Is it okay to have a cheat day?

imamonster2000
imamonster2000 Posts: 43 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I feel so bad. Today I went to lunch with my fanily and ate a bunch of pizza and pasta and just crap. I am sure I have eaten way over 1200. Is it ok to have a cheat day? I feel like it is gonna ruin everything. I tried to track what I ate but I ate buffet and it said if I ate everyday like today I'd gain a lot of weight back. Is this going to ruin my diet????
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Replies

  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    I have a cheat meal once a week- though I don't go crazy, I probably eat between 2,000 and 2,500cals for the entire day. So at about maintenance

    I don't think it will do any harm at all, though you should try not to binge.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    You might notice a water weight gain for a few days. As long as you don't eat like that again for awhile, you will be fine. :tongue:
  • xxash19
    xxash19 Posts: 65 Member
    Personally, I think its okay to have a cheat day once in a while, a lot of people have a cheat day once a week. I would just do it in moderation and stay within maintenance calories. One meal won't blow your diet and make you gain fat.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    No. I hate the term "cheat day."

    Lets call it a metabolism booster day or free feed day instead. By overeating every now and again, you will keep your metabolism revving and prevent a lower re-set that prolonged calorie deficits cause.
  • imamonster2000
    imamonster2000 Posts: 43 Member
    Okay, sp today is the day after my "cheat/ eat over my calorie limit day" what do I do? Do I go back to eating 1200? Do I eat less than that? Should I not eat at all to make up for eating so much yesterday?
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Okay, sp today is the day after my "cheat/ eat over my calorie limit day" what do I do? Do I go back to eating 1200? Do I eat less than that? Should I not eat at all to make up for eating so much yesterday?
    Eat like normal. Your last two options sound an awful lot like an eating disorder.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    there were plenty of days in college that i didn't study. i still graduated.
  • Diamond05
    Diamond05 Posts: 475 Member
    Cheat days are ok as long as you don't go overboard with it... I prefer having a day where i have a cheat meal if i can say so, sometimes people have a cheat day and cheat too much and in large portions. This could affect a weight loss, but if you allow yourself treats and with moderation, no problem!!
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Sure. You're not cheating...youre living. Enjoy yourself....and move on. You don't need anyone's permission. Its only "cheating" if you're on some imposed regimen....which you aren't. You are making lifestyle choices and an occasional indulgence is perfectly ok.
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    To celebrate my lowest weight ever I'm having tons and tons of Texas style BBQ for lunch...yeahhhhhhhh:love:
    Holy @$it!!!! My 1000th post!
  • thesupremeforce
    thesupremeforce Posts: 1,206 Member
    there were plenty of days in college that i didn't study. i still graduated.

    This is a great answer.
  • Minerva624
    Minerva624 Posts: 577 Member
    It's not okay. It's totally fine! What is life if you can't indulge every now and then? :)
  • gottogetinshape
    gottogetinshape Posts: 124 Member
    No. I hate the term "cheat day."

    Lets call it a metabolism booster day or free feed day instead. By overeating every now and again, you will keep your metabolism revving and prevent a lower re-set that prolonged calorie deficits cause.

    Please tell me this is true!
  • gottogetinshape
    gottogetinshape Posts: 124 Member
    When people say 'You can have a cheat day as long as you do it in moderation', I just think, how is that a cheat day if you're still thinking about 'moderation'? I really hope cheat days are ok.
  • MariaChele85
    MariaChele85 Posts: 267 Member
    No. I hate the term "cheat day."

    Lets call it a metabolism booster day or free feed day instead. By overeating every now and again, you will keep your metabolism revving and prevent a lower re-set that prolonged calorie deficits cause.

    Please tell me this is true!
    This is true. I enjoy all foods even cheat days and still lose. I believe the key is to continue to workout.
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
    I have to disagree with a cheat day or even the occasional planned time to overeat BUT things do happen. I think when you make a mistake you recognize it, refocus on your intended goal of losing weight and get straight back to your previous diet and calorie level. No one is perfect but thus far I am doing fairly well at 53 lbs. in 6 weeks.
  • Sawjer
    Sawjer Posts: 229 Member
    I feel cheat meals (not days) are perfectly fine! I work on a 90-10 ratio. Every 9 meals I can have 1 bad one if I choose, 90% off the time you are eating clean this way :) I also feel it helps spike your metabolism and makes your body think!

