What do you think of a "cheat" day?

I don't schedule a cheat day, but if I randomly end up going out for happy hour one night and having a "cheat" day, it's all good, and I don't beat myself up over it.

It works for me!

in my personal exxperience, if i have a day off, i will tend to eat every bad thing that i have been craving for the rest of the week...

what results is that the next morning, i have put on 2-4lbs, and i spend the next 3 days trying to shift that back off, and overall loose 1lb for the week if im lucky..

i found that i spend the whole week that im sticking to my diet, just waitng for my day off, when i will totally over indulge.. where as without the cheat day, my mind gets around the new diet/excersise, and accepts it as a final decision, and i can just get on with it.

i think it's alright as long as it's just the one day and you pick up where you left off the following days w/ eating right & exercising

When I was fatter, I used to take off the whole weekend and would still lose weight. After a while, that quit working so I just took one day off a week and that worked for a while. Then I started taking off one meal a week and that worked for a while. Now if I eat 'bad' I get really sick for a couple of days after so it's just not worth it. I've come to realize that if I would have been eating more calories back when I was fat, I wouldn't have need to 'cheat' and the weight would have come off just the same.

I don't really PLAN a cheat day into my overall eating scheme, but I typically wind up having one anyway, and I'm okay with that. I mean, it would be wonderful if it didn't happen, but it usually does..... Usually on Saturday. If I don't plan it as a cheat day, I think I tend to "cheat" less than if I gave into the "I can eat whatever I want today!" mentality of a cheat day. So, I plan to stick to plan, then don't get mad at myself if I don't one day. I try to track, too. That was when I get on the scale and see a gain, at least I wont be clueless as to why. It serves as a reminder of, "OH yeah, I DID eat that buffalo chicken wrap, friends, and drank all that beer".... Oops! I try to be mindful, even when I'm cheating.

I dont "cheat" there are days that I may not fit into the parameters I have set for myself for whatever reason....I over ate, I underexercised....but I try to always be cognizant of what I am doing...it is to easy to fall back into my old patterns if I lose vigilance...but that said....I do have those "oh boy" days and I no longer beat myself up over it....I just cut back a bit the next few days and exercise a bit more and it all evens out...You CANT cheat on a lifestyle change...you can only cheat on a DIET

Think about your calorie goal in a weekly format instead of a daily. If you are under your goal every other day of the week, then you could potentially rollover those extra calories into your "cheat day" and have some foods you might not normally eat. But if your cheat day goes so far overboard that it ruins the progress you've made during the week, it will do you no good. (I know from experience!)

I personally am a fan of the cheat day, as long as it's not out of control. It helps me stay super focused during the week because I know whatever I'm craving I can have on Saturday if I so choose. It also gives my body a calorie boost to keep from going into starvation mode since my calorie intake during the week is pretty low.

I do a cheat day every now and then, but not once a week. Once a week is a bit too often, but it depends on who you are and what your goal is. I'm 146lb trying to lose another 6, I'm starting to plateau a little so i couldn't get away with once a week. I'd stop losing weight altogether!
Even when i do have a cheat day I do still log my intake though. I don't let the numbers stop me eating what I really want, it's just interesting to see how that tips me in my weekly summary! I probably go nuts once a month, usually after pay day and then my husband and I will do lunch or get a pizza. Good times
I don't think there's any harm in a cheat day, but i think it's really important when you're trying to lose weight not to deprive yourself of the things you want on a daily basis. If you deprive yourself all the time you're more likely to fail because the "bad" things are just too damn tempting! Also it's pretty important, when you're trying to lose weight, that you don't go too nuts on a cheat day and eat thousands of calories because then you're at risk of undoing all the good work you put in the rest of the time.
In moderation is always the key!

I feel like life is short so if I take a day off usually a Sat or Sun, I will get back on track the next day.

I don't schedule cheat days, i think its silly! I eat what I want everyday including what many would consider cheat foods. The only way for me to be successful is to LIVE normally. This means logging and watching my intake. It does not mean depriving myself and scheduling a binge say which creates a whole different set of issues, but thats just me. Do what works for you. Even weightwatchers gives you the ability to go over on those special occassions day, but the requirement is still that it all gets logged so you know how it impacts your weight for that week.

I dont "cheat" there are days that I may not fit into the parameters I have set for myself for whatever reason....I over ate, I underexercised....but I try to always be cognizant of what I am doing...it is to easy to fall back into my old patterns if I lose vigilance...but that said....I do have those "oh boy" days and I no longer beat myself up over it....I just cut back a bit the next few days and exercise a bit more and it all evens out...You CANT cheat on a lifestyle change...you can only cheat on a DIET

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

I never give myself a cheat day, what works for me is having what I want when I want it, in moderation of course and making sure I work out so that I stay under my calorie goal. I have changed my lifestyle so if I want a piece of pizza or a beer I get it but I always make sure it fits into my calorie count. That way I never feel like I am missing out or are deprived of anything.

EXACTLY!! I am not a fan of a scehduled cheat day! Just seems counter productive. Like a person is saying I will starve myself all week and then on this one day, make myself sick.

What are your thoughts on taking an entire day off from logging and exercise, and eating what you want for one day each week? In your opinion, is it hindering the overall goal? This is only if you are committed and meet your diet and exercise goals every other day of the week.

I do this as i find it helps me with the plateau problems xxxxx

If you are eating in a caloric deficit for a long time and you are close to your goal weight, 10-15 lbs out, cheat days otherwise known as "REFEEDS" by people who seek to get lean are beneficial to your goals because they help with hormones, as well to give your metabolism a boost from eating under maintenance for quite some time. There are a lot of good reads about cheats/refeeds, if you learn how to incorporate them into your program (after a certain training day, or on a certain training day) google is your friend.