Cheat Days?

clafairy1984
clafairy1984 Posts: 253 Member
in Getting Started
I have heard that I should give myself 1-2 cheat days a week, so that my metabolic rate doesn't drop. However, im not sure whether this is a good idea or not. I feel like allowing myself a cheat day a week, but not going over the top with it, will help me stay on track when im craving something, and also allow me a more flexible social life, as can allow one night a week to have a few drinks etc.

Does anyone do this? Does it work for you?

Would appreciate your thoughts please x
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Replies

  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
    I DO allow myself to go over my calorie goal some on the weekends.
    I know that if I go over my caloric goal for the week it will slow my progress, but slow and steady keeps if off.

    (also, for ME it is easier to keep going if I have Sunday lunch to look forward to.)

    you WILL see mixed opinions on the topic, but don't let it discourage you.
    If you do the cheat days for a month and it slows your progress down too much, re-evaluate.
  • adstott
    adstott Posts: 102 Member
    I don't do cheat days it's to hard for me to get back on track. I may do a cheat meal here or there but many times I try to stay within my calorie range.

    Everyone is different do what works for you!
  • TexasGal1
    TexasGal1 Posts: 65 Member
    I don't know about "should" have cheat days. I "allow" myself cheat days. Of course, the more cheat days I have, the slower the weight comes off.... When I do plan an over day, I take care that I don't go insane with it.

    Plan, Log, Be Consistent.
  • chiacee82
    chiacee82 Posts: 5
    I don't know much about the science behind the leptin theory, but I have days where I intentionally eat around 500-1000 more calories (not junk) over my target (once every two-three weeks) and for whatever reason, I drop weight at an accelerated rate about 3-4 days after this 'cheat day'.

    It works for me, I wouldn't do it every week though. Personally.
  • jellylocks
    jellylocks Posts: 24 Member
    I have a cheat day every 2 weeks. I make an occasion of it so me and a friend get glammed up and have whatever drinks we like, usually wine and then have a healthy meal with a few not so healthy extras The main bulk of what Ive eaten is low calorie so I can enjoy a bit of a cheat without undoing all my hard work.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    One thing y really have to remember is if you are eating at a deficit each day of 300-500 calories, one good cheat day can wash away 1-2 days of your progress.

    Personally, I do the fasting where the up cycles I eat my TDEE of 2200-2500 calories. So I do use a :"cheat" evening about once a week at the most where I eat what I want, but because it is coming off of a fast I can still eat 2200-2500 that evening, many times less, and still be at or below my TDEE so it is a win-win
  • helsbelshms
    helsbelshms Posts: 93 Member
    I deliberately eat 100 - 200 cals less each day to allow me to have more at the weekend. I look at my calories as a weekly goal rather than daily. As long as I hit my target each week, I'm not so worried how I got there.

    Do what works for you. If I deprive myself of all high calorie meals, I will just fall of the wagon very quickly.
  • KaelaLee88
    KaelaLee88 Posts: 229 Member
    I have a cheat meal about once every 4 weeks (our Monthly Anniversary where Hubby and I have our date-night) where I go over my calories, but I try not to do it spectacularly!

    I still have a lot of weight to lose so I want to keep on track as much as possible, but I'm human and every once in a while, it's good to have a bit of indulgence.

    Kaela x
  • galprincess
    galprincess Posts: 683 Member
    I go over some days but not by huge amounts often and I try and balance it out throughout the other days of the week
  • ashlando
    ashlando Posts: 125 Member
    I think it's dangerous to schedule a weekly cheat day. It will likely throw you off track and it will be that much harder to go back to clean eating. If you have social events, then work around them and make sure that you are preparing for them accordingly. Like if you know you are going out with friends, then try to eat really well throughout the day to offset the potentially bad foods that you may consume later. Don't miss out on events and outings but just be smart about them.
  • chellearellano
    chellearellano Posts: 6
    A "cheat" day is really a personal thing I think. If you find it's an epic challenge to start up again after a cheat day than I suggest it's not a good idea to incorporate them in yet. I personally do have Sunday's as my "cheat" day. I find that it helps make the other 6 days a week almost a breeze because I know if I really want something I can just have it on Sunday and it eliminates the stress of "not being able to have" any type of food. I allow myself to go up to 1000 cals over my norm on that day but I find that it's hard to eat so much after so long of portion control. So if I eat too much I really feel sick and I no likey!

