Will a cheat day hurt?!

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l883
l883 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If I am doing a low carb diet, with also low calories, is there going to be a big impact on my weight loss if I have a cheat day once a week?

Also any advice from people who have successfully done the low carb diet? :)
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Replies

  • nomorepuke
    nomorepuke Posts: 320 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Let's put it this way. You eat unhealthy/high carb food 6 days a week and eat healthy/low carb food only once a week, would you lose weight? Probably not.
    You eat healthy/low carb food 6 days a week and you have one cheat day where you eat whatever you like, would you gain weight? Probably not.
    Only concern with a cheat day is that it may trigger you to fall off the wagon. If you get on track the very next day, why not have a cheat day once a week or twice a month or thrice in 2 months? For some people, I've read that it actually keeps you sane and keeps you on track in the long run.
    I prefer not to have a cheat day for the first 6 months of my weight loss journey. Once I hit my goal, then I'm considering it.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
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    Track it to make sure you don't go too far overboard - depending on what you consider a cheat day you can undo your weekly deficit (I know I can...)

    Also, you will probably see an upswing on the scale the days following the cheat day. This will be due to higher water retention (more carbs, more food in your intestines, possibly higher sodium...) and should be gone within the week. If you're certain of your logging on the other days, there's no reason to worry about it and it will even out long term.

    (low carb tends to reduce water bloat, so the moment you eat more carbs, your body will again retain more water, but again, it's not fat so nothing to be worried about).

    Personally low carb didn't work for me. I like bread far too much to ever want to give it up, even if only temporarily. What worked for me was a happy medium including those things I love, but in smaller quantities (or very very rarely things I love where small quantities just won't cut it... pizza anyone? :tongue: )

    Best of luck on your journey.
  • nomorepuke
    nomorepuke Posts: 320 Member
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    misskarne wrote: »
    If you eat enough calories on your "cheat day", you can wipe out the entire week's deficit.

    Why not just eat the things you love and fit them into your calorie goals?

    She's on a low carb diet, she says. "Eat things you like as long as they fit in your calorie deficit" is old. So are you suggesting I can live off of cupcakes, donuts or McDonald's because that's what I love? How about your health? How can you jeopardize your overall health by eating junk just to look skinny? By all means you will lose weight by eating only 2 donuts a day.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    Maybe consider limiting it to a cheat meal rather than a whole day as you'll be less likely to completely negate any deficit. If you're doing low carb there may be some water retention if you're eating carbs or lots of sodium on your cheat day. Don't let that stress you out as it'll come back off. If it worries you, wait a few days before weighing in after your cheat as the water retention will be gone
  • chase8oliver
    chase8oliver Posts: 27 Member
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    Any time I have my clients on a low carb diet plan I insist they take one day each week to replenish their sugar intake (carbs). It's actually a good thing to include high carb meals/goodies in your weekly diet regardless of your particular plan. Within reason of course.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    misskarne wrote: »
    nomorepuke wrote: »
    misskarne wrote: »
    If you eat enough calories on your "cheat day", you can wipe out the entire week's deficit.

    Why not just eat the things you love and fit them into your calorie goals?

    She's on a low carb diet, she says. "Eat things you like as long as they fit in your calorie deficit" is old. So are you suggesting I can live off of cupcakes, donuts or McDonald's because that's what I love? How about your health? How can you jeopardize your overall health by eating junk just to look skinny? By all means you will lose weight by eating only 2 donuts a day.

    Oh good grief, not this stupid strawman argument. I'm not saying she should eat only cupcakes or donuts or McDonalds. But if she wants, she can fit some of it into her calories. That prevents the exact scenario OP is describing where they plan to go all out on a "cheat day".

    Yep, that's like saying people who are doing low carb eat nothing but sticks of butter and blobs of coconut oil.

    Enough derailing and back to OP. If you want a cheat day, make sure you don't eat too many calories on that day. Track everything. It's entirely possible to diet all week then eat back every calorie you dieted in one big binge effectively regaining whatever you lost that week. If you keep your calories under control, a cheat day will not hurt you.

