Cheat day

Todayistheday13
Todayistheday13 Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone have a "cheat day"?
«1

Replies

  • donjessop
    donjessop Posts: 186
    In many respects, every day is a cheat day, I just plan the rest of the day around it. For example, my wife and I went out with the kids to the movies this afternoon (saw The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) and I ended up eating the majority of the nachos. It was planned, however, so I came in under the target for the overall day. I don't necessarily limit the food I am eating so much as limiting the portion size.

    The only thing I haven't touched is Salt and Vinegar Potato chips. I have a weakness for those and I don't want to test my resolve on limiting portion size yet.
  • jweindruch
    jweindruch Posts: 65 Member
    I considered this. I even did a few "tests" to see the difference from week to week. From this I found that cheat days set you back and can cause a considerable delay in reaching your goal. So, I would say it's ultimately up to you. Do you want to take the more scenic route or just get it done and then get to add a few more calories once you get to maintenance. There really is no right or wrong. Both approaches will yield the same result, but eliminating cheat days will get you to your goal quicker.
  • sadiecara
    sadiecara Posts: 59 Member
    I had an accidental 'cheat day' yesterday... I had a big family dinner and ate a bit too much, but still under my calorie goal for the day (just), but then when making the kids tea (Heinz tomato soup and toast) I decided to have a little bit.... Which was so lovely, and not something I would normally eat (white bread), I just kept going.... :-( but decided not to give myself a hard time, and its ok if I, occasionally go over, as long as I exercise lots the rest of the days to make up for it... Long session at the gym is required today!!
  • candirose69
    candirose69 Posts: 149
    I don't do planned 'cheat days' firstly because I dont like the term 'cheat day' but also because I don;t want to eat junk just because its my cheat day therefore I HAVE to. I'd rather decide to eat something I really want when I want. I tend to be pretty strict mon-fri dinner. After dinner Friday-Saturday I tend to relax a bit (not mind if i skip a workout, go out for dinner, meet a friend for coffee and cake ect) but I am always back to my meal plan 100% by Sunday and I dont feel like I HAVE to eat certain food because its my cheat day because if i really really want cake during the week I will as long as it fits my cals. SOmetimes I eat cake on a thursday and sometimes i'm 100% good within my cals during the weekend.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    i would have re-feed days which consist of dropping fat and protein and raising carbohydrates and overall calories... there is a metabolic benefit to doing this if consistantly in a deficit and you are resistance training.. as for having "cheat days" it just slows progress
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
    date night!
  • amcsouth
    amcsouth Posts: 283 Member
    I used to have planned cheat days but it ended up turning into a weekend binge every damn time! It gets pretty hard to get over! I am now trying to fit a "cheat", when I really want it, into my days calories with one day (maybe) having between 100 - 200 cal over calorie goal. If It's something special (like a birthday) then I don't mind it being over (within reason of course). :smile:

    It's really up to you :smile:
  • riverain
    riverain Posts: 55 Member
    I just read good advice about having a ' Cheat meal ' once or twice a week, it might be just as satisfying and less sabotaging than an entire cheat day. I tend to go whole hog if i think of the entire day as a loss, and end up eating all the calorie deficit for the week, thus gaining back the one pound i might have lost... Hoping to end this vicious cycle by thinking in terms of cheat meals instead.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    I lost 25kgs, and prepped for bodybuilding comps by following a meal plan 6 days a week and having a "cheat" day/meal. I didn't use it as an excuse to eat copious amounts of junk, but gave me the opportunity to eat something different. I didn't track that day, but it wasn't usually excessive. It didn't make me go backwards....

