Is it important for health to have cheat days?
graydreams
Posts: 89 Member
Hey guys,
I'm wondering how important for your health it is to have cheat days. I was going to have one yesterday, in the morning had some tea with a big of sugar, went to Starbucks for lunch and had a sandwich, small frappuccino, and a slice of apple pie, and at night I had an orange and this can of Taiwanese congee dessert which all came out to almost 1200 calories. I didn't have the particular desire to eat over 1200 calories...but is it healthy in the long run to eat 1200 calories? Should I force myself to have cheat days of say 1500 calories once a week, whether that be by adding drinks etc? Thanks in advance
I'm wondering how important for your health it is to have cheat days. I was going to have one yesterday, in the morning had some tea with a big of sugar, went to Starbucks for lunch and had a sandwich, small frappuccino, and a slice of apple pie, and at night I had an orange and this can of Taiwanese congee dessert which all came out to almost 1200 calories. I didn't have the particular desire to eat over 1200 calories...but is it healthy in the long run to eat 1200 calories? Should I force myself to have cheat days of say 1500 calories once a week, whether that be by adding drinks etc? Thanks in advance
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Replies
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If you consider 1500 calories a cheat I would say it's important to your mental health to speak with a professional.7
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OP are you trying to lose weight?0
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I wouldnt class 1500 calories as a cheat day, that's 200 calories less than i need to lose weight.
I do have the occasional cheat day, more so for my mental health. A day of not giving a flying F about calories is freeing. Having said that, i don't go overboard and shovel as much food as i can in, i simply eat whatever i want and don't stress if i happen to go over cals on that particular day.0 -
In 3+ years I have never once had a cheat day. If I want a particular food, I make it fit into my goals.
OP what are your stats? How much weight are you trying to lose? 1200 is the minimum you should be aiming for.0 -
No, it's not necessary for health at all.0
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mrsnattybulking wrote: »If you consider 1500 calories a cheat I would say it's important to your mental health to speak with a professional.
Wait are you joking?0 -
OP are you trying to lose weight?
Hi, not exactly..it's sort of complicated. I had depression for awhile and sometimes I wouldn't eat much at all because I had feelings of self hate and it was an outlet...and for over a week I have been eating 1200 calories a day because I heard that that's the amount you're supposed to eat. But I don't know if I should sometimes eat more than that, even though I don't have the particular desire to do so. My depression has been gone since I started eating normally and I just don't feel this great need or desire to eat. I hope I'm making sense.1 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I wouldnt class 1500 calories as a cheat day, that's 200 calories less than i need to lose weight.
I do have the occasional cheat day, more so for my mental health. A day of not giving a flying F about calories is freeing. Having said that, i don't go overboard and shovel as much food as i can in, i simply eat whatever i want and don't stress if i happen to go over cals on that particular day.
Hehe that sounds nice, not having to worry about the calories all the time How's your fitness journey going by the way? 0 -
In 3+ years I have never once had a cheat day. If I want a particular food, I make it fit into my goals.
OP what are your stats? How much weight are you trying to lose? 1200 is the minimum you should be aiming for.
Hi! Wow, that's amazing you've stuck to your goals in over 3 years every single day despite stuff like holidays! You are an inspiration! I'm 5'3''...the last time I weighed myself, which was about a month ago, I was 97 lb. I haven't weighed myself since then. I guess I'll do it in June or something. I'm not trying to lose weight, what happened was that I was severely depressed for years and I would eat very little as a coping mechanism and an outlet. But then for over a week I have not been feeling depressed at all and so I started counting calories and eating 1200 since I heard you're supposed to eat that much for nutrition. But then I started wondering if I'm supposed to eat even more than that after hearing people talk about having cheat days once a week but I guess you are saying they are not necessary:)0 -
Are you saying you have a maintenance day of 1,500 calories? We all have a different idea of a "cheat day." My cheat days are very rare, but calorie intake gets to 5 digits those days. Some others may consider eating at maintenance as a "cheat day" if their goal is to lose weight.
