How do you feel about a once a week "cheat day" ?

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Replies

  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    I've heard that a cheat meal is good for your metabolism as it keeps it confused and prevents homeostasis in your body's weight.

    I've also heard that your metabolism isn't a sentient being so therefore can never be "confused" or otherwise.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I eat what I want, as long as it's within my macros.

    Some days I may forgo tracking, but I'm always mindful on those days that it's not an invite to eat to excess.

    I'm trying to step away from the word "cheating". I'm not cheating, I'm learning moderation, and that foods shouldn't be labeled as "good" or "bad". I can enjoy a cookie, or two slices of pizza, and not feel guilt.

    It's a slow process, but I've been so much happier and motivated doing so.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    I can not do cheat days because then my cheat days turn into cheat weeks which turn into cheat months.
  • Dorio11
    Dorio11 Posts: 6
    False, over indulging in a day can not do any damage besides add water weight for a few days. Just gives extra calories for extra energy at the gym. As long as it's only a one day thing, not several in a row
  • Grumpellina
    Grumpellina Posts: 49
    Not done it, highly considering.
  • luadams2
    luadams2 Posts: 122
    I fell off the wagon for the first time yesterday since I started on this diet. My sister went into the hospital with renal failure and will need dialysis until she can get a kidney. I was a stressed out watery mess. Stress appears to be a big trigger for me, there was food everywhere and donuts and I binged. "I deserve this" I told myself. I drank a whole bottle of wine throughout the day with the whole "woe is me" attitude. No exercise. Just laid about like a drunken fat slug. Just... ugh.... yuck and completely disgusting.

    So if that is a cheat day for me, all it did was make me feel like crap and ruin my sleep. I woke up this morning feeling like a hung over fat pig with boiled red onions for eyes.

    I'm back on track again, hauled my hung over behind over to the gym and to yoga class, went light on the calories and did well today.
    ,
    Suffice it to say that I'm in the no cheat day camp. Not worth it for me. I would turn a cheat day into a total mindless binge.
  • mbitely2004
    mbitely2004 Posts: 66 Member
    I have my calorie goals set on 2lbs a week, and I let myself go over my goal on Tuesdays, why? Because its taco tuesday and I want to sit down have 3 taco's and a beer with my family and friends. Honestly the little bit I go over doesnt mean much because the few hundred calories still leaves me in the range if I wanted to lose 1 lb a week.
  • ChrysalisCove
    ChrysalisCove Posts: 975 Member
    I allow myself one "free" meal no more than 1x/mo, for a holiday or special occasion. I log just as I would any other day & do not exceed maintenance. This has been plenty of a treat for me, as I work to fit all of the foods I love into my normal eating anyhow - on these days I just get a bit more of it, or something that really wouldn't fit into a typical day well.
  • lise_stedman
    lise_stedman Posts: 5 Member
    I allow myself to have a few drinks at the weekend and eat out but I still normally end up about even on my calories as I just exercise lots and build up enough calories. During the week I never eat back my exercise calories as I just don't lose any weight if I do that. Although I want to look like a supermodel, I am not built like one, enjoy food and drink and know that life is too short to not allow myself the small treats I crave. I could be dead tomorrow and I don't want to be up there thinking 'I wish I'd had that piece of chocolate!'
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    I eat food, all day, every day.

    Whatever I want. I make it fit.

    Last night I wanted a Cadbury Cream Egg McFlurry all 790 Calories of it.
    I hammered out a 5km run so I had the extra room for it.

    Do i do that everyday no, but i do eat chocolate everyday, and that will never stop.
  • Beachlpz
    Beachlpz Posts: 2
    Hi! I wouldn't incorporate a "cheat day" once a week...for me, it's almost like allowing a bad habit. However, I do allow for cheat meals on days when I just "HAVE TO FOR SANITY'S SAKE". Good luck with your weight loss....it's soooo difficult!
  • btm141
    btm141 Posts: 9
    I try to do a whole week eating as few calories as possible without binging but maybe one a week I binge.
  • The_1_Who_Knocks
    The_1_Who_Knocks Posts: 343 Member
    Yesterday I hit a new low weight and it happened to be my 21st anniversary with my wife. We went out to the Mexican restaurant and I treated myself to a huge order of Enchilada Supreme.