    I enjoyed that aspect of what I was doing before - I'm doing iifym at the moments and there isn't a lot of spontaneity. On a cheat day I'd be able to eat dessert, or go out and have an icecream on top of my normal food. Doing iifym I have to sacrifice something to fit these things in..
  • iamMLH
    iamMLH Posts: 101 Member
    I'm trying IIFYM, which has some built in room for enjoying foods that aren't normally health foods. I don't worry too much about them though. I like to eat pretty clean most of the time, and if I see something I want, I'll go for it. As Monty mentioned, there are some benefits to changing it up, but it's the difference between planning listening to your body and living a full life and binging.
  • hasses
    hasses Posts: 9 Member
    I personally can't do a cheat day because I tend to go overboard....Instead I've been trying to plan out my meals ahead of time and include some "goodies" throughout the week so that I don't feel like I'm being deprived of anything.
  • X_littlemiss_X
    X_littlemiss_X Posts: 31
    I personally can't do a cheat day because I tend to go overboard....Instead I've been trying to plan out my meals ahead of time and include some "goodies" throughout the week so that I don't feel like I'm being deprived of anything.


    this :)
  • watto1980
    watto1980 Posts: 155 Member
    I used to have the occasional 'cheat meal'. It had twice the amount of calories as I would normally eat in the form of a gigantic bowl of chocolate chip ice-cream.

    It never stopped me losing body fat. Never really had a 'cheat day' though, that would probably lead to disaster for me.
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
    I just call it Saturday.
  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
    I don't find myself going over calorie wise as much as sodium wise. I am not a big salt person, so the gain, then lost is pretty quick. I am usually back to normal in a day or two.
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
    Yup. a cheat-binge day every 10 days or so( 2-3 times a month)

    I try to eat clean for 10 days but that's my cap.

    I pick days where I eat wtv I want( I still write it though for reference so I can observe my weight loss).

    Usually ends up being 5-6kcal with chips, cookies, high carb foods like pizza, noodles, etc.

    After a day like that, I have 0 cravings for those types of food for a good 4-5 days.

    Still losing 3-4kg weight (more fat/ putting on muscle and strength) every month. Lost about 30 in 4 months now and still losing.

    I like it because I can do this long term + it reflects my life style well. I can go out and drink alcohol/have fun/eat junk food and eat clean for 10 days or so. You should adjust your diet so that it fits your life style.

    Some people can go 120 days eating clean then during the holidays, they pig out for 15-20 days straight. I think that's worse than having a selected/ controlled binge/cheat day
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
    Think of it this way.. this is a little too simple but it'll show you the math:

    Your maintenance at current weight: 2000 kcal/day

    What you're currently eating/day : 1600 kcal/day

    Cheat day: 4000 kcal.

    Now lets do the math if you have one cheat day every 10 days and you follow your diet for the other 9:

    Total calories needed to maintain weight: 2,000 x 10 = 20,000 kcal

    Total calories consumed in 10 days: (1,600 x 9) + 4,000 = 18,400 kcal

    Total deficit in 10 days: 1,600 kcal

    Total deficit in 30 days(one month) : 4,800 kcal

    You will lose approximately 1.5 pounds a month.
  • amwood89
    amwood89 Posts: 165 Member
    Most days - I generally eat what I want (within reason).

    I plan in advance (usually a week at a time) with all my meals & leave a bit of room for a little treat, so if I want something, I have it!

    I've lost about 60lbs & this method has always worked for me .
  • t1954
    t1954 Posts: 81 Member
    Never. I never wanted to go backwards and give back what I worked so hard to lose. For me, mentally, it just wasn't worth it.
  • megot78
    megot78 Posts: 31 Member
    I used to have planned cheat days but it ended up turning into a weekend binge every damn time! It gets pretty hard to get over! I am now trying to fit a "cheat", when I really want it, into my days calories with one day (maybe) having between 100 - 200 cal over calorie goal. If It's something special (like a birthday) then I don't mind it being over (within reason of course). :smile:

    It's really up to you :smile:

    This is what happens to me. If I allow myself to cheat, it's hard for me to get back on track again. I'm starting over after a 6 month hiatus of cheat days.
  • myukniewicz
    myukniewicz Posts: 906 Member
    I try not to have a whole cheat DAY, more like a cheat MEAL. Once a week my parents come to visit and they take me out for dinner. That is usually my cheat meal, but I always log it and plan the rest of my day accordingly :)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I've had a few. Two of them were 'breakfast' or 'lunch' cheat meal that ended up under my calorie goal anyway because I was stuffed. The rest was Holidays, and a couple days in between... most I've gone is 1100 over my goal, usually it's still under 500. Apart from the Holidays they were not planned, I just decided to have that dessert at the restaurant, pretty much.