    I honestly feel having 1 cheat meal a week actually helps weight loss.
  • berriboobear
    berriboobear Posts: 524 Member
    I feel so guilty for having cheat days! I feel like they just rock my entire week off-kilter =(
    I've only started my journey, so that's one of the things I'm just getting used to.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    I feel so bad. Today I went to lunch with my fanily and ate a bunch of pizza and pasta and just crap. I am sure I have eaten way over 1200. Is it ok to have a cheat day? I feel like it is gonna ruin everything. I tried to track what I ate but I ate buffet and it said if I ate everyday like today I'd gain a lot of weight back. Is this going to ruin my diet????

    nope, not going to ruin anything. just don't do it every day and dont feel bad about it, its not a big deal. infact it can be quite satisfying.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    One day isn't going to kill you. It's your lifestyle habits and your choices over time that make or break you. I don't ever have cheat days because I don't seem to need them. Are you sure you're eating enough? You may be set to too dramatic a weight loss, which might be restricting your calories too much. (Not everybody should be set to 2 pounds loss a week. Slow and steady is generally more sustainable.) Maybe you need to bump up the cals a bit. :flowerforyou:
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    I WOULDNT RECOMMEND IT
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    DO U WANT TO LOSE OR GAIN??????
    ONE DAY OF NOT RECORDING CALORIES AND NOT EXERCISING
    CAN MAKE U GAIN EASILY
  • mmenuey27
    mmenuey27 Posts: 51 Member
    there were plenty of days in college that i didn't study. i still graduated.
    I agree with this. Just go back to your 1200 a day, or what you were eating. I have to do this, and I don't particularly care if I go over my calories once a week (as long as it isn't really over). I looked at the average over a week. I do bouce around a lot though such as going 1200 one day to 1500 the next. Its never the same but always between 1200-1500. I wouldn't go without eating though. That could cause headaches, and make you uncomfortable all day :(
    Stick with your plan after a day like that. I have lost 15 pounds so far doing what I am doing, and I haven't added consistent cardio or strength training yet, but it does help me that I am at 277 now. I burn more than others smaller than me. :)
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    DO U WANT TO LOSE OR GAIN??????
    ONE DAY OF NOT RECORDING CALORIES AND NOT EXERCISING
    CAN MAKE U GAIN EASILY

    NO IT CANT.........oops sorry cap lock.

    Again...I have lost 98 pounds having so called "cheat days"......it's all about what you do after a day of eating what you want.
    I for one will not live the rest of my life on a strict diet.....maybe some want to and that is fine.

    I will however exercise and try to eat well most of the time. I will not give up going out with friends once in awhile...sometimes
    getting a little wild and crazy........

    Life is about balance.......depends what you want in your balance.
  • RipperSB
    RipperSB Posts: 315 Member
    It's only cheating if you don't log it.
  • PezAzul
    PezAzul Posts: 42
    This is very interesting to me. I have dieted before and always fell of the wagon because I felt like I royally screwed up by indulging in a "cheat" meal and then felt such regret and just eventually gave up. That is (was) my big fear this go-around. I think I may loosen up and try a treat meal once every week or so. Hopefully this will help me to feel less deprived and keep me from giving up.
  • popsicklestar
    popsicklestar Posts: 166 Member
    It depends what you consider a cheat day and how often you have them. If you have your calories set to a high deficit and you go over a little, you could still be at a deficit. If you eat at your maintenance calories, you won't gain, but you won't lose. You have to be consistently eating at a deficit to lose weight, so if you cancel out your deficit by eating too many extra calories, you won't lose weight. The smaller your calorie deficit is, the longer it will take you to lose weight.
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
    I don't believe in "cheat" days - I believe in life and not feeling guilty for having days where I go over calories because of an event. Sure, I try to stay within my calories. But, if I'm invited to a barbecue or a wedding or I'm sitting down to Thanksgiving, I eat what I want. If I have 3 events in one week, I eat what I want at all three, because there are plenty of weeks with no special events. For me, this is a life plan, not a short term fix. How I eat has to work with my life because otherwise, I won't be successful. I say you had a perfect eating day!
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    I don't believe in "cheat" days - I believe in life and not feeling guilty for having days where I go over calories because of an event. Sure, I try to stay within my calories. But, if I'm invited to a barbecue or a wedding or I'm sitting down to Thanksgiving, I eat what I want. If I have 3 events in one week, I eat what I want at all three, because there are plenty of weeks with no special events. For me, this is a life plan, not a short term fix. How I eat has to work with my life because otherwise, I won't be successful. I say you had a perfect eating day!

    Well said.......
  • greeneyedlady02
    greeneyedlady02 Posts: 15 Member
    I think it's okay to indulge. It sounds like you didn't enjoy it very much. Sometimes I make a note of how I feel to remind myself not to overindulge the next time. Eat a lot of green veggies, high fiber foods, and a lot of water the next day to help push things through. Get your exercise. You'll be fine.

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