Opinions on cheat days

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  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Also, I very much like cupcakes.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited October 2017
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    I eat at or above maintenance twice a week and average everything out twice a month. I don't think of it as cheating because that's been the plan all along. I love going out to eat, and this way I don't have to stress out about it. *That said*, my TDEE is high enough that I can manage a pretty solid deficit on my lower-calorie days, so it makes averaging easier. If you're working with a smaller deficit, it would certainly be trickier. I've estimated taking six months to lose my last ten pounds so I can keep up roughly my current eating habits, and hoping to let exercise give me a little more wiggle room.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
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    I can't do "cheat days" because as soon as I "cheat" (which for me, eat something that I know negatively effects my ability to keep "on the wagon") I tend to keep doing it.

    But allowing one to have treats daily while keeping a deficit tends to help. I do know that I eat less during the week days to compensate for knowing I'll drink more on the weekends. That's just balancing life. But I don't consider it a cheat. A cheat for me would be going back to past habits (like eating a bag of potato chips and a tub of french onion dip in one siting or downing a whole pint of Ben and Jerries). I just don't do that any more. I don't consider a drink or a piece of cake a treat, it's something I fit in if I want it.
  • mlrtri
    mlrtri Posts: 425 Member
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    Some good sound advice has been posted. I will not give myself a day to eat whatever I want. I am trying to find balance. For me that means following my plan as much as I can but allowing myself a bit of breathing room at times. I usually try to make up for this breathing room by upping my activity that day or the next. We meet friends once a month for dinner. I still do that. It is important to us. I make the best food choice I can and then enjoy myself. It is important to live life while losing/maintaining weight. But no one needs a free for all.... be it one meal or one day.
  • tiffdaski
    tiffdaski Posts: 20 Member
    edited October 2017
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    I've been dieting off and on for 10 or so years and "cheat days" were always one of my downfalls. I'd do a cheat day and I'd do it HARD. Eating until I was sick, just wanting to get as much delicious food in my mouth as possible in that one day. But then the cheat day would turn into a weekend and then into a week and then I wouldn't see the point in going back to eating well at all. Mind you, a lot of the diets I was doing were fad diets and super restrictive.

    Now I feel like I'm being smart about weight loss. I'm allowing myself treats here and there so I don't end up binging (I also don't keep a lot of stuff at home that I would be prone to binge on). I also do have "cheat meals" rather than "cheat days" (although, I don't tend to call it cheating anymore since it sounds so negative). If I know I'm going out to a restaurant and want to really enjoy it, I just watch I eat the rest of that day leading up to it. Or sometimes I'll bank calories through the week in preparation for a calorie-dense weekend.

    I've been back at it for just about 2 months and, so far, I haven't' gone off the "deep end" like I have before. I've also been really good at starting over the next day if I do end up with a "bad" day. Maybe I've got it this time :) Good luck to you!
  • Pamshebamm181
    Pamshebamm181 Posts: 92 Member
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    Holidays, my birthday, my husband's birthday, weddings, vacation.
    I don't log these days and I consider them my cheat days.
    I don't go crazy but I do enjoy foods that I typically don't get to enjoy on a regular day.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    IMO, if you want to consistently lose weight, you need to be more disciplined. Not saying you can't have indulgences, but you're not going to get anywhere turning a whole weekend into a weekend of debauchery on a consistent basis.

    I typically had one day per week where I just ate maintenance for the day when I was losing...usually Saturday as those were our most social days. I've been in maintenance for years and my weekends are usually pretty indulgent, but I have a lot more wiggle room in maintenance and I'm also typically a lot more active on weekends.

    I don't really consider it "cheating" per sei...
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    I have them, but I don't schedule them often. For instance, yesterday turned into one, just 5 days after the previous one and the same day I noted that I'd finished eliminated all the water retained from the previous one. This is my Sisyphean task.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    RocheBeukes wrote: »

    My question is do you have cheat days? Mine are one Fridays but then it turns into cheat weekends and then come Monday the scale is back to where it started. Is it healthy to have cheat days or should I just abandon the whole idea and restrict myself forever.

    Any advice?

    Ummm - yeah. This is why I don't do planned cheat days like that. You're likely completely wiping out your whole deficit for the week plus some.

