Do people really have "cheat days"?

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  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    I don't do any kind of scheduled cheat day. But about once a month I go out for a meal in a restaurant with my friends. And I make a point of ordering whatever the hell I want and not caring. The point is not caring. I think that a lot of people don't understand that the freedom to eat what you what when you want it is something that a lot of people who used to be unhealthy really miss. It's not so much that we want to stuff ourselves until we explode. We just don't want to care about how many calories something has in it for once and just enjoy it. I think that honestly a cheat day once every 2 weeks to a month isn't a bad idea. For some insane reason I have never failed to drop scale weight on my cheat days. Funny huh.
  • jirwin323
    jirwin323 Posts: 40 Member
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    Cheat days were invented sans calorie counting. Back in the day when you restricted your eating to a set plan without counting. Then, a cheat day would be to give yourself some yummy food that you've been restricting.

    1) it's not the 1980's anymore, and we have a better understanding about how nutrition works.
    2) many people still have the mentality that dieting is hard and they have to restrict what they eat
    3) for people that fall into #2, a cheat day is a mental break from the restrictive diet you pout yourself on. It's a mental day and there are many different ways to approach it. For instance, I know some people just don't count calories on Sunday, and eat what they want.
    4) it is not intended to be a pig fest. It is just a way to allow you to have pizza, instead of baked chicken. Or maybe have dessert after dinner instead of skipping dessert.
    5) if you use it as an all out pig fest, it probably will not be effective.

    I used to have cheat days every week and lost 30 lbs doing it.

    Don't knock it if you don't understand it. It is legit. It works. I'm proof. But, most people don't understand it and use it as an excuse to have a 8,000 calorie day. That is not the intent.

    It first appeared in a popular book in the 80's called Body For Life. Bill Phillips describes it pretty well in the book. Every since then, it has been bastardized, similar to how IIFYM doesn't mean what people think it means.

    I agree with this. My wife and I work out hard and watch every calorie all week long and then on the weekends we do not log nor schedule any work outs. We don't go crazy on the calories although we do enjoy our drinks and might have dessert. I've lost 54pds and my wife 30pds since January so cheat days do work for us. The one thing I've learned is that when the scale goes up on Monday it's not because I have GAINED FAT and it will be gone in a day.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    It works for some people and not for others.
    Some people can have a meal or a day where they say, screw it, I am going to just eat what I want for this meal, or all day, and they jump right back on the next day, without any negative effects.

    Other people may get completely derailed by a cheat day or meal and it turns into a week or month. And some people may consume so much on their cheat day that they negate the whole deficit they created thru the rest of the week.

    For me, if I want to lose weight, I have to stay very strict within my calorie limits. I can only get away with cheat days when I am maintaining. Altho when I was doing 5:2 Intermittent Fasting, I would have a high calorie day after my 500cal fast day, and this gave me some wiggle room for eating out or having foods that don't normally fit into my day. But my high calorie day was at my maintenance level, NOT a free for all.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    Some people need the break from tracking. I get that. If it works for them, it works and I'm not their personal trainer.

    However, I can tell you that my body logs every calorie, so I do the best I can with logging my food here. If my weight is creeping up or down, I want to know why. This doesn't mean that I hit my goal number every single day.

    All-day work meetings, I stop caring about my goal. I'm at the mercy of the food vendors and try to make the right choices, but you know I'll be hitting the cookies at three. I track it and put it behind me.

    If I'm having a hungry day, I'll let myself have as much lunch and dinner as my body feels like it needs. I'll track it and put it behind me.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    I don't have a set "cheat day" but occasionally the desire or cravings or circumstances get to be a little overwhelming and I overdo it. When that happens, I log it, remind myself that a treat day is good for the soul if kept to a minimum, and move on.

    ETA: my local frozen custard place will be having my all time favorite flavor next Saturday (Palermo Lemon, which they only make 2-3 times a year in the summer). I will try to work it in as best as I can but I will have a single dish even if it means going over for the day.
  • KaelaLee88
    KaelaLee88 Posts: 229 Member
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    I don't have a cheat day but once a month I have a Cheat Meal which is just a higher calorie meal than normal.

    My Hubby and I go out for a pub meal once a month to mark our "monthly Anniversary" and I really look forward to it! Seeing as I don't eat back my exercise calories, I allow myself this treat once a month.

    However, for months I didn't do this and I didn't feel deprived at all. I eat food that is balanced and to our tastes (burgers, pizza, chicken, etc) which we just have in smaller quantities than we had been enjoying previously.

