Can someone explain a cheat day

There's a ton of info here about cheat days and everyone has a different opinion. You just have to find what works for you.

I don't have cheat days. I eat what I want, every day.

Well, I like having a cheat meal once in a while. Like a pastry or a bar of chocolate in every four days, while keeping up with my calorie goal.
That way, the wait isn't too long. Sometimes, I do end up consuming around 200-300 kcal extra, but it isn't that harmful.

If I had a day where I didn't log and ate whatever I wanted, it would have to be like once every month or so otherwise it would definitely impact my weight loss. I'm 130 or so lbs but can eat a LOT if I'm not careful!

Other than I don't really plan cheat days (unplanned is a different story) though I might have days like this friday when I know I'm going out to dinner so I save up calories throughout the week. I incorporate treats and food I like on a daily basis too.

**those are really big cookies though so having part of one wasn't just a bite lol

I sometimes have a cheat 'meal' and sometimes if it's an occasion I have a cheat 'day'.
A cheat meal could easily be something that fits in with your calories but doesn't fit at all with your macros.
Then again it can easily be a meal that takes you 500+ over your usual daily calories.
I know that mine sometimes do!!

A cheat day is just that, a day that you 'let your hair down' and enjoy the foods you love without worrying about being too accurate with logging. That would be my definition.

Not everybody likes cheat days, some people prefer to just fit a little of what they enjoy in each day. Although I do have things I enjoy each day, things such as pizza I prefer to keep as a 'treat'. something I don't have all too often. On these occasions I personally have no qualms with polishing off a dominos pizza, etc.

This is a life long lifestyle commitment for me and if I coudln't just have days to let myself have the things I want, when I want.. I don't think it would be sustainable. When I want pizza, I like to be able to indulge. I'm perfectly happy to eat 'clean' (insert vague definition here) for the remaining 2 weeks until my next treat.

This said, when I'm 'cutting' I tend to have less treat days. It all depends on individual lifestyle.

I do a LOT of exercise and I believe myself to be in fairly good shape, so whatever I'm doing is obviously working well for my body.

With regards to two steps forward, one step back.. Not at all, going 500 or even 1000 calories over, once a fortnight isn't going to make an immense amount of difference to your overall progress and for some people, the small 'set back' enables them to keep on going with the lifestyle when otherwise they may have relapsed.

Have an awesome day!

Adam

Merkavar wrote: »

Zedeff wrote: »

You are framing the question wrong. Given a choice between losing more fat or undoing progress, everyone would obviously choose to lose fat.

Given the more realistic choice between quitting a rigid diet permanently or simply forgetting the diet temporarily, the net benefit is in the temporary lapse.

For me if I have a planned cheat day then it is part of the diet, not a lapse. So I think my question is correct.

You plan to have a cheat day where, from what I heard here and other places, you could eat a lot of calories and essentially eliminate a few days or a weeks deficit.

So I still see it as a choice between weight loss and reversing progress.

I can understand if you were in the verge of quitting your diet all together taking a break would make sense, but not a planned break every week or month.

But again maybe I don't understand exactly what a cheat day is.

I think that's on the extreme end of things. Unless you're dieting for medical reasons are are risking your health if you have a bad day, they're not necessarily a bad thing to have every once in a while.

Like tomorrow, I'm going to go to my mom's house and stuff my face with her cooking, because it's awesome and I haven't seen her in ages, and she'd be sad if I just sat there and ate salad like I have for the last three days. It's probably going to be stew or something, so I can't really log it very well. Rather than feel bad, I'm going to work out and have a small lunch to minimize the calories I'll eat that day, and not really worry too much about it. Then it's back on the wagon. I like to plan mine around events where I'm probably going to have a hard time sticking to my 1200cal/day goal, so I don't feel like I'm missing out. I don't have very many cheat days because of this.

Odds are tomorrow I probably won't put myself over maintenance. If you're having cheat days every week and eating 4000 calories worth of doughnuts then yeah, you should probably reconsider, but for most people a cheat day isn't about going crazy and ruining all their hard work. It's just something to look forward to, like a reward for staying on track.

I think that taking a diet too seriously, and not allowing yourself a treat now and then can be just as bad as allowing yourself too many treats.

I don't really do cheat days per say but if I'm at a special thing, ie a rare dinner with old friends I will happily go over my calories and not stress. I've done it a couple times and gone about 500 calories over my mfp recommended calories - still 500 calories under maintenance since I eat at 1000 defecit.

I don't think cheat days are usually extreme enough to be a setback. I think most people view it as a day to relax and maybe eat at maintenance or a little more. Most of us here are in this for a long haul, so one day of not being perfect is not devastating and being able to relax occasionally makes this lifestyle change we've all chosen a little bit easier.

I have definite days set aside as cheat days and those are: Mothers Day, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Years Eve and the Superbowl. There might be other cheat days that pop up throughout the year, but those are the six I plan for. Aside from Mothers Day (we go out to my mom's favorite restaurant), the other five occasions are when everyone gets together, makes a ton of food and desserts and we all have a merry old time. I'm committed to a healthy life but no way am I not partaking in all that delicious food on those days.

I also agree with the philosophy that letting your hair down a handful of times a year is beneficial. I get the idea of having a small treat say everyday or a few times a week and you won't need a cheat day/meal, but for me, those days when I can just let go are like gold and I don't feel as though they do anything but help my healthy lifestyle. I eat enormous amounts of calories on those days and the next day...I'm right back on the wagon and feeling pretty good.

It's true that if you pig out all weekend, it can ruin your calorie deficit for the week. Which means no weight loss that week. But going over your goal a little bit from time to time isn't going to kill your diet. It helps if "save" up a few calories throughout the week.