Cheat Days

I find "cheat" days just screw up my deficit and make me hungrier the following few days. It's easier for me to maintain my deficit without feeling like I'm not getting enough if I just do the same thing every day.

A day when you eat a FEW MORE calories isn't a cheat day. It's just normal life. Don't deny yourself any foodstuffs while your on a diet. If you fancy ice cream just ensure that the portion you take is within your calorie limit. It's all about portion control.
If you want to eat more calories you should, in my view, combine extra calories with extra activity. If you plan a rest day then I'd say you need to eat a little less on that day as well. When we diet our metabolism goes down, eating a bit more and spending one day a week exercising a lot more can help to increase metabolic rate (and thus help your diet). A couch potato day will reduce your metabolism - so you'll put on weight.
Incidentally why are you spending so long in the gym? Unless you plan to spend the rest of your life there, try and introduce exercise like walking, swimming or cycling that you can share with others. (Not least your boyfriend) That way it's far more likely that you will continue your activity levels beyond your diet.
Good luck!

janekana wrote: »

Just wondering what everyone thinks of cheat days, and if anyone does them. I've done 7 days in a row of gym today (so proud of myself!) so I'm taking a rest tomorrow, but would also love to treat myself to ice cream as well and call it my cheat day.

I've been doing well so far to avoid sweets and overeating, but my boyfriend said he didn't do cheat days when he was working out because it would tempt him. What do you guys think? Do you guys do weekly or monthly cheat days, or just avoid it altogether?

Thanks!

My thinking is similar to your bf. Eating off plan only threw off my momentum. However, if you want an ice cream there are adjustments you can make. For instance, you could look at your deficit as a weekly one instead of daily and budget in the ice cream.

The calories do count so weigh them out and figure calories no matter the source (including fruits and veggies). This will keep you accountable plus make you seriously consider whether you want the setback.

There are reasonable diet-friendly portion sized ice cream treats that fit into a plan with little repurcussions. You could choose a small size and fit it into the daily calorie goal and not have to adjust the rest of the week. I often budget ahead of time cutting calories for an upcoming event so I don't have to do it afterward.

Cheat days? Nope

My "cheateries" are planned indulgences that I prepare for in advance and when its over I know what its gonna do to the scale in the next three days. If I am truly cheating I am doing something wrong.

So I am not into cheats, they imply guilt or breaking the law or rule. Not something I want to feel bad mentally, emotionally and physically during and after.

I plan a cheat meal on the weekends normally. In preperation I usually use IF and fast until the meal or just have protein shakes before and increase my activity on the day or the day after. It works for me.

OK, let me say up front that this approach will not work for everyone.

Yes, we (my girlfriend and I) have been using a Cheat Day for two years. We eat whatever we want in whatever quantity we want for that day. Over that time, I lost 55 lbs and have stayed at maintenance for the last year. My girlfriend has lost 35 lbs and has maintained as well. I definitely think having the two of us do this together has made it much easier. When we're not "cheating" we're following a low/slow carb diet and or course, we're exercising.

Yes, I hear all of you who say you should have whatever you want whenever but "just in smaller portions." That approach definitely doesn't work for me because portion control is my primary problem. It works better for me to have that block of time dedicated to taking a break, then going back at it. Again, not for everyone.

There is a lot of good info here. I have the "Cheat to Lose" diet book and I love the science behind it, and it works, but it was to complicated for me. I am now doing Atkins, but after losing 13 pounds, am at a plateau. Still, I have found that when I am sticking to my diet, whether it is low carb or low fat, when I take a cheat day (less than once a week) I often lose weight. I had two this week. My husband tries not to sabotage, but he is a foodie, addicted,
and can lose weight easily. We took a day trip and at some point handed me a small bit of his fried chicken crust (whatever it's called) and that was it! We were up in the Colorado mountains, and mountain air does things.
So I ate everything.
And stayed at my low weight.
But I did feel uncomfortable last night, and will remember that. Whether it was the fried-egg sandwich,
the ice cream or the chocolate overload cake (so glad that's gone!) or the fruit salad I didn't know I was
lusting for.....
I really don't have many cravings on low carbs, but I think once I eat a food I should not eat,
I am satiated for weeks.
Yes, be careful and if you gain, it will come off. I did have a big gain after a family gathering (the worst!)
but it came off after two weeks of no cheating.

As was noted "cheat" makes it sound like something bad- a morality fudge... like you're sneaking off to the $25 dollar an hour motel room to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's and then walk shamefully home to a smiling, oblivious diet that loves and cares for you.

Honestly, eat what you want within your caloric deficit/macros with an eye on nutrition (nutrient laden foods) for the most part and enjoy the ice cream when and where you want without the guilt. It's sustainable, fun, guilt-free and effective. It's also sustainable.

Did I mention it's sustainable?