cheat day

I always allow myself one cheat day a week just to reward myself for the hard work that I put in. However I make sure that I don't go overboard. On my cheat days I normally drink 8-10 oz of water just prior to me eating and that has helped me out a lot. So far it's working out for me, I've dropped a decent amount of weight the last 8 weeks. You can add me if you like, I'll be more then happy to answer any questions that you may have.

ErinWard1986 wrote: »

Just curious if any of you all have a "cheat day". One day out of the week that you eat right for half of the day and then eat whatever you like for say dinner...be it take out, restaurant, etc...if so, do you feel that it helps or hinders on your weight loss journey?

Usually I don't, because I eat what I like, just in portions that fit into my calorie goal. However, if I know that I want to have a meal that will go over my calorie goal for the day, I'll spend several other days that week keeping my calories lower than normal to keep a buffer of extra calories, so that by the day I want to go over, I've got the extra calories to eat that large amount. That way, for the entire week, I'm still within my goal.

As far as special days, like holidays and birthdays, there are only about five of them a year, so those days I go over without counting or thinking about it. Those days of extra calories aren't enough to make any difference in my overall calories or cause any weight gain.

Don't cheat. Choose.

Expanding on that, the very concept sets it up as being somehow forbidden and exotic. That's not the way you should approach your food. Sometimes it's nourishing, sometimes indulgent. Never though is it off limits. Yes, I choose to go over my deficit sometimes, and will probably even go over maintenance when I'm on vacation. If I go over my allowed calories, and as long as I'm under my maintenance level, I'm still losing weight. It won't come off as quickly if I eat at or near maintenance, but it shouldn't go up as long as I'm accurate and honest in my logging.

If you "cheat", and go over your maintenance, you are undoing work you've put in to maintain your deficit. If you cut calories below goal to save up for your cheat, you run the risk of denying your body the nutrition it needs. It's way easier when you don't cheat, and simply make indulgent foods work in your limits, but when that's not possible, be sensible and stay under maintenance calories.

I do a cheat meal once a week, it helps me stick to my goals through the week. I'll probably start having it less frequently though as I get further in the process. Right now I need the extra boost of motivation, but my weight loss will probably slow down a bit soon (probably when I get under 200 lbs) and then maybe I'll just have a cheat dinner once a month or so.

I don't have cheat meals/days, but I do take diet breaks every 3-4 months where I eat at maintenance for a couple of weeks.

mccindy72 wrote: »

6502programmer wrote: »

Don't cheat. Choose.

Expanding on that, the very concept sets it up as being somehow forbidden and exotic. That's not the way you should approach your food. Sometimes it's nourishing, sometimes indulgent. Never though is it off limits. Yes, I choose to go over my deficit sometimes, and will probably even go over maintenance when I'm on vacation. If I go over my allowed calories, and as long as I'm under my maintenance level, I'm still losing weight. It won't come off as quickly if I eat at or near maintenance, but it shouldn't go up as long as I'm accurate and honest in my logging.

If you "cheat", and go over your maintenance, you are undoing work you've put in to maintain your deficit. If you cut calories below goal to save up for your cheat, you run the risk of denying your body the nutrition it needs. It's way easier when you don't cheat, and simply make indulgent foods work in your limits, but when that's not possible, be sensible and stay under maintenance calories.

Not exactly. If you cut calories below your goal in the span of a few days, then have your day of higher calories another day, your body will be fine. You only worry about meeting nutritional needs if you are not eating a well-balanced diet, or eating below calorie goals on a regular basis. As long as you meet calorie goals weekly, you will be just fine.

I misspoke. The concept I was trying to convey that the further under deficit you go, the tighter your tolerances for nutrition go. When you're at deficit, you can get the nutrition you need (macros and micros) much more readily than you can when you eat under deficit. Every choice requires more scrutiny the lower you go.

ErinWard1986 wrote: »

Just curious if any of you all have a "cheat day". One day out of the week that you eat right for half of the day and then eat whatever you like for say dinner...be it take out, restaurant, etc...if so, do you feel that it helps or hinders on your weight loss journey?

Nope.

That's how I got here in the first place.

I gained 15 kg very, very gradually ... I ate well during the week and then kind of let myself go on weekends. During the week, I'd lose a little weight ... on the weekends I'd gain it all back and sometimes a little bit more.


If I want to eat more ... I work for it. I exercise.

