a week and I have lost 30 lbs total. Granted, these cheat days are NOTHING like they used to be, usually 400-500 over at MOST. But still, I still have days where I care, but not as much as the other 5-6 days.
  • obrientp
    obrientp Posts: 546 Member
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    I try not to have cheat days since I usually have to spend the next five days undoing the damage.

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