The infamous "cheat day"

sickscorpion12
sickscorpion12 Posts: 13
in Getting Started
The cheat day. The one day per week/two weeks/month/etc where there's no regard for a healthy lifestyle. It's all about pizza, beer, chocolate, and football....

I've heard and read contradicting information regarding the ol' cheat day. Some say it's beneficial. Some say it's detrimental. Some say it doesn't matter, because it implies you're on a diet. What are your thoughts?
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Replies

  • ThePlight
    ThePlight Posts: 3,593 Member
    I decided to not make it a cheat day. If I want something, gosh darn it, I will have it.
    I just have to make sure to put it into my calorie intake for the day, but I WILL have it. :)
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    The cheat day. The one day per week/two weeks/month/etc where there's no regard for a healthy lifestyle.

    That sure isn't *my* definition of a cheat day. Doing that once a week is a great way to undo a week's worth of deficits.
  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member
    I look forward to special occasions where I don't have to track what I have eaten. Those happen only on big family dinner days (Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter). It is just too much to have to try to track what I eat at those. I will also decide that I am going to let myself have a treat and track it. Those happen pretty often and usually don't screw up my calorie count too badly.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I don't plan them. The times that I have gone overboard I have usually been 200-500 calories over maintenance and I figure that is fine considering I am under more often than I am over like that.
  • sickscorpion12
    sickscorpion12 Posts: 13

    That sure isn't *my* definition of a cheat day. Doing that once a week is a great way to undo a week's worth of deficits.

    What's your definition of a cheat day?
    I look forward to special occasions where I don't have to track what I have eaten. Those happen only on big family dinner days (Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter). It is just too much to have to try to track what I eat at those. I will also decide that I am going to let myself have a treat and track it. Those happen pretty often and usually don't screw up my calorie count too badly.

    How often? Having a candy bar when you have a few extra calories to spare?

    I've heard that you need to let your body know, every now and then, that you're not always in deficit mode. Otherwise you may trigger starvation mode. But I figure if you trigger that starvation mode, you'd know it by maintaining or even gaining weight.
  • lil_lizt
    lil_lizt Posts: 275 Member
    I have a cheat day, where I allow myself to eat whatever I like for one meal, or a few drinks. I do workout harder that day and the following day. For me, it keeps me eating healthy the rest of the time as I have that day to look forward to where I can have my fav foods (like pizza! Lol). I know it doesn't work for everyone, but it does for me. I've read in some places that it can speed up weight loss but I forget why and I'm not sure if its true or not though. I've lost weight a few times before falling off the wagon off various reasons and always done the same and it works for me and keeps me on track. I rarely eat or drink to excess on that day though
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    It works for me.
  • colortheworld
    colortheworld Posts: 374 Member
    I have 'cheat days' on special events like family get togethers that don't happen too often. I've found that even though I consider it a cheat day, my eating habits have changed to the point I rarely go over maintenance.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member

    That sure isn't *my* definition of a cheat day. Doing that once a week is a great way to undo a week's worth of deficits.

    What's your definition of a cheat day?

    Eating at maintenance/TDEE without paying attention to my macros, and logging it.

    "Starvation mode" as you're using it doesn't exist.
  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member

    That sure isn't *my* definition of a cheat day. Doing that once a week is a great way to undo a week's worth of deficits.

    What's your definition of a cheat day?
    I look forward to special occasions where I don't have to track what I have eaten. Those happen only on big family dinner days (Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter). It is just too much to have to try to track what I eat at those. I will also decide that I am going to let myself have a treat and track it. Those happen pretty often and usually don't screw up my calorie count too badly.

    How often? Having a candy bar when you have a few extra calories to spare?

    I've heard that you need to let your body know, every now and then, that you're not always in deficit mode. Otherwise you may trigger starvation mode. But I figure if you trigger that starvation mode, you'd know it by maintaining or even gaining weight.

