Cheat days
fteale
Posts: 5,310 Member
Are they a good idea?
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Replies
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depends on what you call a cheat day. If a cheat day is "stuff your face till you vomit" then no xD Haha some people think this is fine
A cheat meal once a week is a FANTASTIC idea tho keeps you on track. Plus we want to live life happy! Yummy foods make me happy :]0 -
usually if i feel like having something i have it and just add it in my diary. when i have reached my calorie limit for the day thats it...You cannot deprive yourself all the time...I you want something have it just in moderation..0
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I think a cheat "meal" is better then an actual cheat day. You definitely deserve a cheat meal if you work hard but don't allow yourself to go too off track if you decide to make it a cheat day.0
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I don't trust myself to have a 'cheat day'...but if you have self control then do it! I find it healthier to treat myself every now and then instead of just making it one day a week.0
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I'm pretty sure you said in a previous post that you eat what you want and don't obsess over it, so I'm not quite sure what a cheat day means to you.0
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I have never had a cheat day or meal. What would count? Is it only worth while if you always eat super well the rest of the time? I just tend to graze and eat what my body wants.0
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I don't think you need a whole cheat day.
But I do think people should allow themselves indulgences(in moderation) to avoid binging.
I usually allow myself a couple pieces of Dove Dark chocolate pieces everyday. I let them melt in my mouth so I can savor the chocolate. It helps me a lot.0 -
I don't think you should call it a cheat day. Just put the numbers in and let it stand. You know that the next day you'll be more on track. Easter was too complicated for me to put in so I estimated and qick added 2500 calories for the day. I'm not going to feel like I cheated. I just move on.0
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My friend Chris was just telling me a few days ago that he and his other friend have a "Fat Tuesday" every week, and they don't go by there regular dietary restrictions. Chris seems to be doing very well on his weight loss journey.
I definitely don't think you should go all out and eat absolutely everything you've been craving for the last few weeks, but I think a day of just less strict eating isn't horrible.
Make sure, though, that you'll be able to wake up the next day be back on track. Don't let a cheat day be your down fall!0 -
I've come across the "Spike Diet" which you get to have a cheat day once a week to spike your metabolisim. Going to try it.0
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ditto I have a cheat meal once a week and would suggest it as it helps starve off cravings or random binges.0
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I'm pretty sure you said in a previous post that you eat what you want and don't obsess over it, so I'm not quite sure what a cheat day means to you.
You got there before me. Yes, I tend to listen to my body and eat what I feel it wants, so I am not sure what a cheat day would mean either! That's why I posted. Is it a day where you eat what you want? Or a day where you don't log?0 -
and a cheat meal is where you have one meal a week where you don't worry about calories0
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I've come across the "Spike Diet" which you get to have a cheat day once a week to spike your metabolisim. Going to try it.
It's good to keep your metabolism guessing! It totally works.0 -
and you are supposed to log your cheat meal I do0
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I'm pretty sure you said in a previous post that you eat what you want and don't obsess over it, so I'm not quite sure what a cheat day means to you.
You got there before me. Yes, I tend to listen to my body and eat what I feel it wants, so I am not sure what a cheat day would mean either! That's why I posted. Is it a day where you eat what you want? Or a day where you don't log?
I don't have cheat days so I think it means something different to everyone. I think some people go all out and eat whatever they want, while others eat one meal or one item outside their regular diet. I allow myself to eat certain foods on ocassion that I normally wouldn't eat but I don't consider it cheating. I like to consider it rewarding myself. =D0 -
I guess my 10 days in Sicily where I drank 3 glasses of wine a night, was kind of a cheat 10 days? So maybe I don't need any more for a while!0
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I eat twice my calories when I cheat so 2200X2 is = 44000
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The word "cheat" means that be dishonest and deceiful. It means that we are not truthful to ourselves and to our desire to embrace and continue in a healthy journey, so I think that we should call it a "treat" day, not a cheat day.
It sounds better and it means that we are having something (in moderation...), that we don't have/eat every day.
Anyway, that is the way I think and I don't expect that too many people will agree with me. Be happy!0 -
I don't see the problem. I track my weekly cals, and as long as I'm not loads over at the end of the week, then I'm not going to gain weight, am I?
I was 250 over the week before last, but lost 1.6. More than I did the week just gone, where I was under and lost 0.2.0 -
I guess tomorrow is a cheat day for me.
I'm so far 800 under for the week. I know I'll be over tomorrow from drinking and eating out. Do I care? No. I have 2200 to gobble before any exercise I may do, before I start to be over for the week. :drinker:0 -
I think it is not only great for the mind, but great for the body.
