The cheat day question!

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  • Wifey7891
    Wifey7891 Posts: 91
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    I agree with having a cheat meal (not a cheat day). its good especially if you have a severe caloric deficit because your metabolism will slow down if you don't eat one day at least once a week at or slightly above your maintenance. usually I try to eat as healthy as I can while working toward my goal, but you also need to live too. Sometimes theres no resisting pizza or other takeout. but its in the everyday decisions that really make a difference, eat clean the rest of the days a cheat meal once a week will not hurt.
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
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    In my opinion a cheat meal or day is only a cheat meal or day if you don't log it. Eat it, log it, own it, next day. I eat whatever I want within reason, plenty of fruit and salad (not massive on veg) and I'm ready to go :)
  • emmaroid1981
    emmaroid1981 Posts: 45 Member
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    I have normally 2 cheat meals a week where I dont count and I dont count my vodka or bourbon and still lose at 1700 calories, but I do a lot of running and cycling, so works for me :-)
  • mikepkds
    mikepkds Posts: 1
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    I had (have) a horrible sweet tooth. I think if you totally deprive yourself you aren't going to be happy. Happy the weight is coming off but I just kept eating. Make a pan of black bean brownies or Special K breakfast bar. Either of these has been satisfying me and I still am under my goal.
  • bassclef19
    bassclef19 Posts: 53 Member
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    I have cheat weekends, Friday to Sunday. I love chocolate. Especially those new Dairymilk bars. So I have one of those once a week.
    I make sure to get to the gym as much as possible especially on cheat days. I also find that when I do go to the gym on cheat days, I am less likey to make a lot of bad food decisions.

    I have done cheat weekends ever since I started my healthy ways. There was a point when I was gaining or not losing as much because the amount of exercise I was doing just not enough to burn off the bad food.

    My strategy is.. eat extremely well during the week and exercise as much as possible. Continue to exercise on your cheat days, don't go too overboard with your cheat meals and you're all good.
  • tr66
    tr66 Posts: 23 Member
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    Once a month or so, I have a "Christmas day." A day when I don't worry about logging what I eat or whether or not I exercised. This day is really for special occasions or parties. At time when its better to enjoy the event and not worry about your diet and exercise.
  • JulsiePie
    JulsiePie Posts: 166 Member
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    Well I've only been at this for 24 days, but I decided to have a "Yummy Meal" every week - I log it as a yummy meal and ball park the calories (last week was a pound of wings and fries and ice cream lol). I most definitely will NOT deprive myself of those super high cal delicious foods because that's not a realistic goal for me for the rest of my life. That's how I feel now, but maybe in a few months I'll not want those foods......but I doubt it lol.
  • Pirate_chick
    Pirate_chick Posts: 1,216 Member
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    I eat what I want in moderation. I found it's much better than having a Cheat day and consuming all of the calories at once.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Does anyone here have an actual cheat day? Or big cheat meal? And if so, have you had negative effects from this? Or does it help sanity and not impact really at all? I'm just curious on everyone's opinion because I feel as if a cheat/reward day isn't bad at all.

    Personally I just take responsibility for my own diet decisions, recognising that some days I'll go over goal, some days I'll be under. My fitness objectives and weight loss goals aren't going to be affected by a single day, as long as I'm on a trend of being around goal.

    Cheat as a term is semantic nonsense, who is being cheated?
  • blovesit
    blovesit Posts: 20
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    I have a cheat meal on a sunday night where I eat whatever i want (and i mean whatever!!!) and i have continued to loose weight (now 5ft3 120pounds). My cheat meals actually motivate me the rest of the week! I usually wake up on a monday and my body is crying out for fresh healthy food! :)
  • only1bones
    only1bones Posts: 21 Member
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    My plan allows for either a free meal multiple times a week (but not dinner) or one free day each week. I was nervous at first but there is also a calorie allowance for the extra free meal. I think you have to reward yourself and it depends on if you can keep it in check. I'm not one that will continue on with the "junk" food because I want to lose the weight more than I want the junk food at this point. I don't pig out on my treat days and I find now after sticking to my plan, that I like fresh fruit more than I like candy. I think if you allow yourself a little freedom with your plan, you will be more likely to stick with it and not feel deprived.
  • lockedcj7
    lockedcj7 Posts: 257 Member
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    I can't do cheat days. If I pigged out on salty, fried crap I'd gain 5 lbs and have to work my butt off for the next two weeks to lose it. I still eat what I want to eat, I just eat smaller quantities.

    For me it's all about moderation. If I tried to live on nothing but lettuce and tofu, I would lose the will to live and go back to my old eating habits quickly. I have a much easier time eating what I like but forcing myself to eat smaller amounts. I still order my favorite foods when I go out, I just eat half (or less) and either share or save the rest for the next day.

    What I used to eat: buffalo chicken sandwich with fries and 12 buffalo wings.
    What I eat now: 1/2 a buffalo chicken sandwich and 6 buffalo wings and maybe 1/4 of the fries.

    I also try really hard to not eat something unless it's awesome. How many times have I eaten a leftover sandwich and barely been able to get through it? That's just stupid. I'm not wasting calories on food that tastes like crap ANY MORE!

    It's not a diet for me, it's a permanent lifestyle change. I can't see depriving myself of french-dip sandwiches for the rest of my life. I can see eating smaller ones, less often and without the fries.
  • amyfullbrook
    amyfullbrook Posts: 97 Member
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    Geeze so I guess I'm the only person who has a cheat day it seems ..

    You're definately not. I have a cheat day every now and then. Usually on a Sunday when I have my step son round, even more so if the in laws are round. I don't go overboard, but if I go over my calorie goal by 100/200 calories I don't worry about it like I do every other day of the week :) Also, if I fancy ice cream I have ice cream, I just make sure I log it and try to fit it in somewhere!!
  • ajm100884
    ajm100884 Posts: 5
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    I don't have cheat days, but I do have "cheat snacks" every once in a while. Ice cream, sherbert, chocolate mini's, etc... usually when I get those "cravings" -- but always in moderation. Don't want to open the flood gates! I get my quick fix and move on.

    "Cheat days" are reserved for special occasions for me. Holidays, business dinners - sporadic events.
  • sbarella
    sbarella Posts: 713 Member
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    I eat what I want and make it fit my macros. I try to eyeball the best I can when I'm not cooking, but in some occasions I think it's just not worth it (Christmas, dinner at grandma's with lots of complex home-prepared food, weddings, buffet...). Those are my "cheat days": I just try and do my best with what I have and I don't bother logging. It usually works.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Have done in the past.
    I now work pretty much everything in to my plan.
    If I want to eat more, I burn more first.
    Often cycle to a shop a way away - took the wrong route the other day, but carried on and ended up with 800 calories extra of cake to eat :).
  • brinabj
    brinabj Posts: 28
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    I have a cheat day on Saturday ... i work out that morning i eat a healthy breakfast and then its free game but i find myself still making kinda sensible choices that arent too bad .. but it hasn't effected my weight loss at all .. i did however use to have a drink or 2 on cheat day but i have cut that out ive decided to stop with the alcohol for a while.
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
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    I allow junk food in my everyday schedule. I also have a serious sweet tooth. As long as my weight is on a steady, if jumpy, downward trend it works for me.

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