pigging out once a week?

mnec2010
mnec2010 Posts: 132 Member
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
Hi all,

I always hear people on diets say 'once a week I eat whatever I want , it speeds up my metabolism after eating healthy all week, and that helps lose weight' ..... have you ever heard of this? does this make any sense at all? I dont really understand how metabolism works myself. Help please:)
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Replies

  • Evy79
    Evy79 Posts: 30
    bump
  • bethdris
    bethdris Posts: 1,090 Member
    I don't believe this. I've lost 90 pounds by eating within my calorie limits and working out. I see no reason to eat a bunch of junk one day and ruin the rest of your week. Thats just me.
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
    I'm no expert but I find it very doubtful that it speeds up your metabolism. Constant change for your body is a good thing and if pigging out once a week can keep you on track rather than going cold turkey and setting yourself up for a massive failure then it can only be a good thing surely?
  • ChrisWag
    ChrisWag Posts: 169
    I don't do it on purpose but it seems like I end up doing this often without trying LOL... and yes for me it helps me maintain. I may gain a tad from it, but then the rest of the week I don't feel so "cheated" by behaving. I don't go all out, but I will splurge with either wine or desserts LOL....I think it does help more with my mind set than with metabolism....
  • jtbaddison
    jtbaddison Posts: 134 Member
    Hi all,

    I always hear people on diets say 'once a week I eat whatever I want , it speeds up my metabolism after eating healthy all week, and that helps lose weight' ..... have you ever heard of this? does this make any sense at all? I dont really understand how metabolism works myself. Help please:)

    Today is my first "Spike Day". I'm giving it a four week trial run, and if I'm not pleased with the results I'm going back. My plan is to lose 2 lbs a week on MFP then eat 2x BMR on spike day. I'm still staying away from sugar, candy and processed foods though. In my case, I'm still getting a 4k calorie deficit weekly, so it should work even if the whole metabolism thing is hooey. We'll see.

    One of the things that convinced me was that I couldn't find anyone who had tried it that wasn't in favor of it.
  • 03258
    03258 Posts: 60
    I've heard that too. BUT..for me...once I have a "pig out day" it usually turns into a pig out week, month, year....
  • Brownski860
    Brownski860 Posts: 361 Member
    i believe everything in moderation. i do not have a CHEAT day once a week. I foudn that my cheat day was high in sodium and i spent the whole next week trying to flush it all out. Not worth it to me....
    So, I enjoy something small onea day or every other day and that kills my cravings. I've had to swear off pizza, big bowls of pasta, cold cuts and things of that sort.
  • pattiann603
    pattiann603 Posts: 26
    you seem to be a similar path/have a similar body type as me. my start weight was 144, i'm currently 136, and my goal weight is 125. and while i definitely believe in a) having fun once in a while and b) everything in moderation, i've found that too many cheat days can be detrimental. we have less weight to lose, which makes it harder to lose it, and every single choice counts. for me, too much of a cheat day packs on some infuriating water weight, and it definitely leads to some backsliding (i.e. "well i had all those cookies last night, this pizza for lunch won't kill me.")

    instead of cheat days, i have cheat meals once or twice a week. it helps me behave the rest of the day, so that i don't end up damaging all the hard work i've done but i don't feel deprived, either.
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
    I sometimes give myself cheat days, but if I go to the supermarket and buy treats, I buy too much and end up finishing off the rest the day after, which kind of defeats the object.
    I prefer to look at my weekly summary, and find some sort of treat that will bring me up to calorie goal if I'm under, without pushing it over.
  • spudsmum
    spudsmum Posts: 38
    I've heard that too. BUT..for me...once I have a "pig out day" it usually turns into a pig out week, month, year....

