Cheat day weight gain :(

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izzienelsonn
izzienelsonn Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Every time I have a "cheat day" (usually once a week :-O) I gain 2-3lbs but then it takes me 3-5 to go back to what i weighed before the cheat day.

A cheat day was supposed to encourage me to be healthy all the other days and it does but it seems to take so long to lose the weight again that cheat meals/ days don't seem worth it. for me cheat days are usually at social events like meals / gatherings/ bbqs with friends and i find it very hard to resist but also very discouraging when my weightloss is undone within a matter of hours.

does anyone have the same problem? or any advice on how to stay motivated- cheat days don't seem to work for me... Thanks! :)
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Replies

  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
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    Water weight can stick around for a few days. What's the general trend of your weight on a month over month basis? Down, up or flat?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    It doesn't sound like this strategy is working for you. Why not try something else?
  • Trishous
    Trishous Posts: 16 Member
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    You could increase the water you drink on your "cheat" day. That might help keep you from eating more calories and help flush the salt out as well. It is just a thought.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I have never done a cheat "day". I have however done cheat meals. At the beginning I did one every two weeks or so and less and less as my weight went down. I think there is still value in allowing yourself a little treat from time to time but a whole day would probably make me gain. When I have a cheat meal I still log the calories and usually only end up going over 200-300 calories. I have gotten to the place now that I get sick if I eat too much so one meal still restricts me. Never had that problem in the old days, lol.
  • need2belean
    need2belean Posts: 356 Member
    edited April 2017
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    If you're going to "cheat" do a cheat meal, not a whole day. That can set you back and ruin all your hard work for the week. Or don't consider either and just bank the calories throughout the week to compensate for those extra calories on the weekend so you remain in a weekly deficit.
  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
    edited April 2017
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    need2belean wrote: »
    Cheat meal. Not Cheat Day. Or don't consider either and just bank the calories throughout the week to compensate for those extra calories on the weekend so you remain in a weekly deficit.

    Sometimes my cheat meal is a cheat day because that is the only meal I eat that day.

    I don't really consider it a "cheat" though. It's the same amount of calories I'd eat regardless, but just spent on wings and pizza and beer as one huge meal instead of my usual lunch and dinner.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    If you're happy with your overall downward trend say, month by month what does it matter what the scale says for a few days? I usually have a 2500 calorie day on the weekend which is about 500 over my maintenance but I eat about 1400 during the week. Overall my weight consistently drops .75lbs-1lb/week so either you're having them too often or you haven't accrued enough data over time to SEE how significant or insignificant the cheat days are.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    And to those arguing about cheat days or meals it's really a moot point since my cheat meal can have the same calories as someone's cheat day. Look at overall CALORIES CONSUMED and subtract that from your projected deficit to see how it *should* affect your progress. What you call going over really has little bearing on your progress if your data is good.
  • JohnnyPenso
    JohnnyPenso Posts: 412 Member
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    My cheating strategy has always been the same. Cheat on the content, don't cheat on the calories. It's a bit of a struggle shaving off a couple of hundred calories a day to counteract one day of being over by hundreds of calories. For me the best compromise was to try and stay within my calorie target (as best you can, often with unreliable estimates) but eat different "cheating" foods. That way, if my weight did go up in a day or two I'd know it was simply salt/water and not worry about it. Worked really well for me as my weight loss was quite linear with no plateaus that lasted longer than a few days. Food for thought for the OP.
  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
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    Forget about cheat days all together. That thinking undermines the whole concept of counting calories. Now, count everything, absolutely everything. Have a calorie budget and stick to it. Treat it like money. If you want to indulge in something just budget for it. This way, you can have anything you want and still maintain a calorie deficit. Of course, you will find that some things are worth the calories and some aren't. Spend them wisely and you will stay satisfied.
  • izzienelsonn
    izzienelsonn Posts: 19 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies, I wasn't expecting so many so quickly!

    When I say cheat day I mean I'll probably have my usual fruit and veg smoothie for breakfast and then skip lunch and eat unhealthy around dinner time. I haven't tracked calories on cheat days because i pick at things and nibble on so many things i can't remember what I ate or how much etc!

    I think I'll try incorporate any "cheating" into my daily or maintenance calorie allowance as well as making sure I drink plenty or water. I think I also need a cut off time because often the eating goes on for hours and into the night ( and i eat wayyyy more than I want or need) Overall I think I just need to be a bit more in control and stay on top of things.

    Thanks for all your help and replies, I really appreciate it!
  • izzienelsonn
    izzienelsonn Posts: 19 Member
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    also over a month my weight probably averages about the same - a few loses and gains and I seem to end up the same weight i started. Time to start losing!
  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
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    fascha wrote: »
    If you're happy with your overall downward trend say, month by month what does it matter what the scale says for a few days? I usually have a 2500 calorie day on the weekend which is about 500 over my maintenance but I eat about 1400 during the week. Overall my weight consistently drops .75lbs-1lb/week so either you're having them too often or you haven't accrued enough data over time to SEE how significant or insignificant the cheat days are.

    This is not cheating. This is simply budgeting your calories.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
    edited April 2017
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    izzienelsonn wrote: »
    also over a month my weight probably averages about the same - a few loses and gains and I seem to end up the same weight i started. Time to start losing!

    Are you weighing daily and entering it into a weight trending tool? That takes the guesswork out of if you're really losing or not.

    If you're not losing, and if you are indeed logging accurately and eating in a deficit the other 6 days of the week, then your cheat day/meal that you aren't logging is large enough that it is wiping out that deficit.

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