The opposite of cheat days

ovi212
ovi212 Posts: 145 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know some people feel they need cheat days or meals in order to not feel so deprived in their diet. I have recently found another strategy that I find to be helpful for the same thing and more beneficial to weight loss (although not very healthy). After a couple days this past week of extremely low net calories (prob 500 or under). I find that my old diet calorie levels feel like so much more! I feel like I am indulging and have so much more energy. I think these few days of suffering actually helped me stay within my weight loss track for longer. The net that I need to be able to lose weight (and the level I had been at prior) feels so much better now. Has anyone else experienced this?

Replies

  • ovi212
    ovi212 Posts: 145 Member
    How often do you do cheat days/meals? Or the opposite, more intense days?
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
    It sounds like you're doing intermittent fasting without really knowing what to call it :P
    It helps some people maintain a calorie deficit for the week.
    I personally don't like the idea, but I need to eat more than 500 calories a day to prevent myself from going nuts.
  • rlzwakenberg
    rlzwakenberg Posts: 64 Member
    I use a cheat day once a week. Sometimes twice if I'm feeling particularly frisky. Usually the weekends as that's the time I have the most temptation.
    In my personal opinion, 500 net cals is WAAAYYYY too low, and there's a reasont hat you feel 10x better with more energy when you eat at a higher rate.

    I haev heard people that say intermittent fasting is what works for them. The one day every now and then that they starve themselves, or have an extremely low net cal, makes them appreciate the calorie budget they have normally a whole lot more.

    It makes sense, but I wouldn't be down for depriving my body like that. Need fuel to train. Frankly, I just need fuel to not rip throats out at work, because i become a testy being with too little food.

    It's about what works for you, as long as you are being helthy and not depriving yourself of necessary nutrients.
  • keddabee
    keddabee Posts: 81
    I've tried 5:2 (you eat normally for 5 days, fast for 2 days having 500 cals) and it didnt work for me as I felt so low on the 2 fast days.

    In the past I have tried bodytrim and lost. Unfortunately at that time I went through some bad times and the weight came back on. I have restarted the program and have almost lost my first 5kg. Its all protein and I eat between 600-700 calories a day. I feel like I can see clearer, I'm more focused and less inclined to cheat. I do have 2 x cheat meals a week usually in the same day.

    Apparently its healthy for you to change up your calorie intake as your metabolism will get used to what you are feeding it and will stop pushing the weight off :)
  • amy_kee
    amy_kee Posts: 694 Member
    I have some very low calorie days too, but, they are because I'm totally not hungry or too busy to even think about wanting to eat. These way low calorie days do help me stay on track with my eating better and help to shrink my stomach where it feels much fuller with small amounts of food for many days afterward---as long as I eat small portions.

    I don't believe in cheat days--never have. When I do eat food that I shouldn't be eating, or eat too much, it only encourages me to eat more and eat foods that aren't as good for me.

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