    Kaela x
  • NessaR2011
    NessaR2011 Posts: 184 Member
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    When I started out I was morbidly obese and just plain overall unhealthy. I'd be out of breath just trying to walk around the grocery store. I was put on a restricted diet (1400 cal) for about 2 weeks then down to about 1200-1300. I didn't have anything "cheat" for about 3 months. When I was able to start adding some cheat items into that calorie frame, they actually made me ill. My body had become accustomed to eating healthier and can no longer handle regular pizza, greasy foods or those high in sugar. Even the smell of frosting turns my stomach now (avid baker that can't eat her own creations anymore =( ). Now that I'm no longer in the obese range, doc raised it back to 1400 and I've been staying anywhere between 1230 and 1400. My cheats aren't as "cheaty" as I thought they would be as I went back up on intake but I'm actually happy about it. I feel like my doctor had done the best thing for me by setting that up. I don't think I'll ever go back to the unhealthy person I was simply because my body was "retrained". So I don't consider it cheating when I pop a piece of dark chocolate in my mouth. It's my new lifestyle. I hope my experience helps you in some way!
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
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    I had a cheat day yesterday....it was my birthday. But I logged it all....and did an extra big workout to offset it.
  • mbkSTRONG
    mbkSTRONG Posts: 4 Member
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    I've tried having "cheat days" (why is it called cheating? Isn't this just reinforcing an unhealthy attitude towards food that we're all trying to un-learn?) where I didn't log, and they left me feeling sluggish and depressed, confused by the lack of structure of my usual meal and snack times.

    I agree with what has already been said above: if you want it, fit it into your day and log it. If you go over your allowance a little for it, then fine, but make sure it's reeeeally worth it.

    Also, another problem with cheat days: even if I didn't log, it didn't mean I wasn't keeping a mental tally of my calories, which made my mood sink even lower..

    Just because you call it a "cheat day", doesn't mean you feel guilt free!
  • KBmoments
    KBmoments Posts: 193 Member
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    I don't do cheat days or meals.

    I log it all and stay as close to goal as possible.

    If I want pizza I fit it in, if I want a beer I fit it in.

    Yes, this, and it works!!

    Exactly!! I am finding out if I allow myself to have whatever I want that stays within my calorie goals, I don't feel the need to 'cheat' on my diet...because I'm not really on a 'diet'!
  • MissSarahAllison315
    MissSarahAllison315 Posts: 263 Member
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    I don't do cheat days or meals.

    I log it all and stay as close to goal as possible.

    If I want pizza I fit it in, if I want a beer I fit it in.

    THIS. AMEN.
  • JonnyQwest
    JonnyQwest Posts: 174 Member
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    I find that not planning cheat meals is the way to go....when you diet hardcore for awhile eventually your body will NEED a cheat meal/refeed meal.....you will learn to know the difference between your body telling you it needs it and your mind just trying to rationalize a bad meal. When that time comes, you go with it and start fresh the next day. I actually find my body will let go of weight (I will lose a couple of pounds) after doing this--the "Whoosh" effect.
  • acole5690
    acole5690 Posts: 17 Member
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    I normally have a cheat meal like on a friday or saturday. But i try not to overdo it. It seems to help. And sometimes i will feel bad for eating it and then find myself going extra hard in the gym or during my workout
  • chelseababy22
    chelseababy22 Posts: 81 Member
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    I have a rule of thumb that I do not do cheat days unless I lose 15lbs.. after 15 lbs I will have a cheat MEAL (and still not go over 1200 cals) then once every two weeks I will have a cheat meal after that.. keeps your metabolism moving and shocks your body which can be helpful
  • Adaniel65
    Adaniel65 Posts: 105 Member
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    I don't do cheat days or meals.

    I log it all and stay as close to goal as possible.

    If I want pizza I fit it in, if I want a beer I fit it in.

    Ditto!
  • stevee290
    stevee290 Posts: 85 Member
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    I cheetah all the time but it's usually around my maintenance. Some times you just gotta give in and eat what you want.
  • x3vanessaxo
    x3vanessaxo Posts: 23 Member
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    If i want something i fit it into my calorie allowance, not all the time just on special occasions.
    If i were to cut out everything bad for me at once, i would go crazy! :grumble: But, if you want a beer have a beer! :drinker: you can always workout harder the next day! :wink:
  • msmonsi
    msmonsi Posts: 13 Member
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    I use the cheat day strategy. I think one cheat meal is ok as long as I am mindful of what I am eating and what it's costing me to enjoy the cheat meal. It helps me avoid feeling deprived while also making me even more aware of what I am putting into my body and how I feel after eating it. I tend to stay within or very near my daily limits and everything else that day is fruits or veggies. I also don't have a specific day...I adjust it every week to accommodate a social event or special occasion.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    You don't need to have one. For me, it's 'enjoy a special occasion' days... Typically Holidays, or if we go out to a restaurant that doesn't have any real 'diet' friendly options or has very good desserts. Otherwise, I just fit what I want in. I do tend to have a lower goal though so it's not a big deal if I eat a bit over my TDEE once a week.
  • melanelson
    melanelson Posts: 16 Member
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    I don't do cheat days or meals.

    I log it all and stay as close to goal as possible.

    If I want pizza I fit it in, if I want a beer I fit it in.

    Exactly.

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