Cheat Day. Weekly, Bi-Weekly or Monthly?

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MFD7576
MFD7576 Posts: 271 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So right now, I'm at 2000 Calories a day. Its restricting but still somewhat enjoyable. The only issue I find is that the food I'm buying very well could be going bad before I get a chance to eat it! (Goodbye half gallon of OJ) So I had a plan to do a no log day once every so often yet still being mindful of what I put in my body that day.

Heres the deal, Im looking to lose weight/build muscle in the long run. My daily calorie burn according to Fitbit (inaccurate I know) is about 3500.

So I am asking, for the math fluent ones out there. What if I had a cheat day (no more than 2500-3000 cals) Weekly, Bi-Weekly and/or Monthly?
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Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    Just incorporate the foods you like into your diet in moderation.
  • MFD7576
    MFD7576 Posts: 271 Member
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    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Just incorporate the foods you like into your diet in moderation.

    Thats not so much the problem. Its not that I cant incorporate them, its that I cant incorporate them all. So say I want some pizza with chicken wings and a couple beers, well thats an easy 1000 cals, and that wipes out my whole day. Im looking more for the math effects of doing it once a week or bi-weekly.

    God I havent been drunk is so long too... lol Miss the random tipsy-ness but my macros dont allow it

  • tanyamclattenburg
    tanyamclattenburg Posts: 51 Member
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    The best way around food going bad is when you have a craving for something have it, but share it with someone else. I have a 14 year old son that is more than happy to help me eat my way through my cravings.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    NJDevilsFan7576 wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Just incorporate the foods you like into your diet in moderation.

    Thats not so much the problem. Its not that I cant incorporate them, its that I cant incorporate them all. So say I want some pizza with chicken wings and a couple beers, well thats an easy 1000 cals, and that wipes out my whole day. Im looking more for the math effects of doing it once a week or bi-weekly.

    God I havent been drunk is so long too... lol Miss the random tipsy-ness but my macros dont allow it

    I don't quite understand how it ruins your whole day? I just ate half a cake today... didn't ruin anything at all.
  • MFD7576
    MFD7576 Posts: 271 Member
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    HeatherLee16 wrote: »
    The best way around food going bad is when you have a craving for something have it, but share it with someone else. I have a 14 year old son that is more than happy to help me eat my way through my cravings.

    lol my girlfriends calorie count is way lower than mine lol Not much sharing opportunity.


    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    NJDevilsFan7576 wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Just incorporate the foods you like into your diet in moderation.

    Thats not so much the problem. Its not that I cant incorporate them, its that I cant incorporate them all. So say I want some pizza with chicken wings and a couple beers, well thats an easy 1000 cals, and that wipes out my whole day. Im looking more for the math effects of doing it once a week or bi-weekly.

    God I havent been drunk is so long too... lol Miss the random tipsy-ness but my macros dont allow it

    I don't quite understand how it ruins your whole day? I just ate half a cake today... didn't ruin anything at all.

    I understand what youre getting at, but these past few days I have tried. A pack of poptarts, a PBJ sandwich and a 600 cal dinner seems to be my exact limit everyday. Not much room for some pretzels, or a candy bar. I didnt know that foods I enjoy are nearly 300 cals a serving. And Ill say again, I do understand where you're coming from. The half of cake would be awesome, but I would be starving by dinner.
  • 2009jewellz
    2009jewellz Posts: 187 Member
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    Isaack hit it on the nose:)

    If you can control it, you will be fine. I just started treating myself weekly to a chocolate creamy served yogurt. I look forward to it at the end of the week. It's a treat, not cheat lol. Moderation is not cheating. It does help the cravings. It doesn't stick to me since I don't sit on my butt! Keep in mind, the 2 M words. Moderation and Movement. I am still learning too!
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    NJDevilsFan7576 wrote: »
    So right now, I'm at 2000 Calories a day. Its restricting but still somewhat enjoyable. The only issue I find is that the food I'm buying very well could be going bad before I get a chance to eat it! (Goodbye half gallon of OJ) So I had a plan to do a no log day once every so often yet still being mindful of what I put in my body that day.

    Heres the deal, Im looking to lose weight/build muscle in the long run. My daily calorie burn according to Fitbit (inaccurate I know) is about 3500.

    So I am asking, for the math fluent ones out there. What if I had a cheat day (no more than 2500-3000 cals) Weekly, Bi-Weekly and/or Monthly?

    Look at your calories as a weekly goal. Shave 100 calories every day and you get an extra 600 calories 1x a week. Or an extra 1300 once every 2 weeks.

    "Cheats" are typically incorporated into diets where someone is eating at a pretty large deficit, or simply for sanity and diet adherence. You could always just eat at maintenance or splurge every so often. But understand that if you overdo it you can easily undo an entire weeks worth of progress. Log it either way. Data is a valuable tool when you're losing weight
  • 10inprogress
    10inprogress Posts: 89 Member
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    NJDevilsFan7576 wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Just incorporate the foods you like into your diet in moderation.

    Thats not so much the problem. Its not that I cant incorporate them, its that I cant incorporate them all. So say I want some pizza with chicken wings and a couple beers, well thats an easy 1000 cals, and that wipes out my whole day. Im looking more for the math effects of doing it once a week or bi-weekly.

