Cheat Days

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Replies

  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    No. I do not have cheat days. I eat what I want, I work out, I've lost 44 lbs so far. If I go over, it's cool. If I'm under by a little, it's cool too. It's about moderation not deprivation. There is no bad food only bad eating habits/patterns. Today for lunch, I had...THE GRILLED CHEESE...4-cheese blend, Lucky Leaf baby arugula & secret sauce Served on Toasted House-made Focaccia Bread. Do I know how many calories? No. Can I bet it's probably around 750-1000, yes. Do I care? No. It's food. It's good.
  • chad23jl
    chad23jl Posts: 54 Member
    I have a cheat day once a week. I still keep it sensible but I go over on what my calorie intake should be and I have continue to lose. However, I do not consume a lot of empty calories which is consumed in wine and beer. Especially if that one day is in severe excess. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish fitness wise. One night of pure fall down drunkness can negate 3-4 days of strength training. So, my advice is have a cheat day but be smart about how you choose the extra calories you consume.
  • kyleekay10
    kyleekay10 Posts: 1,812 Member
    Is it good to have one day a week where you "cheat". You still log your daily intake- but you may go over it a little... (or a lot!!).

    Does that work for anyone?

    Please let me know :ohwell:

    I don't call them "cheat days" but I tend to go over on calories on Friday/Saturday each week. I call that Life. I'm young and social, and enjoy going out on the weekends. That's my lifestyle, and I have to make it work. If I tried to tell myself "no" to those days, I would end up resenting the process of getting fit.

    Work hard and enjoy yourself when needed- the rest will fall into place.
    One night of pure fall down drunkness can negate 3-4 days of strength training.

    How so? :huh:
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    When I started this diet two months ago, I mentally figured cheat meals (carb refeed) or days in. I was thinking once a month at first and then maybe going bi weekly or weekly for carbs I haven't had one yet. on sundays my hubby and I drive somewhere go for a walk/hike and then get dinner. I thought that might be a good day for a carb refeed day.. but I still can't bring myself to do it. I have days where I am 100 - 200 and even sometimes 300 calories over goal. There are some days where it's under. that's just life. as long as I am still under the point where I'd be gaining all is well. I am going to have wine night, (regularly,) I am not cutting all chocolate out of my diet (actually keeping chocolate in may be what allows me to not really want a carb refeed night)

    So while I see the value of a cheat night/refeed night.. in reality I haven't wanted one yet and it's been two months and I figure I have to REALLY want it to do it. I am not going to do it just because I decided to allow myself to do it.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    I'm a fan of maintenance-calorie days, but they're not as easy to make up for as they used to be. In the beginning, I could go 1000 calories over one day, get those calories back throughout the week and still post a good loss on weigh-in day. I tend to go overboard on my higher-calorie days lately and have a much harder time getting those calories back, so I don't get those nice weigh-ins like I used to. I need to reign myself in a little bit, but I do accredit my continued success to my "days off." Seven months in and still losing? That wouldn't be happening if I never got to take a break.
  • LumpySpacePrincess1
    LumpySpacePrincess1 Posts: 388 Member
    The way to avoid cheat days and stay in your calorie limit is to eat what you want all the time.
    I do. As long as it doesn't go over, you'll lose weight and your cravings will be nonexistent.
  • goodnamegone
    goodnamegone Posts: 237
    Some days you need to eat more. I also know that sometimes I have the opposite by logging something as more than it really is. Also I think of it as an entire week than a day. If you really need to eat more then just do that because your body is asking for that. Other days I am under the calorie intake. Most days I had been actually. If you are constantly on your goal to eat healthy, be at or under the calorie intake then what is the problem?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Naw I am not at that stage of my marriage....

    But seriously if you call it "cheating" to eat something it makes it sound bad and dirty...it's not...

