Cheat days, I hear they are good for your diet?

2

Replies

  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I think it is good an valuable advice I have received from all of you. I have not had a cheat day. What I mean by cheat day to me means going over my calorie goal. I am not unhappy with my results but feel a little stuck. Which is probably unrealistic having lost so much this first month. I still have quite a bit of weight to lose. But I hear so many people say how much a cheat day (maybe once a month) boosts their weight loss. So I wanted to get other peoples opinions on it before I tried it.

    Having a maintenance day or day in which you go a little over maintenance can often be helpful to gets your metabolism rolling again and keep your hunger at bay by raising your leptin levels. Try to avoid going completely off the rails though as you can blow an entire week's worth of work in a day or two.

    ^ This.

    I don't believe in cheat days. If you want to do a planned re-feed day to TDEE, that has been proven to be a good idea. I would not go way over or stop tracking though. I say track everything so you know what's going on.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member

    Having a maintenance day or day in which you go a little over maintenance can often be helpful to gets your metabolism rolling again and keep your hunger at bay by raising your leptin levels. Try to avoid going completely off the rails though as you can blow an entire week's worth of work in a day or two.

    There is nothing wrong in having a maintenance day etc but please don't do it under the guise of "getting your metabolism going" because contrary to what many people think on MFP, the metabolism will not stop during eating at a deficit and it does not need to "be forced to get going by eating food".

    People: if you want to eat over your daily calorie allotment, do so, but please, do not do it via excuses, just do it and continue as per normal the next day.

    Extra calories equals just that, extra calories, providing you are mindful of what you are doing and how to stay on track there is no worry, but trying to justify what you are doing is pointless, because it just leads to more excuses and then people start asking why they are not losing any weight and then others will tell them to "eat more" and the cycle goes on.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    No cheat days ever here. Not once in 515 days so far. Has not done anything to stop me losing & I sure don't crave anything. I still get a whole block of chocolate to eat in a day, or a whole large pizza to myself. Actually at the moment it's 7:30pm dinner is done & logged as well as all my snacks & I STILL have 1500 or more calories I can eat & STILL be in deficit by 500 or more. Who needs to cheat on themselves?
  • serekj
    serekj Posts: 52
    I stay away from cheat days...having said that I definitly do 'cheat' but I let my body choose when.If I have a craving that can b fullfilled with a healthy alternative, i go for it. But just in koderation. If im craving pizza, i have a slice of pizza (but not 5 slices like b4) i kno that for me I have been much more successful this time around because I am allowing my stuff to still have things I enjoy.
  • aliceclutz90
    aliceclutz90 Posts: 151 Member
    I find that a whole cheat day is not a good idea as you can potentially ruin your hard work not even realising how much extra you're taking in. One cheat meal works better I think :)

    My exclusions to this are holidays (I'm going for an all inclusive week in Greece next week - uh-oh), birthday, Christmas and Easter lol. Well that's what I plan anyway but I do lose control at other non planned times!
  • pluckabee
    pluckabee Posts: 346 Member
    I think a lot of people here employ cheat days because their daily calorie intake is set pretty low (I think many many people here have chosen to lose 2lbs a week) to create quite a large caloric deficit, so a cheat day doesn't really hinder progress.

    If you are consistently eating at a moderate deficit everyday a cheat day probably isn't going to do you any good.
  • cingle87
    cingle87 Posts: 717 Member
    I dont use the word cheat, I look at is more of a treat. For me I dont plan on having treats, if my body wants one my body will get one, mainly have these treat meals after working nights just need a large hit of calories after the lack of sleep the night before. That being said the main reason ive avoided having many treats i try and get as many treats under my net calorie goals for the day. For example when I first started off everything was banned sweets, chocolate, beer, ice cream etc. What I realised after a few weeks its ok to have a bit of them as long as its fit into your goals. So ive managed to fit a nice bottle of cider or beer into my meals recently because the weathers so nice in England for once. This has helped me aviod having the daily cravings for "junk" food.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    Lots of broscience happening here. And lots of good advice. Try it and see what works for YOU. Track the results, how you feel and what happens to your brain housing group during and after a cheat day. Then tell everyone who thinks you are stupid to bugger off.