    Hmmmm ... sounds very familiar :laugh:

    I find it better not to "pig" as I just dont know when to stop
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    There's lots of research to support an increase in calories and carbs once a week, or 'cheating', but as the research also shows, this needs to be controlled too.
    The topic title having the term 'pigging out' indicates that you might not intend to have a measured approach to this.
  • cowpoke06
    cowpoke06 Posts: 171
    I've heard of this and I'm definately no health expert. I used to follow this link of thinking. Every Sunday I can eat whatever I want. So I did. And I never lost any weight. And then when I didn't lose any weight I got depressed about it and since I'm an emotional eater, I ate. Now I'm 20 pounds heavier than I was even just a year ago.

    I think it depends on how you're doing it. Some people don't end up eating enough during the week so the body is reluctant to let go of the fat calories-so eating more than normal one day tricks the body back to thinking that you aren't dieting.

    The problem here is self control, which I don't have much of. If I have the mindset that "I can eat whatever I want today" then I do, and I overdo it. I don't just treat myself with something I've been craving while still being mindful of my calories. I overload on junk just to overload on junk because I've convinced myself it's ok.

    In the end everyone has to do what works for them. Binging once a week doesn't work for me. I can't NOT overdo it. If there's something I really want and have really been craving I'll let myself have a little. If I do more than that I lose all progress I've made during the week. And that sucks.
  • CarolynB38
    CarolynB38 Posts: 553 Member
    Once a week I do "treat" myself to something like pizza, but I don't go overboard and it's usually after karate training which burns at least 600 cals. I sometimes have something else with it such as vegetable crudites and humous if I'm still hungry so that I'm not just stuffing my face with pizza. I also try to eat healthily during the day and try not to go over my calories by much or even at all.

    I don't believe it necessarily speeds up my metabolism but it is nice to know that I can eat something less healthy once a week. I look forward to it but I don't crave it, if that makes sense. Feel free to check out my diary for thursday if you want to see how I work it.
  • Mommawarrior
    Mommawarrior Posts: 897 Member
    I don't believe this. I see no reason to eat a bunch of junk one day and ruin the rest of your week.

    Eating healthy shouldn't be a 6 day a week thing with crap on the 7th day. If you want to be healthy, eat healthy everyday. The weight will come off if you eat healthy and exercise.
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
    I do not have official cheat days, and rarely binge eat. However, on the weekends, I do eat more. My goals are set to loose 1 lb per week, and I do not usually go 500 calories over my mfp allowance, however it does happen every so often.

    A few weeks ago I went on a three day vacation out of town and stopped logging for the first time since June. I ate lots of sweets and crap and got a good work out one of the three days. I figured that I went around 500 calories over maintenance each of the three days (so 1000 calories over the amount I have been eating)

    When I got home, I started logging again, but I did not eat any less calories because of my vacation. I just resigned myself to maybe gaining a pound. However, I didn't gain a thing. I have still lost about a pound a week since I joined.

    I cannot give a definite answer about cheat days, but for me (keep in mind that my weekend cheat days are still at or below maintenance calories) I seem to stay on track even with my "cheat" days.
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
    All that does is re-ignite my addictions to sugar, salt, and fat. Honestly. It totally throws off my momentum and feelings of being in control of what I consume.
  • SophRW
    SophRW Posts: 93 Member
    I read in Women's Health that women who neglect their good eating habits on the weekends tend to weight 10 pounds more than women who are well regimented. The extra cals add up over time.
  • dieseljay74
    dieseljay74 Posts: 376
    It really seems more geared towards muscle building. I do it probably every two weeks and never put on any fat...but it does boost my strength for a few days afterward. Hopefully that translates to more muscle!
  • Hbalagh
    Hbalagh Posts: 9
    I have done this where I will go and have my Chinese food once a week in the past with other diets and did well. Last night I decided to have sushi for dinner... but after reading some of these comments I am not sure i want to do that anymore
  • jls1661
    jls1661 Posts: 586 Member
    I think by saying you get a cheat day or meal each week gives your whole weight loss venture a negative conotation. I refuse to say I'm on a diet cause it sounds negative and I won't stick to it. This time around I'm on a lifestyle change, this is forever and this is the lowest weight I've been in years. That being said, I don't ban myself from my favorite things. I allow myself a treat but in moderation. If you're craving chocolate ect. have a little otherwise you'll end up splurging. For bigger treats, I usually allow a MINOR indulgence on days I've earned a lot of work out calories (I don't use them all thought). It's all about perspective and making this manageable for yourself without restricting yourself to the point of relapse.
  • dieseljay74
    dieseljay74 Posts: 376
    Very well said....if we make it too much of a restriction on ourselves, it's a recipe for failure.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i have always had a treat meal (not a whole day) once a week as my boyfriend and i like to eat out so it fits in my social life well.

