Moderately active, one weekly big cheat day ok?
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hinicetomeetyou
Posts: 20 Member
Hiya once again friends and strangers!
As I mentioned recently my stats are:
Female
5'4"
170lbs
Nearly 33 years old
(Goal-- some distant day: 140lbs)
I'm aiming for about 1500 calories per day. That said, I'm also working out 3 days a week (weights and a little cardio at the gym), nothing crazy but I feel it.
My query to you: is a cheat day of up to 2500 calories acceptable for a girl like me? In your experience is this a good idea weekly? Bieeekly?
Feedback is welcome. Thanks!
As I mentioned recently my stats are:
Female
5'4"
170lbs
Nearly 33 years old
(Goal-- some distant day: 140lbs)
I'm aiming for about 1500 calories per day. That said, I'm also working out 3 days a week (weights and a little cardio at the gym), nothing crazy but I feel it.
My query to you: is a cheat day of up to 2500 calories acceptable for a girl like me? In your experience is this a good idea weekly? Bieeekly?
Feedback is welcome. Thanks!
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Replies
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Does it fit your weekly calorie goal? That's really all that matters.7
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It depends on how much of a deficit 1500 puts you in. For me, that extra 1000 calories would almost totally wipe out my deficit for the week. I am set to lose .5 lb per week.5
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If you're fine with slower weight loss, sure. Personally, I'd shave some cals off the rest of the week and 'bank' them, so that I was still at an overall 3500 cal deficit for the week, but it's entirely up to you
. I also think having a 'day off' once a week can be really good for you, so long as you are mindful about it. I only have a tiny sliver of weight left to lose to get back to goal, and try to have a maintenance day every week, just to keep things humming along both physically and mentally. I don't call it a cheat day though 
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I guess it would depend on whether one cheat day would be enough and for me I find I'm too tempted to make it a cheat few days, then it's a week etc. also I think it emphasizes too much that food is a reward rather than trying to eat sensibly and have what you want in moderation.5
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@Alatariel75 oh I didn't think of that!
Based on my activity level and weekly goal, it seems I'd be fine, numerically.
Guess I'll see what the scale says. If it's not working then I'll have to eat less or move more or both.
@mom22dogs I see what you're saying. Hopefully I can get away with my current cheat plan!1 -
@cheriej2042 oh I hear ya. I'm not afraid of thinking of rewarding myself with food once in a while. Especially if it still yields results... but I understand your point of view.0
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@Nony_Mouse I suppose slow weight loss beats no weight loss! Lol.
And wow, congrats on getting nearly to goal. That's fantastic! One day I'll be there too.
Thanks everyone for giving me feedback.1 -
cheriej2042 wrote: »I guess it would depend on whether one cheat day would be enough and for me I find I'm too tempted to make it a cheat few days, then it's a week etc. also I think it emphasizes too much that food is a reward rather than trying to eat sensibly and have what you want in moderation.hinicetomeetyou wrote: »@cheriej2042 oh I hear ya. I'm not afraid of thinking of rewarding myself with food once in a while. Especially if it still yields results... but I understand your point of view.
I think this is why it's important to not think of it as a cheat day. You're not cheating, you're accounting for it, you're not planning to just eat with abandon, you're just having one higher intake day a week.4 -
Hi there! You and I seem to be relatively similar in age and starting weight. Last year, I had one big cheat day per week, usually 2500 calories per day or more, and I was still able to lose 1-2 lbs per week.
BUT. I ended up putting all of the weight back on over time, because one big cheat led to two days cheating, to a week, to two weeks. For me, it turned into a terrible habit that hindered my original weight loss and then made me gain it all back. I think the reason we're all on the site is because we need to reexamine the way we approach food. I have a weak personality and low self control, so I will be limiting my cheats to meals instead of days, and then only bimonthly, if that. Maybe that's excessive, but that's what's working for me! Good luck to you!!!=)7 -
hinicetomeetyou wrote: »@Nony_Mouse I suppose slow weight loss beats no weight loss! Lol.