    Above all I believe no food is really bad if kept within reason. If you're making sure to stay in a specific calorie range and you're getting the right combos of your macros (proteins, vitamins, carbs, fats) then there should be room to enjoy just about anything within reason. So keep it stress free and just enjoy the process as much as possible. It's a long term investment into yourself.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Make it a cheat MEAL, not day. A whole day of cheats can, in my experience, really get out of hand fast and blow your entire deficit for the week. But if you have success doing it, go for it I guess.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
    Cheat MEAL, not CHEAT day
  • Sylvitryinghard
    Sylvitryinghard Posts: 549 Member
    Cheat MEAL, not CHEAT day

    this because on a cheat day I eat for half of Africa and destroy everything so a cheat meal works better
  • klynn2021
    klynn2021 Posts: 7
    What I have found that has worked for me is that I give myself a cheat once a week. This isn't a cheat day, just simply a snack on which ever day I would choose. Whether that snack be candy, chips, etc. but only have one portion once a week. I also considered white bread a cheat (though I can't have wheat anymore) so if I would have a dinner roll or homemade white bread that would be my cheat for the week. This satisfies my craving but doesn't undo all of my hard work.
  • tequilastuntman
    tequilastuntman Posts: 37 Member
    For me, a single cheat meal seems to be enough to make my system believe "hey... I think this dude isn't actually going to starve".

    Have your normal breakfast, work out, have a cheat meal for lunch and then fast until the next morning, I will usually wake up feeling super lean -> intense boost for motivation!
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    I do high calorie days on special days where I do not track at all & eat what I want (my birthday , christmas , Canada day)

    and I go over calorie goals sometimes on the weekends but still track it
  • kdbnmd
    kdbnmd Posts: 16 Member
    I don't like the idea of cheat days at all.
  • tarcotti
    tarcotti Posts: 205 Member
    I definitely recommend this, cheat meals, not cheat days. Although, tunnel vision works well for me so I rarely do them at all. When I do, I always feel sick or don't enjoy the taste of unhealthy food anymore anyway. This is more of a lifestyle change for me than a diet. It definitely depends on the person.
  • Jkj95
    Jkj95 Posts: 64 Member
    I don't do cheat days, but I do do cheat foods and meals fairly often. For instance, I'll still stick to the same daily calories, but eat a small amount of candy or chips or a slice of pizza if I really am craving it and enter it into MFP. This isn't about your metabolic rate, it's just to prevent eating an excessive amount of that food later.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    Never had a cheat day or meal once. I'm doing ok
  • rutheglen
    rutheglen Posts: 24 Member
    I have the odd cheat day. I look on this as a lifestyle choice now, and there is no way I am living on salad for the rest of my life (ok, exaggeration, but you know what I mean). If I go over one day, I exercise a bit more and eat a bit less the following day (or before, if it's planned). For example, I had pizza and beer last night, so I will do an extra hike this afternoon, and have a nice salad for lunch, while the rest of the family have something heavier. I don't make a big thing of it, and I am still losing fairly steadily, even with just a couple of kg to go :) (the hardest to lose???) Don't stress over it - meals are to be enjoyed , not to cause stress :)
  • Flyer69
    Flyer69 Posts: 100 Member
    I know what I am going to say a lot of people will not agree with, however I found that I had the best success when I knew what was happening with my body and how food and exercise influence it.
    So I weighed myself 3 times a day.
    1) First thing in the morning
    2) After exercise
    3) Before going to bed.