    I wouldnt have a whole day, as you can easily rack up a few thousand extra calories, but one meal where i dont worry about calories did me no harm in losing 14 pounds in 12 weeks.
  • ejohndrow
    ejohndrow Posts: 1,399 Member
    I think maybe a cheat meal is more something people should do-if they decide to cheat at all. Many people I've seen on here, and myself as well, get to the point where those foods that would be used for cheating just aren't satidfactory any more. I personally love pizza thin crust and without cheese-covered in veggies-not something I can always get here so I just don't eat it. Personally I believe that 'cheat' calories should be used only when really necessary such as a wedding, BBQ, potluck etc.-a time when it totally sucks to be that person who devours the veggie tray then awkwardly stands in the corner starving while everyone else is getting a taste of all the delicious food there is. Just remember, this deosn't mean go overboard either. Just learn to enjoy your food and where it comes from, but also learn to appreciate the exercise and hard work it take to lose those calories as well.
  • Mehs
    Mehs Posts: 73 Member
    I've heard that too. BUT..for me...once I have a "pig out day" it usually turns into a pig out week, month, year....

    I agree. It then gets hard for me to get back on track. I have to work hard to re-lose the weight I gained from my pigout session. Instead, I'm now trying to incorporate small treats each day so I don't feel so deprived.
  • Lowfatbrownie
    Lowfatbrownie Posts: 44
    everything in moderation is a good way to look at your personal diet. diets are inaffective and will leave you feeling like **** 90% of the time. if you want a brownie make sure you take the "low fat" approach. And remember you are what you eat and listen to your gut if it sounds like bs most the time it is. have a good one
  • mabug01
    mabug01 Posts: 1,273 Member
    I've read a little bit about the metabolic confusion type of diet. They recommend increasing calories at certain intervals, then decreasing them again. I don't think the approach would work for everyone. I also don't believe in eating crap one day a week. If you want to try confusing your metabolism, just have a larger-than-usual pasta meal once a week and see what that does. It is what my trainer has recommended to me.
  • verkyxo
    verkyxo Posts: 1
    I don't "pig out" because I wouldn't consider what I'm doing a DIET. It's really just a lifestyle change and an effort to be more aware of what exactly I'm eating and the quality of it. USUALLY one or two days a week, however, I will not follow as strictly as I do the rest of the week. For instance, if I know I'll be having a few beers on a Friday night, I stick to my diet for breakfast and lunch, but I know once I have a few beers I'll go over anyways so I just don't stress on it.
  • dieseljay74
    dieseljay74 Posts: 376
    I've read a little bit about the metabolic confusion type of diet. They recommend increasing calories at certain intervals, then decreasing them again. I don't think the approach would work for everyone. I also don't believe in eating crap one day a week. If you want to try confusing your metabolism, just have a larger-than-usual pasta meal once a week and see what that does. It is what my trainer has recommended to me.

    Excellent point...it's called calorie zig-zagging. It's what I did through my entire 43 lb. loss. Also it's what I attribute my muscle gain to as well.
    As we all know, muscle is the key to fat loss....if we lose muscle we slow our metabolism and that's a bad scenario
  • taurie
    taurie Posts: 225 Member
    I do a cheat day a week, usually on a weekend when I'm out with friends or family. It makes socialising and being on a diet a breeze. I still log calories and do a lot of exercise on these cheat days.

    I look at my calorie intake over a week, so I average around 1400 daily. This works brilliantly for me.
  • kmcrey87
    kmcrey87 Posts: 422 Member
    I will eat all my work out calories once a week as my pig out day.
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