Cheat day?

Sam101my
Sam101my Posts: 128 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Wondering who allows themselves a cheat day? Mine is usually on Sunday. It is a day I do not workout (normally) and cheat on my diet. I might have seconds at dinner, get a Starbucks, eat a sweet, drink a soda, or eat a sugary bowl of cereal. Sometimes all of the above..Just wondering what your opinions are? Should one do this or not?
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Replies

  • ariana_eatsandlifts
    ariana_eatsandlifts Posts: 197 Member
    A cheat day to me means going a whole day without logging. I've personally stopped doing this because I can undo my weekly deficit in that one day. However, I do occasionally allow days where I go over my calorie limit so I can enjoy a special occasion. My one year wedding anniversary is coming up... I'm thinking sushi and sake!
  • ilovecereal1982
    ilovecereal1982 Posts: 1,194 Member
    Sugary bowl of cereal???? No way does that count missy
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I work things like that in during the week, as I see fit. A cheat day or meal, unlogged, could put me over too much for the week.
  • bevtony20
    bevtony20 Posts: 4 Member
    I don't have a cheat day. I have a set number of calories I can have in a day. I do not deny myself--last week for dinner one night I had an enchilada platter, strawberry margarita and half a flour tortilla. As long as my 7 day average is under the set calorie limit I'm good. I have lost 8 pounds since 9-8-2015. It's all psychological with me - if it is a cheat day then I am denying myself. If I'm denying myself then I want everything fattening I can think of in one meal. I know I am going out to dinner in a few days. I'm already watching my calories so that they are below the set number and then the day after dinner I will do the same....it's all about the 7 day average. When I stop losing I will lower the set number of calories.
  • Sam101my
    Sam101my Posts: 128 Member
    Sugary cereal is a no-no for me.... :)
  • ilovecereal1982
    ilovecereal1982 Posts: 1,194 Member
    It'd definitely a yes yes....just have to go a little extra hard in the workout routine to fit captain crunch, toucan Sam or Tony the tiger into your diet :) and reeeeaaallly hard to fit in boo, count chocula and frankenberry....
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Sam101my wrote: »
    Sugary cereal is a no-no for me.... :)

    Interesting. I don't eat it but I've been looking for ways to incorporate it more. Not in a bowl with milk per se...but in a protein yogurt sludge or something.
  • Sam101my
    Sam101my Posts: 128 Member
    ...I suppose in moderation..I really try to do Cheerios, Special K, or Honey Bunches of Oats. :)
  • Sam101my
    Sam101my Posts: 128 Member
    Do you really love cereal this much?;)

  • ilovecereal1982
    ilovecereal1982 Posts: 1,194 Member
    Sam101my wrote: »
    Do you really love cereal this much?;)

    Ooooh I love it alright. ...it's always there for you :)
  • OsricTheKnight
    OsricTheKnight Posts: 340 Member
    I allow myself a meal out with my family or my wife each week. I think the best way is to "plan it in" by saving up calories during the week that you know you're going to blow on the cheat meal. If you don't account for it at all, it's amazing how much damage you can do in a single sitting or a single day.

    Osric
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I have days where I eat more, maybe a 1000 calories more, but I don't consider it to be a cheat day. Just a hungry day. I eat very LCHF so to me, a cheat day to me would be eating too many carbs, and I won't do that because it will kick me out of ketosis. It's all or nothing for me.

    If you think you can handle cheats, go for it. If you think it could derail you, it may not be worth it.
  • baptiste565
    baptiste565 Posts: 590 Member
    I may cheat with high carbs but i still try to keep fats under control. I do more of a refeed.
  • siluridae
    siluridae Posts: 188 Member
    Sam101my wrote: »
    Do you really love cereal this much?;)

    I love it too.
    Used to down about half a package before I decided to stop being fat. :D Now I gotta less. Could still eat mountains of it if I was allowed!