Do you know your TDEE in order to determine how a 1,500 calorie day and 6 days of 1,200 calories compares? If it will still fit within your goal to lose weight and having that 1,500 calorie day helps you mentally to keep from burnout, then go for it!0 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »Are you saying you have a maintenance day of 1,500 calories? We all have a different idea of a "cheat day." My cheat days are very rare, but calorie intake gets to 5 digits those days. Some others may consider eating at maintenance as a "cheat day" if their goal is to lose weight.
Do you know your TDEE in order to determine how a 1,500 calorie day and 6 days of 1,200 calories compares? If it will still fit within your goal to lose weight and having that 1,500 calorie day helps you mentally to keep from burnout, then go for it!
Hi! Thank you very much for your response. Well I have been eating around 1200 calories a day for a little over a week. Before that to be honest I was eating very little as an outlet for my depression but now I am feeling good emotionally. Wow 5 digits? You are great at packing away food hehehe I am not sure what my maintenance is to be honest, at this point I'm just getting used to eating more than usual. I guess I should probably weigh myself and go from there 
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graydreams wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »Are you saying you have a maintenance day of 1,500 calories? We all have a different idea of a "cheat day." My cheat days are very rare, but calorie intake gets to 5 digits those days. Some others may consider eating at maintenance as a "cheat day" if their goal is to lose weight.
Do you know your TDEE in order to determine how a 1,500 calorie day and 6 days of 1,200 calories compares? If it will still fit within your goal to lose weight and having that 1,500 calorie day helps you mentally to keep from burnout, then go for it!
Hi! Thank you very much for your response. Well I have been eating around 1200 calories a day for a little over a week. Before that to be honest I was eating very little as an outlet for my depression but now I am feeling good emotionally. Wow 5 digits? You are great at packing away food hehehe I am not sure what my maintenance is to be honest, at this point I'm just getting used to eating more than usual. I guess I should probably weigh myself and go from there
@graydreams enter your stats into the goal section here and select maintain weight. Those are the calories you need to eat to maintain your current weight before exercise. If you earn extra cals through exercise, eat the majority of those back!
1200 calories are for short/older or petite women to lose weight, it is no-ones maintenance calories, unless you are an extreme outlier.1 -
You need to plug your info into MFP and see what your actual calories should be to at the very least maintain your weight. I looked up what your weight should be for your height, and at minimum it should be 107, and at most 135. It sounds like you have some issues, so you may need to talk to a doctor. 1200 calories is not enough.0
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At 5ft 3,and 97lbs you are very underweight - id be weighing myself again ASAP, not waiting until June or something. Once you know, put your stats in to MFP and find out how many cals you need to slowly gain weight - eat this many calories, your body will thank you for it.
It's not important for health the have cheat days - negative food associations are detrimental to your mental health imo - it is however important to your health to give your body sufficient fuel (especially protein and fat) to function properly2 -
Christine_72 wrote: »graydreams wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »Are you saying you have a maintenance day of 1,500 calories? We all have a different idea of a "cheat day." My cheat days are very rare, but calorie intake gets to 5 digits those days. Some others may consider eating at maintenance as a "cheat day" if their goal is to lose weight.
Do you know your TDEE in order to determine how a 1,500 calorie day and 6 days of 1,200 calories compares? If it will still fit within your goal to lose weight and having that 1,500 calorie day helps you mentally to keep from burnout, then go for it!
Hi! Thank you very much for your response. Well I have been eating around 1200 calories a day for a little over a week. Before that to be honest I was eating very little as an outlet for my depression but now I am feeling good emotionally. Wow 5 digits? You are great at packing away food hehehe I am not sure what my maintenance is to be honest, at this point I'm just getting used to eating more than usual. I guess I should probably weigh myself and go from there
@graydreams enter your stats into the goal section here and select maintain weight. Those are the calories you need to eat to maintain your current weight before exercise. If you earn extra cals through exercise, eat the majority of those back!
1200 calories are for short/older or petite women to lose weight, it is no-ones maintenance calories, unless you are an extreme outlier.
