Do you have cheat days?

curiousgemfit
curiousgemfit Posts: 42 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,
I am new to this website and am looking to lose about 30 pounds.
I diligently calorie counted and exercised every day last week. As a treat, I decided that I would have one day (Saturday) set aside as a food cheat day. So when Saturday came around, I ate and I ate and I ate.
At the end of the day, I was so afraid and ashamed to log my calorie intake- that I didn't.
Anyway, so that brings me to my question(s).

Do any of you have a cheat day in a week when you eat whatever you want and how much ever you want? (And do you feel guilty about it?)
Also, does your cheat day coincide with your weekly rest day?

Thanks !
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Replies

  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    No not really I eat what I want in moderation. If I go over well I usually have enough extra from the week that it doesn't matter overly much. If I want to eat rib eye steak I will eat that steak and feel no guilt what so ever, I rarely eat enough protein as it is.
  • IGbnat24
    IGbnat24 Posts: 520 Member
    IMO having 'cheat' days or feeling guilty for eating certain things is the exact opposite of a healthy relationship with food.

    I eat more loosely on the weekends-dinners out , desserts, etc and don't work out, but it doesn't affect my efforts negatively.
  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
    you seem to have answered your own question.
    no i dont have cheat days.
    i log everything, even the odd excess like a bag of chipppy chips. 1000 cals to my horror.
    then i make it fit my daily\ weekly goals, which normally means more exercise.
    when we reach the decision to lose weight, its not a part time job.
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
    I don't eat what I want all day, but do indulge in a treat.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
    "Do any of you have a cheat day in a week when you eat whatever you want and how much ever you want?"

    Nope. I plan carefully and about once a week an evening meal takes me over my calorie allowance. It's a conscious decision though, and I feel in control and comfortable with my choices.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
    I don't exactly have scheduled cheat days. But once or twice a month if I am going out or have a special occasion to deal with I decide I'm just not gonna care too much for the day. Of course I still try to make low cal choices where possible but in the end I just log it and move on. Last Saturday I actually had a bad one. Ended up eating 3500 calories or so. Lot's of sodium. Ended up recording a 1lb weight gain. However if I had recorded just a day later I would have recorded a 0.8lb loss. It all depends. Thing is a lot of people take a "cheat day" as an excuse to binge. Just because it's your cheat day does NOT mean you can stuff food down your mouth like your getting ready for hibernation or something. If you can trust yourself to have a cheat day without totally jumping the shark then yeah it's not a terrible idea.
  • nessagrace22
    nessagrace22 Posts: 430 Member
    I don't have 'cheat' days at it just seems like a negative way of looking at things. To cheat means you're doing something wrong.

    Each day of my week is pretty much the same. I don't deny myself any foods because I know as soon as I decide I can't have something I will want it. That may sound weak to some people but I'm just being honest with myself and I know what works for me. So for me it's anything and everything goes but in moderation. And that way I don't feel the need to go OTT and 'cheat' because I've never denied myself anything.

    The only difference in my week is I rarely log on weekends.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    As many as possible.
  • dortilolma
    dortilolma Posts: 103 Member
    For the most part I find I don't need cheat days. Sure, there are days where I'm over my target but I log everything and I know how much over target I've gone.

    For me it was fairly easy to wean myself of junk food - I didn't really eat that much in the first place and it has always made me feel ill. I don't like crisps, I'm not a fan of fast food (I don't even remember the last time I had a burger), there are only a few sweets, chocolate bars or biscuits that I like.

    That all being said when I do want them, I eat chocolate bars, I have biscuits, I'll even have a pizza every so often. I personally don't feel restriction is beneficial in the long term, if I want something I make room for it in my daily allowance and have it. Now - this works for me but it may not work for everyone. A great deal of time and experimentation went into getting me where I am now.
  • desidieter
    desidieter Posts: 195
    I think the key to cheat days, if you're going to have them, is to not have them too often. Once a week, IMO, is too often. But of course, every person is different.

    I read somewhere that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has massive cheat days from time to time. And by cheat days I mean, he'll down an entire pan of brownies and a bucket of fried chicken and a stack of pancakes, multiple pizzas, etc. etc. all in one day. But he only has these type of cheat days once a month or something. Granted, he's a big dude and probably eats more than the average person per day anyway, so his cheat days are going to be bigger than that of the average person.

    tumblr_meijftcNTc1qg1vd7.jpg

    Anyway, all that to say, I think cheat days are fine, and I personally don't bother to log my intake on those days. But I make sure my cheat days are few and far between...which is why I don't feel guilty about them. IF you're feeling guilty, you might want to consider a different method - like not having cheat days and just allowing small indulgences regularly that you can log...or wait several weeks or months before having a full out cheat day.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    I don't have a scheduled cheat day. I have days I know I will go over, and there is no guilt because I know one day isn't going to hurt my overall progress.

