Feelings on having cheat day...

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sheilahbb
sheilahbb Posts: 20 Member
in Introduce Yourself
is it okay?
«1

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  • re4444
    re4444 Posts: 1
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    I'd say 1 day a week should be fine as long as u don't go crazy! Also depends on how much u want to loose?
  • pbutter07
    pbutter07 Posts: 39 Member
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    I've learned that there is a difference between a cheat day and a re feed day. A cheat day is where you eat junk food or whatever your heart desires but within your calorie limit. A refeed day is when you go nuts and eat way over calorie limit to reboost your metabolism. I actually do both once a week and I've been losing weight. More importantly though, I've been losing fat weight. I say go for it. Its easy to stick to a plan that's realistic. ☺ Feel free to add me!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    I don't see the need to cheat. If I want something, I see if I can work it into my calories.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
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    re4444 wrote: »
    I'd say 1 day a week should be fine as long as u don't go crazy! Also depends on how much u want to loose?

    Blind leading the blind?

    I don't like the phrase 'cheat day'. Plan ahead and make whatever you want to eat, work. If you want to, you can make a conscious decision to eat at maintenance that day, but still, log every calorie! Keep it real.
  • palwithme
    palwithme Posts: 860 Member
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    Personally, I don't believe in cheat days because I view this as a lifestyle change I want to maintain.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    i used to have a frequent cheat meal, or cheat day even. i'd practice "everything in moderation." but my weight was pretty stagnant for a long time. in the last few months i've tightened up my diet, started cooking a lot more, and started having a lot less treats and "cheats." basically, i started to moderate my moderation.

    i think cheat meals and days occur naturally enough, what with celebrations and special occasions, or a surprise visit of a friend or family. i feel that you don't really have to plan on "every saturday is going to be a cheat day."


    i don't know how long you've been trying to lose weight, but you only have 9 posts, and have only lost 3 pounds (good job though), so i'm going to assume that you're relatively new to counting calories and dieting. pardon me if the following advice is wrong based on the aforementioned facts, but if you are already contemplating cheat days, i think you need to reevaluate how you are approaching your overall diet and exercise approach.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Perhaps my favorite post because having a spike day revolutionized my outlook and success with diet and fitness. If it is done properly, it can be a game changer.
  • palwithme
    palwithme Posts: 860 Member
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    4theking wrote: »
    Perhaps my favorite post because having a spike day revolutionized my outlook and success with diet and fitness. If it is done properly, it can be a game changer.

    OK, interested. How far over goal do you go? Or do you just not count on those day?
  • Dadof3bbg2
    Dadof3bbg2 Posts: 36
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    My wife didn't appreciate it!!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    4theking wrote: »
    Perhaps my favorite post because having a spike day revolutionized my outlook and success with diet and fitness. If it is done properly, it can be a game changer.


    how long were you dieting and exercising before you did something like this?
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    palwithme wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    Perhaps my favorite post because having a spike day revolutionized my outlook and success with diet and fitness. If it is done properly, it can be a game changer.

    OK, interested. How far over goal do you go? Or do you just not count on those day?

    I stay around BMR on low days then go around 2 x BMR on the spike day.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    Perhaps my favorite post because having a spike day revolutionized my outlook and success with diet and fitness. If it is done properly, it can be a game changer.


    how long were you dieting and exercising before you did something like this?

    I had dieting and exercised for years. Since I have gotten used to doing it, I have helped dozens of other people do it, some of which had little if any experience. It has several advantages over linear dieting for some people, especially those prone to binging and overindulging. I love to eat and this way of eating allowed me to reach my goals without the pain I always felt before.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    4theking wrote: »
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    Perhaps my favorite post because having a spike day revolutionized my outlook and success with diet and fitness. If it is done properly, it can be a game changer.


    how long were you dieting and exercising before you did something like this?

    I had dieting and exercised for years. Since I have gotten used to doing it, I have helped dozens of other people do it, some of which had little if any experience. It has several advantages over linear dieting for some people, especially those prone to binging and overindulging. I love to eat and this way of eating allowed me to reach my goals without the pain I always felt before.


    cool. would you say that the years of watching what you eat and regular exercise helped you to be able to plan and control yourself on those occasional cheat day?
  • ItsMe0909
    ItsMe0909 Posts: 30
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    pbutter07 wrote: »
    A cheat day is where you eat junk food or whatever your heart desires but within your calorie limit.

    How is this cheating?
  • sheilahbb
    sheilahbb Posts: 20 Member
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    Thanks everyone!!!
  • ashleycde
    ashleycde Posts: 622 Member
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    I think calling it a cheat day has negative psychological effects, and makes it feel wrong. I think it you want to eat less throughout the week and "save" those calories to eat more on one day, it should be seen as a reward, not "cheating." If done correctly, I think it works.

    Myself I don't do that. I just stick with my allotment for the day. Some days if I'm busy and found I'm eaten very little during the day and have 1000+ calories left, I might treat myself and order takeout or have some more wine with dinner. The other day I had 1000+ calories left, so I made a date with my friend Mary Jane and ordered KFC. It was delicious, and it fit within my macros. What ever works.
  • Agator1846
    Agator1846 Posts: 3
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    Based mainly on body chemistry, it is better to have one day a week or every two weeks that you enjoy yourself- eat what you want. This is actually better for you than having one "little thing" a day that may or may not fit into your calorie limit, because it permits your pancreas to take a break when you eat clean. Otherwise it's constantly working. Only having to work once a week is much easier on it than having it work every day... even if you are in your calorie limit. So take your cheat day, and the rest of the time eat as clean as you can, which you can do with just about any restaurant you go to (the only place I have had problems with is asian cuisine). You can stay on course to success and go hard core (I did it for almost an entire year last year) but we ARE human! Don't be afraid to live a little every now and then, as long as you are wise and make it a special occasion and not an everyday event. When I did start having "fun days" every month or so, I found that it would sometimes cause me to suddenly drop weight due to the sudden burst of energy by my pancreas. You guys got this! If I can do it, you can too!
  • Aemely
    Aemely Posts: 694 Member
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    I don't have "cheat" days. I just have "I ate too much" days. I try to keep them to a minimum, but if I get all stressed out about it, that's not going to help... I won't use the word "cheat" as I'm just living my life!

    I wish you success on your journey! :flowerforyou:

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  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    Perhaps my favorite post because having a spike day revolutionized my outlook and success with diet and fitness. If it is done properly, it can be a game changer.


    how long were you dieting and exercising before you did something like this?

    I had dieting and exercised for years. Since I have gotten used to doing it, I have helped dozens of other people do it, some of which had little if any experience. It has several advantages over linear dieting for some people, especially those prone to binging and overindulging. I love to eat and this way of eating allowed me to reach my goals without the pain I always felt before.


    cool. would you say that the years of watching what you eat and regular exercise helped you to be able to plan and control yourself on those occasional cheat day?

    I always struggled to stay within my calorie limits...at least for very long so no I don't think it helped me much. When I heard of this concept...of only dieting for six days a week, a light bulb went off in my head. I was like, I can do that. I have never looked back since.
  • pbutter07
    pbutter07 Posts: 39 Member
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    ItsMe0909 wrote: »
    pbutter07 wrote: »
    A cheat day is where you eat junk food or whatever your heart desires but within your calorie limit.

    How is this cheating?

    Well first I would hope that people don't use MFP to attack other people's opinions. But to answer your question, it's a cheat day because you are cheating yourself. If you eat junk food and stay under your calorie goal, you will lose weight. But you still may not have the body that you want, and eating junk food has other negative effects on your health. To me it's a cheat day.

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