Cheat Days

darwinian_chick
darwinian_chick Posts: 4
edited October 3 in Food and Nutrition
I wanted to see what people's opinions of cheat days were on here? Do you think they are bad or good in general. I was thinking about giving myself a cheat day once every two weeks or a cheat meal once a week. Do you think this is a good idea and if so which one would be better? It is just hard to not say for example eat some brownies with vitamin d milk every now and then! I think cheat days are good for my soul lol, but maybe not so good for my diet? I don't know. Advice please and thank you. :)
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Replies

  • maura1110
    maura1110 Posts: 171 Member
    I personally think that if you look at this as a lifestyle change instead of a "diet", then you'll never need a cheat day. If you're craving something, have it! Just have it in moderation so you can sustain it. And realistically we all have days where we eat too much and go over our limits, so I guess you could call that a cheat day but it's just life! Also, if I really want to eat something that I know is going to put me over my limit, I'll workout extra that day. Hope this helps!
  • auticus
    auticus Posts: 1,051 Member
    Cheat days have screwed me over before. Cheat days begone.
  • Ashley121205
    Ashley121205 Posts: 131 Member
    I don't have a cheat day. If we go somewhere or have something in the house that I really want I'll have it within moderation. But usually I have a mental battle with myself for about an hour and by that time I really don't want what I was contemplating. lol.
  • LaurieEReid
    LaurieEReid Posts: 273
    I personally think that if you look at this as a lifestyle change instead of a "diet", then you'll never need a cheat day. If you're craving something, have it! Just have it in moderation so you can sustain it. And realistically we all have days where we eat too much and go over our limits, so I guess you could call that a cheat day but it's just life! Also, if I really want to eat something that I know is going to put me over my limit, I'll workout extra that day. Hope this helps!

    This. Personally, I'm usually over on Friday since that's the day I hang out with friends and drink a little wine. So maybe the day before, I don't eat all my exercise calories so that the week balances out (fingers crossed).
  • AnneGenevieveS
    AnneGenevieveS Posts: 441 Member
    ONE cheat meal hasn't hurt me.... BUT if I totally over do it all day, then the next day i can't get back on track, and it turns into a cheat week... then I gain, and feel like I'm starting all over again. haha

    Yeah, let yourself have brownies once per week if that's what you need. Just be careful if you have a problem with binging like I do, sometimes those brownies are the start of me losing control!!


    Also, something that has really worked for me is planning to exercise those calories off ahead of time if I know we are going out to eat. Then no harm done because they are burned off.
  • daves160
    daves160 Posts: 600
    Personally, I think a cheat day is good for the soul. I think it help you to keep from binging. One thing you have to be careful of though is to not over do it.
    I would say a cheat day consists of mostly sticking to the diet, but having a splurge on one meal, or maybe a really good dessert.
    Try to stay around your daily calries that you would normally use if not dieting. Mine is about 2200.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/daves160
  • jakecan4sure
    jakecan4sure Posts: 36
    I stopped cheat day. If I have a cheat meal, I have it early in the day, so my body can break down the carbs. I try to limit my cheat meal to one every eight days.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    The term "cheat day" is lame. Anything is better - free day, splurge day, spike day. "Cheat" implies not following the plan, whereas the others are planned in. It's a somewhat subtle distinction. For me, having the free day is an integral part of my routine, and it keeps me succeeding. Others claim that if they have a free day, they can't go back to normal. This is a problem of discipline. Some claim that a free day can undo your week's worth of progress. This is just incorrect and naive.
  • meeperoon
    meeperoon Posts: 270 Member
    I don't have a cheat day but once a month me and the bf will go to a restaurant (includes pizza hut) and have a nice meal and if we go over cals we go over cals. We used to eat out all the time and that's what got us in this situation so it's a once a month thing now!
  • blue4myeyes
    blue4myeyes Posts: 93 Member
    I personally think that if you look at this as a lifestyle change instead of a "diet", then you'll never need a cheat day. If you're craving something, have it! Just have it in moderation so you can sustain it. And realistically we all have days where we eat too much and go over our limits, so I guess you could call that a cheat day but it's just life! Also, if I really want to eat something that I know is going to put me over my limit, I'll workout extra that day. Hope this helps!

    totally agree!

    i don't view anything as "cheating" anymore. i do try to make smart choices with food and to compensate when i don't. but i think that will be life long for me. if i want french fries at lunch, well, i will have to do without wine at dinner or chocolate for dessert. or will have to do an extra workout. whatever it is. it is best to plan and/or compensate rather than viewing anything as off limits.

