Cheat days. Are they helpful?

It's up to you. I tend to have a day every week where I eat above maintenance. I'm really careful about meticulous logging on all the other days, though - and I do log my food even when I go over. It hasn't affected my weight loss. I think the best thing about it for me is that I can have a special food I wouldn't eat otherwise. I don't usually have desserts during the week unless it's a piece of fruit, so planning to have (for instance) a huge bowl of ice cream gives me a little break from the routine.

It just really all depends on you. For some, it doesn't help because it can lead into a downside of overeating. In other words, they have a hard time getting right back to it after a day off. For others (like me) it actually helped me. I have been maintaining for a couple years now, but while I was losing, I would have an occasional day where I would eat whatever I wanted. It helped control my cravings and I would usually do them on special occasions. Birthday, holidays and stuff.

If you're not careful, a cheat DAY can kill your progress for the week. A cheat MEAL makes more sense if you're trying to lose weight. But really, you should figure out a way that you can fit the foods you want to eat on your 'cheats' into your daily calorie allowances. That would be a more sustainable way to eat.

Cheat days are not worthy

I don't know if I'd call it a cheat day but I do WW and they allow extra weekly points in addition to the daily points I can eat from. I occasionally dip in to those extra weekly points on weekends when I might go out to eat, but not often. I tend to have no weight loss when I eat over my daily allotted amount.

I find it easier to "earn" the extra calories by doing more exercise. I'm a hiker, so when I'm out for a 10+ mile hike I get more extra calories than I can actually eat! If you have a special event coming up, try to increase your exercise for a few days ahead. Maybe that will balance out the weekly totals and not mess up your weight loss. Another thing I've noticed for myself: I have a few trigger foods that I really need to stay away from - mostly they aren't healthy anyway (sweets, potato chips, etc.) If I start on any of those, I will eat them until they are gone! Sigh....

My birthday is coming up on Friday, and my brothers are taking me to a baseball game, like we do every year. I plan on upping my workouts and banking some calories because I know I will be eating and drinking like crap. (The Dbacks have some awesome food at Chase Field. The Pit Viper Sandwich, look it up). I probably won't log my food on that day, but it will be worth it.

If I know I have a day like this coming up, I will bank cals and work out a little more, but I don't make a habit of these days. Otherwise its just a cycle of eating you get sucked into, and if one part of the cycle gets out of whack (for instance, no extra exercise or cals banked), the whole system comes apart.

I'm more supportive of a cheat meal that still puts your daily allowance somewhere near your maintenance calories once a week. A cheat day can undo an entire week's deficit quite quickly.

I've been watching a number of my MFP friends post gains this morning because of a cheat day that wound up lasting all weekend. Allegedly it works for some people, you have to decide if you are one of those people.

My thoughts are that I'm never going to learn this as a lifestyle change if I have a "free for all" day. Instead, I try to plan and incorporate things I love into my daily calories. I've had ice cream, filet mignon, red wine, dined out often and haven't gone over. To me, that's the only strategy I see moving forward for the rest of my life. Treat days, not cheat days.

Are you trying to lose weight, or are you trying to lose keep weight off your entire life? My thin and fit friends do what I'm doing. Maybe a cheat day or cheat meal can work for you. I suggest you think it through, and not when you're hungry.