rest day /cheat day?

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dubist
dubist Posts: 279 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
should my rest day overlap my cheat day
or
should i work out extra on my cheat day?
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Replies

  • BrooklynBeast
    BrooklynBeast Posts: 44
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    What is a cheat day?

    Personally, I do not plan for a rest day. If I feel I need a day off, then I take it. If I feel fine then I will workout as normal.

    My reason for this is that you never know when something will come up that may cause you to miss a workout. So say that you plan to take Monday's off, then come Thursday and you have to be at work late/early and you can't workout; all of a sudden it is two days off in a week.

    The only type of rest I plan for is an easy day after a hard weekend or a day or two off during a taper.
  • ninetoes28
    ninetoes28 Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi

    I dont have a cheat day per say, I have a couple of cheat meals (pizza, burgers etc) usually a friday night, but i alternate between a workout day and rest day, I still stay under my daily caloric intake, if I happen to workout on that friday sweet, if its a rest day then i know ill be working out the next day.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
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    I figure out if there are any events coming up, and if there is then I make that my cheat day. I generally only "cheat" at one meal, though, and it usually ends up being Friday if there's no big family or holiday thing coming up. My DOR is Sunday, but if for some reason I ended up missing a workout, I would make that day my rest day and work out on Sunday. If I go without sleep too many days, then I get more rest days than I intended to. :ohwell:
  • yogavegan
    yogavegan Posts: 116 Member
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    i think the idea of 'cheat' day stinks. it alludes to the idea that you doing something the rest of the week that needs to be cheated on, and depriving yourself. if you eat balanced and allow yourself the foods you like, in moderation, then there is no need to cheat.

    i usually rest once every few days, but even on those days i am still really active, i just dont plan an actual workout. 7 days a week i log my food and stick to my plan.
  • EbonyK
    EbonyK Posts: 92
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    I am struggling with that same issue. I can't decide what to do.
  • Spinach_Brigade
    Spinach_Brigade Posts: 17
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    yogavegan is right as rain.

    Nobody takes a cheat day from how they eat -- they take a cheat day from a "diet." That is to say the idea of cheating emphasizes the temporary (and perhaps fleeting) nature of the dietary adjustment.

    I think that if you're eating right you don't *want* to cheat, because the cheat-worthy foods seem kind of gross. Fast food (or the equivalent) starts to feel like exactly what it is: a punch in the gut.

    Cheat foods often make you feel poorly. The healthier you are the easier that is to notice.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    I don't take a "rest day" I just take time off when my body says it needs it or when something comes up and I can't workout. I also don't plan a "cheat day" but if something comes up I allow myself a meal to stress less about what I'm eating. I try to make it a lifestyle and if I am craving a burger I just make it fit in.
  • monicanicoletta
    monicanicoletta Posts: 176 Member
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    What is a cheat day?

    Personally, I do not plan for a rest day. If I feel I need a day off, then I take it. If I feel fine then I will workout as normal.

    My reason for this is that you never know when something will come up that may cause you to miss a workout. So say that you plan to take Monday's off, then come Thursday and you have to be at work late/early and you can't workout; all of a sudden it is two days off in a week.

    The only type of rest I plan for is an easy day after a hard weekend or a day or two off during a taper.

    From a doctor/trainer/nutritionist perspective I've always been told taking one day of rest is necessary, even body builders do. when you are resting and sleeping, is the time your body is changing the most and its vital.
  • almost350
    almost350 Posts: 46
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    hey, personally i work out harder when I plan to eat a high caloric meal. Rest when you a rest though!
  • cantjustcant
    cantjustcant Posts: 1,027 Member
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    i think the idea of 'cheat' day stinks. it alludes to the idea that you doing something the rest of the week that needs to be cheated on, and depriving yourself. if you eat balanced and allow yourself the foods you like, in moderation, then there is no need to cheat.

    ^^^ this! This is a plan for the rest of my life. Besides....the first 43 years of my life were cheat days....
  • almost350
    almost350 Posts: 46
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    hey, personally i work out harder when I plan to eat a high caloric meal. Rest when you a rest though!
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
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    i think the idea of 'cheat' day stinks. it alludes to the idea that you doing something the rest of the week that needs to be cheated on, and depriving yourself. if you eat balanced and allow yourself the foods you like, in moderation, then there is no need to cheat.

