To cheat or not to cheat? That is the question.

trishk82
trishk82 Posts: 27 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was wondering how you all feel about a "cheat day." Do you think it helps or hinders weight loss? I feel guilty about having a cheat day, but I heard it can actually aid in weight loss. What do you all think?

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It's a myth. If you eat more, you'll eat less. Just fit what you want in your calories instead of overeating for no reason.
  • loxety
    loxety Posts: 4 Member
    How do you feel when you stay up really late on the weekend then have to get up early on the weekdays? It throws off your rhythm. Slow and steady wins the race.
  • trishk82
    trishk82 Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks everyone!
  • the_nerdgasm
    the_nerdgasm Posts: 86 Member
    edited October 2015
    It will slow down your progress a bit, but if you're eating at a deficit the rest of the week, then you should still lose. I give myself one cheat day a week where I can eat up to maintenance. It helps me keep my sanity sometimes, and if I'm feeling good, I don't always use my cheat day. But if I want to go out and have a nice meal somewhere, or go to the movies and have a popcorn, or go have a few drinks, this is the day I'll do it. As long as I'm eating at my deficit the rest of the week, I still lose weight.
  • tkfunkyfrogg
    tkfunkyfrogg Posts: 58 Member
    Cheat days have been my ruin in the past. Id feel guilty then give up and give into bad foods. Eat in moderation and have a cheat MEAL a week that still fits into your calories. Don't undo everything on your path to whatever it is you seek.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    I think the better thing is to structure your meals so that you don't actually feel the need for a cheat day.

    For example, if you normally deprive yourself of X, and then one day a week let yourself eat X, you're actually just strongly reinforcing cravings for X. (It's called Intermittent Reinforcement). It's much better if you just make X something you eat from time to time, within the context of your normal diet, not a special "cheating" thing you do. Cycles of deprivation and consumption are less successful due to the strong cravings.

    That said, I do take certain days "off" where I have no specific calorie goal and I accept my logs are likely inaccurate, but it's not regular, it's things like Christmas, Thanksgiving, a birthday or wedding, etc., and it's not "I eat everything in sight" as much as "I eat about average compared to the other adults in the room".
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    I will have a cheat day very occasionally. It does not aid my weightloss that day as the numbers prove it. However it does aid my wellbeing and general enjoyment of life. That in turn will help me to keep the weightloss journey interesting and achievable. Some of the enjoyment is coming form scheduling it in (I try to have a low cal week beforehand) and looking forward to some glorious food.

    Note for me personally a cheat day is spent in a good quality restaurant, or christmas dinners. Not going to have a cheat day on anything but quality. It has to be worth it to me.
  • tomatosoup3
    tomatosoup3 Posts: 126 Member
    i have a cheat day once a week and i love it. i still lose during the week.

    if you really want to have a cheat day, i think the trick is to switch your thinking. these 24 hours are your break from logging, from dieting. after this day you will feel NO guilt and get right back to logging like you did before.
    it took me a while to master this way of thinking (it used to be one cheat day would lead to another, and then another..) but once i got it down it was great.

    also, you tend to discover that you can't eat the quantities that you used to... there just isn't room in there anymore.
  • FitGirl0123
    FitGirl0123 Posts: 1,273 Member
    I don't believe in cheat days. Eat what you want, on occasion, in moderation :)
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited October 2015
    I don't call them cheats, it's more of a 90/10 guide because 80/20 (that my trainer suggests) seems too much. The "cheat" is more nutritional variation than calorie. I have no desire to blow out my calories in because I work so hard to achieve the weight loss. It's just not worth it to me. Plus I can't eat huge amounts any more.
    SW 310
    CW 188
    GW 150
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Some days, I eat less than the goal number. Some days, I eat more. That's all hunger-based.

    I do not have cheat days. For me, this whole thing is health-based. The weight loss is part of getting healthier, but health is #1, feeling good is #2 and vanity is a distant third.

    I'm not going to cheat myself out of good health, so no scheduled days to cheat. The idea of cheating myself out of health is a wacky one, you know?
  • bclarke1990
    bclarke1990 Posts: 287 Member
    I eat at a 500-600 deficit 6 days a week and then eat around 100 over maintenance every Monday. I prefer this to just eating at a smaller deficit because it feels like a refeed/replenishment and I can fit in some of the dirtier foods a bit easier.
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
    I'm frequently repeating to myself, there is no cheating, only logging. ;)
  • vfit10
    vfit10 Posts: 228 Member
    Cheat meal maybe ... This is my if I eat .. For the whole day .. The cheat day .. I feel like *kitten* the next day .. Bloated tired weird feeling . Everyone is different try it.
  • ekruska802
    ekruska802 Posts: 79 Member
    Sunday is sort of the default cheat day at my house. My husband is a very good cook, and we often have a nice Sunday dinner. I've found, though, that even though I might go over my calories, it's not by much. All the logging and paying attention to what I eat has created better habits so even though I feel like I'm cheating, it turns out not to be so bad.
  • scottver2
    scottver2 Posts: 53 Member
    Cheat meal, yes, cheat day, no. I would lose my sanity if I couldn't eat one tasty meal a week.

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited October 2015
    scottver2 wrote: »
    Cheat meal, yes, cheat day, no. I would lose my sanity if I couldn't eat one tasty meal a week.

    There is no reason that EVERY meal can't be tasty. Mine are tastier than before because I use more fresh food and better seasonings.

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