    Do you feel your diet is so hard and restrictive that you need an outlet by the end of the week to destress? Or is this cheat day just part of an eating strategy that makes dieting overall easier for you while still being relatively pleasant throughout the week? If it's latter, have your cheat day and enjoy it, if it's the former, you may need to re-evaluate your diet and how well it fits you.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I have a cheat day every now and then, i simply add the things i like in the quantities i like, which just do not work with the calories i currently have. It is most definitely not a free for all, i still weigh and log everything and dont go stupid, i just relax the rules... a little.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    edited February 2017
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    MFP's app lets you view your weekly calories, and see week by week what your calories have been.

    Going over on one day may still mean you're under your calorie limit for the week.

    Go to Diary > Nutrition > Calories > Week View
  • SierraFatToSkinny
    SierraFatToSkinny Posts: 463 Member
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    A cheat day would ruin me. I'd just go nuts.

    To each their own.
  • MAH80T50
    MAH80T50 Posts: 23 Member
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    Probably not, unless you're taking an exam ... Cheating at what ... !?!

    You might deviate from your plan, but that's having a day of relaxed eating - I hate that phrase, it implies you're doing something bad and that sort of mentality is what causes people to quit their healthier lifestyle plans ...
  • andron04
    andron04 Posts: 3 Member
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    My cheat days can become cheat weeks. If I stray, I lose momentum and quickly gain weight.
  • samhennings
    samhennings Posts: 441 Member
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    Will a cheat day hurt? I guess that depends on what you are doing.

    Fire eating? that will probably hurt...
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
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    If you eat at 200cal deficit everyday for 6 days and on the seventh you eat 1200cal over, yes, it will hurt.
  • mskimee
    mskimee Posts: 228 Member
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    I use to have a cheat day every week, but I ended up eating my entire calorie deficit for the week and didn't lose for a few weeks. Now I have a day that I allow myself a few extra treats, but still log as normal (you'd be amazed how many calories/carbs you can eat mindlessly when you're on a cheat day). Once I hit x calories on a cheat day i know "ok, time to rein it in now."
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,136 Member
    edited February 2017
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    It all depends on your definition of a "cheat day", it means different things to different people:
    • A cheat day where you eat whatever you fancy but it factors in your normal calorie goal - not going to affect your weight loss
    • A cheat day eating at maintenance - provided you've been at a deficit the rest of the week, probably not going to affect your weight loss too adversely.
    • A cheat day where you alter from low carb to normal/high carb but stick within your normal calorie goal - shouldn't affect your weight loss long term but you may notice that you're more bloated when you switch.
    • A cheat day where you eat everything in sight with no regard for your normal calorie goal or maintenance level is the one that will most likely stall your weight loss, as other posters have said, it's easy to end up eating back the whole week's deficit.

    I factor things I like into my normal week (just to be clear that doesn't mean dining on Maccy D's every day), usually eating out 1-2 times per week and I still like a little chocolate bar now and again. Making a fakeaway on a Friday night or making a lower calorie version of something.

    You need to find what suits you and that you can manage long term, otherwise you'll just end up back at square one.
  • unrelentingminx
    unrelentingminx Posts: 231 Member
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    I may not neccessarily have a cheat day but I definitely have a cheat meal once a week which is normally when I eat out with my OH. The rest of the day will be balanced and low calorie but during our one evening meal out a week I will have whatever I like. I don't make a pig of myself but if I'm going to be paying restaurant prices, I'm definitely ordering something I know I'm going to really enjoy. I acknowledge that I've probably blown my calories for the day in doing it and I'm going to hoard water like crazy the next day but it's only one meal a week. There are 20 other meals in the week to be good.
  • IWearDaCrown
    IWearDaCrown Posts: 15 Member
    edited February 2017
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    I really think you have to do what works for you. Some people are soooo against cheat days . And some people swear by them. I personally have not had cheat days . Beacause everyday is a cheat day for me lol. I am 30 years old and at this point I know myself well enough to know that if I deprive myself of what i really want, by time my so called cheat day rolls around I am bound to go absolutely crazy lol (just being honest) . I have a crazy sweet tooth (always have since childhood) . So what I've done is allow myself at least 1 serving of something I reeeeally am craving every single day and factor it into my calorie allowance and it has been working great for me so far. I don't feel like i'm missing anything .... and I am still losing the weight.

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