Why is cheat day important or is it?

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Replies

  • Huskeryogi
    Huskeryogi Posts: 578 Member
    There are so many studies "proving" one thing or another has an affect on metabolism that I have given up being convinced about anything.

    I don't call them cheat days, but generally on Saturdays especially during football season I eat what I want. I feel like it helps pschycologically more than anything.

    I am a believer in "if you do it right 80% of the time, you will get 95% of the results". If I eat right 6 days a week I'll get the results I'm looking for.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    My "cheat" days are the days that I run long distance. Because I can get away with it. I love my long run days. :)

    Yeah me too - if I have a big day coming up at a birthday where I want o have cake and pizza, I double the cardio and hope to come in about even!
  • ludgerclay
    ludgerclay Posts: 95 Member
    The idea of cheating just seems not quite right. Who are we cheating? It has a very negative connotation. Regardless of the activity, calling it "cheating" gives us permission to try to deceive ourselves, and I think a lot of people have started using this site so that they can more clearly see what they're eating and stop deceiving themselves.
    I eat big around my long runs, and smaller during the week, but I try not to think about cheating on anything. That just brings back to mind all of the years of trying to quit smoking, and cheating by having "just one cigarette". It's not a good place to be.
    I guess it's all semantics...
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    For some, cheat days are like an alcoholic having one drink, it sets them up for continued failure.

    Sure, we all want to lose weight, and scale drops are encouraging. I LOVE THEM! That said, what I want to do is learn how to eat less, and rely on maintenance calories. I was losing 4lbs to 5 lbs a month and loving it. Then I got with the doctor and the nutritionist. They upped my caloric intake (and blasted me about sodium!) and I slowed down a little, but I am rarely hungry. I am still dropping weight at about 2lbs a month. I have 20 something lbs to go, but I am not worried.

    I still eat dessert everyday, and I enjoy pizza or hot wings once or twice a month, but I am careful to plan for the extra calorie meals in advance, and not end up with a binge day.
  • mknoble
    mknoble Posts: 1
    The simple fact that you have a "cheat day" kind of defeats the purpose in my mind. I feel that this implies that you are "dieting" and haven't simply changed the way you fuel your body.

    Don't get me wrong, I truly believe that eating some "calorie dense" (that's code for junk) food now and then is a actually a good thing, and as long as the calories are logged or accounted for then this can't be called a "Cheat Day". Just like your bank account, some times you can afford to spend a little extra money on yourself, so can you afford the extra calories every now and then. JUST DON'T BREAK THE BANK!!!!!

    Good luck!
  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
    Its called a spike day and I do it once a week. It keeps my metabolism from slowing down and adjusting to my calorie defecit through out the week. Ive lost bodyfat the quickest this way.

    this is good. how much of a spike are we talking about? how many extra calories over your intake, and do you still work out that day?

    Between 4500-6000 calories and I dont work out that day. It's a rest day. The next day my workouts are killer and I can get a really good one in. I've tried a lot of different things and this is what works for me.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    I think it helps you burn calories faster when the body realizes that it's getting more calories. And damnit, sometimes I just want to eat whatever I feel like and have no stress from monitoring calories.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    Spike days are one of the best things you can do to keep your fat burning hormones going strong. Last Saturday I had around 7500 calories and I will lose weight this week. Its not a cheat if its planned. Large deficit for six days and then have fun. Spiker for life!
  • kymmixxx
    kymmixxx Posts: 151 Member
    i agree with some of the other posters, knowing i can eat something not particularly good for me helps me stick to healthier stuff the rest of the week, its never harmed my weight loss yet...fingers crossed
  • mattellis2
    mattellis2 Posts: 152
    Spike days are one of the best things you can do to keep your fat burning hormones going strong. Last Saturday I had around 7500 calories and I will lose weight this week. Its not a cheat if its planned. Large deficit for six days and then have fun. Spiker for life!

    holy smokes! what did you eat that was worth 7500 calories?! Most i have eaten on one of my long ride days is about 3500-3800.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    Spike days are one of the best things you can do to keep your fat burning hormones going strong. Last Saturday I had around 7500 calories and I will lose weight this week. Its not a cheat if its planned. Large deficit for six days and then have fun. Spiker for life!

    holy smokes! what did you eat that was worth 7500 calories?! Most i have eaten on one of my long ride days is about 3500-3800.

