cheat days

A cheat day is a day you don't stress about what you're eating and just eat what you want when you want. You really shouldn't do them too often (once a month) but you should still log so when you weigh yourself you know how many calories you set yourself back.

I don't think "cheat days" help metabolism.

I don't plan cheat days, however sometimes a special occasion occurs like a birthday or an event and I am not gonna bring my food scale with me and start weighing my food lol.

Usually before and after the event I eat light meals and basically 'dedicate' a majority of my days calories to the event. I do log it, but it is all guess work since you have to eyeball everything. Since its all guess work, there really isn't a good way of telling how many calories I go over but I still log it.

I don't let it ruin my day or my week, its OK to have days like that. You can't let it happen all the time but like I said usually birthdays, events, special dinners. Those things don't happen but once in awhile and I have no problems with those days. Some people freak out about them, they shouldn't. Logging food should not get in the way of real life.

So yes, birthdays and other events that include cake and ice cream I take my cake and I eat it too. I just try and do honest guesswork when I log.

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I don't avoid junk food, if I want to eat something I eat it, but log it accurately and go on with my days, trying to hit my macros.

I don't believe that they help your metabolism, but I'm not starving myself to lose weight either. Personally, I try to limit them to cheat meals too, cheat day is just way too dangerous and you could easily end up thousands over your goal (well, Christmas is an exception). I don't really consider it cheating unless I'm going over my TDEE though, and that happens once every 2 months or something... Usually 800 or 1000 over. Otherwise I just fit what I want within my calories.

I have heard some experienced folk here talk about incorporating 'refeeds' during cutting. I think they can be helpful when it comes to those last few lbs.

I'm not giving this as advice, I'm just saying what I do and my experience now and in the past:

Results and pattern: Over the course of 18 months, I lost 80 lbs. That was 2 years ago. I gained 20 lbs back since then and am now losing that 20. I've lost 13 so far. During my initial and current weight loss, I have maintained this eating pattern.

My Cheat Days: I have one cheat day every week - Saturdays. I use it for motivation purposes, and I pair it with a long run (I'm training for a marathon). I eat clean and very portion controlled for the other 6 days, staying within or under my calorie budget. If there is a special event, I save the cheat day for that day. There is only one cheat day a week. If I crave chocolate cake on a Sunday, it has to wait for the next cheat day.

What I eat on my cheat days: absolutely anything I want, in whatever quantity I want, whenever I want. I satisfy every craving. But only on this one day.

The reality: Being very portion controlled and eating cleanly the rest of the week means that my stomach isn't used to large quantities anymore. And, if I eat too much and/or the wrong things (like really greasy food), I wont' feel so good. So, it sort of prevents me from eating 5,000 calories during that day. But I can sometimes hit 3,500.

The aftermath: Sometimes constipation and initial weight gain as all that junk filters through my system. After 24 hours, Elvis has left the building and life is completely normal.