One cheat day per week

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  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
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    Double zombie!

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    Probably someone that started Elle's program and searched for it when their own New Year's resolution resolve was waning.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,261 Member
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    It must have been a search. How in the world do these threads get revived? And they're always brought back by people with their first posts...
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
    edited January 2020
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    hiker583 wrote: »
    Hi all,
    I have been watching Elle Ip documentary Beyond Expectation, and read her 7-rules. One of the things she mentions is to have a cheat-day per week where you can eat whatever you want, and she explains it here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tx-AJIgClA
    Has anyone tried it? It makes sense, but it is so scary to do this. Anyone else had success / failure with it?

    The link doesn't work. Who is she and what credibility does she have to be giving weight loss advice?

    Thanks.
  • hereinmissouri
    hereinmissouri Posts: 11 Member
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    I don't do cheat anything. If I want something I work it into my day. Tomorrow we're having pizza for dinner, I'll eat accordingly for breakfast and lunch so I still hit my macros and am within my calories.
  • mspoong
    mspoong Posts: 1 Member
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    . In my opinion, if your body is craving a cheat day, you're going about weight loss all wrong.[/quote]
    This makes so much sense to me. I follow a low carb/high protein diet and I’m never hungry. If I want a treat I try to create a version at home with no sugar.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
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    A cheat meal will easily wipe out my deficit so I can’t afford to do this often. The only time I really do this if I’m dedicated to my plan is my birthday and maybe one other day.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,013 Member
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    One cheat day a week would wipe out my calorie deficit, honestly. I'm better with one a month. I kind of go off the rails though if I strongly overeat one day. The next day is hard to get back on the wagon... so one day turns into two or three.

    That said, I eat burgers and ice cream and chips throughout my week as a part of my calorie count. So I don't really crave cheat days. I do struggle with social eating at parties though -- I will NOT count tomorrow because I will be at a super bowl party and I'd look like a tool bringing my scale and overthinking a fun time.
  • omarieb
    omarieb Posts: 2 Member
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    Has anyone tried the program? I wanted to know if it was worth the price? Any earth shattering information?
  • Courtscan2
    Courtscan2 Posts: 498 Member
    edited July 2020
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    omarieb wrote: »
    Has anyone tried the program? I wanted to know if it was worth the price? Any earth shattering information?

    I haven't bought it, and know nothing about it, but can promise you - it won't have any earth shattering information. You don't need a "program" of any kind. You are in the right place (which also happens to be free) - if you want to succeed, use My Fitness Pal as designed, and eat your target calories each day. It's that simple.
  • Jestervi
    Jestervi Posts: 1 Member
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    I know this is a very old post, but I must say that Elle Ip has maintained her weight even after her documentary 7 years ago. I would have to say that her plan must work. I know many, including myself have lost weight and gained it back at least a couple of times and struggle with keeping it off to the magnitude that she has. This woman literally does not have an once of fat on her body (joking, but she looks amazing and has for years). I’m currently following her program, not exact, but I’m trying. Many people that compete follow a similar program, so it must work. Any program will require discipline, but I’m totally game for weekly cheat days. She even mentions that now that she is happy with her body shape, that she has up 2 charts days a week. That’s freaking awesome if you ask me and to still fit into a size 4 or smaller. I’ll take it! I don’t know what everyone else is on here talking about.
  • jadedeacon3433
    jadedeacon3433 Posts: 1 Member
    edited January 2022
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    Yes a cheat day works. A cheat day replenishes your glycogen stores, will not make you gain weight if it is ONLY one cheat day a week, and will remind you how you used to feel all of the time (sluggish from junk food). 6 days a week are easier to stick to healthy eating and exercise and that one day gives you something to look forward to. I have a cut off time which is 7pm, and I do NOT weigh myself again for a week. I successfully kept dropping weight every single week and on my cheat day I ate as much of what ever I wanted and did NO exercise. Cheat days are perfect to do meal preparation for the week and do the grocery shopping because you will be satisfied already.
  • Koorii
    Koorii Posts: 65 Member
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    "Cheating" for me is taking a day or two, maybe a weekend, eating at maintenance. The bigger your calorie deficit is, the safer a "cheat day" is. If you are trying to lose those last few stubborn pounds, a slip up on a cheat day can wipe out all your progress for the week.
  • AlexandraFindsHerself1971
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    It doesn't work for me to have forbidden foods. I can eat anything in sensible portions that are mindful of my overall calorie budget. There are things I don't keep in the house, but that's because I'm not good at portioning if the entire batch/container is available to me. Doesn't mean I can't have them, just means that (for example) if I make cookies, I'd better have plans to send them out of the house, and make sure that I only keep enough that each of us gets two. Or I will piece on them and just blow the calorie budget. But that's a known hazard, and I can hope that as I get the food addiction dealt with I won't have that happen so much, and cookies can happen on occasion as a pleasant thing happening with a lunchtime sandwich.

    I accept that I don't lose a lot in December, but that is because my birthday and Solstice and Christmas happen, and there's a lot of eating that goes with those, and so just maintaining is what I strive for. But once that's all over it's always nice to get back to proper eating again.