    Now if there's a special event or a holiday or something I'm not going to be as strict - so you might call those "cheat" days.
  • RunStart34
    RunStart34 Posts: 157 Member
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    tiffdaski wrote: »
    I've been dieting off and on for 10 or so years and "cheat days" were always one of my downfalls. I'd do a cheat day and I'd do it HARD. Eating until I was sick, just wanting to get as much delicious food in my mouth as possible in that one day. But then the cheat day would turn into a weekend and then into a week and then I wouldn't see the point in going back to eating well at all. Mind you, a lot of the diets I was doing were fad diets and super restrictive.

    Now I feel like I'm being smart about weight loss. I'm allowing myself treats here and there so I don't end up binging (I also don't keep a lot of stuff at home that I would be prone to binge on). I also do have "cheat meals" rather than "cheat days" (although, I don't tend to call it cheating anymore since it sounds so negative). If I know I'm going out to a restaurant and want to really enjoy it, I just watch I eat the rest of that day leading up to it. Or sometimes I'll bank calories through the week in preparation for a calorie-dense weekend.

    I've been back at it for just about 2 months and, so far, I haven't' gone off the "deep end" like I have before. I've also been really good at starting over the next day if I do end up with a "bad" day. Maybe I've got it this time :) Good luck to you!

    Got to agree with you @tiffdaski. Same deal with me. Now that I am eating clean I don't crave a lot of the bad food. So I no longer need cheat days or even cheat meals. If i want to indulge in something that is not my usual I share the meal or dessert and I am good since i always felt I had to eat the rest because it would be a waste to throw away hahaha. There are times when I do enjoy a good steak or burger but i always have someone to share or eat the leftovers (usually guy friends) since I now can't eat as much. Don't deprive yourself but mentally prepare yourself to workout or walk more that day if you did overeat. I feel less guilty and am able to pick myself up the next day.!! By the way i think everybody comments are good advice whichever direction you go.
  • Njkelley
    Njkelley Posts: 57 Member
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    I used to go crazy on the weekends and spend all week re-losing the same weight I re-gained over the weekend. I've been on track since August 1st - other than last couple days I've been sick and ate some bad stuff. However for the most part I track my calories every day and I do fit the cheat meal (pizza) in and usually one cupcake (my weakness) on the weekend and I track it and fit it into my overall calories. On the weekend I eat closer to my BMR and then drop down to 1200 the first part of week then back to 1200-1400 rest of week. Tracking it makes me not want to go too crazy and I adjust my treats to fit into the rest of my day.
  • magster4isu
    magster4isu Posts: 632 Member
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    In my opinion, if you are depriving yourself enough to feel the need to cheat, than what you are doing will not be sustainable long term.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    RocheBeukes wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I have been on this journey of weight loss for some time, fallen off the wagon and got back on too many times to count. I've now decided to make this a lifestyle and not a diet. I have about 20kg to lose, and I want to do it in a healthy way.

    My question is do you have cheat days? Mine are one Fridays but then it turns into cheat weekends and then come Monday the scale is back to where it started. Is it healthy to have cheat days or should I just abandon the whole idea and restrict myself forever.

    Any advice?

    I am in the camp of just eating what you would normally eat with the right number of calories instead of trying to totally change your diet. Make smaller changes over time like getting more protein or adding more vegetables to your meals. Switch to lower calorie drinks.

    Plan your day even on weekends so your choices fit your goal. Prelog food. Pick one thing that is higher calorie. Don't aim to have the triple cheeseburger, fried chicken, doughnuts, alcohol and a peanut butter shake all in one day.

    No cheat days. Occasional maintenance calorie days are a better way to look at it IMO.
  • davidylin
    davidylin Posts: 228 Member
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    I used to do scheduled cheat days but I no longer look forward to them. After a while I didn't find them particularly satisfying and the food I ate wasn't particularly memorable. I let myself go over on calories when I think that the food is particularly noteworthy but I don't give up on the idea of moderation any more. There are days I go over my calorie goals, but I track them and I work the system. If I notice a string of bad days, I substitute in a lot more ruffage and nutritional supplements on things I may need or be short of until the cravings and feelings subside.

