Cheat Days

robsmy5606rm569
robsmy5606rm569 Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
It is ok to have 1 cheat day a week it does not hurt anything and it gives you something to look forward to during a long week of dieting.

Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    It could hurt your deficit depending on how much of a cheat day it is. You could wipe out a week's worth of deficit in one day easily.

    Imo, eat the foods you love in moderation and fit them into your calorie goal.
  • Trishkit
    Trishkit Posts: 290 Member
    I've learned that I always get derailed after doing a cheat day, so I avoid them and just work the foods I want to "cheat" with into my calorie budget, and try to move more to offset them if I'm at risk of exceeding my limit. For me, I always end up letting myself go too far on a cheat day and then feel terribly about it, and it spirals from there. In the end, you have to do what works best for you and as long as you continue to see the results you're looking for, then more power to you!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Just make sure you don't go over your maintenance calories. This way it may slow your weight loss that week, but won't cause a gain.
  • Mavrick_RN
    Mavrick_RN Posts: 439 Member
    Where a "cheat" day can derail you is if your "diet" is so unsustainable that you can't survive without cheating you have chosen the wrong diet and it won't last. Your cheating will.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    No matter what trendy buzzword you use the fact remains that it's all about a calorie deficit.

    Have a 'cheat meal' every day if you like. It's nothing magical.

    Remain in a calorie deficit to lose weight.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    No, never a cheat DAY, only a weekly cheat MEAL is permissible.
  • robsmy5606rm569
    robsmy5606rm569 Posts: 20 Member
    Cheat days are awesome as I continue to reach my goal of 7% body fat at 46c4ksy292vvz8.png
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I'm glad it works for you, but an entire day of cheating can easily wipe out a deficit -- especially for people who are smaller.
  • robsmy5606rm569
    robsmy5606rm569 Posts: 20 Member
    Yes it will wipe out a deficit for that day but as long as you stick to your cardio and diet the following day your body has no time to store fat
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    I don't do cheat days. I like what I eat every day, and there will be more than enough special occasions that come up when I might eat something I don't usually eat. Even then, I don't eat beyond feeling full, because I hate that feeling.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    robsmy5606rm569 wrote: »
    Yes it will wipe out a deficit for that day but as long as you stick to your cardio and diet the following day your body has no time to store fat

    It's also possible to wipe out a deficit for multiple days. If my deficit is, for example, 250 a day, and I go over my goal by 2,000 calories, then I will see that impact my weight loss.
  • ACanadian22
    ACanadian22 Posts: 377 Member
    I agree with you. We have to learn to eat and once and awhile, there is nothing wrong with having that extra :) I believe it is the only reason I have lost 25 pounds in a fairly short time
  • robsmy5606rm569
    robsmy5606rm569 Posts: 20 Member
    What are your goals
  • ACanadian22
    ACanadian22 Posts: 377 Member
    robsmy5606rm569 wrote: »
    What are your goals

    I take it you are asking me? I am lifting for tone as I am 47 years old and looking to lose another 25 pounds. So far, so good :)
  • robsmy5606rm569
    robsmy5606rm569 Posts: 20 Member
    That's great I compete at times and tend to bulk up during winter every year getting to 250 lbs and then everyyear I start a diet to drop down to 200 lbs but as I'm 46 now seems harder to drop the weight like I used to
  • robsmy5606rm569
    robsmy5606rm569 Posts: 20 Member
    You should be able to drop 25 lbs in 12 weeks no problem
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    robsmy5606rm569 wrote: »
    Yes it will wipe out a deficit for that day but as long as you stick to your cardio and diet the following day your body has no time to store fat

    You haven't met me and my cheat days yet. If I'm having one, I make it worth it by eating to my satiety rather than not hungry and trust me, that's at least 3,000 calories (usually in just desserts, lel). Four days would wipe out a month's deficit.