    Those 3 times i was anyway in the bathroom with virtually no clothes on.
    I could see when I had a cheat day or alcohol and how it affected me, it would set me back days.
    (now this did not stop me doing it as I enjoy my food and drink-but this generally is in the weekend)

    I have now reached my target weight (lost 30kg), but doing it this way certainly helped me.
  • cincysweetheart
    cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
    I do a cheat MEAL… not a cheat DAY. And it's not scheduled, but I allow myself one a week. Although, I often will go 2-3 weeks without one at all. And actually I call it a FREE meal… not a cheat meal. FREE to eat what I want, free from obsessing about calories. It does not mean I go hog wild. And I still log it anyway. I haven't found that by doing a free meal on occasion it has stalled or ruined my efforts in the least. In fact… I find that I still don't go over my calorie goal on those days. I don't think think it's something you have to do or should do… but I don't really see much harm in it either… so long as you can go right back to your plan. It's when cheat meals turn into cheat days and into cheat weeks and so on that you need to watch out for it.
  • cppeace
    cppeace Posts: 764 Member
    I typically schedule a cheat day once a month. This helps with holidays and terrible cravings. The worst about a cheat day is it ruins atleast 3-5 days for weight because of sodium intake. For me my cheat days are like state fair food or xmas, thanksgiving, bday, a chinese buffet day ect.
    It's a personal choice and one must experiment to see what works for one self.
    Kim
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Do I go over my calories every now and then? Yes and sometimes by quite a bit but its not a cheat day/meal its all part and parcel of a healthy lifestyle that has helped me lose a lot of weight

    Why do we insist on calling it a cheat day, who or what is it cheating? Is seems to be a term related to a short term weight loss goal rather than a long term goal of maintaining a healthy lifestyle
  • Debbi2309
    Debbi2309 Posts: 58 Member
    I agree be much better to have cheat meals instead of cheat days, I know it would for me if I allowed myself a whole day I would most certainly undo all my hard work from the week and find it much harder to get back into my routine, suppose it all goes down to the individual and how much you have to lose and how motivated you are a cheat day may work for some for others only a cheat meal is needed, I do think it can do some good to just have at least that one meal a week or 2 as it can help with your metabolism plus it makes us feel good to have that naughty meal as a treat for how hard we worked and still be able to lose weight, makes me feel good anyway and have motivation to get back to the workouts and healthy food for the week so I can alllow myself that treat again
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
    Keep your calorie intake at 80% healthy and 20% indulgent and you won't need a cheat day. For example, if your daily goal is 1500 then 1200 should be healthy foods and the other 300 can be dessert or something else that you enjoy that would normally be a "cheat" item. This will be something you can continue even after you hit your goal weight and switch to maintenance mode. And you can eat the stuff you like as long as it fits under your calorie goal, just not as much as you would have before.

    I do let myself go over sometimes when there is a holiday or family gathering. But never by too much (a few hundred calories at most). I see posts by some people who go over by 3000, which is almost a pound of calories... definitely not a good choice especially as you get closer to your goal and your target weight loss is only 0.5 lb/week.
  • bertalansomogyi
    bertalansomogyi Posts: 5 Member
    The whoe cheat day/meal concept is wrong! First of all, you don't have to think about it as cheating! Think this way: I want some high calorie food, thats ok, IF you excercise more. Sometimes a good evening walk is enough, or running, cycling etc. Mfp shows you the numbers, so it's not that hard to keep the goals. For me, the weekends are harder, family dinners etc, but with excercise I can ceep my net calories within limits. So, don call it cheating, don't make it a sin, a flaw, see the big picture: more burned calories, more food to eat :)
  • bluehydrangeas
    bluehydrangeas Posts: 16
    I eat more than I "should" many days, but it evens out from other days that I eat a bit under. I don't consider it to be a cheat meal/cheat day...I was just hungrier that day so I ate more. I don't plan for it, it just happens. I don't think it boosts my metabolism or anything like that though.

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