Thank you very much. Yeah that is a good point you make, I am trying to cut down on the exercise that I do. Sorry if this sounds dumb but where can I get to the "goal section"? Thanks so much
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You need to plug your info into MFP and see what your actual calories should be to at the very least maintain your weight. I looked up what your weight should be for your height, and at minimum it should be 107, and at most 135. It sounds like you have some issues, so you may need to talk to a doctor. 1200 calories is not enough.
Thank you for your concern & caring and for taking the time to look up my weight stuff. In the long term I truly hope to get to 107 lb, which like you said is the minimum healthy weight for my height. I am going to the 2nd session of therapy the coming Tuesday. I am not depressed for over a week because the guy I love said maybe we can be together in the future, but I know it is very bad to be reliant on one thing and have all your eggs in one basket so am hoping to develop happiness from within myself.0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »At 5ft 3,and 97lbs you are very underweight - id be weighing myself again ASAP, not waiting until June or something. Once you know, put your stats in to MFP and find out how many cals you need to slowly gain weight - eat this many calories, your body will thank you for it.
It's not important for health the have cheat days - negative food associations are detrimental to your mental health imo - it is however important to your health to give your body sufficient fuel (especially protein and fat) to function properly
Thank you very much for reminding me, yes you are right when you say that we need protein and fat. I also take vitamins and minerals which stopped my nails from falling out which happened twice within the last year. I feel nervous about weighing myself because what happened is that once I didn't weigh myself for 4 months and my weight dropped down to 77 lb. I was really scared and nervous that I was going to die. Right now i know I have to weigh myself sometimes to ensure it doesn't go down too much but I get scared like what if the number is really low? And I also am scared like i get images in my mind of what if I died at a really low weight and how I would look in my casket (I want to live a long life though of course). So that is why I set the date of weighing myself in June so I don't have to worry about it for now. Right now I am focusing on trying to eat at least 1200 calories a day and cutting down on my exercise. I used to exercise a lot, I was very depressed but now I am feeling happy and good about life.0 -
graydreams wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »At 5ft 3,and 97lbs you are very underweight - id be weighing myself again ASAP, not waiting until June or something. Once you know, put your stats in to MFP and find out how many cals you need to slowly gain weight - eat this many calories, your body will thank you for it.
It's not important for health the have cheat days - negative food associations are detrimental to your mental health imo - it is however important to your health to give your body sufficient fuel (especially protein and fat) to function properly
Thank you very much for reminding me, yes you are right when you say that we need protein and fat. I also take vitamins and minerals which stopped my nails from falling out which happened twice within the last year. I feel nervous about weighing myself because what happened is that once I didn't weigh myself for 4 months and my weight dropped down to 77 lb. I was really scared and nervous that I was going to die. Right now i know I have to weigh myself sometimes to ensure it doesn't go down too much but I get scared like what if the number is really low? And I also am scared like i get images in my mind of what if I died at a really low weight and how I would look in my casket (I want to live a long life though of course). So that is why I set the date of weighing myself in June so I don't have to worry about it for now. Right now I am focusing on trying to eat at least 1200 calories a day and cutting down on my exercise. I used to exercise a lot, I was very depressed but now I am feeling happy and good about life.
If you're eating too little, which I'd suggest you are, waiting to weigh is only going to make the situation worse. I'd recommend getting some help from a dietician and therapist to monitor your intake and mental approach to food and your body0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »graydreams wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »At 5ft 3,and 97lbs you are very underweight - id be weighing myself again ASAP, not waiting until June or something. Once you know, put your stats in to MFP and find out how many cals you need to slowly gain weight - eat this many calories, your body will thank you for it.
It's not important for health the have cheat days - negative food associations are detrimental to your mental health imo - it is however important to your health to give your body sufficient fuel (especially protein and fat) to function properly
Thank you very much for reminding me, yes you are right when you say that we need protein and fat. I also take vitamins and minerals which stopped my nails from falling out which happened twice within the last year. I feel nervous about weighing myself because what happened is that once I didn't weigh myself for 4 months and my weight dropped down to 77 lb. I was really scared and nervous that I was going to die. Right now i know I have to weigh myself sometimes to ensure it doesn't go down too much but I get scared like what if the number is really low? And I also am scared like i get images in my mind of what if I died at a really low weight and how I would look in my casket (I want to live a long life though of course). So that is why I set the date of weighing myself in June so I don't have to worry about it for now. Right now I am focusing on trying to eat at least 1200 calories a day and cutting down on my exercise. I used to exercise a lot, I was very depressed but now I am feeling happy and good about life.