    i don't, however, designate cheat days, say every friday or something. if i am going out with friends, i will plan for it as best i can and then just enjoy myself. if i happen to be in by myself, though, i won't order out for pizza just cuz it's "cheat day friday." it's all about making deliberate choices!! good luck whatever you decide! :)
  • achampionsheart
    achampionsheart Posts: 1,020 Member
    i think that cheat days are necessary....i spoke with my personal trainer yesterday and he often tells his clients to take three weeks off a year from exercising, not all at once mind you....that way it allows a little "breathing room" and relaxation.....then when the days are over, hop back onto the wagon and get your footing again in your routine...it allows yourself freedom to enjoy yourself in your journey and not be so serious all the time...its not healthy to deprive yourself of things you want....youll hate yourself for it in the end and that will only sabotage your progress and growth
  • aa1440
    aa1440 Posts: 956 Member
    I don't believe in cheat days but I do go over on calories once in a while. I don't worry about it. And if I know I will have a big meal, out for dinner or cookout, I get a really good workout before I go.
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    I personally think that if you look at this as a lifestyle change instead of a "diet", then you'll never need a cheat day. If you're craving something, have it! Just have it in moderation so you can sustain it. And realistically we all have days where we eat too much and go over our limits, so I guess you could call that a cheat day but it's just life! Also, if I really want to eat something that I know is going to put me over my limit, I'll workout extra that day. Hope this helps!

    THIS!
  • martinh78
    martinh78 Posts: 601
    I think how hard I have to work to loose xx number of calories...a cheat is only cheating myself and I have to work damned hard to neutralise it.

    For every calorie you burn off to eliminate your cheat, that's one less calorie you've burned off towards your weight loss.

    "Cheat day" is a nice way of calling an excuse for poor eating.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I think how hard I have to work to loose xx number of calories...a cheat is only cheating myself and I have to work damned hard to neutralise it.

    For every calorie you burn off to eliminate your cheat, that's one less calorie you've burned off towards your weight loss.

    "Cheat day" is a nice way of calling an excuse for poor eating.

    and being overly strict is the fastest way to burn out, being flexible with your diet is better for both your sanity and adherence
  • cowboydan43
    cowboydan43 Posts: 306 Member
    Cheat days are a bad idea IMO. Food is fuel- especially on a reduced calorie plan, I want the most bang for my buck. Is a piece of pie going to get me through a work out as well as an ounce of almonds? Probably not. If I do want something junk-y, I just have to plan the rest of my week accordingly.
  • sandislim
    sandislim Posts: 264
    Cheat days totally messed me up for days at a time. I think I will limit it to 2 free meals a week and see how I get on - having free meals is a little more flexible since you can have it at any time. You go out and decide to eat out that can be one free meal. But I'll see how it goes anyway - personally as much as I would like to think of myself as strict, I think realistically you need a little freedom occasionally if only to keep sanity.
  • curvykent
    curvykent Posts: 140 Member
    I'm going to try to regurgitate what someone just explained to me. We all need "cheats" otherwise we set ourselves up for failure at one point or another. Life is to be lived, food is to be eaten and enjoyed ( in moderation). So if you can limit your cheats to a 10% ratio you should be okay. So for example, if you eat 3 x a day you eat 21 meals a week, 10% would be 2 meals. So you could potentially eat 2 cheat meals a week.

    I'm not sure if you can get away with eating a double double cheeseburger with fries 2x a week. I'm not sure how much of a cheat you can do but play with it.

    Or you can do what I do and add a high intensity work out and use some of those calories to treat yourself :bigsmile:
  • peacestar84
    peacestar84 Posts: 100
    I think a cheat meal is ok if there is a special occasion like a birthday, Thanksgiving etc. I do not think it should be a regular thing though because your making a lifestyle change. In effect if you have cheat days or meals you are creating a binge type behaviour and as with any repeated pleasurable activity you will likely start having increased cravings for those types of meals. Plus remember that a pound is 3500 calorie deficit. If you have a cheat day you could easily gain a pound. One cheat meal every once in a while shouldn't affect your calorie deficit.
  • laneybird
    laneybird Posts: 532 Member
    I have a cheat meal once, maybe (but rarely) twice a month. Usually it is on the weekend. To be honest, I've lost more the week following every time... I think it's because I work extra hard that week for it. Don't completely deprive yourself. I was having overwhelming cravings for chocolate the other day (thanks to being a girl lol) and I bought a small candy bar enjoyed every bite of it... I also had the calories left over and worked extra hard the next day.