    This weekend I knew it was going to be a blow out as far as staying in a deficet so I said maintenance and I did it mostly but the week itself was not as good as some but I am okay with that..
  • bethannien
    bethannien Posts: 556 Member
    For me, having a day where I go over my calories by 200-300 every week (or less frequently) hasn't hurt me. But doing an all out 1000 cals over day would just undo too much of my deficit if I did it weekly. I'm planning on letting myself go crazy for my bday at the end of the month and then not again until Christmas. I have so much to lose and while I'm perfectly happy to take my time with it, I don't need to make it even more difficult than it already is.
  • jaimie120
    jaimie120 Posts: 39 Member
    I choose not to have cheat days. I eat as clean as possible but if there is something I really want or an occasion I practice good portion control and then carry on clean the rest of the time. If I happen to have too much of something, I make myself double up on the workout.
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
    Is it good to have one day a week where you "cheat". You still log your daily intake- but you may go over it a little... (or a lot!!).

    Does that work for anyone?

    Please let me know :ohwell:

    Simple answer from me is "no."

    The terms "cheating" and "cheat days" imply that you're usually good, but you're going to be bad, which, with food, I think is an unhealthy mindset. It enforces that you should attach guilt to eating and food. I.e.: I'm good if I eat "x" number of calories, and I'm bad if I eat more than that. Food is fuel and even us overweight people are entitled to eat for fuel. Food is also social; we eat with friends and family, which nurtures relationships. Eating is enjoyable; we're allowed to enjoy EVERY meal, even on a diet...actually, ESPECIALLY while dieting. Treat yourself well, so you don't feel deprived, or like you're being punished! I eat everything I want these days, but in smaller portions. So, for example, if I want cake, I eat cake and make it fit into my budget. Now, I used to have a hunk of cake and I now eat 3-4 bites or less than half of a piece and don't use it to replace a meal.

    Additionally, I found that my weight loss was directly tied (go figure) to my actual caloric intake average. I could stay under 1300 calories 6 straight days, then eat 2600 calories on days seven, well, that means I averaged 1486 calories per day. That blows my deficit and slows/halts my weight loss.

    So, for me, the answer is "no" to cheat days/meals.
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
    The way to avoid cheat days and stay in your calorie limit is to eat what you want all the time.
    I do. As long as it doesn't go over, you'll lose weight and your cravings will be nonexistent.

    ^^Yes^^
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    It's not a cheat, it's a choice
  • lavaughan69
    lavaughan69 Posts: 459 Member
    I don't really ever plan a cheat moment, but I always save calories during the week so I there's room for rum or wine. If I want pizza and wings, then I'll eat it in moderation. Quite honestly, because my stomach has shrunk from eating moderately for so long I can't really eat and drink much before I'm full. I'm such a light weight when it comes to drinking now! two drinks and I'm flying high!
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
    I'm such a light weight when it comes to drinking now! two drinks and I'm flying high!

    ^^Me, too! Love it!...Haha!
  • JDHINAZ
    JDHINAZ Posts: 641 Member
    No. I do not have cheat days. I eat what I want, I work out, I've lost 44 lbs so far. If I go over, it's cool. If I'm under by a little, it's cool too. It's about moderation not deprivation. There is no bad food only bad eating habits/patterns. Today for lunch, I had...THE GRILLED CHEESE...4-cheese blend, Lucky Leaf baby arugula & secret sauce Served on Toasted House-made Focaccia Bread. Do I know how many calories? No. Can I bet it's probably around 750-1000, yes. Do I care? No. It's food. It's good.

    ^^^ Yep.

    Now I want a THE GRILLED CHEESE...
  • sassabella
    sassabella Posts: 98
    I don't really tend to have a "cheat day". Sometimes I'll have a kind of treat lunch on Fridays or something like that but its not like its ever something overly greasy, high in fat or anything because I have no desire to have any of that and don't really see the point of putting in that in my body. I just think treating yourself to something every now and then is okay. Just don't go overboard with it.
  • NJames4000
    NJames4000 Posts: 4 Member
    I have one once a week and yes they work for me. They are planned -- every Saturday and they are very high calorie days -- around 8,000 (I log them). Before I eat anything on Saturday, I go to the gym and do nothing but strength training for 70 minutes. I then eat whatever I want but usually high fat, high protein foods to help the recovery of my muscles. On Friday and Sunday I eat just under my calorie goal and drink nothing but water. I also do intense cardio. For me personally, fasting post cheat day does not work as it slowed down my metabolism too much and my weight loss stalled. Doing this seems to have kick started my metabolism and I have managed a 9 lb. loss in just under two months which is my best weight loss in over a year.

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