If you're eating too little, which I'd suggest you are, waiting to weigh is only going to make the situation worse. I'd recommend getting some help from a dietician and therapist to monitor your intake and mental approach to food and your body
Thanks, yeah I actually have my 2nd therapy appointment on Tuesday I really do appreciate your concern for my health. Previously I had used not eating as a tool to cope w self hate and depression/loneliness. Lately I feel better because the person I love said he is considering being w me in the future but I know it is very dangerous to rely on someone else for your happiness so I am truly hoping to find happiness within myself. 0 -
@graydreams Go here, and click on "view guided setup" and "maintain my current weight". Weigh yourself first so you can put in an accurate weight. Honestly, i think you should select the gain option, but slow n steady for now i guess, i have no experience with your disorder, so am hesitant to advise further.
Good luck :flowerforyou:1 -
Oops here's the link http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals0
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As you know already, at your current height and weight you are underweight. 1200 is probably not quite enough calories to maintain your current weight and be active, you can definitely eat more without considering it "cheating".
Do you like avocado? It's one of my favorite high calorie healthy foods. Since eating enough is a struggle for you, adding a few calorie dense foods to each meal might help. Nuts are another nutrient dense food. Just make sure you are adding them and not replacing your current food with them! You mentioned you are in Taiwan, do you tolerate dairy products well? Full fat dairy is also good for both fat and protein.
Set yourself a reward for when you reach your healthy weight, such as an adventure trip to another city! We are rooting for you!1 -
What I understand based on the responses is that you under eat when you are not happy with your self, perhaps self loathe and then eat again when happy (which is dependent on another person, in your case a new love). This in itself is an eating disorder complicated by depression.
Keep staying with the therapy you have mentioned. All that I can recommend is that you do all that you can do to reach the amount of calories you need to keep your body with enough nutrients to stay as healthy as possible.
You definitely do need to gain weight, so hopefully through therapy and with time you will be able to remove your self from under eating and get back to a healthy weight, healthy mind and healthy emotional state as well.
Good Luck.1 -
rheddmobile wrote: »As you know already, at your current height and weight you are underweight. 1200 is probably not quite enough calories to maintain your current weight and be active, you can definitely eat more without considering it "cheating".
Do you like avocado? It's one of my favorite high calorie healthy foods. Since eating enough is a struggle for you, adding a few calorie dense foods to each meal might help. Nuts are another nutrient dense food. Just make sure you are adding them and not replacing your current food with them! You mentioned you are in Taiwan, do you tolerate dairy products well? Full fat dairy is also good for both fat and protein.
Set yourself a reward for when you reach your healthy weight, such as an adventure trip to another city! We are rooting for you!
Thank you very much for your kindness and encouragement. I will post about it when I go to another city I have 2 trips for this month. One is a therapist appointment in a city that's an hour away, and another is a family function during the dragon boat festival Thank you for the reminder about nuts, that is a good point you make how they are nutritious and healthy. Yes I can have milk sometimes. Avocados don't seem to exist here! Hope you have a fantastic day and thanks again! 0 -
What I understand based on the responses is that you under eat when you are not happy with your self, perhaps self loathe and then eat again when happy (which is dependent on another person, in your case a new love). This in itself is an eating disorder complicated by depression.
Keep staying with the therapy you have mentioned. All that I can recommend is that you do all that you can do to reach the amount of calories you need to keep your body with enough nutrients to stay as healthy as possible.
You definitely do need to gain weight, so hopefully through therapy and with time you will be able to remove your self from under eating and get back to a healthy weight, healthy mind and healthy emotional state as well.
Good Luck.
Hi! Yes that is exactly right. Thank you so much for caring about my health, both physical and mental. I hope you have a wonderful day 0
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