Is one cheat day/week okay?

rebecca916 · March 2011

So I've heard different things about "cheat days"-going over your recommended calorie intake, eating foods high in sugar or fats, etc. Is one cheat day/week or few weeks okay? I work at a jumphouse place for kids and we often get free birthday cake on the weekends. I was just wondering others' opinions on cheat days.

Thanks for your input ahead of time (:

mishmash73 · March 2011

if you cheat... ask yourself.. do you want to move forward? or backwards? everytime you cheat, it will take you that much longer to lose the weight

jllipson · March 2011

My husband and I have 1 cheat night - aka night out once a week. Even though we say oh well if we go over, most of the time we don't because we still take the healthier items. Last night was a different story and it was mainly because we didn't research foods for where we went first. Normally that's my job and I didn't do it, so we both ended up way over on everything. Makes our game plans for this week to work extra hard at staying low on calories and put in extra time with working out.

So you can have a cheat day and stay within or close to your calorie range - depends on how you want to handle it!

Call your cheat night - your night out - eat in the rest of the week.

kelika71 · March 2011

You kind of answered your own question, if you will. You're going to get different answers on this. Everybody is different. Different foods affect people in different ways, too.

That said, I started off with doing cheat weekends. Then, a cheat day. Now, I'm trying to do just a cheat meal and I might occasionally splurge more or less, depending on things.

I think what's really important to consider is, if you cheat, can you return to this? Some can't. It's about having will power, in that case.

Here's the other side to think of. You don't have to cheat. You can work the foods you want into your caloric needs, just might be smaller portions. In other words, you don't have to give up anything, if you can fit them into the numbers.

NightOwl1 · March 2011

The reason why you get different answers is because cheat days are all relative. One day a week where you binge and stuff yourself with tons of food is not a good cheat day. But having a piece of cake or your favorite meal once in a while is not going to deter your diet. Promise.

MOMvsFOOD · March 2011

One meal- great, but whole day just lets you go back to that person that got you here. This shouldnt be a diet, it should be a lifestyle change if you want it to work.

spicegeek · March 2011

I think it depends on what your diet plan looks like during the week - if you are eating 1200 cals per day one cheat meal as oppose a cheat day per week can be good to stop the metabolism slowing

oxnina · March 2011

i only cheat if it's a special occasion. it usually works out that about once a week something will come up where i'll go over my calories.. that's technically a cheat day since, i'm usually only eat 1200 every day.

kelika71 · March 2011

Let's add this to the equation... Some will tell you it's like calorie cycling/confusing your body.

The truth is, only you know your body and your will power. If you answer yourself honestly, then there you go.

ygrad2001 · March 2011

Saturdays are my cheat days. My son usually has some sports on Saturday and it usually last all day so even thinking or trying to eat like the rest of the week is out the question. Sometimes I go over my calories andsometimes I don't, it really depends. You have to figure out what works best for u.

tramar · March 2011

I think enjoying something in moderation is a good thing. If you restrict yourself and all you think about is cheating on a diet, then you are setting yourself for failure by "cheating." Having a little sliver of cake (if that is worth the calories to you) is ok. I am finally to the point where I feel like I am not on a diet as much as making changes that I can live with for life after many years of yo-yo diets. I wish years ago I had the "a ha moment" of just being healthy and making healthy choices. So if it means enjoying a small portion of a desired food then I do it and move on towards your goals. I am not obsessing over what I can't eat, and quite honestly the cravings don't come too frequently--I always am thinking about the goals I made.

You can have your cake and eat it too....in moderation. Good luck!

rebecca916 · March 2011

Thanks. I love your comments.My starting weight was 132. I weigh 126 right now. My weight hasn't changed for the past week. I want to get down to 122. I've been avoiding foods high in sugar, fats, and sodium. I know that the weight is going to be lost at a much slower rate than how it was in the beginning.

toots99 · March 2011

I used to have cheat days. Over time, you'll learn that you might be able to relax a bit and enjoy yourself, and you'll be able to reign yourself in before you go off the deep end. If I want something, i'll make sure I really want it, enjoy it, and not wallow in guilt from it. THAT"S when you get yourself into trouble...when you beat yourself up for 'cheating', and that causes things to spiral out of control. You eat because you feel bad, you feel bad because you eat.

