Cheat days

scode83
scode83 Posts: 42
in Health and Weight Loss
I asked this in another thread but I think my question will get lost in there.

I've been doing purely fat loss and had a cheat day every Saturday. Although this was more of a cheat night and with some element of control (i.e. I'd only get in some things to satisfy a few cravings at a time but with moderate portions...a muffin, a small tub of ice cream).

Now I'm doing 'bulking' on weight training days and fat loss on non-weight training days. Can I still get away with my Saturday 'cheat night'? Should I perhaps have it on a weight training day instead? (Saturday is my rest day)

Personally I think it's nice to have one day a week where you can switch off and break the rules a little. It's good for the mind that you've got this to look forward to, as long as you don't obsess over it and on that day you don't binge. When I buy anything that I consider cheat food I only buy the small packs/things that come in small servings rather than industrial size. This Saturday night I'm going out with friends to an Indian restaurant so my plan is to stick to my diet as I normally would until the time of the meal. So more of a cheat meal I guess.

If you have cheat days, do you have any rules that you impose on yourself?
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Replies

  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    Yeah, I have a free day every other week... still log everything though. Usually adds up to 4,000-5,000 calories ish.

    Gotta be done! :drinker:
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    I am so confused as to what you mean by "bulking" on some days, and "fat loss" on other days....

    I am not a fan of "cheat days" in general... I don't see the point. What exactly are you cheating? Yourself?

    BUT IF you simply mean that you are eating at a small surplus on some days, then eating at a small deficit on other days... you would need to figure out what your total deficit is (if you have one) for the week... and decide if you have enough room for your "cheating". If not, I guess you could always make your deficit bigger so you can "get away" with "cheating"...
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    I CHEAT ALL WEEKEND LONG, and do not gain a pound.
  • scode83
    scode83 Posts: 42
    I am so confused as to what you mean by "bulking" on some days, and "fat loss" on other days....

    I am not a fan of "cheat days" in general... I don't see the point. What exactly are you cheating? Yourself?

    BUT IF you simply mean that you are eating at a small surplus on some days, then eating at a small deficit on other days... you would need to figure out what your total deficit is (if you have one) for the week... and decide if you have enough room for your "cheating". If not, I guess you could always make your deficit bigger so you can "get away" with "cheating"...

    Bulking = 2300-2400 calories

    Fat loss = 1900-2000 calories
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Now I'm doing 'bulking' on weight training days and fat loss on non-weight training days. Can I still get away with my Saturday 'cheat night'? Should I perhaps have it on a weight training day instead? (Saturday is my rest day)

    That "small tub" of ice cream is going to be about 1200 calories - I'd put it where ever it fits best.
  • scode83
    scode83 Posts: 42
    Now I'm doing 'bulking' on weight training days and fat loss on non-weight training days. Can I still get away with my Saturday 'cheat night'? Should I perhaps have it on a weight training day instead? (Saturday is my rest day)

    That "small tub" of ice cream is going to be about 1200 calories - I'd put it where ever it fits best.
    About 190 calories actually for a 150ml tub.

    http://www.wheyhey.co.uk/images/NutritionalFacts.html
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    I don't think you fully understand the concept of bulking and cutting if you think you can do one or the other depending on your training that day. There is not a 24 hour switch on your body to tell it to do certain things on certain days. It takes weeks of consistency to get your body in either a bulk or cut mode, not hours or days.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member

    Now I'm doing 'bulking' on weight training days and fat loss on non-weight training days. Can I still get away with my Saturday 'cheat night'? Should I perhaps have it on a weight training day instead? (Saturday is my rest day)
    .....
    If you have cheat days, do you have any rules that you impose on yourself?

    What is your goal that your working towards? You can't really bulk and do fat loss at the same time.. your probably just maintaining after all that.. but then you add a cheat day and you might be at TDEE or pretty close (or over if your gaining weight).. It really depends on your goals and what your trying to do will tell you if you do cheat days..
  • scode83
    scode83 Posts: 42
    I don't think you fully understand the concept of bulking and cutting if you think you can do one or the other depending on your training that day. There is not a 24 hour switch on your body to tell it to do certain things on certain days. It takes weeks of consistency to get your body in either a bulk or cut mode, not hours or days.
    They're just terms to describe how I eat on those days, nothing more, nothing less. I just want to see how I progress, I'm under no impression as to what will definitely happen. Eating more is a relatively new practice for me as I'd been down to 1600 calories a day for so long.
  • gknopp87
    gknopp87 Posts: 18 Member
    Some days can be over target and some days under, but the concept of a "cheat day" implies that a permanent lifestyle change isn't being made.
  • scode83
    scode83 Posts: 42

    Now I'm doing 'bulking' on weight training days and fat loss on non-weight training days. Can I still get away with my Saturday 'cheat night'? Should I perhaps have it on a weight training day instead? (Saturday is my rest day)
    .....
    If you have cheat days, do you have any rules that you impose on yourself?