    I have tried all the approaches and found the one that works for me and is sustainable. 70 lbs lost and now successfully maintaining is all the data I need to support my approach. I've been doing this long enough that I no longer consider it cheating. Eating any other way is cheating.
  • Via88
    Via88 Posts: 46
    I think that cheat days can be dangerous if you don't do them correctly. I used to have a cheat day when I would go crazy and eat wayyy over my budget. I think a cheat day is okay as long as you don't go ridiculously over your allotted calories.
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
    I don't like to call it a cheat day. There are times in life that you will go over your suggested calorie intake...that's life and I don't consider it cheating. Especially because I try not to go way overboard and I still log everything I eat. How about we call it an indulgence day? And try to keep it down to 2 times a month, maybe?
  • oldandhealthier
    oldandhealthier Posts: 449 Member
    I just can not bring myself to have a cheat day. I see the logic of it but it just does not work for me. Others it will. I have only gone over twice in the last 6 months and then I felt guilty. Maybe I am too fixated but I just want to reach my goal. The answer to your op is whatever works for you.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member

    Having a maintenance day or day in which you go a little over maintenance can often be helpful to gets your metabolism rolling again and keep your hunger at bay by raising your leptin levels. Try to avoid going completely off the rails though as you can blow an entire week's worth of work in a day or two.

    There is nothing wrong in having a maintenance day etc but please don't do it under the guise of "getting your metabolism going" because contrary to what many people think on MFP, the metabolism will not stop during eating at a deficit and it does not need to "be forced to get going by eating food".

    People: if you want to eat over your daily calorie allotment, do so, but please, do not do it via excuses, just do it and continue as per normal the next day.

    Extra calories equals just that, extra calories, providing you are mindful of what you are doing and how to stay on track there is no worry, but trying to justify what you are doing is pointless, because it just leads to more excuses and then people start asking why they are not losing any weight and then others will tell them to "eat more" and the cycle goes on.

    Sorry, you're wrong here and belittling people who are doing this systematically. Planned re-feed days, cheat meal or whatever people call it, can be a good idea if a person is to sustain a caloric deficit for a long period of time and they have less body fat to begin with. Not everyone trying to lose weight has a lot of fat on their bodies. The cheat meal (I wouldn't say a whole day is a great idea) restores leptin levels in the body:

    An exerpt from Layne Norton's "The Ultimate Cutting Diet" found here:
    http://www.simplyshredded.com/layne-norton-the-most-effective-cutting-diet.html

    "One should also incorporate re-feeds into their diet plan. Re-feeds help boost a hormone called leptin, which is the mother of all fat burning hormones. As one diets, leptin levels drop in an attempt by the body to spare body fat. Periodic, proper re-feeding can raise leptin levels and help one continue to burn fat an optimum rate. A person who is lean will need to re-feed more frequently than someone who has a higher body fat percentage. For those who are below 10%, it is probably a wise idea to incorporate re-feeds two times per week."
  • gwynspiration
    gwynspiration Posts: 4
    Recently I decided I'd weigh myself once a week so that I could cheat in the beginning. Unfortunately this has not worked, and I've spent the whole week undoing my hard work. Lol

    I would say cheat days are ok but don't plan them and don't use them as rewards.
  • A_Fit_Mom
    A_Fit_Mom Posts: 602 Member
    I don't have a specific cheat day. But I know on Sundays that I won't be logging the evening meal..since we always eat over at a family's home. I still have a smaller portion of things, but I won't deprive myself from eating something.


    And it has worked for me so far. I also will allow for special things like date nights with my husband or special events.
  • ahopefulloser
    ahopefulloser Posts: 33 Member
    They are good if you are very close to your goal or are at goal. For those who are obese or overweight, they are unnecessary because the body holds a lot of energy stores so it doesn't "worry" about running out. What I don't like about cheat days is that it assumes that you are not eating enough the other 6 days or not eating food you like. Eat enough tasty good food all the time and you shouldn't need a cheat day. Since becoming paleo/primal, my relationship with food has been based on fueling it like a machine to be able to reach lifting goals. I know that if I stuff my face with pizza and doughnuts for one day, my body will not like it at all and I won't reach those weekly goals. But that is just me. Other people who still feel the need for those types of food find one day a week to be able to eat them a psychological release.

    Well said!
  • salleymo
    salleymo Posts: 50 Member
    I cheat once every 3 weeks where I stuff my face with all the sweets I want(donuts, ice cream, cheesecake, etc etc) and I follow it with a day of no eating at all. On my cheat day, I probably hit about 10k cals. I'm fairly lean and at a carb deficit every day so my cheat day kick starts my metabolism and leptin levels. If you're not eating at a deficit, there really isn't too much need for a cheat day unless you need it to keep mentally sane.