    I don't really recommend them unless you're really craving something that you can't possibly fit in your calories. It took me 3 weeks to get rid of the water weight once... but the other days it didn't seem to affect my weight one way or another. The main issue is you still have to use some control, or you can easily go way over and ruin all your efforts... So as a once in a while thing, sure, but I wouldn't do it more than once a month, and that's pushing it.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
    Personally, I don't have a "cheat" day. However, I am 62 years old and have had more cheat days than you could possibly count. It was what brought me to MFP 2 years ago.

    The only one I would be cheating is myself, and I already did that for too long.

    You have to do what is right for you and works for you. If that includes a cheat day/meal, by all means, go for it. It is nobody else's business how we get to where we want to be.
  • TracyJo93
    TracyJo93 Posts: 197 Member
    I typically just plan what I want to eat into my calories for the day. For exampe, I plan on having a slice of cake after dinner tonight, but I don't consider it a cheat because its planned and I have the calories for it.

    One day a week, I do a "cheat" so to speak. I don't just throw it all to the wind though. Usually I'll allow myself to go over by 300 or so, and I get right back to it the next day. I also try to make them healthy cheats. I had turkey bacon this past weekend, which put me over my calories. But turkey bacon is better than a Big Mac, ya know?

    Cheat days might set you back from reaching your goals, but they also keep you from binging.
  • Shoechick5
    Shoechick5 Posts: 221 Member
    I don't plan a "Cheat" day but I still have a life to live which includes going out. Saturday we went for brunch and I had eggs benedict and hasbrowns and a pint. Over the course of a week I worked out a little harder, left some calories on the table and my week ended up with me only being 100 calories over plan. I don't consider that a cheat, just living.
  • pps7
    pps7 Posts: 46
    I don't plan a "Cheat" day but I still have a life to live which includes going out. Saturday we went for brunch and I had eggs benedict and hasbrowns and a pint. Over the course of a week I worked out a little harder, left some calories on the table and my week ended up with me only being 100 calories over plan. I don't consider that a cheat, just living.

    Basically, I do the same. It's not a cheat day, but a cheat meal every 7-10 days. I try to even things out for the week. It's a part of my life to enjoy going out. I don't binge but when eating out, the calories add up fast.
  • Gingerspice45
    Gingerspice45 Posts: 137 Member
    I usually have one or two "cheat" days a week. I plan them ahead of time to stay on track. Mine are usually a Saturday or Friday. I also eat whatever I want within my calories allowed so in some ways every day could be considered a "cheat" day. I just try to be mindful of my calories. I have the most success when I log all my food.
  • elsinora
    elsinora Posts: 398 Member
    Not for years ... I found that all that it did was promote binging for me and undoing most of the week's strain. I find the best is still counting calories on a 'cheat day' but just relaxing the limits slightly, rather than an all out food craze that seems to happen to a lot of people. Also I only have a 'cheat day' if something warrants it. I.e. if I am going out with friends etc rather than 'AHMAHGAD IT'S SUNDAY - BINGE TIMEEEEEE"
  • Indiri13
    Indiri13 Posts: 104 Member
    I wouldn't really say I have a cheat day but every now and then (about twice a month or so) I have a maintenance day. Usually because I'm just tired of not having the cheesecake or whatever and I go for it. But I try not to go over my maintenance calories. I figure it's just taking a day off without undoing any of the hard work I've put in on the days before.
  • Sarasota_Guy
    Sarasota_Guy Posts: 82 Member
    YES...I don't think it's a good idea to try all this without it.

    Some people just do cheat meals. I do a cheat day, which is Friday. End of the week, I look forward to having something from a restaurant, hot wings, pizza, or something processed (i.e. poison LOL). Having that to look forward to makes it SO much easier to stay strong throughout the week. I'll even have a "mid-cheat" type day on saturday, which means I'll grill lean beef burgers outside on the charcoal grill and have them with Arnold's whole wheat thin buns :)

    I know some people can't do this and stay on top of it, but it's worked out pretty good for me!

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