    The question might be what didn't I eat!
  • lilyinlove
    lilyinlove Posts: 441 Member
    Spike days are one of the best things you can do to keep your fat burning hormones going strong. Last Saturday I had around 7500 calories and I will lose weight this week. Its not a cheat if its planned. Large deficit for six days and then have fun. Spiker for life!


    Spike days rock!! Love it and still dropping pounds!
  • ressa8
    ressa8 Posts: 60
    Someone told me a cheat day actually revs up your metabolism, not sure if it's true or not, hope it is!!
  • Marig0ld
    Marig0ld Posts: 671 Member
    Hmm...haven't weighed in on this in a while.

    If I know I'm going to an event where there will be hard-to-track foods and lots of booze, I workout extra hard that morning and eat something small. Then I just play it by ear for the rest of the evening. I'm still losing 1-1.5 pounds a week, so it seems to be working for me.

    Another things I've noticed...my stomach is so used to the smaller portions that I eat during the week that I get satisfied very fast. Last Sunday, I had a turkey burger and sweet potato fries from a burger joint and was so full I didn't even want dessert. But if the scale starts stalling or creeping up, then I'll need to readjust. That's life. Birthday cake happens.

    I also hate the word "cheat"....can't think of what else to call those days/meals, though! LOL
  • ryanfeltz
    ryanfeltz Posts: 126
    Thank you all...... I know there are differing opinions and research ... my concern is that i maintained my weight ( albeit too high) eating about 2500+ calories a day ( bad caffeine habit with DP too) so I wonder if i will get too used to the 1400 i have been doing everyday and stall.

    I dont eat the best anyway i get it but I am REALLY managing the portion control this time around. Everyday I cant even finish a 1/3 of what I was eating the whole plate of a month ago.

    this triggered by the fact that the scale is stuck.. part of my brain telling me because the muscles are building and you are not quite too that level where the new muscle starts eating the old fat and then you see a scale difference. The other half telling me I aint doing it right
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    Spike days are one of the best things you can do to keep your fat burning hormones going strong. Last Saturday I had around 7500 calories and I will lose weight this week. Its not a cheat if its planned. Large deficit for six days and then have fun. Spiker for life!

    holy smokes! what did you eat that was worth 7500 calories?! Most i have eaten on one of my long ride days is about 3500-3800.

    Ha ha, I was thinking the same thing.................. I don't even think I eat 7500 calories in a week.
  • steve81872
    steve81872 Posts: 23 Member
    My personal opinion -

    I personally feel "cheat" days are counter productive to making permanent lifestyle changes. The whole point of losing weight and keeping it off is to make permanent changes. That means changing the way you think about food, how and what you eat, the way you live, etc.

    It is truly a life changing event. If a person haven't experienced that, it is highly unlikely that they will keep the weight off.

    Changing the amount of what one eats is not a lifestyle change and should not be treated as such.

    Well put!
  • nosugarcoating
    nosugarcoating Posts: 194 Member
    I never do cheat days, but it's a personal preference for me. Every once in a while I will do a cheat 'meal' but if I do a whole day of eating whatever I want....it's hard for me to get back on the wagon. I still log everything though, even if I know it ill put me over for the day.

    Ditto, except I don't call it cheating. I have been on MFP for 8 weeks now and in the entire time, I have been over my budget once, when I had a pizza for lunch. I try to stay under my budget but when I want a pizza or whatever else every once in a while, I have it. If it puts me over, that's ok, but I prefer to try to fit it into my budget. I don't do that regularly, though (like every week or so) because exceptions quickly turn back into old habits. I think the week after I had that pizza, I have also had the biggest loss yet.
  • stclair_jena
    stclair_jena Posts: 1
    I think cheat day are important because for me i go crazy eating the same healthy food all the time so on every Friday me and my husband go to a buffet or somewhere we love..It keep you motivated i think!
  • tmiqueen
    tmiqueen Posts: 254 Member
    My cheat days are important to me, because I know that I react rebelliously and if I deprive myself of certain foods it will cause me to binge. By scheduling a 'cheat' day, I don't have to feel guilty or feel like I failed.

    It doesn't work for everyone, but it works for me.
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