Every Wednesday night, my friends and I go out to dinner. I'll get like a half pound burger, with cheese, bacon, fries, etc. Usually about 1000 calories over my "daily limit". However, this satisfies all my cravings for the week and I really really enjoy my meal.
I absolutely believe it tricks your body and keeps your metabolism up. I cheat Wednesdays and usually post my biggest losses of the week the following morning.
My body goes "uh oh, uh oh....not eating a lot....conserve! conserve!" Then Wednesday comes...."holy crap! Our favorite foods! Party time! Party time! Light up the furnace and kick up the metabolism" and it always works.
I weigh in daily and also tend to drop 2lbs the day following my cheat night.
So my calorie goal is currently 1700 per day (to lose 2lbs/week) and my cheat day is usually about 2700-3000 and I still meet the 2lb/week goal.0 -
to me, cheat (or treat) days continue the emotional message that food carries. if i let go, i go over on carbohydrates, not a good idea in my case, so I stick to a way of eating that makes me feel good. hence, no cheat days. i find they're not worth it, and they re-awaken cravings I am controlling nicely otherwise. so, it's not a solution for me. also i think the body can't "guess", or be "tricked". we "trick" ourselves, in "cheating". that's something I am no longer prepared to do.0
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I have once used a program called Cheat your way thin (http://d2fce41iia-bdtae-elew-1hax.hop.clickbank.net/). The program teaches that you body has a hormone called Leptin. This hormone has a direct correlation with the way your metabolism functions. It talks about how when you restrict your body of calories and go on a diet your body goes into what is called a starvation mode and this slows your metabolism and lowers your leptin levels. This process normally takes about a week to happen.
The author Joel Marion suggests (based on proven tests) that you can make your letpin levels rise back to normal fat burning levels within 12 hours. He suggests that having a cheat day once a week is actually a very good idea as long as you don't gouge yourself to the point of vomitting.
His suggestions are that you eat food you crave (pizza, cake, coke, etc...) from when you wake up to when you go to bed on your designated cheat day. The concept is to raise your leptin levels so that you can continue to burn fat at optimum levels.
You can visit his site at http://d2fce41iia-bdtae-elew-1hax.hop.clickbank.net/
I personally have tried this product and it works!!!0 -
I'm very extremely strict on myself. I eat healthy mon-sat and sunday I splurge. so its ok to have one day where u dont behave it doesnt hurt anyone. but i will be trying the diet mentioned above thanks for the heads up on that one0
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I cheat every Saturday. I allow myself 1,000 calories above what I typically eat. That's about 500 above maintenance.0
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What I did while on my weight loss journey last year (from February to November) was each day I stuck religiously to having only 1310 calories which was my target each day, most days not reaching this. I used to drink alot of coffee and skinny lattes / cappuccinos however cut this to limit myself to two per day while losing weight. My cheat days were two in a week on a Wednesday and Saturday, which were usually the same. On wednesday I would visit "Abrakebabra" here in Ireland which is a Kebab takeaway (only reason is they have a midweek €5 per meal offer!) and would have a Doner Kebab and Chips (Fries) or a Chicken Baguette (loaded with Mayo and chilli sauce) with garlic mayonnaise on the side... and I also allowed myself to have as many coffees as I liked on these days.
On a Saturday I would normally have went to a chinese or indian restaurant with my partner and had a huge meal, sometimes starter main and dessert , sometimes only main etc but I would usually splurge out. I have still lost almost 5 stone by utilizing this, and it seems to work. I think its because you work so hard all week, and lose the week, but if your gaining say 2lbs by having two cheats or whatever, your loosing an extra two by the rest of the week.
I dont know how exactly this works, but for me it did.. And even though I'm not as conscious of how much I eat ( i still do log alot) while now im trying to maintain my weight, I still do tend to have two breakout meals per week, or even have an extra fish and chips takeaway during the week if i feel like it.
I dont like calling these cheat days or meals, instead i call it my "Breakout day"0 -
Has anyone here really ever gorged themselves until they were sick??? That seems...well, bizarre! I get sick if I eat white bread and pasta these days, but it's pretty instant - 3 pieces of macaroni = vom. Beer does that too, even a tiny amount. I think I may have a wheat or yeast problem!0
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I have a "cheat" day at times. What day it is varies. I had Burger King last night because it was on the way home from the vets, quick and I wanted it. It put me over my calories for the day but I'm not going to worry about it. I figure if I eat healthily the rest of the time the occasional rubbish isn't going to be a problem. Thoughts of a life where I can never have cake make me a sad panda :frown:0
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I try to use cheat meals to my advantage. When I have them, I feel so guilty for a couple days that I eat properly!!!0
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