    But if I did it every week I wouldn't have a deficit. I also don't feel a need to have one every week, because I make sure to include foods I love into my every day diet. I have dessert every day, I eat delicious food all the time.
  • PrincessMissDee
    PrincessMissDee Posts: 183 Member
    So when Saturday came around, I ate and I ate and I ate.
    At the end of the day, I was so afraid and ashamed to log my calorie intake- that I didn't.

    Do any of you have a cheat day in a week when you eat whatever you want and how much ever you want? (And do you feel guilty about it?)

    Lots of people have "cheat days" or loosen up over the weekend if they are strict during the week, however even then you can't just eat and eat to the point of shame. It's counterproductive. If you then don't even log what you ate then how will you adjust for it during the week?

    If you can't trust yourself not to go overboard then don't do it, at least not now. Get into the habit of logging religiously first before you decide to deviate. And OWN IT, you can have more at the weekend but make sure you're accounting for it over the week.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    NO
    I eat when I'm hungry and always make room for a treat within my allotted calories. If I need something special and have to go over for some reason, I log it and move on. 'Cheating' makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.
  • nzchikky
    nzchikky Posts: 304 Member
    I don't have cheat days anymore. I tried doing it that way but found I would wake up feeling like crap and then suddenly my cheat day turns into a cheat week!. So now if I feel like some chocolate or whatever, I will eat it no matter what day of the week but in moderation and not feel guilty about it :)
  • joanna_82
    joanna_82 Posts: 151 Member
    No cheat days for me. Just eat the things I like in moderation within my calorie allowance.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    I do, but I prefer to call them IIFYM (If It Fits Your Mouth) days. Never have once felt guilty about it either.
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    I don't cheat. It implies fake, dishonesty, and other negative things to me. I do my best to practice moderation.

    ETA
    I don't do "guilty pleasures" either. Guilt and pleasure don't belong in the same sentence.
  • SlimMe37
    SlimMe37 Posts: 133 Member
    There's no need for a cheat day if you're making this a lifestyle change. I eat what I want in moderation and within calories allowed. My birthday is on Friday and I WILL be having a slice of cake and I will log it. But it's not a cheat day per say. It's still going in my log book! And I will enjoy every bite guilt free :)
  • SlimMe37
    SlimMe37 Posts: 133 Member
    I don't have a scheduled cheat day. I have days I know I will go over, and there is no guilt because I know one day isn't going to hurt my overall progress.

    But if I did it every week I wouldn't have a deficit. I also don't feel a need to have one every week, because I make sure to include foods I love into my every day diet. I have dessert every day, I eat delicious food all the time.

    I completely agree with you there. I might go over on a day but I wont do it everyday and when I do go over its not by hundreds!
  • Snip8241
    Snip8241 Posts: 767 Member
    No not intentional cheat days. If I want something I try very hard to have enough calories to fit it in my day.
    I made apple crisp the other night. I very rarely eat ice cream but I made room to have some ice cream and apple crisp last night. I am glad I did. I don't feel deprived.
    Balance what you love as treats into your life. I think that's better than going nuts for a whole day.
  • itsfatum
    itsfatum Posts: 113 Member
    I don't. Cheat days are an excuse to keep eating the bullsh*t you are addicted to.
    Good food is waaaay tastier when you get rid of those *kitten* meals.
  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
    One cheat day a week can be an ok thing as long as you are beating your goal the rest of the week. For me for the most part I did not need cheat days because I did not stop eating any food I enjoyed. I just kept my quantity in check.


