Cheat Day? What are your thoughts?

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shoshi68
shoshi68 Posts: 407 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What are your thoughts about a cheat day? I have heard some about it, but would be interested in what your experiences have been, and the reasoning behind having a cheat day . . . I welcome your input!

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  • Spitfirex007
    Spitfirex007 Posts: 749 Member
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    I hate the term "Cheat days" Everything is fine in moderation. And if you eat say a couple slices of pizza, it doesn't mean you have to "cheat" the rest of the day. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't plan on never eating junk food again. So why completely limit myself now? It's a lifestyle change, not a diet.
  • cmg2008
    cmg2008 Posts: 139
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    I would check this out. It has alot of useful info about what people think!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/255179-when-you-have-a-cheat-meal-how-do-you-do-it-over-on-calor?hl=cheat#posts-3391183
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    From what I understand, a "cheat" day is a day where you go over your usual intake of calories to shock your metabolism. If you eat limited calories for a long period of time your body may think there isn't enough food around. Having a high calorie day tells your body that there is indeed food around, you're just choosing not to eat for a reason!

    Just because you have a high calorie day doesn't mean it has to be unhealthy. Eat more calories with lean meats, peanut butter, or other high calorie, yet healthy favorites.
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
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    I think indulging in something you really want every once in awhile is fine, but blowing a whole day can set you back all week - from personal experience and from looking at other people's diaries when they "plateau" (and I use that term loosely), messing up badly one day a week can stop weight loss. A better approach, I think, is to work the foods you really want into your program/plan in moderation. So if you want to go out for pizza, you eat lighter the rest of the day, maybe a salad for lunch, and then enjoy a slice or two. Don't add on the breadsticks and dessert, or eat the whole pizza, or go to McDonalds for lunch and then hit Pizza Hut for dinner. Make sensible lifestyle choices, rather than making it a dieting vs cheating thing.
  • midwesthiker
    midwesthiker Posts: 144
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    If I did an entire day I would have to work twice as hard the rest of the week to make up for it. :) LOL

    I have pizza every Friday for supper. I love pizza and could eat it every meal! However, knowing that I get it Friday nights makes it easier the rest of the time. I generally make sure I have a salad for lunch. My husband makes homemade sourdough crust, we use homemade pizza sauce, and we have 2% cheese and canadian bacon and a small amount of pepperoni. I generally go a bit over in calories but don't normally gain weight from it. So I guess you could call it a "cheat meal" but I don't consider it cheating when I plan ahead for it and feel ok with the choice.
  • decooper
    decooper Posts: 57 Member
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    How it was explained to me is that a cheat meal.... is not a bad idea. A cheat day could thwart a week of discipline nutrition and exercise. I had a trainer tell me that, and I read it in one of my fitness magazines.
  • DustinReiner
    DustinReiner Posts: 157 Member
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    I don't believe in a "Cheat day", a cheat day can lead into bending and then, the next day oh I can eat that, it's NOT that bad and then on and on and on. That's how we got here, by slipping and bending the rules!

    We're all here becasue we want or need to lose weight. When it's all said and down, we're going to have to change the way we look at food and the way we eat. OR WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WHERE WE ARE. I don't know about you, butI'm not coming back here again~!

    So changes in llfe are going to have to be made! Face the facts. We aren't getting any younger and it's not as easy to burn off food as it once was.

    Hey, we all like chocolate cake, but it will be few and far between me having another piece of it! I'm not busting my butt in the gym and eating 1600 calories everyday to come back!

    Cheat day, that's up to you? ME NO! I didn't do 400 reps of ab work and 20 minutes on the bike to go back. Maybe when I get below my goal weight once a year on my birthday I MIGHT have a piece of cheese cake. Then the next day ride the bike for 40 minutes!

    Good luck in your goals~!
  • DustinReiner
    DustinReiner Posts: 157 Member
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    It doesn't mean I don't give myself a reward every now and then. If I've worked out a lot one week, or was super strict on myself I give myself a reward.

    Example my 82 year old father wanted cookies like my mother use to make. He's a great Dad and he has always been great to me(You can read my bio, he's been there for me more ways than one)

    So I made him the cookies(Ginger crinkles) off of my mothers reciepe. I had AWESOME cookie dough right in front of me, right there! It was all me! I wouldn't of gotten in any trouble, no one but me was the keeper of the cookie dough.

    I DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF IT! NONE, NOT A SINGLE ANY PART OF THAT WENT INTO MY BODY! Damn, that was hard but I did it. So about four day later after four straight days at the gym and the EVIL stationary bike. I had Chinese food! I killed good old General Tso!

    Chinese isn't really low calorie or fat free! But it was MY reward for being on target besides it's not as bad as cookie dough. It was my reward and what i was willing to spend the extra calories on! Choose your battles and choose what's worth it to you!

    Reward system!(Oh BTW after time, if your really doing this for the long term, your rewards change!)
  • redGummiBear
    redGummiBear Posts: 7
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    I don't believe in a "Cheat day", a cheat day can lead into bending and then, the next day oh I can eat that, it's NOT that bad and then on and on and on. That's how we got here, but slipping and bending the rules!
    Good luck in your goals~!

    Great Post!

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