    My idea is that there is a balance and for health you have to come out ahead on the positives. The "cheats" are never out of my system or my reach. I keep ice cream in the freezer. What's key for me is that I rarely bother with it.
  • Famof72015
    Famof72015 Posts: 393 Member
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    I don't agree with " your diet is so strict if you are feeling the need to cheat".....I love food and I'm a 5'6 35 year old women who weighs 131..... I love to eat and I could eat all day everyday foods on the not so "healthy" spectrum like pizza, Burger King, Mexican, Chinese, cupcakes and although I eat 1500 Cals a day ya sure I could eat that well one of those and that would be it for the day well who wants to only eat once a day so therefore I eat that and my other meals and there you have it I'm over my deficit and I've now considered that a cheat meal.... I can't "allow" cheat meals often because I have the all or nothing approach unfortunately or fortunately however you look at it. If I'm doing this new lifestyle it's all or nothing so if I know I'm going to eat one of my "cheat meals" I pretty much do it for a week. Until I get a hold on *kitten* this is how it is. But it's okay I'm learning because I work to damn hard to mess it up by thinking I need to eat this and that and this because I will never eat that again that's BS! So there you have my opinion and what goes on in my head. Basically it's easier to stay on track then derail for a piece of food that isn't going to give me satisfaction but only piss me off. Do I have a love hate relationship with food? Yes, but I do with everything in my life, haha!
  • jasoncarbs16
    jasoncarbs16 Posts: 4 Member
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    This forum really helped me. I have been on a streak with my diet but lost it theis past few days. I will try not to have a "cheat day" any more instead have my cravings throughly the week but so long as it within the realm of my caloric intake, along with exercise.
  • rickiimarieee
    rickiimarieee Posts: 2,212 Member
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    I don't necessarily have cheat days because I eat what I want throughout the day as long as it's within calorie budget. Like today I had a soft pretzel and then buffalo chicken dip and chips and 2 ozs of hamburger and a chocolate lovers mug cake. Came in within calorie budget.
  • rickiimarieee
    rickiimarieee Posts: 2,212 Member
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    But mostly throughout the days I don't eat junk like I did today. It's my time of the month so I crave all that kinda stuff. But mainly the rest of the time I don't crave any of it.
  • explodingmango
    explodingmango Posts: 171 Member
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    Cheat days: necessary for some people, helpful but unnecessary to others, detrimental to others still. It's a very individual thing.

    For me, personally, I need them - I have a disorder that results in binging if I burn myself out too badly; I take them when I feel a binge coming on but I still do have some degree of control, because it prevents that control from burning out. The method is, instead of just mindlessly eating everything until I make myself sick as I would in a true binge, I remove my daily calorie limit but I still stop and ask myself why I want everything I consider eating. If I still want it after the ensuring internal conversation, I eat it - but that pause does often make me rethink going after junk food, and as a result, I usually end up eating right about to maintenance on those days.

    Now, here I'm referring to them as cheat days just for the sake of clarity, but when I need them I try to think of them not as cheat days, but as mental rest days - it may not sound like that big of a difference, but when one has a disorder that tries to make them think of things in terms of what deserves a reward vs. what deserves a punishment, it's huge - "cheating" is bad. "Resting" is not.

    But, for many people, especially people following super strict plans for the first time, a cheat day turns into a cheat week turns into a cheat year. Hell, that happened to me before I worked out the art of determining when I needed one and how exactly they work best for me.

    So, whether they're good or bad depends a lot on an individual and how well they know themselves and what method works for them.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    jasoncarbs16 wrote: »
    This forum really helped me. I have been on a streak with my diet but lost it theis past few days. I will try not to have a "cheat day" any more instead have my cravings throughly the week but so long as it within the realm of my caloric intake, along with exercise.

    It's good to normalize food and learn how to manage it, but you shouldn't feel bad when you have higher than normal days or have to make exceptions for the occasional event or even a just because higher calorie day, the issue isn't that, the issue is the concept of "cheating" where you restrict too much then designate a binging day. Some people do ritually higher calorie weekends successfully, but the process is more natural and fluid than holding your breath all week then having a "I'm finally free to breathe and have my forbidden foods" day. For people who do this successfully, it's simply calorie planning and choosing to delay higher calorie dishes they can have any time but would rather wait for to have in larger quantities, not foods that are forbidden on some days then allowed on others. It's the mindset, not the practice. It's that emotional rollercoaster that feels like binging and restricting that can derail a diet.

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