    Yeah like a candy bar or a bowl of ice cream. I don't think I am at risk of going into starvation mode (I keep a deficit but a pretty small one), but it does help me keep to my deficit the rest of the time.

    I also look at it as habits that I have to keep for the rest of my life and life without candy would just suck.
  • TheSlorax
    TheSlorax Posts: 2,401 Member
    I don't really need them. today AND yesterday I ate 600 calories worth of brownies for breakfast and managed to hit all my macros and come in under. boom.
  • Loasaur
    Loasaur Posts: 125
    I have a "cheat day" but it's not really a whole "day." I usually weigh-in every Monday, so I have my "cheat day" on Monday as well, so I have the rest of the week to "make-up" for my "cheat day." My "cheat day" is usually just something like, "Oh, hey, I'll have some extra potatoes at dinner today." or, maybe a soda instead of water, maybe a candy bar, maybe some beer. I don't go overboard and I don't consider these things I can't "have," but on Mondays, I have a little more than usual. :P I probably go over my deficit calories by 200-300 which I don't consider bad. It works for me so far.
  • MickeyCastello
    MickeyCastello Posts: 269
    I do a cheat day on Fridays only if I've lost any weight at all. I don't get real carried away though. I did this all the way through my journey and it must have worked, because I consistently lost a pound and a half a week.
  • sickscorpion12
    sickscorpion12 Posts: 13
    I do a cheat day on Fridays only if I've lost any weight at all. I don't get real carried away though. I did this all the way through my journey and it must have worked, because I consistently lost a pound and a half a week.

    Seems to be the common theme here I think. Thanks for summing that up. As long as you don't go overboard, a few hundred extra calories every now and then won't kill your efforts.
  • Rogsman
    Rogsman Posts: 106 Member
    I thought about doing them, but don't think it's a good strategy for me. Not controlling food intake is what got me here to begin with, I feel like I need a target.

    That said - I'll absolutely put the calorie calculators away on Thanksgiving and Christmas, eat whatever and however I want, not think twice about gaining 10 lbs those days. Then the next day the kitchen scale is back out and counting resumed.

    So no routine "cheat" for me, but enjoy the holidays.
  • cppeace
    cppeace Posts: 764 Member
    When I was in the "I've lost 65lbs " zone a year and a half ago I got their allowing myself to go waaaaayyyyyyyy over calories one day a month. I logged them best I could but never worried about it. I lost just fine doiing so.
    Kimmie
  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member
    you may trigger starvation mode....

    You can't trigger a myth into reality. lol
  • ladyzerlina
    ladyzerlina Posts: 24
    I do a cheat day every three months, but I do track it. I tell myself that if there's anything I want I have to walk to it to buy it, so that usually balances it out a little bit. Last time I had to walk for 3 hours to get to cinnabon and pizzaiolo lol, so I ended up only going to maintenance.
  • HaileyMarieOlson
    HaileyMarieOlson Posts: 6 Member
    I used to have my cheat days the same days as weigh-in ... I like doing my weigh-ins on Thursday, because for me it really breaks the week up. Like, weigh-in Thursday, weekend right after where I get to relax a bit, and then only four weekdays before I weigh-in again. It always really kept me on track, because by Monday I'm like, "Crap! Better work hard, weigh-in's only 3 days away!" Anyway, it meant my weekends I could be a bit more relaxed and I never saw it effect my weigh-in on Thursdays.
  • sickscorpion12
    sickscorpion12 Posts: 13
    you may trigger starvation mode....

    You can't trigger a myth into reality. lol

    Well, you can start rumors and trigger a myth into reality, I guess.

    But seriously, I have no idea what you're talking about. Unless of course you're talking about Chupacabra.
  • sickscorpion12
    sickscorpion12 Posts: 13
    I used to have my cheat days the same days as weigh-in ... I like doing my weigh-ins on Thursday, because for me it really breaks the week up. Like, weigh-in Thursday, weekend right after where I get to relax a bit, and then only four weekdays before I weigh-in again. It always really kept me on track, because by Monday I'm like, "Crap! Better work hard, weigh-in's only 3 days away!" Anyway, it meant my weekends I could be a bit more relaxed and I never saw it effect my weigh-in on Thursdays.