    This morning the scale said I was 4.8 pounds heavier than yesterday morning. Didn't care at all, it will be gone in 2-3 days.
  • ladyraven2186
    ladyraven2186 Posts: 14
    I don't do a cheat day but a cheat meal. I usually do it on Saturday nights but I still log it.
  • kevingrant1
    kevingrant1 Posts: 21 Member
    I do a free day each week usually on Saturdays. I still log my calories which keeps the free day from turning into a binge day. There is a big difference!
  • mom2kpr
    mom2kpr Posts: 348 Member
    I don't do "cheat" days/meals, but generally on the weekends I allow myself to eat to maintenance. I don't necessarily plan it, but as I'm logging my food, if everything I want comes in at maintenance I go for it. I don't add stuff just to get my there. I average losing .75 - 1.5 a week.
  • JG762
    JG762 Posts: 571 Member
    I'm 102 days into MFP and I don't have cheat days and I've never gone over my daily calories. I think a cheat day is detremental, 1 day leads to 2 and so on. Not to mention the work lost to the excess calories, for me no cheat days!
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    I allow myself to eat a little more freely on Saturdays, but I still log.
    I workout hard enough that I can fit most things in anyway, if I wish to.
    I have skinny popcorn, and some chocolate just about every day.
    On the weekend, I have a larger bag of popcorn and/or some ice cream or cake.
    And then for 3-4 days every 3 months, I stay with my mother, and have meals out every evening.
    I continue to workout and it has not impacted my weight.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    Well, this is only my second week this round on MFP, but I've used it before and have successfully lost weight. I tend to have a "cheat day" once a week where I don't track, and just eat whatever. So far I've lost about 1 lb a week (same as in the past) with staying under 1500 cals 6 days of the week and not tracking the 7th. Does anyone else do this? I know I'd lose faster without that cheat day, but it keeps me sane and able to stay on track the rest of the time.

    I think it's important to trick your body - but not just eating whatever. I 'cheat' by going over my calorie goal slightly.
  • annmye
    annmye Posts: 1 Member
    sadiebea25-You tell them Sister. And congrats on the weight lose. You deserve it.
  • BeachinBeauty
    BeachinBeauty Posts: 20 Member
    I don't do "cheat days." I log everything I consume, no matter what day of the week it is. If I want something in particular that I know could possibly blow my day, I budget for it in the rest of my day's meals and/or exercise. I think I've gone over my calorie recommendation twice. I know me, and allowing myself to cheat one whole day per week would totally sabotage everything.
  • katematt313
    katematt313 Posts: 624 Member
    I don't know about having one cheat day. For myself, it would not be a good idea. What I do think is this: if you are going to cheat, don't cheat on being honest with yourself about what you are eating. Track it!
  • jmcdonald2011
    jmcdonald2011 Posts: 181 Member
    Personally, I don't think that I could do a cheat day. For me that's just asking for trouble. A cheat day would become a cheat week or month. instead I look at how I did in a day. if I did really well that day, I am going to have my popcorn (that is my weakness) but only if it fits in my day. otherwise I am going to fail and I know that.
  • LessIsMoreCB
    LessIsMoreCB Posts: 16 Member
    I totally agree. Even going one meal as if it doesn't matter or count against you is a step in the wrong direction. If you're trying to form good healthy eating habits, let accountability be part of that. If you want to enjoy a favorite no- no food, work it in to your day/ week. If you go over in your calories, log it and own it. Pretending like it doesn't count is what got me to 290 in the first place!
  • ChristineRoze
    ChristineRoze Posts: 212 Member
    I just have a maintenance day, where i eat what i want as long as i am not gaining, and considering maintenance is like 2500, it's pretty easy to stay below that :).. i eat 1600 every other day with 300- 400 calories lost 5 times a week..I've been losing quite nicely
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    It depends on where you are in your journey. If you have a LOT to lose and are on low calories then a cheat day probably won't derail you completely. If you are like me.. down to the last 10 lbs and on a TINY deficit (.5lb/week) then a cheat day is a VERY BAD idea.