    What is your goal that your working towards? You can't really bulk and do fat loss at the same time.. your probably just maintaining after all that.. but then you add a cheat day and you might be at TDEE or pretty close (or over if your gaining weight).. It really depends on your goals and what your trying to do will tell you if you do cheat days..
    My primary goal has been fat loss as I want to get down to about 10% BF. According to my scales I was at 14%, according to those pictures of different BF% 'gut' sizes I think more about 18% tbh. Been advised my current weight (135lbs, height of 5 ft 5) is fine and I need to do a 'body recomposition'. I'll be honest, I'm good at weight loss, defining that weight is a new area for me though. I'm trying things out and seeing what works.
  • scode83
    scode83 Posts: 42
    If anyone is able to advise me on diet btw, I'm all ears. I'm just experimenting at this point. I don't want to become big, I just want to lose fat and be reasonably well 'defined'. Ever since someone advised on 'body re-composition' I've been confused as to how to go about achieving this.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    If your primary goal is to hit 10% than we all know (as well as you) that its going to be some hard deficits to hit so I am not sure why you would randomly throw in some surplus days. Are you hitting a wall with the loss and trying to do a form a re-feeding with the surplus?

    We all know the importance of experimentation as everyone's body reacts differently and to be honest 10% is my goal as well. I have just never heard any success stories of someone toggling a surplus like that to get there. I know I have been successful with a re-feeding weekend every few months when I hit a weight loss wall but I'd think doing what your doing is just going to end up with you at just a maintenance level and with a cheat day put you slightly over. What does your net intake for the past couple weeks look like? Over, under, at maintenance?

    And don't take my post the wrong way, I know I come off as a **** sometimes but I just don't want to see anyone spinning their wheels.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    If you aren't trying to lose weight, but body fat... eat at a slight surplus (find your TDEE at moderately active... use that and forget adding exercise calories). Get your protein and fats in. Lift heavy.

    ETA: that's body recomp. You may or may not be able to get down to 10% body fat. But I'd recommend you do it for a good 2-3 months... see how you like the results. If you want to try bulk/cut cycles (preferably after those months)... you can.... you just can't do both in the same week. lol
  • scode83
    scode83 Posts: 42
    ElliottTN - I say 10%, that's just some magical number I've got stuck in my head. I should say whatever percentage is low enough so that I'm properly lean. And I guess by that I mean so that I can see my abs.

    Alas I never record on Saturdays but for a while now I'd been setting my calorie limit at 1600 a day and not even hitting that.


    MzManiak - What would moderately active be? I use this http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ based on six days of exercise a week that I currently do. According to this fat loss is 1933 calories, maintenance is 2274 calories and bulking is 2388 calories. I lift heavy (heavy for me) three times a week and do cardio on three days (cycling, long walks, HIIT).

    What exactly does body recomp entail? Because I don't quite understand.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    https://www.google.com/#q=body+recomposition&safe=off
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    About 190 calories actually for a 150ml tub.

    http://www.wheyhey.co.uk/images/NutritionalFacts.html

    Ah, my apologies, didn't realize you were UK, where it's easier to get normal serving sizes! :)
  • fattymcbuttrpants
    fattymcbuttrpants Posts: 42 Member
    Cheat meals are really important especially if you are lifting. However, I do not do an entire cheat DAY, rather a cheat meal that is early in the day and very well planned out. Feel free to add me if you have any questions :)

    http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-carb-cycling
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    ElliottTN - I say 10%, that's just some magical number I've got stuck in my head. I should say whatever percentage is low enough so that I'm properly lean. And I guess by that I mean so that I can see my abs.

    Alas I never record on Saturdays but for a while now I'd been setting my calorie limit at 1600 a day and not even hitting that.

    That's a sad cheat day.
    MzManiak - What would moderately active be? I use this http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ based on six days of exercise a week that I currently do. According to this fat loss is 1933 calories, maintenance is 2274 calories and bulking is 2388 calories. I lift heavy (heavy for me) three times a week and do cardio on three days (cycling, long walks, HIIT).

    I'm not sure about that calculator... but moderately active is usually 3-5hrs of moderate exercise/week. Long walks and light cycling wouldn't count, imo. But the 3 days lifting + HIIT probably put you there.
    What exactly does body recomp entail? Because I don't quite understand.

    Basically it's gaining muscle/losing fat... getting leaner without losing weight. You need to be at maintenance calories, or above, to gain muscle. You need to be hitting the weights if you want to lose body fat while at maintenance, or above. Have you looked into a lifting program? Stronglifts 5x5?

    *Anyone is free to correct me if I give questionable advice! I am, admittedly, no expert and am still learning myself. :wink:

    I always recommend hanging out here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    There's a load of good information.
  • crackur
    crackur Posts: 473 Member
    Look at Calories as weekly and not daily.

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