Cheat days

I don't like cheat days, cause it usually leads to binge eating. My will powers just to weak for that lol. I've seen success with cheat days though, but with people that still keep track of their calorie intake. The whole idea of taking one day a week, and eating whatever you want all day. will just kill whatever progress you made that week.

I allow myself cheat treats or meals through the week. But I still track it, and try to keep a routine. An idea I got from a mens health article. Basically take 10% to 20% of your daily cals, and indulge in your favorite food 2 to 3 times a week. For example if your daily cals are 2k, then 200 - 400 cals 2 days a week can be used on whatever you desire. slice of pizza, brownie, ect. Most people would be much more likely to stick to their diet with this approach. It gives you breaks from your normal diet through the week, and won't destroy your progress.

If I know I'm going to go out I'll pre-log my booze, dinner, Fudgie the Whale ice cream cake, or whatever the night before. Then I can just eat a bit less during the day or come in a little under the day before to compensate or eat at maintenance for that day even if I'm trying to lose. Hasn't slowed my progress.

If you do a search on the forums, you will find dozens of threads with exactly the same question in the title. Some people "cheat", some people eat things they want and count calories without considering foods good/bad/allowed/forbidden and others are very strict with what they allow themselves to eat.

At the end of the day, it's all personal preference. If you consume fewer calories than you burn over a period of time, you will lose weight.

A cheat DAY is pretty big. One can eat a ton of extra calories in a full day (I know I could).

I generally fit in any extras. Cut a few snacks that day. Get some more steps in (or once i am running again - get a run in).

Some will cut 100 or so calories every day to "save" for a bigger meal on the weekend (one mean) and still fit in their WEEKLY goal.

I personally believe in a splurge meal (one meal) every 3-4 weeks. But I try to keep it to a reasonable amount over my daily goal (not 1000 calories extra).


Weight loss can be practice for normal life once we hit maintenance. Yes we'll have a few extra calories to work with at maintenance but we still have to eat reasonable most of the time and splurged need to be "reasonable" as well.

Simple plan: If you want a cheat day, plan ahead for deficits on other days.

I don't do cheat days. I just eat what I want, and try to stay within my calories. If I know I'll be eating more for dinner, I skimp a little on breakfast/lunch, and/or cut out snacks for the day. On those days, I might go really heavy on protein to try to stave off hunger.

I had a cheat week (not intentionally, it just happened) during a trip to Hawaii to celebrate getting to goal (and below) and it's turned into a cheat year and a half and 19 pounds back up. Stay the course, eat what you want while maintaining a deficit and don't succumb to the silly notion that cheating will help you with your goals.

I don't do cheat days or meals. I just budget my calories so that I can have treats. Last Saturday, I had coffee for breakfast, nothing for lunch, all because my daughter wanted to go to Famous Dave's for her birthday - basically a 2000 calorie dinner. I went over a little (300), so I am going under by 100/day for three days to offset it.

While I was losing I allowed myself one meal every three weeks or so that brought me up to around my maintenance calories for the day. Had I done a cheat day I would have wiped out my deficit for the week which wasn't worth it to me.