Cheat days

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stephdowsey
stephdowsey Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Are cheat days a good idea?

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  • FiiiiFiiiFlowerTot
    FiiiiFiiiFlowerTot Posts: 102 Member
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    Yes! Helps you loose weight , helps you physiologically !!!!
  • walkywish
    walkywish Posts: 48 Member
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    Really? How often? X
  • JaneyB311
    JaneyB311 Posts: 80 Member
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    I think it is different for everyone, so you need to work out what suits you best. If you diet best by being quite controlled and restrictive all week and then allow yourself a cheat day then fine, so long as the cheat day isn't so crazy that you blow your calorie deficit for the entire week and therefore limit your progress. The other thing you can do is up your calories a little each day so that you can fit in a treat most days and therefore dont feel deprived and have the urge to splurge at the weekend. I dont think there is a right or wrong answer, it's just about finding what works for you.
  • Dreysander
    Dreysander Posts: 294 Member
    edited January 2016
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    For me they are. I tried to do the whole "I don't cheat, I just work it into my macros" thing - nope. I do better with a "cheat day" once a week.
  • emmaprocopiou
    emmaprocopiou Posts: 246 Member
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    I can't do cheat days, that is where I have failed in the past.
    I do bank my calories though if I know I have an occasion/ date night and try and aim for my weekly calorie goal. Or just over
  • duddysdad
    duddysdad Posts: 402 Member
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    I try not to do cheat days, instead I have a maintenance day. If I cheat, I will surely go over my TDEE, but if I do maintenance, I know I won't gain.
  • surendranmenon
    surendranmenon Posts: 12 Member
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    I manage with my banked calories. But problem is that i have fatty liver on the side and that makea most of the cheat stuff a no no. How do i get around that?. I love my single malt atleast once a week
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    I don't call them cheat days. I eat what I want when I want. I make sure it is a portion size and count it in my daily totals
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    I do a cheat meal. Once a week. If I did a whole day I would not lose any weight because I'm very very close to goal.

    I do work in a tiny treat once a day and I work it into my calories. Usually it's a fun size candy bar after dinner. But a whole day? Nope.
  • star1407
    star1407 Posts: 588 Member
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    For me, I don't like the term cheat as it suggests I'm on a diet that I can win or lose. I'm trying to change my lifestyle and make better choices which is helping me lose weight.
    If I want chocolate then I have it but I make sure it fits in with my calories for that day. That way I don't feel like I'm missing out and therefore eat a whole family bar of galaxy to make up for it! That's where I've gone wrong in the past
  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
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    kbmnurse wrote: »
    I don't call them cheat days. I eat what I want when I want. I make sure it is a portion size and count it in my daily totals

    The majority of the time, this ^^
    However I do have days when proper calorie counting is completely off limits but I do try and estimate it the best I can!!
    These days include: Once a month when my other half and I get to go out for a meal so I eat what I want without guilt and birthdays, weddings, christenings, christmas etc.
    Since this works out at 1 or 2 occasions a month I don't really worry.
  • Abbie918
    Abbie918 Posts: 120 Member
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    I think a cheat meal is a better idea -- a cheat day has the potential to go really overboard!

    I don't schedule in cheat days or meals, but if I go over my calories because it's someone's birthday or my husband and I go out to a nice dinner, I chalk it up to life and work a little harder at the gym the next day. I don't beat myself up for it, but I don't go out of my way to plan for it, either.
  • stephdowsey
    stephdowsey Posts: 13 Member
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    Are cheat days a good idea?
  • stephdowsey
    stephdowsey Posts: 13 Member
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    I tend to stick to my health plan apart from one meal a week and work harder to get rid of the calories x
  • pierson_lauren
    pierson_lauren Posts: 43 Member
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    I think it's a matter of what exactly you think of a cheat day. Like its nice to have a cupcake or favorite meal but I personally don't think it's a good idea to eat what your not used to eating all day and go crazy.. unless you prepared for it or perhaps add some excersise
  • sweetnylady
    sweetnylady Posts: 5 Member
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    I made sundays during football season my cheat days and i just tried to keep it under 2000 calories (including my 880 cals of alcohol) and I would try to burn 880 cals during the week to make up for it. On a side note I ate almost 3000 calories when my Steelers lost :( but I think I cried them out lol
  • jprewitt1
    jprewitt1 Posts: 264 Member
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    When I don't do cheat days I succeed in my goals for that week. When I have cheat days I fail. It's a mental issue for me I know, so I avoid them at all cost. If I keep myself accountable every day it's easier to maintain my weekly goals.

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