    I tell you honestly, I can kill my deficit for the ENTIRE week on ONE meal - never mind a whole 'day'. Actually if someone asks me why I haven't been losing weight lately this will be the reason..ONE MEAL and my whole deficit for the week is gone.. Not even a super huge meal.. Just a normal 'night out' meal, toss in a couple drinks and desert and I'm over by about 2000 calories in one day - check my dairy lol It hasn't been pretty the last few weeks.

    I don't recommend deliberately setting yourself up to fail. It's easy enough already without that temptation.
  • rsoice
    rsoice Posts: 212 Member
    I'm more in line with the one meal crowd here. I do plan a cheat meal. It's my way of rewarding myself otherwise, my motivation can sag and I get into the woe is me, is this even worth it and binge right off the wagon. The one thing I always make sure is that my binge meal is bracketed by a workout that morning and a workout the next morning. I've found that by looking forward to a round of wings and beer makes it a lot less likely that I'm going to two fist some candy bars this afternoon. Rather than a cheat meal, think of it as a reward meal just don't eat the entire pizza (by yourself).
  • snarlingcoyote
    snarlingcoyote Posts: 399 Member
    Here's the thing - I will happily fast for extended periods of time as long as I know I can indulge on the weekends.

    That's not cheating: those are the choices I have made in my eating patterns; and my health and weight will vary according to the choices I have made. My particular choices are to eat very little during the week so that I can have yummy things I crave on Saturday.

    If you call it "cheating" then you have to ask yourself "who the heck am I cheating? There's a diet judge? I'm being tracked by diet proctors? I can fool some great amorphous entity into thinking I've been 'good' with my eating and still give me my weekly weight loss?"

    Words like "cheat day" imply that food has morals, anyway. It doesn't. Food has nutrition. What you put into your mouth should not equal your self-worth or how you feel about your morality. It took me a very, very long time to figure out that I am not "good" when I am losing weight and "bad" when I am gaining weightl: I am just gaining or losing weight.

    Anyway, getting off my soapbox now.

    If you want to have one day a week where you can graze through the refrigerator or go back and have that second slice of lemon pie with your third margarita, I say plan for the possible calories, enjoy it and don't feel even one little smidge of guilt about it!
  • fire_under_ice
    fire_under_ice Posts: 14 Member
    Here's the thing - I will happily fast for extended periods of time as long as I know I can indulge on the weekends.

    That's not cheating: those are the choices I have made in my eating patterns; and my health and weight will vary according to the choices I have made. My particular choices are to eat very little during the week so that I can have yummy things I crave on Saturday.

    If you call it "cheating" then you have to ask yourself "who the heck am I cheating? There's a diet judge? I'm being tracked by diet proctors? I can fool some great amorphous entity into thinking I've been 'good' with my eating and still give me my weekly weight loss?"

    Words like "cheat day" imply that food has morals, anyway. It doesn't. Food has nutrition. What you put into your mouth should not equal your self-worth or how you feel about your morality. It took me a very, very long time to figure out that I am not "good" when I am losing weight and "bad" when I am gaining weightl: I am just gaining or losing weight.

    Anyway, getting off my soapbox now.

    If you want to have one day a week where you can graze through the refrigerator or go back and have that second slice of lemon pie with your third margarita, I say plan for the possible calories, enjoy it and don't feel even one little smidge of guilt about it!

    Totally agree on the "who are you cheating?" and choices comments!

    You make a choice as to whether you eat certain foods that you normally avoid or choose to eat more calories than your chosen limit. These choices might or might not affect your goals but ultimately it's always your decision.

    You can't cheat yourself and win - you just make different short term goals.
  • d3m1urge
    d3m1urge Posts: 38
    Once a month, once every 3 months...yeah sure, go nuts.

    But once a week? Doesn't do a lot to encourage regular, sustainable healthy eating & habits. You'll end up looking forward to eating junk/overeating instead of eating and enjoying enough good foods every day

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