    God I havent been drunk is so long too... lol Miss the random tipsy-ness but my macros dont allow it

    Well you can have some, but not ALL of it. I personally don't understand the concept behind cheat days/meals, as the notion of completely letting go and consuming all the calories does not jive. I KNOW I'll have to work all of it off later...that is always in the back of my head on the occasion I'm splurging. I just try to satiate the craving by having a bite or two and savouring it to keep me on track and focused on the long term. Don't deprive yourself of yummy food or you will certainly fail. I try to follow the 80/20 ratio and can easily do it without feeling guilty or veering off course. As mentioned moderation is key.
  • cyronius
    cyronius Posts: 157 Member
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    NJDevilsFan7576 wrote: »
    So I had a plan to do a no log day once every so often yet still being mindful of what I put in my body that day.

    So I am asking, for the math fluent ones out there. What if I had a cheat day (no more than 2500-3000 cals) Weekly, Bi-Weekly and/or Monthly?

    Basically, don't have days where you don't log. You can have days where you don't care if you go over your limit, but make sure you log it anyway.

    Then track your weekly total and make sure you're still coming in your weekly allowance. It lets you have your splurge days, but keeps you from going crazy, as you end up running at a greater deficit on your non splurge days.

    But ultimately, the most sustainable way is to get rid of the notion of cheat days altogether. Just track, and realise that whenever you go over your limit, you simply need to adjust for it (either before or after. As long as you do it).
  • lowriderjim
    lowriderjim Posts: 18 Member
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    I think that if a cheat day is planned, calorie adjustment should be made before the event. This is is what works for me and is presented as an idea for the members of this forum.

    I tend to have cheat foods (pizza) rather than days but I also avoid social meals as they do not work well for me. Before I retired My job entailed regular travel so I understand the added challenges of eating on the road, business dinners and grab a go meals that contributed to my high weight of 350+.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    Try once a week and track to see if you're still meeting your weight loss expectations. If not, cut it back to twice a month.

    (editorial note: ditch the OJ altogether. complete waste of calories)
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Not at all.
    This is your lifestyle.
    You don't cheat on a lifestyle.
    You live in the real world.
    Once in a while, probably not at a planned, regular interval, life in the real world will present you with good opportunities to indulge in extra treats etc.
    Do that.
    Then go back to what you're doing to lose weight.
  • mistikal13
    mistikal13 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    If you really need large portions of these foods, you might want to save some calories weekly/biweekly for your "cheat". Having the foods I love everyday works better for me.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    I make pizza fit in 1300 calories a day- Plan ahead, go by your weekly average, eat a salad for one of your other meals a day, etc.

    Yeah, pizza/wings/beer won't fit into your day if you're also eating poptarts and PB&J. Work your day around it.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    NJDevilsFan7576 wrote: »
    HeatherLee16 wrote: »
    The best way around food going bad is when you have a craving for something have it, but share it with someone else. I have a 14 year old son that is more than happy to help me eat my way through my cravings.

    lol my girlfriends calorie count is way lower than mine lol Not much sharing opportunity.


    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    NJDevilsFan7576 wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Just incorporate the foods you like into your diet in moderation.

    Thats not so much the problem. Its not that I cant incorporate them, its that I cant incorporate them all. So say I want some pizza with chicken wings and a couple beers, well thats an easy 1000 cals, and that wipes out my whole day. Im looking more for the math effects of doing it once a week or bi-weekly.

    God I havent been drunk is so long too... lol Miss the random tipsy-ness but my macros dont allow it

    I don't quite understand how it ruins your whole day? I just ate half a cake today... didn't ruin anything at all.

    I understand what youre getting at, but these past few days I have tried. A pack of poptarts, a PBJ sandwich and a 600 cal dinner seems to be my exact limit everyday. Not much room for some pretzels, or a candy bar. I didnt know that foods I enjoy are nearly 300 cals a serving. And Ill say again, I do understand where you're coming from. The half of cake would be awesome, but I would be starving by dinner.



    You can't eat everything you want all day every day. You want pop-tarts? Fine. But you'll need to more macro/micro-friendly food later. Meaning, not PB&J sandwich (probably). Eat a pork chop and some veggies. Have the PB&J the next day.

    To make this work, you're going to need to plan better - look at what you want/like, but figure out how to make those things fit, while still getting the nutrition you need in the Calorie allotment you have.
  • Geekymonkey99
    Geekymonkey99 Posts: 63 Member
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    Call it a high-calorie day instead of a cheat day, and offset it with low-calorie days on the days when you don't feel as hungry or won't be drinking. Make sure your weekly averages are still within your goals, and adjust the high-calorie frequencies accordingly. It's different for every person depending on how much you tend to eat/drink on high-calorie days.

    Definitely log it. Always log it. You want a clear picture of how things are going. It's pointless to log at all if you don't log everything.
  • Geekymonkey99
    Geekymonkey99 Posts: 63 Member
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    Also, say what you will about eating exercise calories, but having the extra calories each day keeps me a lot happier. You could just plan to exercise more on the high-calorie food days.
  • PHStevenson
    PHStevenson Posts: 52 Member
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    I never have a cheat day or even a cheat meal because I know I will fall back into that style of eating. If there is something I want like icecream, pizza, or mac & cheese, I will let myself have it in moderation. SERVING SIZE is so important to me and I make sure i still stay at or under my calorie goal! :)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I don't get this. If your maintenance is really 3500 calories, I have no idea how you couldn't be able to fit wings and pizza and still be in deficit for the week.

    Also 2000 calories if your maintenance is really 3500 is a deficit way too big.

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