    Oh okay I see, front loading your calories around the time you weigh in. Because the next time you weigh, you've had a week to compensate. I like that.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    I don't plan them either. If I party like I did last night, it's going to be a free for all with food. Even then I manage to stay around +500 calories. I don't party much so I have no regrets. I did workout hungover, tho. I almost never miss a workout.
  • GymTennis
    GymTennis Posts: 133 Member
    I cheat every day basically.. Even though i try to eat healthy as much as i can, I need 3000 calories just to maintain my weight and it's almost impossible for me to eat healthy all the way.. Since i do intermittent fasting most of the time (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating window) i just can't eat clean cause it's just so much food that i feel sick... That's why i throw in some "sin" food and drinks every day to hit my numbers.. Works perfect for me
  • angelzprophecy
    angelzprophecy Posts: 130
    i say, as long as you dont gorge yourself to the point where it hurts on your cheat day or in other words, eat a lot of junk food trying to cram it all into that one day then it shouldnt be detrimental both physically and mentally. A cheat day should be like any other day diet wise - eat until your full and dont eat again for another 5 hours (or until whenever youre hungry), not a eat constantly and non stop eat all these cookies and pizza and donuts
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    In almost 700 days I've never once had a cheat day. What would be the point in cheating myself & going back to the way I was?


    BTW I do 4:3 and eat nothing for 0 calories 3 days a week each fast lasting 40 hours..... starvation mode is a myth.....I'd be way into it now with being 6000+ calories a week in deficit...add more cause I burn off about double
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
    I cheat every day basically.. Even though i try to eat healthy as much as i can, I need 3000 calories just to maintain my weight and it's almost impossible for me to eat healthy all the way.. Since i do intermittent fasting most of the time (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating window) i just can't eat clean cause it's just so much food that i feel sick... That's why i throw in some "sin" food and drinks every day to hit my numbers.. Works perfect for me
    How about increasing your eating window....
  • angelzprophecy
    angelzprophecy Posts: 130
    In almost 700 days I've never once had a cheat day. What would be the point in cheating myself & going back to the way I was?


    BTW I do 4:3 and eat nothing for 0 calories 3 days a week each fast lasting 40 hours..... starvation mode is a myth.....I'd be way into it now with being 6000+ calories a week in deficit...add more cause I burn off about double

    it would take more than 1 day to go all the way back...
  • EvaW1977
    EvaW1977 Posts: 20 Member
    I don't think a whole day for "cheating" is a good idea. If a craving of something is strong, have a small portion of it. Enter it into the calorie count and adjust the days intake accordingly.
  • novakac
    novakac Posts: 22 Member
    If "cheat day" were a good thing, then I'd be feeling great right now. But I feel like crap. I "cheated" all day. I read somewhere that for a "cheat"... pick one. Either eat ONE unhealthy food.... OR eat too much of one healthy food. Not, do all of the above, all day.

    Scheduling cheat days is setting yourself up for failure.

    However, fail days are different. Days when things just don't go the way you plan. Days when friends give you food, or depression taunts you into indulging, or whatever your triggers are. Those... just move on. They happen. They happen to all of us. So your weight loss will take 2 week longer than originally planned.... big deal. So what. 2 weeks? Seriously? Who cares. I hit my goal weight on April 21 instead of April 7. Put things in perspective.

    But yeah, go under your calories some days (weekdays are easier), and over on others (weekends come to mind). But to just completely binge? Ridiculous.
  • drop_it_like_a_squat
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
    That sure isn't *my* definition of a cheat day. Doing that once a week is a great way to undo a week's worth of deficits.

    This.

    I have a deficit of 3.5k in 7 days, so if I had a "cheat day" let's say once a week, it would be super easy to go over by 3k calories if I wouldn't at all pay attention to what I eat/drink.

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