Cheat Days

Soooo you are all saying that you'll never cheat and eat above your TDEE on Holidays/birthdays/special occasions? That's nice. Good for you, I guess.

Some of us do need cheat days. I just don't recommend that they happen too much... but I think you're in denial if you're saying that you don't need cheat days as it's a lifestyle change and you can eat what you want within your calories.

I didn't have a cheat day for like 6 months (50 lbs or something?). Then I felt the need to have one (some things you just can't fit in your diary, unless you have a tiny piece, and some of us don't have the willpower for that). I survived. I've had a few more since (heck I've had 4 or 5 in the last two months).

The only thing is that you have to keep in mind that it will probably slow down your weight loss some, even if it's not very significant, so I think it's best to save them for really special occasions and on foods you really crave.

I know I didn't say that I never eat over TDEE nor anyone else saying it, what we did say is to say it's a cheat indicates eating food we love/enjoy is bad.

How am I in denial? I eat what I want and until I feel satisfied not over indulged? I ate over TDEE over the holidays on a couple of occassions and didn't exercise to earn "extra" calories..I don't consider that cheating...as I said in my first post cheating indicates "bad"...I didn't do anything bad and it hasn't hindered my weight loss...I am about to go down south to an all inclusive and I will eat what I want, drink what I want log it when I can (not taking a computer so relying on my phone).

What I refuse to do is eat until I hurt and I refuse to not log what I eat...I prefer a healthy relationship with my food and to keep myself accountable...it would be too easy to not log everyday and then wonder why I am not losing still...

Interesting that the closer you get to goal the more you "cheat"....

Saying that it helps you sustain a long term caloric deficit is something that you cannot substantiate.

Hinder - to cause delay, interruption, or difficulty in; hamper; impede: The storm hindered our progress.

A cheat day does indeed delay, interrupt, and cause immediate difficulty in weight loss progress, simply by a function of calories in and calories out.

I don't have to substantiate anything when I am telling you exactly how they have helped me adhere to a long term caloric deficit. IThe psychological benefits of my cheat days contribute towards my long term success. For other people this won't be the case and these type of days will trigger bad relationships with food and/or binging. I am not out to argue the semantics like everyone else here anyways.

...Keep a sustained caloric deficit - lose weight. Choose the method that is most easy for you to adhere too...

If a cheat day in fact helps my long term diet adherence, then it is not a hindrance.

Alot of people are here to change their bodies and health, I dont see how a designated day for eating badly helps on the journey, unless you are logging it and making up for it the next couple of days or the run up to it.

I actually think "making up for it" has the potential to lead to dangerous relationship with food.

It is also pretty clear that people can have cheat days and still change their bodies and health.

I don't "get" why people are so black and white on this issue.

Do what works for you.

So once again you're arguing semantics.

For me my diary is a contract with myself. So if I go over, I cheat... end of the story. And that doesn't mean I don't have a healthy relationship with my food just because I use the word 'cheating'. Heck if anything... for ME, feeling that you can eat anything without feeling any guilt and that there's no such thing as cheating IS a sign of an unhealthy relationship with food, and maybe not a good way of sticking to a healthier way of eating long term.

Anyway, I'm quite sure the OP meant cheating as going over his calories. At least that's how I interpreted it and why I answered like I did.

I am not arguing anything with you...I am stating my opinion. Which you said was not true....:laugh:

And no where did I say having "cheat days/meals" was unhealthy, I said over indulging to the point of being uncomfortable was unhealthy. I said for me "cheat" indicates bad and I don't see food that way.

Since you feeling cheating is fine and a word you see no negative conotation with fine...but how would you know if the other way is unhealthy or a good way of sticking to a healthier way if you haven't tried it???? I've tried lableing off days as "cheat" and it didn't work for me...I avoided my cravings, my favorite foods, my fast food for months and then had "cheat" days...well hello to wanting it more and more...hence the 30lbs i have lost over and over again.

For me not lableing my food and my choices as cheats means I can eat what I want when I want and not keep gaining and losing the same 30.

We have both been on this journey of ours for the same amount of time. You joined in January 2013 and have lots significant weight and I started January 2013 (joined here in June) and have lost a significant amount of weight. We are both close to goal.

So essentially you are doing what works for you and I am doing what works for me. Neither is wrong just different.

The sure sign of which one works long term wont be known for a while...but I am willing to place bets...

As for what the OP meant only they know...I answer the question as it is asked not what I think they mean.

Hi everyone. I just wanted to see what people thought of the idea of a 'Cheat Day',

That is the question I answered.

I don't like the word "cheat". It sounds so ugly. I call mine free days, and I have one weekly to keep me sane on this journey. :bigsmile: My free days happen every Saturday. Below is an outline of what my free days look like.

1. Eat a healthy breakfast as usual.
2. Head to church to get my praise & worship on.
3. Eat a healthy snack after church.
4. Eat a delicious late lunch with family & friends.
5.Stop eating when I feel satisfied.
6. Remember to eat my fruits & veggies.
7. Enjoy dessert if I want.
8. Drink at least my minimum 10 glasses of water.
9. Remember to enjoy the company more than the food.
10. Log everything I eat.

I hope this helps.

I like this! Especially #9

I do have a cheat day but let me explain..

This works for me.

During the week I eat about 1100 calories (yes I know that's "bad"), but on Saturday I eat about 4000 calories (this is the day me and my boyfriend have a date night and we go out for dinner, we live together but he works a lot and we rarely see eachother, so this is our day...) If I equal out by average calories it works out to 1500 calories a day.

During the week, I still eat what I want, I make healthy choices most of the time, but if I'm craving ice cream or a cookie, I'll have one, as long as I stay under.

So yes I have a "cheat" but I like to call it a "re-feed" day.

You can't eat 1500 calories during the week and then go eat 4000 calories on a cheat day, you will gain if you do it that way.

I figured that one cheat / free / non-logging day a week wasn't going to work for me as it was too often to help my weight loss so I decided on one day a month. This is eating what I like without logging. I figured that my appetite will have adapted that I don't eat as much as I would before I started on this road and it is infrequent enough not to have a huge impact on my progress.