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Cheat day..yes or no?

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  • TexasStellar
    TexasStellar Posts: 39 Member
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    Does anybody else ever feel like cheat day undoes all of the hard work?? I know I do..
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    TexasStellar wrote: »
    Does anybody else ever feel like cheat day undoes all of the hard work?? I know I do..

    Depending on how much you eat, it can.
  • TexasStellar
    TexasStellar Posts: 39 Member
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    @zyxst Yes I think that is my problem lol

  • ElleBellesTheoBear
    ElleBellesTheoBear Posts: 67 Member
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    the trick with me with cheat days is portion control. Im not going to have a entire day where i am reckless about my eating decisions.. but I will allow myself one meal where I portion the amount im eating. and I log it even if its a cheat so im conscious of what im eating and what's in it.. half the time I long it and no longer want it because i realize how bad it is...
    tikka masala chicken curry and nann bread is my weakness...
  • TexasStellar
    TexasStellar Posts: 39 Member
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    @saraht4392 You are right ... and lol chicken tikka masala and naan ... it's like you've been having the same cheat meals as me!! ;)
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    TexasStellar wrote: »
    Does anybody else ever feel like cheat day undoes all of the hard work?? I know I do..

    I don't. Only because i would struggle to enough to wipe out my weekly deficit.
  • HazyEyes93
    HazyEyes93 Posts: 89 Member
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    I like having a maitenence day every two weeks. Nothing gained, nothing lost. And I get to recharge my will power battery.
  • Anatopism
    Anatopism Posts: 3 Member
    edited September 2016
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    I do keto, and don't exercise as much as I should, so a cheat day would likely set me back more than I can really allow myself. I did mess up food yesterday by overcoming my pork. Tasted great but I made it way too dry and was super bummed about it, so I went out, bought myself something I was really craving, and had just enough to stay under my carb goal of 20g with all my other foods for be day. It was within my macros goals, but over my calorie count for the day, and you know what? I don't care. Not indulging yesterday may have resulted in me giving up entirely on a diet that I physically feel so much better on, and have lost 10 lbs on in the last 2 weeks. It was a "cheat" but psychologically needed, and I'm back on track. I don't feel like giving up.

    My suggestion is this: don't plan or schedule cheat days, but DO plan/be conscious of how much you consume when you do cheat. Do your very best every single day, and when you feel you just REALLY need a cheat, do it, but in moderation. You've had the willpower to stick to your diet for days, and you will have the willpower to limit your "cheat" to acceptable amounts. Don't overindulge, and don't feel guilty for going off track. Just pick up where you were and keep going.
  • dr_soda
    dr_soda Posts: 57 Member
    edited September 2016
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    Personally, when I'm asked about how I feel about cheat days, my answer is to ask : "Who are you cheating with this cheat day?"

    But that's just the philosophical answer. From a mathematical standpoint, if your cheat day doesn't wipe away all the progress from the whole week then clearly you'll still lose weight over time, just more slowly. For example:

    If you are trying to lose 2lbs per week with a 1000 calorie daily deficit, and you maintained a deficit of 6000 calories over 6 days, but then ate at a surplus of 1000 calories on day 7, your week's total was a 5000 calorie deficit. This means that you'll lose about 1.4 lbs that week, instead of 2 lbs. You'll slow down your progress by 30%. If you're going 6000 over on your cheat day then you've completely wiped out all the progress, but that is somewhat difficult to accomplish!

    But of course, that assumes that you've tracked your cheat day, and you know just what the overage is. A number of people who want to have a cheat day want it because they don't want to track at all, and if that's you then you can't really know just how much damage you're doing to your efforts. These "cheat days" also can be a bit more dangerous if your goal is slower than 2lbs. If for example, you were trying to lose only 1 lbs per week and your cheat day was 1000 calories then you'd have a total deficit of 2000 by the end of the week... losing only .6 lbs.

    Over time, these numbers add up. If you're comfortable with that, then it's perfectly fine, and you'll still more than likely reach your goals eventually... if you're 100% accountable and scrupulous on the other 6 days of the week. This then, leads to the next really important consideration: Are you capable of being scrupulously on-task on all non-cheat days? If not, then perhaps the best solution is to set a slower weight loss goal in the first place. Instead of going for 2lbs per week but sabotaging that goal by cheating yourself down to 1.4 lbs per week, it might be better to just set your goal at 1.5lbs per week and not worry too much if you go over by 100 calories here or there.
  • jondspen
    jondspen Posts: 253 Member
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    I don't have a prescribed cheat day. I just monitor my calories, try to keep a deficit, and if one day I just have a craving for pizza or a cheeseburger...then I go for it. If the next day I want another, then tough however. Usually, I try to ensure my cheat day(s) don't put my net calories over for the week.