And wow, congrats on getting nearly to goal. That's fantastic! One day I'll be there too.
Thanks everyone for giving me feedback.
Slow weight loss is also better than too fast. I think your plan is very sensible.
And note the 'back to goal'
Regained a little, for various reasons, including some health stuff that took a bit of trial and error to suss out the effect it was having on weight and how to counter that. But yeah, it's nice to be back to feeling slim again . And yes, one day you will be there too!! 1 -
@saranne1015 wow that's valuable insight! Thank you! There's hope for me!
And I hear ya. I'm all too familiar with the whole "eating outta control" thing; it can be a slippery but delicious slope. At least we had fun getting to this point!
"Cheat Day" may indeed carry a weird connotation. As a couple of the fellow MFP users mentioned above, the phrasing might be problematic for some.
Your plan sounds solid! And I bet you'll do amazing. Also, you don't sound "weak" to me!
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@Nony_Mouse well good for you. From what I've heard and read, it's natural for ppl to fluctuate -- some even within the range of 10lbs depending on the time of year. Whatever the cause, you sound focused on staying fit and feeling good. That's great!
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hinicetomeetyou wrote: »@Nony_Mouse well good for you. From what I've heard and read, it's natural for ppl to fluctuate -- some even within the range of 10lbs depending on the time of year. Whatever the cause, you sound focused on staying fit and feeling good. That's great!
Yep, fluctuation is normal. It's all about being aware, and knowing when to rein it in!!1 -
I have one day where I allow myself to eat maintenance weight. I've been doing really well on 1300 calories. I'm losing about 2 pounds per week. I feel nervous about eating more until I'm at goal weight because I don't want to slide back into bad habits.1
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It's really up to you and how quickly you want to lose weight. I'm at goal now but I'm always rubbish at the weekend. Not so rubbish I can't lose weight but rubbish enough that my weight loss was pretty slow. Just keep in mind a cheat day will slow you down.2
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Calculate it and see if it's worth it to you.
How much are you currently losing while averaging 1500 calories?
Would you be willing to lose 1/4-1/3 lb less than that a week?
If the answer is yes, then sure, go for it.3 -
Whenever I've had a cheat day in the past I'll change my goal to maintainance and make sure to not go past that caloric amount. Just log to the best of your ability.
If you're making it a usual thing, don't change your settings. Instead, do as others say and make sure you're still within your weekly allotment. I've been over cals by 100-300 for the past 3 days, however I'm still under by over 1000 for the week.1 -
@hinicetomeetyou Personally I don't like the concept of "cheat" days. Cheating sounds too much like doing something wrong. The idea here is to go for a lifestyle change, rather than an unsustainable diet. If your new lifestyle is 1500 calories, you'd hardly want to go almost double on a specific day!!0
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If you want a weekly splurge, and to keep losing weight, then do the math to have a weekly calorie goal rather than a daily one. Plan your "cheat" day (so it's really no longer cheating). If you don't plan it, then you're running the risk that you simple won't accomplish the goal that you're working for the other six days.
That being said, I don't do that.
I stick to my daily goal every day, but there will be special occasions where I cheat (I try to make it no more than once a month). I just had a cheat weekend (Fri and Sat, back on track Sunday), but that also came with a lot more walking and stairs than I normally do, and dancing too. I'm amazed to see this morning that I only gained 1.2 pounds. So yeah, cheat days can work... but weekly is too often I think. 1 -
My personal vision: if you have to cheat, then you are not in the right path.
Always think what will happen if you achieve your goal. Once that happen, there will be no need for a cheat day, since from them all days can be cheat days. Consequence: bounce.
You should build a steady path, not one filled with bumps (cheat days).
In my case I never cheated (intentionally), I confront high calorie events (parties, customer meals, etc), by anticipation and recovery path.
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