Cheat day- Does it work for you?

brandil74
brandil74 Posts: 9 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I know a lot of people that "diet" give themselves 1 "cheat day" a week to eat what ever they want. However i have found that allowing my self a cheat day is basically like giving myself carte blanche to stuff my face (if i could make a cartoon of me on cheat day i would look like cookie monster!) and I have a hard time reeling myself back in. So i have decided that my cheats will be limited to actual events, parties , holidays that type of thing.
Do you have a cheat day? and how do you handle it?
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Replies

  • MellieCc
    MellieCc Posts: 26 Member
    Personally I do not have a problem with my cheat with is generally Sundays.
    I will allow myself to eat something and indulge a little always keeping in mind the calories and fat contents.
    It is not a carte blanche stuff my face day for me... I also do not workout on this day.
    I don't know why it is more difficult or easier for some people.
    Just like I quit smoking 4 months ago and it super easy so I wonder why it is more difficult for some and easier for others.
  • sealevels
    sealevels Posts: 123
    Meal, not day. Not for me, at least.

    I also don't call it a cheat. It's a maintenance meal for me. I usually am really flexible with it... Got invited to a girls night on Friday? Cool, done. Want Chinese on a Sunday after a long bike ride? Done.

    It works for me and keeps me sane. Most of the week I eat very well with a few treats thrown in. I have ice cream almost every night. ;)
  • debbash68
    debbash68 Posts: 981 Member
    I've been allowing myself this too and I'm a Cookie Monster too, it isn't really helping me as weight loss slowed down a lot, so I need to reevaluate!
  • MLR930
    MLR930 Posts: 95 Member
    I can't do it, cheat days lead to cheat weeks...
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,000 Member
    Honestly, I find the concept as ridiculous as the word diet....meaning that the definition of diet should be something other than the type of foods you eat in general (vegetarian, pescetarian, etc), as opposed to a short term, restricted calorie plan.

    Every day is a day to choose sensnibly what I want to eat, which will include some typically 'non nutritious'', but enjoyable food items. Somedays this will include sweets. Somedays this will include fried foods. Etc. But designating one day to stuff my face with everything under the sun seems ludicrous to me.
  • itsscottwilder
    itsscottwilder Posts: 317
    I don't have a planned cheat system. But I do fall off the wagon about once every two weeks.
  • deemariec
    deemariec Posts: 12
    A cheat day really throws me off and I find it so hard to get back on track the next day. Now I just have a cheat day if, for example, a special occasion is coming up I'll work towards that as a day to have a few treats.
  • ehorn625
    ehorn625 Posts: 144
    I don't have a planned cheat system. But I do fall off the wagon about once every two weeks.

    This^^ and its hard too cause I really have to be careful that I don't go nuts!
  • sandifield
    sandifield Posts: 22 Member
    I have never done a cheat day... however if I feel like something special on any given day I have it, and chart it.. I am not sure If I would loose control or not.. might have to give it some thought... :flowerforyou:
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    I don't really schedule a cheat day/meal. I just make good choices 90% of the time so that when someone asks to go out for a meal or drinks I can join in and not feel bad about it.
  • peachy1717
    peachy1717 Posts: 44 Member
    I'd love to have a cheat day, but like others had said, I find it turns into cheat week! I might have one meal a week that's higher in fat and calories and then I get right back to the gym and healthy eating.
  • KAS0917
    KAS0917 Posts: 172 Member
    I usually have one meal a week that I don't worry too much about. I definitely am 'in the red' here on MFP, but I'm usually under for the week, so it's not really a 'cheat.' I usually do it Saturday for lunch, since my official weigh in time is Saturday morning. It would be the time I'd choose the pizza or cheeseburger and fries over something healthier. Less about the calories, and more about the type of food.

    That said, this week I was traveling for work and made too many bad decisions. Too much food, too many bad* foods like fried chicken and cookies, too much alcohol, not enough water, not enough exercise. I'm averaging more than my weekly calories. So Saturday isn't my cheat day, it's my 'get back in the game' day this week. It's all about finding the right balance for you.

    * Yes, I'm aware that many of you subscribe to the IIFYM plan, and will scoff at my 'bad' food comments. This is about more than weight loss for me. I have a family history of heart disease, heart attack, stroke and high cholesterol. So FOR ME, I choose not to eat those types of foods on a regular basis.
  • mariahk35
    mariahk35 Posts: 37
    I don't have cheat days but there are days where I am out with friends and I eat stuff I shouldn't but it's not very often. I don't log my meals those days but I do try control the portion sizes.. I realise I may go over some on those days but its still way better then the way I used to eat. Also when I am out with friends I really don't want to ruin a good time over thinking my food choices.
  • HeyGoRun
    HeyGoRun Posts: 550 Member
    I call mine a No log day
    I just eat without counting cals, by now i know whats ok and whats not
    I probably eat less than regular but higher carb food.
    It should be 1 cheat meal and move on
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Every Friday.

    4,000+ calories consumed in a single day.

    Over 71 lbs lost. 14 more to go.