    ^^^^^^^ I agree with this! ^^^^^^^^
  • monicanicoletta
    monicanicoletta Posts: 176 Member
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    and i do have cheat day, more like cheat meal. and i disagre with the above, i think its important. i dont look at it as "oh im cheating on my diet and misbehaving" and I def never feel poorly after because I earned it. Everyone deserves to have some pasta or cake or whatever it may be here and there in moderation, so having that during those "cheat" meals makes it easier to find that balance so you dont go crazy or crave things so bad that you binge. be proud of being healthy and working out and then enjoy treats here and there for your hard work :)
  • meagen_2177
    meagen_2177 Posts: 16
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    I completely agree with BrooklynBeast!! First off, what exactly IS a cheat day? Most likely a way out or a way to not be completely committed to what you're doing. I used to plan rest days into my week but I found that I only ended up losing out on workouts because I work in the OR and quite frequently have to stay late! Give up on the cheat days for sure.... if you need a rest day try and make sure that it's a day after a really hard workout. :)
  • daphnemoon
    daphnemoon Posts: 216 Member
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    My reason for this is that you never know when something will come up that may cause you to miss a workout. So say that you plan to take Monday's off, then come Thursday and you have to be at work late/early and you can't workout; all of a sudden it is two days off in a week.

    I sooo agree with you - if I'm ever thinking, ah maybe I'll go easy at the gym today or - worse - maybe I won't go at all - I just remember that I should go whilst I am physically fit and healthy enough to go. There are so many small things that can impact on your workout plans. Over the Christmas period I could have gone several times to the gym (i.e. it was open and there were classes) but I had major problems with my wisdom teeth which I didn't see coming. And since I have to have them out I'll be out for a few more days which is a major annoyance. Similarly, you might be feeling run down, or actually get an injury which puts you out for a long period of time. So seize the day people, go to the gym when you can and don't put it off! Sorry that wasn't strictly on topic but I needed to say it :)
  • jms1985
    jms1985 Posts: 58 Member
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    Cheat days mean you're only cheating yourself out of all the hard work you've done all week. What I like to do instead is have a "relaxed day". For me, that means I still work out (this worked out better for me in the Summer, when it was still warm) & I didn't record my calories. This would typically be on Sunday. Now just bc I didn't record my calories doesn't mean I went all crazy. I just took a break from having to log everything in. Good luck!
  • BazAbroad
    BazAbroad Posts: 248
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    Those in the know say u need a rest day for your muscles to recover and rebuild.
    Some of those in the know claim that a cheat day on food, whether it be a meal or a full day, may be required for the mental side of it, or as an incentive to keep on that diet the majority of the time.
    Changing your diet, is not the same as being on a diet. One aims to be permanent, the other is a temporary fix,, if your lucky.
    My question would be,
    Is it better to have your cheat foods on your rest day ?
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    I usually have a rest day once a week or so, though often I'll walk for longer than usual so I still burn some calories but don't put my body under strain by running or weights. Today though, I'm exhausted after a busy week and weekend so it really is a rest day - just the usual short work to and from work but no extra walking or workout.

    Like lots of other people here I don't do "cheat days" - I don't see the need to "cheat" on myself. I eat more than my calorie allowance sometimes and that's OK, I just don't feel the need to label it in a negative way. I also eat under my calorie allowance on other days - and I don't have to have a label for that either.

    But, to answer your actual question - I usually eat around my calorie allowance on a rest day and do some extra exercise on a day where I know I'll be eating more than usual. This isn't necessarily planned - it's more that it just happens that way because I usually do a long run on a Saturday which is also the day we usually go out if its a special occasion.

    There isn't any right or wrong here, try it out and see what works for you.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    I train for 3 days and rest for 4. The minimalist is good one, especially when you're in a calorie deficit (99%) on this site.
  • lgord92
    lgord92 Posts: 34
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    My rest days are on my cheat days. I don't want my body becoming too comfortable with my eating/exercise habits and then quit losing all the weight I wanted to lose. I allow myself to rest on the weekends and I don't worry about my calorie intake too much (though, I try not to go overboard with it).

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