    Pardon my ignorance, but what does 'eating at a deficit' mean?
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I cheat once every 3 weeks where I stuff my face with all the sweets I want(donuts, ice cream, cheesecake, etc etc) and I follow it with a day of no eating at all. On my cheat day, I probably hit about 10k cals. I'm fairly lean and at a carb deficit every day so my cheat day kick starts my metabolism and leptin levels. If you're not eating at a deficit, there really isn't too much need for a cheat day unless you need it to keep mentally sane.

    Pardon my ignorance, but what does 'eating at a deficit' mean?

    Eating less than you burn i.e. to lose weight.
  • caviggia
    caviggia Posts: 63 Member

    Having a maintenance day or day in which you go a little over maintenance can often be helpful to gets your metabolism rolling again and keep your hunger at bay by raising your leptin levels. Try to avoid going completely off the rails though as you can blow an entire week's worth of work in a day or two.

    There is nothing wrong in having a maintenance day etc but please don't do it under the guise of "getting your metabolism going" because contrary to what many people think on MFP, the metabolism will not stop during eating at a deficit and it does not need to "be forced to get going by eating food".

    People: if you want to eat over your daily calorie allotment, do so, but please, do not do it via excuses, just do it and continue as per normal the next day.

    Extra calories equals just that, extra calories, providing you are mindful of what you are doing and how to stay on track there is no worry, but trying to justify what you are doing is pointless, because it just leads to more excuses and then people start asking why they are not losing any weight and then others will tell them to "eat more" and the cycle goes on.

    Sorry, you're wrong here and belittling people who are doing this systematically. Planned re-feed days, cheat meal or whatever people call it, can be a good idea if a person is to sustain a caloric deficit for a long period of time and they have less body fat to begin with. Not everyone trying to lose weight has a lot of fat on their bodies. The cheat meal (I wouldn't say a whole day is a great idea) restores leptin levels in the body:

    An exerpt from Layne Norton's "The Ultimate Cutting Diet" found here:
    http://www.simplyshredded.com/layne-norton-the-most-effective-cutting-diet.html

    "One should also incorporate re-feeds into their diet plan. Re-feeds help boost a hormone called leptin, which is the mother of all fat burning hormones. As one diets, leptin levels drop in an attempt by the body to spare body fat. Periodic, proper re-feeding can raise leptin levels and help one continue to burn fat an optimum rate. A person who is lean will need to re-feed more frequently than someone who has a higher body fat percentage. For those who are below 10%, it is probably a wise idea to incorporate re-feeds two times per week."

    Completely 100% agree with mrsbigmack. Every nutritionists video and so forth that I have viewed also promotes re-feeds and how to prevent metabolic damage when eating at a deficit and dieting, it's not always "just keep lowering your daily calories."

    Just as an example and I know not everyone's the same but I took some advice from a nutritionists video on MFP. I am close to my goal weight. I was stuck and plateaued at 147 and eating between 1100-1200 deficit and would eat back whatever work out calories I burned (totally around 1500-1800 on typical days) and was stuck for 2-3 weeks. I then did a re-feed for 2 days in 1 week nstead of 1 day and dropped to 145.5 when I weighed myself 6 days after.

    Not everyone's body is the same but sometimes we mentally and metabolically need a break from eating at a deficit, HOWEVER, you must have strong will power to only do so every so often and be able to continue back to eating healthy and at your deficit, which can be hard for some people. It's all about what works for each person and how they make it through their journey.

    My favorite group on here is "eat more to lose weight"
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    I would never have a cheat day
    I would never have a day that I d ont log
    however if I w ant to eat chocolate or whatever then I do
    and exercise it off and stay under calories
  • jjhanlon
    jjhanlon Posts: 74 Member
    I do cheat days. If they are done correctly, and you are in control the rest of the week, they can bump up your metabolism a bit. If I have a day where I really feel I NEED to eat, or am just craving EVERYTHING, I do it, and then try to be good the rest of the week. I don't think they hurt anything, if done in moderation. I don't plan them, I just try to limit it to once per week, and if I hit over 2,000 cals, I don't cry about it. You just can't make it a daily thing!
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
    TO ME.......................
    1 - Cheat days = failure days - It takes burning 3,500 calories more than you consume to lose a pound, it is as simple as that

    TO ME
    2 - Eating back exercise calories = Eating back the fat you have worked your butt off burning the calories to lose through your exercise.

    I see it very simply.