So if I want to go out to a restaurant, I will go for a long walk or bicycle ride first. On my birthday I had half a small cheesecake, but that was OK because I had gone for a long bicycle ride before I ate the cheesecake. Exercise gives me the freedom to eat a wider variety of food, and especially higher calorie foods. No cheating involved.

mccindy72 wrote: »

Machka9 wrote: »

ErinWard1986 wrote: »

Just curious if any of you all have a "cheat day". One day out of the week that you eat right for half of the day and then eat whatever you like for say dinner...be it take out, restaurant, etc...if so, do you feel that it helps or hinders on your weight loss journey?

Nope.

That's how I got here in the first place.

I gained 15 kg very, very gradually ... I ate well during the week and then kind of let myself go on weekends. During the week, I'd lose a little weight ... on the weekends I'd gain it all back and sometimes a little bit more.


If I want to eat more ... I work for it. I exercise.

So if I want to go out to a restaurant, I will go for a long walk or bicycle ride first. On my birthday I had half a small cheesecake, but that was OK because I had gone for a long bicycle ride before I ate the cheesecake. Exercise gives me the freedom to eat a wider variety of food, and especially higher calorie foods. No cheating involved.

Are you counting calories? There's no way a 'long bike ride' burned enough calories to give you room for 1/2 a small cheesecake. You can't exercise enough to eat higher calorie foods with disparity.

I'm talking about a long bicycle ride ... not just an hour or two.

I count cycling at 100 cal for every 5 km (which is actually a pretty low estimate, the commonly used one is 40 cal/mile or 125 cal/5 km).

That day I rode a little over 60 km = 1200 cal. 60 km isn't really a long ride, but it was a comfortably decent length that day.

At that time I was on a 1250 cal limit.

1200 exercise calories + 1250 normal everyday calories = 2450 calories.

Lots of room for 1/2 a small cheesecake at 1326 cal.



You sure can exercise enough to eat higher calorie foods.

mccindy72 wrote: »

Machka9 wrote: »

mccindy72 wrote: »

Machka9 wrote: »

ErinWard1986 wrote: »

Just curious if any of you all have a "cheat day". One day out of the week that you eat right for half of the day and then eat whatever you like for say dinner...be it take out, restaurant, etc...if so, do you feel that it helps or hinders on your weight loss journey?

Nope.

That's how I got here in the first place.

I gained 15 kg very, very gradually ... I ate well during the week and then kind of let myself go on weekends. During the week, I'd lose a little weight ... on the weekends I'd gain it all back and sometimes a little bit more.


If I want to eat more ... I work for it. I exercise.

So if I want to go out to a restaurant, I will go for a long walk or bicycle ride first. On my birthday I had half a small cheesecake, but that was OK because I had gone for a long bicycle ride before I ate the cheesecake. Exercise gives me the freedom to eat a wider variety of food, and especially higher calorie foods. No cheating involved.

Are you counting calories? There's no way a 'long bike ride' burned enough calories to give you room for 1/2 a small cheesecake. You can't exercise enough to eat higher calorie foods with disparity.

I'm talking about a long bicycle ride ... not just an hour or two.

I count cycling at 100 cal for every 5 km (which is actually a pretty low estimate, the commonly used one is 40 cal/mile or 125 cal/5 km).

That day I rode a little over 60 km = 1200 cal. 60 km isn't really a long ride, but it was a comfortably decent length that day.

At that time I was on a 1250 cal limit.

1200 exercise calories + 1250 normal everyday calories = 2450 calories.

Lots of room for 1/2 a small cheesecake at 1326 cal.



You sure can exercise enough to eat higher calorie foods.

See, now you've explained that very well, which is helpful. But to just blindly say that you (in general, not 'you' specifically) can exercise enough to eat high calorie foods can be very misleading to new people who might be reading these threads to learn. Most people aren't exercising at that level and will think that their run on the treadmill, etc, is enough for them to have a big old treat, when it really isn't.

I did say a "I will go for a long walk or bicycle ride" ... an hour's casual walk or bicycle ride just isn't "long".

But my idea of "long" is possibly different from some other people's idea of "long".

And you do have to have a pretty reasonably realistic idea of how many calories you're burning because weight loss comes down to CI<CO.

I don't usually do a cheat day because the lesson learned for me was I cheated last week with 2 cocktails and a moderately fattening dinner ( mexican enchiladas with rice and beans but made sure only 1 enchilada and 1/2 cup rice and beans) ate a large salad with it all and next day I gained 2lbs! So I told myself until I lose at least 10lbs I want to stay on track since I have a long road in front of me wanting to lose 50lbs total. I think it's like some have said here have a small portion of the food you really want but keep it in your calorie intake:)