    Works fine for me. :D
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    As long as my wife never finds out. #AmIrite
  • shaggydaddy
    shaggydaddy Posts: 40
    Having a "cheat day" is accepting that you are being realistic with your goals. No one got fat because they ate one "bad" meal a week. It was many, many bad meals over many, many years.

    I know plenty of thin people who eat high calorie meals. They just don"t do it often.
  • Nettabee
    Nettabee Posts: 296 Member
    I use to have a "cheat meal" but like others, it throughs me off. Then it becomes "cheat day", "cheat weekend", "cheat week", "starting over"....
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    newp if I want something I just include it in my normal day I don't need a cheat day
  • Adrianachiarato
    Adrianachiarato Posts: 362 Member
    One cheat day per week is too much. I only do cheat days when I reach plateau.
  • Adrianachiarato
    Adrianachiarato Posts: 362 Member
    Having a "cheat day" is accepting that you are being realistic with your goals. No one got fat because they ate one "bad" meal a week. It was many, many bad meals over many, many years.

    I know plenty of thin people who eat high calorie meals. They just don"t do it often.

    Agreed 100%
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    I don't have a "cheat day" per se, but I also don't feel bad if I go over my calories for the day. There are days when I don't log anything, too, but still try to make conscious choices about what I eat (for example I will not be logging on my trip to Vegas this week).
    Every day is a cheat day for me, you could say.
  • rachaelgifford
    rachaelgifford Posts: 320 Member
    I try not to. I try to plan well to have what I want. I may occasionally have a 'sod it sunday' once every few months - but even on these I don't really go over my calories as I compensate with exercise!
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
    A "cheat day" would never work for me. Everything about it seems designed to make me fail. For one thing, occasionally eating something you don't eat every day is not "cheating". And if it is, your diet is too strict. There are no rules to break, just choices to make. So sometimes you make a choice to eat chocolate cake, or have a second slice of pizza- the very next time you go to put something in your mouth is an opportunity to make a different choice. You don't have to wait until the next day to make a different choice. Indulge and have the pizza, but then say no to the cake. And then wait a week or two before you indulge again. Or work out a little "extra" to make up for it. You have to find the balance of these things that you can live with, and for me, a cheat day would be a terrible idea. I just ate half a chocolate bar and it wasn't cheating and it won't ruin my progress or start an avalanche of terrible choices. That feels pretty damn good.
  • kathleennf
    kathleennf Posts: 606 Member
    Having a "cheat day" is accepting that you are being realistic with your goals. No one got fat because they ate one "bad" meal a week. It was many, many bad meals over many, many years.

    I know plenty of thin people who eat high calorie meals. They just don"t do it often.

    Agreed 100%

    Totally agree. I have a "cheat day" every Sunday though I don't consider it cheating. The rules are: I do log, I don't go more than 1000 calories over, and I don't (or I almost never) go over for the week total. I save calories for Sunday all week.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    One cheat day per week is too much. I only do cheat days when I reach plateau.

    If you are at a deficit of 500 per day and are set to lose 1lb per week, but you have one cheat day where you go 500 over maintenance per week is that really too much?
    7x300 = 3500 (7x300 = 3500) - 1000 = 2500 = you're still losing over half a pound per week, which is pretty good progress.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,706 Member
    Honestly, I find the concept as ridiculous as the word diet....meaning that the definition of diet should be something other than the type of foods you eat in general (vegetarian, pescetarian, etc), as opposed to a short term, restricted calorie plan.

    Every day is a day to choose sensnibly what I want to eat, which will include some typically 'non nutritious'', but enjoyable food items. Somedays this will include sweets. Somedays this will include fried foods. Etc. But designating one day to stuff my face with everything under the sun seems ludicrous to me.

    I also don't quite get why people would think all week of that one day or meal they can eat the stuff that got them in trouble in the first place. For me that is not a " life style change ". Of course I realize that this is easy to say for me, because I have lived all my life of healthful whole food ( just way too much of it ) and still eat exactly what I like ( yesterday chicken, a baked potato and 3 cups of cauliflower with cheese sauce for one of my meals . Today a mexican stuffed poblano pepper, pancita/menudo and rice for my main meal ) , things I will eat for the rest of my life ( in more reasonable portions ) and therefore don't need to cheat. The concept completely escapes me, because even if someone scarfs down 10 000 calories on empty calories, why would it be cheating....on whom ? or on what ?
  • endoftheside
    endoftheside Posts: 568 Member
    I prefer to "cheat" a little almost every day. I will eat pretty much anything if I really want it, but in a reasonable quantity. If I let go of food quality AND quantity at the same time, it just sets me up for cravings. I have been there and don't ever want to go back.
  • 123tryingtobefree
    123tryingtobefree Posts: 328
    yes
    in my cheat day I eat my chips once per week.
    even if I go over cals the scale is cool with me
  • blah2989
    blah2989 Posts: 338 Member
    I dont have a designated "cheat day." I eat whatever I want, with in reason. If I go over calories, I just exercise more to burn them off. Like yesterday. I had a protien style double double from in n out, 2 servings of 6 pieces of twizzlers, a few coke gummy candies, and shared two bags of popcorn. I also drank a 24oz bud light. I usually dont eat like this or drink my calories. But I also ONLY ate that, the whole day, and stayed under calories.

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