    I don't do cheat days though. That's something for tall people who do sports.
  • Abby_C2014
    Abby_C2014 Posts: 86 Member
    edited September 2015
    I do not allow myself to do a "cheat day" anymore. I only allow myself with a "cheat meal". If I am craving Panda Express, I get orange chicken with rice in my cheat meal (which is every two weeks for me). I have learned the hard way in my cheat days, because I end up compromising a lot of things.
  • Sam101my
    Sam101my Posts: 128 Member
    :) Too funny on the cereal...

  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    I don't cheat, I just eat. If I had to "cheat" then I would be doing it wrong. If I order something, like Chinese in the example above, and I know it's going to be high in calories, I just log it and move on. I probably have 2-4 days a month where I go a bit too far over my calories and there's really nothing wrong with that at all. I don't plan them (unless it's a holiday coming up or something where I know there will be lots to eat), I just go with the daily flow.
  • echmainfit619
    echmainfit619 Posts: 333 Member
    "Cheat day" is too cute a word for it. Why not call it what it really is, a failure day.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    When eating good food becomes failure, I don't want to live on this planet any longer.
  • echmainfit619
    echmainfit619 Posts: 333 Member
    It is if you go way over your calories for the day. That's what most people mean when they have a cheat day.
  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
    I "cheat" every Saturday. I try not to go WAY over my TDEE, but if I do, it's no biggie. I still have enough of a deficit during the week with diet and exercise that I still lose 2 pounds a week.
  • FrankWhite27330
    FrankWhite27330 Posts: 316 Member
    Had a hi calorie weekend. Gained 5 lbs

  • Nathy_F
    Nathy_F Posts: 40 Member
    I feel the same way, I know if I start eating any junk food or fry on the weekend , there is non stopping :( , mentally it will mess me up. so no failure days / cheat days for me o:)
    echmainfit619 wrote: »
    "Cheat day" is too cute a word for it. Why not call it what it really is, a failure day.

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    echmainfit619 wrote: »
    "Cheat day" is too cute a word for it. Why not call it what it really is, a failure day.

    lol. kinda funny.
  • b0urb0
    b0urb0 Posts: 10 Member
    ariana_eatsandlifts wrote: »
    A cheat day to me means going a whole day without logging. I've personally stopped doing this because I can undo my weekly deficit in that one day.
    ^^^
    This. I do badly on cheat day. But of course to some it's what they need to keep going and that is fine. You gotta know yourself to know if it's for you or not. I will sometimes cheat, but planning a cheat day is calling for disaster for me. I cheat from time to time and it works best that way for me, and it often is on 1 meal instead of the whole day.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    echmainfit619 wrote: »
    It is if you go way over your calories for the day. That's what most people mean when they have a cheat day.

    Nah. I went way over my calories (I think around 1,000) on Labor Day because we cooked out and had lots of good food. It wasn't a failure at all! The potato salad was excellent. I'd say, over all, the day was a huge success.

    Here it is, the end of the month and I didn't starve myself after that, have gone over my calories a couple of times since then and I have lost weight since. Hmm, nope, not seeing any failures here.
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    My cheats are usually days where I just relax and don't really track. Usually when I'm with family. I make sure to get protein and fats, but I don't stress about the nutrition info too much.
  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
    FrankWhite27330 wrote: »
    Had a hi calorie weekend. Gained 5 lbs

    Half of that, at least, is water weight, I'm sure. Otherwise you had to overeat by 17000 calories.
  • e5412
    e5412 Posts: 17 Member
    I don't think that 1 meal is going to make or break anything. I probably indulge too often, but I'm maintaining and happy where I'm at. When I do, I log it the next day and I usually make up most of the extra calories a day or two after.
  • lml852014
    lml852014 Posts: 243 Member
    A couple of years ago I lost about 15 lbs in a few months and had a "cheat" day every saturday. This means I would eat a donut for breakfast, sometimes fast food for lunch and out for dinner. I still ended up losing the weight it was just obviously at a slower pace. I realize now I really need to stop doing that. My goal is to lose about 7-10 lbs and not by a certain amount of time but maybe the beginning of the new year. I like the idea of letting yourself indulge and it not having to be on one specific day because then you really go crazy! I am really going to try and take this into account when I try and plan my meals (buying a food scale tomorrow!)

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