    We are creatures of habit, and food is no different. I have found that as I diet, the cravings become less intense and more infrequent. I guess I get use to eating healthy and a greasy burger actually turns my stomach...but it takes a LONG time for that! :)

    When I do, I don't beat myself up over a day or two when my body is craving it's 'drug-food' fix; it helps long term to keep me focused. Otherwise...I would deny and deny myself, get tired of it, quit monitoring after a month or so, and then 3 months later be packing an extra 10-20 lbs again.
  • anl90
    anl90 Posts: 928 Member
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    For me, I find accepting the idea that it is okay to once in a while have a small indulgent helps me succeed with my weight loss journey. Everything in moderation, though! I will admit - I am addicted to food. So sometimes, I get cravings so bad all I can think about is how to get my hands on what I want. And while I try to will it away, sometimes it gets the best of me. So I compromise - no, I will not get an entire meal from that fast food restaurant, but maybe I can have just a plain sandwich, or a simple burrito. I also made sure not to do it more than once or twice a week. To some, it may seem like a failure - but to me, it helped me stay on track.
  • revengedoctor21
    revengedoctor21 Posts: 4 Member
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    Aim for a batting average. If you have 4 meals a day 7 days a week = 28 meals. if 22 of your meals are healthy is doesn't matter if the other 6 are not. You still got a good batting average.
  • vczK2t
    vczK2t Posts: 309 Member
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    IMHO, cheat "days" are a recipe for disaster. I do much better planning everything. for me, it's calories in vs calories out, daily. now, if i know i am going to overindulge at a special event, i will up the exercising to balance out some of the excess food/drink. but that's as far as my "cheat day" goes.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    I run a refeed window every Friday, for three hours. Within that window I stuff everything into my grubhole that I can keep down. Amazingly, I really can't eat that much sushi in a three hour window. Usually 2200 kcals worth, tops, as I avoid fattier rolls, as it's the carbs I am after.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    It's a bit existential.

    Including what the non-extremists have said, it's a choice you make, and the result will reflect that.

    I have decided that I will never be ripped. The reason is because I choose to indulge sometimes. I am not very super disciplined. I eat better than 99% of people. But, that's not good enough to have washboard abs. I enjoy beer on football Sunday, I like Mexican food more than should be legal, and ice cream is a serious weakness. Pizza comes into play once a week or so too.

    There is no rational reason what I eat cannot be within my calorie range, however, I am not always rational. So, I have learned, after many years of beating myself up, that I am what I am. I am the result of my choices, which are good, rational, and wholesome 99% of the time. But, the 1% throws me off and I am at peace with that. If I choose to really buckle down for a period of time, the results can be amazing, but it doesn't usually last long. An upcoming event can sometimes trigger some real discipline for a period of time.

    Good luck.

    I love this post...

    Every day we are bombarded with images of bodybuilders and celebrities photographed at their "peak". We read fitness magazines about how some celebrity got jacked and ripped for a movie, or a body builder for a contest. We then make the mistake of taking something that was done for a set period of time to achieve a particular look and turn it into an every day lifestyle. The celebs don't walk around every day looking like they do in their movies or their pics. Aside from the fact that the pics are retouched (I know, I am a retoucher).

    As @guitarjerry has stated, "I am what I am...".

  • jak2772
    jak2772 Posts: 5 Member
    edited September 2016
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    If you want results and constant results avoid cheat days... if you're on a -500/day deficit or 3500/week kcals (1lb of bodyweight* per week loss) you can undo that pretty quick by eating 1000-1500 extra cals on your cheat day or more... a real 'cheat' day should be taken as minimally as possible when dieting if you want to see results.


    It's important to look at what you're planning on eating on your cheat day, eating a large bag of doritos 900-1000kcals over 3 extra chicken breasts 600/700kcals for dinner is a huge difference


    bodyweight* (you lose lean body mass when dieting as well as fat.)
  • shredz3
    shredz3 Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm doing a 12 week program for shedding body fat I haven't had a cheat meal since I've started. I'm on week 5. Feeling great! Strong mind strong body.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    I have maintenance calorie days, which are usually enough to get me things I've been craving. We were recently away on vacation and I didn't log and I indulged in treat foods. I lost half a pound because I was incredibly active the whole week we were away.

    "Cheating" to me implies that it's something forbidden, and to me, just having a bit more than I usually do is something that's going to happen a couple of times a year. Vacations, holidays, special occasions... the list goes on. I can't always plan ahead, but when I can, I bank calories ahead of time. If I haven't planned ahead, I just eat a little less and move a little more afterwards.

    Rather than having cheat "days", I like having an overall healthy lifestyle and diet that enables me to say... yeah, maybe once a month or so I will pick up a Snickers bar walking through the check out line in the grocery store... without it having any impact whatsoever on my progress or long-term goals.
  • GothamVeggie
    GothamVeggie Posts: 87 Member
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    It's interesting that so many people disagree with a cheat. I find that having a cheat meal (or two) every two to three weeks seems to really keep me on track the rest of the time.

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