    I think some people have problems with cheat days, because they go overboard... then they don't lose, they get discouraged and sometimes don't work as hard. Best of luck on your weight loss journey!! :)
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I don't have cheat days. I try to eat "clean" all day, and if I have some extra calories at the end of the day I do whatever I want with them. I find that if I do cheat days those days are completely off the charts, it makes me feel gross to do that to myself all at once.
  • Spitfirex007
    Spitfirex007 Posts: 749 Member
    I will say the same thing here as I do in every other post about "cheat days" I think the term is stupid. I am not on a diet. This is a lifestyle change. However, I will not go the rest of my life without eating unhealthy food. If I want a bowl of ice cream, I eat it! If I want pizza I eat it. Some days I will go over my calorie goal. Other days I will not. That doesn't mean I will pig out whenever I want or anything. But it's all about finding a nice healthy balance.
  • KatyFace9801
    KatyFace9801 Posts: 230 Member
    I totally have cheat days! my trainer said to have one once a week. So, I do!
    This works for me because if I want something really bad I can usually tell myself "you can have it in 2 more days". As someone who needs boundaries & has problems with moderation on, this is the best.
  • mrblaze211
    mrblaze211 Posts: 23
    I posted a question like this one this morning and also got some pretty good answers the way I have been useing my " cheat day" is on saturdays not logging just eating what I wanted just not going crazy with it but on the down side on Monday when I weighed my self I have been up a pound or two but work that off by midweek and come down another pound . So what I have decided to do now is keep my Saturday open but still log to keep a better handle on my cheat day intake. I also don't really exercise on Friday or Saturday I should most likly exercise one of thoses days
  • lilyinlove
    lilyinlove Posts: 441 Member
    I have a spike days following Spike 84...and guess what I have lost almost 20 lbs in 40 days.
  • jbeauchamp1
    jbeauchamp1 Posts: 195 Member
    I am strict with my food Monday-Saturday. I weigh in first thing Sunday morning and I take the day off of exercise and calorie counting. Do I go crazy with food....no but that is the day that if we have a family dinner or an outing I don' t have to stress about it. This has worked for me my entire journey thus far. This is also why I do not eat my exercise calories so I can make sure I make up for anything that was out of the norm that I ate on Sunday. Works for me but as you see not everyone agrees with it.
  • ivikatasha
    ivikatasha Posts: 192 Member
    It is better to have cheat days/meals rather then restricting yourself so much that you go a little crazy and eat a ton of junk food.

    My last diet I was craving Wendy's Spicy Chicken a lot! I just kept saying no to myself instead of just simply having one. I ended up falling of the wagon really badly. Took a few weeks to get back on. Now, if I crave something I will just eat it, and it would be a cheat meal for me. Also since I don't really say no to the cravings, I rarely have them.
  • kmcrey87
    kmcrey87 Posts: 422 Member
    If I want something, I eat it! I will just work out extra hard the following day to balance it out. I can't diet...luckily my food habits are pretty good! It seems that the people I know that stick to very very strict diets always gain the weight back. Finding the balance to be healthy, but also live can be tricky.
  • awelch79
    awelch79 Posts: 233 Member
    I think how hard I have to work to loose xx number of calories...a cheat is only cheating myself and I have to work damned hard to neutralise it.

    For every calorie you burn off to eliminate your cheat, that's one less calorie you've burned off towards your weight loss.

    "Cheat day" is a nice way of calling an excuse for poor eating.

    and being overly strict is the fastest way to burn out, being flexible with your diet is better for both your sanity and adherence

    Well said....I totally agree that you HAVE to give yourself some wiggle room or you will burn out. Example: This weekend was my daughters 5th birthday. I let myself have cake (granted I made one with diet pop instead of the eggs and oil to compensate-but I used real frosting), a scoop of ice cream AND potato chips! :blushing: Yes, the scale hated me on Monday morning, but you know what? I hopped back on the wagon, got back into my routine. Its Wednesday and Im back to normal on the scale. It didnt kill me and most importantly, I had a great time at the party and wasnt obsessing over what I could/couldnt eat.

    I exercise enough that I can eat those things that other may not, but I know to keep it to a tolerable amount (sometimes less than a serving). I could never have gotten this far without allowing myself "cheat days" but I also agree with a previous post that said "cheat" is a bad name for it!
  • spyork
    spyork Posts: 187
    A cheat day is good.................but.................you still have to kinda be good, everything is good sometimes but a big blow out one day a week can do more harm than good, my cheat day usually had a veggie pizza and a small cake but i felt so bad i'd have to hit the weights harder the next day so a real cheat day is a thing of the past for me.

    Hope this helps

    Scott
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