    That is 68 lbs. lost in 97 days speaking.
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
    .
  • sati18
    sati18 Posts: 153 Member
    Cheat days don't boost weightloss imo, they just give you the chance to indulge a little so you don't feel deprived if you are eating a restrictive diet.
  • Sionii
    Sionii Posts: 24 Member
    I do let myself have a cheat day - because i see this as changing my life not a diet - so sometimes you have to have a treat, go out for a meal, and get a day off calorie counting. I've been calorie counting now for nearly 2 years - for the first couple of months i didn't let myself have a treat day - i found my self resenting the diet - so i stopped dieting for 4 month. Now since I’ve been letting myself have a cheat day I’ve stuck at it. The way i see it - it one day - it's not going to spoil your diet if you have a 3 course meal and wine! But that’s the way i see it!
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    TO ME.......................
    1 - Cheat days = failure days - It takes burning 3,500 calories more than you consume to lose a pound, it is as simple as that

    TO ME
    2 - Eating back exercise calories = Eating back the fat you have worked your butt off burning the calories to lose through your exercise.

    I see it very simply.

    That is 68 lbs. lost in 97 days speaking.

    This is very sexist..but I don't really take advice from men on the forum. Men lose so much easier than woman....truly apples and oranges when it comes to weight loss. Men with a lot of weight to lose....lose it crazy fast no matter the approach as long as they eat at a deficit...then they act like they've done something magic. they're just darned lucky!!!
  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member


    ...I just made me the best turkey burger with a lot of flavor that it felt like a cheat meal, but it was not. some food you can make at home is so damn good you feel like your cheating! you just have to find it.. like i will make some chicken red curry.. MMmmmMMM will taste good and totally be non-cheat but will feel like a cheat! :)

    Same here ~ most of my homemade foods are so damn good I feel like I'm cheating ~ yup, my chicken burger being one of 'em ;)

    Though actually I am thinking to over-indulge a bit today. After 5 months and some 25 lbs lost, I feel I'm coming on a stall and hope maybe I can rev up my metabolism by purposely going over today. It's an experiment for me, following some advice I've read on the board ~ fingers crossed it incites my scale to move down ;)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    If you keep your deficit small, then you can have a treat every day and an occasional splurge without "cheating." I log everything, and only on special occasions do I ever go over my TDEE.
  • yousef802
    yousef802 Posts: 1 Member
    how about if i eat chocolate every single day, but it stills fit my macros, so can i go for a cheat day? as long as i was fitting my macroos
  • harmonyyyxo
    harmonyyyxo Posts: 8 Member
    Yes cheat days are definitely good for your diet!! Well I wouldn't say cheat day, but more cheat meal and snacks (if the meal isn't too many cals). In fact ever since I started incorporating cheat meals on a Sunday evening (not Saturday as this can turn into a whole weekend haha!) my diet has become more sustainable and my weight loss has been consistent.

    But make sure to plan your cheat meals. Say you aim to lose 1lb per week and you are allowed to eat 1200cals a day in order to achieve this. If you want a cheat day of 1800-2000cals, make sure to exercise off 600-800cals during the week in order to acheive this.

    It's probably a good idea to also avoid carbs during the day, have a light breakfast, light snack, light lunch and then leave your cheat meal and snacks until the evening. Try not to let your cheat foods exceed 1600cals either. For example this weekend I am having 1/2 sainsbury's pizza, 1/2 garlic bread baguette with some veg totalling at 736cals, and then after for snacks a rolo cookie, a small toffee ice cream cone and a small multipack bag of kettle chips totalling at 541cals.
    So my cheat meal + snacks = under 1300cals.

    Oh and @yousef802 yeah you could do that with chocolate, I have under 150cals of dark chocolate every day (because it's healthier than milk) it fits within my macros and I still have a cheat day and I'm still losing weight. And that's when I can only lose 0.5lbs a week now as I weigh 110lbs and I'm only 5ft2.5inches. So yeah.

    Basically cheat day is a goo iea, just make it work and make sure it fits within your goals :)
  • ErinMcMom
    ErinMcMom Posts: 228 Member
    A cheat day for me is a day where I allow myself to eat back every calorie of my exercise for that day, and not a calorie more (usually I eat back 50% of my exercise cals). Tonight I indulged in pizza and took it right to the limit, but I never end my day in the red. Sometimes that means I throw in an extra little cardio session on a cheat day to give me the extra calorie allowance. Green numbers for the past 25 days.

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