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

Options
13

Replies

  • oldandhealthier
    oldandhealthier Posts: 449 Member
    Options
    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
    Options

    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options

    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    .
  • sati18
    sati18 Posts: 153 Member
    Options
    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
    Options
    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: 4,306 Member
    Options
    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
    Options


    ...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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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.

Categories