How many cheat days a week?

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2

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  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
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    ZERO!!! .... :) no need to :) am happy what im doing!

    Im staying with my plan and im down another pound today :)
  • fitness_faeiry
    fitness_faeiry Posts: 354 Member
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    It's all about your weekly calorie total. If you run a 400 calorie deficit every day for six days, then "cheat" on the seventh and have an extra 2400 calories, you just ate at maintenance for the week.

    ^^THIS^^
  • nancy10272004
    nancy10272004 Posts: 277 Member
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    Instead of restricting the foods you love to one day/meal per week you can always fit it into your daily goal. Every day I have 'treats' like chocolate/ice cream/cake but I fit it into my day.

    This is exactly what I do. If I want pizza, I have a slice. If I want ice cream, I make it work into my daily goal. For me, deprivation leads to craving leads to bingeing so it's best for me to just enjoy food every day.
  • amberrenee813
    amberrenee813 Posts: 395 Member
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    I would do a cheat meal, rather than a cheat day.
  • clover5
    clover5 Posts: 1,643 Member
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    7

    The real question is 'How many days do I actually diet?'
  • JonnyQwest
    JonnyQwest Posts: 174 Member
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    If you are just starting out with a goal in mind and you are already thinking about cheat meals then you need to reevaluate your commitment....IMO you should be making progress and well on your way to success BEFORE this question of cheat meals becomes a thought in your mind. That being said, at your height and weight you should focus on clean eating at TDEE and weight training to shape/transform your body rather than trying to lose weight.
  • majorumpalumpa
    majorumpalumpa Posts: 6 Member
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    It really doesn't come down to cheating. It doesn't sound like you're very big but really just make sure what you take in is good food (Not processed and leaner) and not bad food (processed and fatty).
    It's truly about a mindset. If you want it, go out and get it and realize that one meal or one workout, for the good or bad, wont change the end result. :smile:
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    Asking how many cheat days you can have in a week is about as inspiring as a job interviewee asking how long lunch hours are and how many vacation days they are entitled to on the 1st interview. Not exactly the priorities found in dedicated individuals.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Asking how many cheat days you can have in a week is about as inspiring as a job interviewee asking how long lunch hours are and how many vacation days they are entitled to on the 1st interview. Not exactly the priorities found in dedicated individuals.

    Yup. If you're already thinking of when you can cheat before starting, you're doing something wrong IMO.

    Sorry but no cheat day is best. Of course it will happen, but it's best to limit them because it WILL slow down your progress. Instead, try to include what you want to eat in your calories.
  • allbarrett
    allbarrett Posts: 159 Member
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    I'm about your height and weight and surprised you would want to lose any weight (I'm trying to do a slow bulk to build muscle, so I'm actually slowly gaining weight). That said, try not to think about "cheating", food is food. Some of it you like better than others, some is better for you than others. If you feel like PB&J for lunch, work that into your plan for the day and have your PB&J! If you know you are going out for dinner, try to work that it. If you are going for dinner with the family and just KNOW that keeping within your calories for the day isn't going to happen (hey, Easter dinner is coming and that means a tonne of food, wine/beer, etc. with my family...getting that into my plan would mean not eating the rest of the day and I'd be VERY unhappy about that), be honest, log it all, don't go completely nuts though (don't eat ALL THE FOOD) and just move on the next day.

    I am vaguely bothered by the concept of the "cheat" day. I call them my "hungry" days...I'm just hungrier than normal and my normal/anticipated amount of food doesn't seem to be enough. So, I have a bit more, keep it healthy (hungry day doesn't mean "stuff my face with chocolate bars all day"), and move on.
  • s_light
    s_light Posts: 58 Member
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    I allow myself two cheats a week, not two days. So if I want ice cream on Monday and chips on Tuesday, those are my cheats for the week. If I eat a big cheat meal like my chicken and rice casserole (nothing healthy about it) I count that as two.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    Asking how many cheat days you can have in a week is about as inspiring as a job interviewee asking how long lunch hours are and how many vacation days they are entitled to on the 1st interview. Not exactly the priorities found in dedicated individuals.

    +1
  • Chain_Ring
    Chain_Ring Posts: 753 Member
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    I say none but I'm boring as helllll..............ha ha
  • vkittrell
    vkittrell Posts: 6 Member
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    Your start weight is where I'm at now and I want to get down 30 lbs. How did you do it?
  • vkittrell
    vkittrell Posts: 6 Member
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    I'm at 172 now, how did you do it? I just joined a team. Journey to Success and now tracking my eating on myfitness pal. I need all the motivation and support I can get.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
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    Asking how many cheat days you can have in a week is about as inspiring as a job interviewee asking how long lunch hours are and how many vacation days they are entitled to on the 1st interview. Not exactly the priorities found in dedicated individuals.

    +1

    I lol'ed. It's true though.

    +2
  • katsiano
    katsiano Posts: 11 Member
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    I want to lose fat and tone up.
    I know it takes time, and I want to be serious and do it right this time.
    I weigh 125 lbs, and I am 5'6'' in height.

    To lose fat and tone up, you just need to work in cardio and strength training. Although I hate BMI as a measure for health, it can be beneficial to look at. Yours is on the low end of the normal weight range already, so you really don't need to lose weight. You should focus instead on gaining muscle and losing fat, which is really about eating clean and working out. You shouldn't focus on being on a diet but instead eat better foods (more fresh fruits and veggies, lean meat if you aren't a vegetarian, less processed food, etc). Do this alongside some cardio three days a week and strength training three days a week and you should see the results you're looking for. This doesn't require cheat days because it isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
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    I plan on about 3 "cheat meals" but not going over my weekly allotment (average 1600 cals per day).
  • MelonJMusic
    MelonJMusic Posts: 121 Member
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    I try to eat and be very healthy.
    Many diseas, like heart, cholestral,
    high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes,
    and thyroid run in my family.

    So I'd like to avoid that by eating healthy.

    And I actually recently found out I'm anemic, again!
    It always seems to happen when I gain weight.
    The Dr. axtually recomended that I lose weight.
    125 lbs, is heavy compares to my natural weight.

    WHAT IDIOT DOCTOR WOULD TELL YOU TO LOSE WEIGHT? 123lb is the LOWEST anyone in the height bracket of 5'6 should go before they are medically considered underweight, and that's only if you have a naturally small frame to begin with. Because you have won't have much fat to lose, you do not want to limit yourself to cardio workouts. If you want to tone, your best bet would be to increase your strength training and protein intake and cut out the crap foods. Keep in mind, that will make you gain muscle, which in turn will make you gain weight eventually. But it's a healthy gain, not one of fat. It's very easy to gradually eat healthy by adding raw fruits and veggies (mostly veggies) into your long term diet and dropping things with lots of fat and grease. If you don't already do this, portion control by reading serving suggestions and sticking to your caloric limits. If you exercise, eat more, but eat healthy. That way, you don't have to have a "cheat day" and you can eat what you want as a side with some good nutrition as your main source of food.

    I was 125 when I did weight training everyday. I'm 5'6 and I was still super thin but fit back then. In fact, it's my goal weight. So I can attest. I went down to 117 and couldn't gain muscle without gaining weight if I wanted to look healthy. If you lost more weight, you're going to struggle with looking both toned and anorexic at the same time because of the loss of fat that is actually good for you.

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