    Some people can deal with going ham one day a week or month. Some, like me, are better at fitting things in every day so there's no need to go ham.
  • robsmy5606rm569
    robsmy5606rm569 Posts: 20 Member
    I hate ham lol
  • robsmy5606rm569
    robsmy5606rm569 Posts: 20 Member
    It is funny when it does come cheat day you actually can't really eat that much because your stomach is not used to it and shrinks therefor you are full very fast as tomorrow is my cheat day I am already planning on donuts for breakfast pizza for lunch so excited for tomorrow
  • fh1951
    fh1951 Posts: 441 Member
    I've observed that cravings on day x correlate well with scale progress on day x+1... If my body fat % was under 10 like yours, I wouldn't be concerned about scale progress but I'm not there yet.
  • joehalle
    joehalle Posts: 5 Member
    If you are trying to lose weight, you should only have one cheat MEAL a week. If you are not trying to lose weight and just trying to maintain weight, you can take a cheat day. It is important not to limit or restrict yourself too much, as this is is not manageable long term. I think everything in moderation is best, but if you are looking to follow the cheat meal/day rule and really splurge on these days, then I would stick to the 1 meal for those looking to lose and a day for those looking to maintain.
  • Witchdoctor58
    Witchdoctor58 Posts: 226 Member
    For people like me with sugar and other food addiction, it can also trigger a binge. If you are capable of having very small portions of your cheat food, fine. But I eat three to four pieces of pizza, not one. I eat a whole bag of certain candies if I so much as taste it or smell it. Cheat foods, AKA junk foods often contain ingredients that set off inflammatory responses in the body, increasing risks of various illness.
  • ForeverSunshine09
    ForeverSunshine09 Posts: 966 Member
    To be fair everyone is different. It took me a while to realize I do better with a planned cheat day. I still log everything but, I don't really care what it equals. When I tried to cut them out completely after 2 weeks I wanted to eat my own arm off. My deficit is only 250 so I know I am not picking an aggressive goal.

    While others can't control themselves and can easily 5,000 cals on a cheat day and then get so guilty they just stop logging altogether. There is no one sizes fits all.
  • robsmy5606rm569
    robsmy5606rm569 Posts: 20 Member
    Forever sunshine right on. I tend to add 40 to 50 lbs during winter and will always lean down for summer ov e been doing this for years and always have a plan cheat day while trying to drop weight it works for me and I bet others it will also
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Witchdoctor58 wrote: »
    For people like me with sugar and other food addiction, it can also trigger a binge. If you are capable of having very small portions of your cheat food, fine. But I eat three to four pieces of pizza, not one. I eat a whole bag of certain candies if I so much as taste it or smell it. Cheat foods, AKA junk foods often contain ingredients that set off inflammatory responses in the body, increasing risks of various illness.

    Aren't 3-4 slices of pizza the norm for most people, it is for me. I can't say I've ever had just one slice of pizza. My husband and I share a large pizza, which is 4 slices each.
  • bclarke1990
    bclarke1990 Posts: 287 Member
    I'm not sure if this is a troll or you're just really bored and trying to upset people with anecdotal arguments
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
    lithezebra wrote: »
    I don't do cheat days. I like what I eat every day, and there will be more than enough special occasions that come up when I might eat something I don't usually eat. Even then, I don't eat beyond feeling full, because I hate that feeling.

    I used to live for the feeling of being really full but lately I've noticed that I am uncomfortable when I overeat, even if I am not eating over my daily calorie allowance. An unexpected NSV!
  • Mavrick_RN
    Mavrick_RN Posts: 439 Member
    ForeverSunshine09 wrote: »
    To be fair everyone is different. It took me a while to realize I do better with a planned cheat day. I still log everything but, I don't really care what it equals. When I tried to cut them out completely after 2 weeks I wanted to eat my own arm off. My deficit is only 250 so I know I am not picking an aggressive goal.

    While others can't control themselves and can easily 5,000 cals on a cheat day and then get so guilty they just stop logging altogether. There is no one sizes fits all.

    OMG. The mental image of you eating your own arm really got me to laughing. Sorry, I'm just sick I guess. LOL

  • Witchdoctor58
    Witchdoctor58 Posts: 226 Member
    To Christine: Exactly my point. If I ate all the pizza I wanted, I'd blow my progress away. However, if I ate one piece and the rest of the meal was veggies, that might be an acceptable cheat/special treat.

    However, if you cheat occasionally by eating 1800 cal instead of 1400 cal by simply increasing portions of healthy foods, that would be okay. If you crave more good stuff, you probably need it. It's the white carbs and chemical stew in processed foods that will get you, and perhaps trigger a binge besides.

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