How do you feel about cheat days?

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ErickaK26
ErickaK26 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to lose about 30 pounds but I am so addicted to unhealthy eating. I was trying to eat junk in moderation, but the that usually turns into a slippery slope where I end up back into my old habits. I heard of people having a cheat day once a week and decided to try it out. I went all week eating healthy and then "cheated" on Saturday. I lost 3 pounds that week (last week). But, this week, I am continuing to follow that same diet strategy and my scale is not changing. I'm wondering if my "cheating" ruined my spree. Right now, I'm eating 1200 cals a day and not exercising.

Thanks!
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Replies

  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Are you still counting calories on your "cheat" day?
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
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    Losing weight is about maintaining a calorie deficit. If you look at your weekly totals, as long as you still in a deficit - you should lose. Weight loss, however, is not linear. Sometimes we retain water and there are numerous other situations that could cause your weight to fluctuate. Look for the downward trend over several weeks.

    This link has tons of information to answer any questions you may have:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants


    ETA: I don't do cheat days. I am working hard to overcome the habit of overeating. I eat the foods I love but work on moderation and learning correct portions.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    You may want to consider eating "to maintenance" one day a week. I would still log so that you don't undo all that you did the last six days.
  • ErickaK26
    ErickaK26 Posts: 8 Member
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    Yes, I tried to keep it under 2400.
  • ErickaK26
    ErickaK26 Posts: 8 Member
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    Are you still counting calories on your "cheat" day?
    Yes, I tried to keep it under 2400.
  • yungibear
    yungibear Posts: 138 Member
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    I don't really have "cheat days." I certainly have days where I eat more than I usually do, or meals that are way more calories than what I normally take in. I just log them, no matter how much I am over my calorie goal. It's uncomfortable to get really far into the red zone, but I do it because I know I'll get back to eating and exercising like I did before. It's nice to look back on those calorie-heavy days and know I'll be fine.
  • shmerek
    shmerek Posts: 963 Member
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    I don't really do cheat days in the sense of setting aside a day when I purposefully eat whatever. There have been a few days in my 160 odd days of tracking that I have gone over but no premeditated cheat days. I think they just have too much potential to undo the work already done. If I were to take one I would only do it one every month or two. A weekly cheat is a recipe for disaster in my opinion. I have seen friends take cheat days during the very first week of counting, not a good way to start.
  • MBrothers22
    MBrothers22 Posts: 323 Member
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    You may want to consider eating "to maintenance" one day a week. I would still log so that you don't undo all that you did the last six days.

    Yes.
  • larrodarro
    larrodarro Posts: 2,512 Member
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    I'm at my goal weight now, but when I was trying hard to lose, I would eat anything I wanted. I just always did enough exercise to make the red go away before I went to bed. There were a few nights I was walking at midnight. But I learned how much easier it is to lose by eating less than to exercise more.
  • PinkyFett
    PinkyFett Posts: 842 Member
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    Cheat days aren't for me, but they work for many.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
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    Why not just exercise, eat more and eat your favorite foods in moderation?!
  • sun_fish
    sun_fish Posts: 864 Member
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    Losing weight is about maintaining a calorie deficit. If you look at your weekly totals, as long as you still in a deficit - you should lose. Weight loss, however, is not linear. Sometimes we retain water and there are numerous other situations that could cause your weight to fluctuate. Look for the downward trend over several weeks.

    This link has tons of information to answer any questions you may have:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants


    ETA: I don't do cheat days. I am working hard to overcome the habit of overeating. I eat the foods I love but work on moderation and learning correct portions.

    Have to agree with everything in this post. Read the link, it is great. And like gypsy, I don't do cheat days, but I don't deprive myself of something I want. I just ate some dark chocolate. Not the whole bar like I used to, just a small piece that I savored and enjoyed.
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
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    I guess I don't understand the rationale for "cheat days." To me, the ultimate goal of weightloss should be to assume a lifestyle where you are comfortable in the diet, exercise pattern, and, well, lifestyle that you choose, and don't have this dichotomy in your brain of "cheat day" and "other days." Which, to me, would set me up for thinking "cheat days are GREAT!" and non-cheat days are the hell you must endure until you can have your cheat day.

    I decided I'd rather set myself up for long-term success by establishing a lifestyle where every day is a day you're happy to be in because you have a system you can live with and enjoy all the time--and be proud of, and confident in. Rather than this day where I give myself the latitude to overeat, and then feel like I'm restricting myself the other days. I don't consider any of my days restrictive--or indulgent (which makes me feel guilty and self-loathing knocks on my door)--they are just how I've set up my life. If I stick to it 90% of the time, barring vacations and special occasions, I'm ok with that.

    So if you must do a cheat day, have at it, but I hope that the other days in your week you're just as happy!
  • K_Train450
    K_Train450 Posts: 122 Member
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    6000-7000 cheat day once every 2 weeks for me. Still losing 5 lbs a week.
  • MiniMarc
    MiniMarc Posts: 19
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    you have to be realistic about how much your cheating by??

    Also a good tip is if your gona cheat , do it earlier in the day. Its better to have a cheat breakfast and end up at dinner time with a low / no carb light dinner. You will burn off more cals through the day than if you have a monster dinner
  • Kisame29
    Kisame29 Posts: 9,721 Member
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    I have a cheat day once a month where I'll eat 2000-3700 calories (I eat 1200-1500 calories normally). You will probably have more water weight for a couple days after a cheat day if you've consumed a lot of sodium (which can easily happen based on the foods most people cheat with). I always avoid weighing myself for about 3-4 days after a cheat day for that reason so then I basically do not notice any changes.

    Cheat days may slow down weight loss (since you may not have a deficit that week), but they should not hurt if it they are infrequent. Personally I think once a week is too much, but once every two weeks or once a month seems fine to me. Although I know some people think any cheat days in general are bad, but I crave some foods that easily put me over 1200-1500 calories for the day. When I have a craving, I just write down those foods and save them for my next cheat day. I'd rather have slower weight loss while still getting to get some of my guilty pleasure foods every now and then. If you want to have faster weight loss though, then you may want to avoid having cheat days.
  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
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    I've kinda become a pro at fitting anything I want into my deficit, so for me personally, cheat days (where I purposely go over my deficit) are reserved for very special occasions like my birthday. Usually only because of alcohol.

    Also, if I'm under my deficit a few times a week I have extra calories in the "bank" that I can use up without slowing down my results, so I work with those a lot. So far I've been super successful at not going over maintenance.
  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
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    Not gonna lie though, when I hit my goal I am eating an entire box of mac n cheese like the old days. Or a bag of Doritos.
  • klogetsfit_
    klogetsfit_ Posts: 18 Member
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    I don't have a complete cheat day as oppose to a cheat meal. I exercise well that day and make sure to burn enough calories to feel confident that I didn't overdo it on my eating.
  • systemlayers
    systemlayers Posts: 12
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    It's pretty simple, if you're going to cheat portion it out. Every once and a while I'll crave pizza, buy a smaller size (medium) and literally have one slice with fresh veggies and such on the side. Satisfies my craving and still fits in my calorie deficit. That said I haven't had a real honest cheat (eaten out) in several weeks.
    I think routine is important, as much as possible avoid the bad, if you can't and MUST have something portion it as small as possible.

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