I work my *kitten* off at the gym, I need to be able to enjoy myself. After a while though, I find that I don't even really want to cheat. "Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels".

navvs15 · March 2011

I've only not not logged in my calories once since joining. I suppose that was a "cheat day". My other days, if I want to enjoy some chocolate, a piece of cake or even some booze -- I do it. But I don't call them cheat days. If I don't plan to give those things up for the rest of my life, why give them up during this time of losing weight? I have learned to eat things in moderation, so I don't over stuff myself on junk food. I just make sure to figure out whether the particular food I am eating will fit into the number of calories I want to intake, it's either that or I do a little exorcise to make-up for it.

Dante79 · March 2011

I do a cheat day once a week. But I'm still careful about what actually cheat with. And I will try make up for it in the gym by adding an extra set on all my exercises or going little during my cardio session on the next day.

Jacrech · March 2011

Personally, I try to earn my "cheat day" (I'm not a fan of that phrase). I'm not sure what the experts will think of what I do, but if i know i'm going to go out for dinner on a saturday night and i need to bank a few calories I'll just eat a few calories less in the days before, this way my weekly average is on target. I find if i cut myself totally off anything all the time its not going to work. Eventually you give up because it just becomes too hard and depressing. The point of this for me is to to have and maintain a healthy lifestyle all the time, not just for a short period to "diet", if you know what i mean. I earn my calories in advance so i don't feel guilty and I know i've done what i need to do that week to loose the weight and reach my ultimate goal weight.
J

Aylilth · March 2011

well Saturday is my cheat meal day here.

It's one of those things when we are out with the boys swimming or whatever on the day we most likely end up getting a take away lunch.

So 1 meal not too bad really, but if I want something I will have it. This is for life and if I can't have choclate every now and then well PFFFFT!!! LOL

lesley1981 · March 2011

I have the very odd "cheat" day, where I will actually go over on my calories (probably once in the last 6 months.

I do, however, still have my take outs at the weekend, but my portions are much smaller!

dixiechicdana · March 2011

My cousin went from 505 pounds to 238. He didn't cheat. he ate what he wanted to eat and stayed within his calorie range. he has now been asked to write a book and speaks at seminars all over about weight loss. If you are going to eat cake, eat it, just don't go over your calories and eat within portion

chaugberg · March 2011

Go ahead and cheat but be prepared to work it off. Don't just splurge all day on junk because that's going to hinder you no matter what you do. Just make sure you compensate caloriewise and work extra hard at the gym if you go over.

remembertheharddrive · March 2011

I think that problem is more the mentality of a "cheat" day like you're doing something wrong. You aren't going to stick with something if the things you enjoy are going to be considered bad and derailing your progress. When it comes to dieting, yes, you can turn it into a strict calorie counting science - but its exhausting and its a major cause of giving up. I really think to move towards a healthy lifestyle, you have to be happy and simply do everything slowly and in moderation. If that means having pizza with friends, then go for it - be honest yourself and your food log, and go back to eating like you normally would - healthy. I don't think that the way to happiness or health is through rigid restriction. So I wouldn't think of it as a cheat day, like a reward to eat unhealthy things. I'd take each day as it comes and commit to figuring out if you really want to eat something, and if so, just eat a reasonable portion.

sunkisses · March 2011

I agree with remembertheharddrive's comment. I factor in my off-days as part of my whole weight loss plan. It does slow you down, yes, but to me it's important that the diet I have when I'm actively trying to lose weight isn't so drastically different from the diet I have when I reach my goal. So finding a happy medium is key. I don't count on Friday nights, I might restrict calories during the day to allow for my splurges in the evening. I don't count at all on Saturdays. I don't go crazy or anything, and I'm active all day, but I don't count. Sunday I reign things in again so that Monday isn't met with worry for being able to get myself together. Instead of my same exercise routine, I try to make my weekend exercise "fun" like swimming, going for long walks/hikes, etc.

Is one cheat day/week okay?

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