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  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    Do I have days where I go over my limit, even on purpose? Sure, I still like to live life and celebrate the times worth celebrating. You still have to log though, you always have to log! Basically what most people do is they create a nice deficit all througout the week and then they have their amazing cheat day once a week where they eat whatever they want and don't log. Sure its fun and seems like a great way to reward a few days of hard work, but then in a few months in they come back wondering why they have not lost any weight..... Normally it is because they erased a weeks worth of hard work in one day. You always have to log, otherwise you don't know what your cheat day is doing to your overall plan and cannot have sensible expectations of progress.
  • thismamarox
    thismamarox Posts: 105 Member
    I have Friday "Free day" by that I mean, I eat some stuff that I normally do not eat during the week. Like most here, I tend to go over a little on my calories on the weekend (Friday and Saturday) due to family gatherings ect... I still watch what I eat to some extent.,..for instance, I will not sit down and eat a tall stack of pancakes...that would make me sick as well as I just don't think I could do it. Since I am on a 1200 calorie intake, its not too hard to hit that by lunch time. I do log my calories because I want to see what "old" eating habits look like. Although I eat in moderation, those calories can sneak up pretty quick. When eating out, I still make healthier choices...I think its psychological that I won't lose the weight if I am eating KFC (weird, I know). But I actually like healthier foods. I also like to log foods of free day because sometimes I "think" I am eating healthy, when really I am not. For instance, last weekend I went to Zupas for lunch. I ordered the Pina Colada half salad and a panini. Salad was 200 calories w/o dressing...panini was 900 (ouch)...guess I know what NOT to order next time :) I didn't feel guilty because I do not do it all the time. One thing I learned about dieting..is I CAN"T DIET!!! If I want something, I eat it...with this mind set, I rarely crave anything because I do not feel I am restricting myself.
  • NK1112
    NK1112 Posts: 781 Member
    I don't purposely assign a day as a cheat day ... but I do seem to have a higher caloric consumption day on a regular basis, and it often coincides with a weekend day. I do log what I ate though, even though it is a depressing wake-up as to how badly I over-consumed energy that day.

    I have found tha if I hve a break in logging for one day, it easily gets out of control and i don't log for more days ... My diary is viewable by putting in a code ... so it's private and therefore no one but myself sees it if that's the way i want it to be .... so who am I protecting my image from by cheating on my log? Myself? .... that defeats the purpose for me.

    At one time, i did feel guilty over eating too much or of eating the 'wrong' foods ... I have gotten over that. I realize, finally, that it's not what I do one day ,,,, it's what I do consecutive days that makes my weight fluctuate or change in the direction I want it to go.

    Thanks for the question. Hope you find a happy medium for what and when you log. Don't feel guilty ... just learn and move on.
  • RSEC75
    RSEC75 Posts: 45 Member
    I do have cheat days, but still log on those days and don't feel guilty. So I guess in some ways not a cheat, but I let myself go over, this Saturday was high because we went to my in-laws for dinner and they always consider days we are there as a special day to have all the indulgent foods they wouldn't normally have.

    I used to think one cheat day a week didn't matter, but when I've started logging even the cheat days I realise that one really high cheat day in a week can stop me loosing weight, could possibly even make me put on weight... even if I'm really careful the rest of the week.

    So I have cheat days, but make myself log them (so I can average the rest of the week to at least avoid putting on weight) and try not to let my cheat days be too over the top. There is cheating then there is cheating!

    Like some others have said, I like to let myself eat everything I like in moderation, then I don't really crave stuffing my face with stuff I like but have been avoiding. Well not so much I can't pull my week average back on track anyway.
  • JustRedic
    JustRedic Posts: 6
    When I started trying to lose weight I only allowed myself a "Cheat Meal." Usually ordering out dinner or allow myself to have a few beers. After losing 50lbs I allowed myself to have both, so it turned into a "Cheat Evening." Now that I've lost 100lbs. I allow myself a full "Cheat Day," but I have changed my eating habits so much that I don't feel like eating everything under sun and usually end up having a slightly larger lunch and dinner, then a some booze while I bowl, and followed by drunk munchies.

    FYI my "Cheat Day" is bowling night because it's the only night I go out and drink, and it's also my "Rest Day" from lifting/jogging. I just started on MFP last week, I logged my last cheat day, it was interesting to see how many calories I consumed and compare it to my good days, but I wasn't embarrassed by it, because I feel like I earned it.

    At the end of the day, you have to have the mindset that, the harder you "Cheat" the harder you have to work to make up for it.
  • curiousgemfit
    curiousgemfit Posts: 42 Member
    I am beginning to see that an entire cheat day is a terrible idea.
    Thanks for taking the time to reply. Appreciate it :)
  • desidieter
    desidieter Posts: 195
    I am beginning to see that an entire cheat day is a terrible idea.

    I don't necessarily think so. But like I said in my previous post, if you're going to have entire cheat days, it's probably best to not have them very often -- definitely not once a week, because, as others have said, that will end up being counterproductive. I have entire cheat days, but just not often at all. Like, I've been back to this dieting thing for about 2 months now, and so far, I've allowed myself one major cheat day. The rest of the time, I just allow myself small indulgences along the way.

    Ultimately, you just have to find what works best for your body and goals.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
    I think it really depends on your goals. You could undo your week's work having a day where you gorged yourself. I personally have this "cheat meal" twice a week during my school terms. But I don't eat for the rest of the day. I help out with a scuba group and we go out to eat afterwards and I want to enjoy that time but still want to not blow my calorie goals. So I rather have the burger and beer later in the day than just eat whatever the entire day. That's what's been working for me.

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