Are cheat/spike days a mistake? Scared to try it
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I don't plan my cheat days - they happen and I move on as quickly as possible. I still log everything because I need to keep myself accountable. I also plan as much as I can if I know they are coming.0
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This is what I do: Every Friday night is homemade pizza/stomboli pep balls and movie night with our family. This friday night meal is the only splurge that I do during the wk, But I make sure that everything was in check for earlier that day It works for me as I have tried to skip fridays pizza day with the kids and make something "healthy" for me and have failed by monday the following wk because the rest of the wkend I'm craving everything...lol And with my "cheat meal" I have still managed to drop 28 lbs
My guess as no1 knows what works for you is too try and see what happens if it causes more problems then its worth forget it!
God Luck with what you choose!0 -
bump so I can peruse this later...0
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I was scared to try a "cheat" day/meal too. But I have resorted to allow myself ONE "cheat sit-down" per week. This week I had 4 cookies in one sitting from costco. I don't feel that it's hindered my loss, although I haven't been at this very long. As long as the scale is moving in the right direction I am happy.
Next week's "cheat" will involve a LARGE BLIZZARD from DQ!! Maybe with extra topping even.0 -
As long as you don't over do it. Some of my cheat days have been epic, I mean like 7000+ cals. Then I would lay in the bed with an upset stomach lol, wake up the next day feeling guilty...... you get the picture.
Yes I agree, and I have done that as well. One time my buddy bet me I couldn't eat 7,000, so I had 8,000 calories. I was miserable and didn't enjoy the day like I usually do. I didn't gain any weight that week though That day was literally non-stop eating, maybe an hour break here and there.
I don't feel guilty about what I eat. I used to before I started spiking. I stay around 5-6K calories, and enjoy each calorie without remorse.0 -
If you deprive yourself of anything you are going to want it more and eat more of it. Everything in moderation. Last night I enjoyed a wonderfully tasty pumpkin shake from Jack and it tasted delicious! Mainly because I don't eat them all of the time, just during the holidays and then only once in a while. Enjoy life and stop fretting. Have a nice day0
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Cheat days usually turn into cheat weekends for me. If you have the discipline to stick with one day or one meal, I think it's a good idea.0
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Cheat days are a mistake. they are a binge waiting to happen. They key is to act in moderation over all. If you are craving some chocolate, its better to have a little bit when you want it than to wait till your cheat day. Healthy eating and weight loss is a lifestyle makeover not a fad diet or a diet at all.
If you know your going to have some unhealthy food during a day, exp your friends want to go out for pizza, your better off to plan around it and eat healthier or workout longer the rest of the day than to just take a day off and binge.0 -
Try it. If you like it and it works for you, awesome. If it doesn't, at least now you know. One or two days, or meals, even bad ones, aren't going to undo/set back your progress--you'd have to eat something like 6000 calories in a day in order to gain even a lb. They work great for me (though to be fair, if I want something I have it, just in a smaller amount (maybe, lol)). So if you want to cheat, cheat. Overall you'll still lose and you'll be way less miserable.0
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i love slurpees so i treat myself to a slurpee once a week and every other saturday night i will have a cheat meal. i dont go crazy but ieat somethign i dont normally allow myself to eat. when i am focused on my goal then its all ok. if itell myself i am never allowed skurpees or takeout again i would fail right away. i also found that when i was seeing results in my weight loss i didnt want to cheat. i also do a extra workout on the weeks i cheat hope that hepls. and good luck with your weight llss0
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ive lost 3st over a year and for the first 3months did well then bam hit a wall. i was only on 1200 cals and training 3-5days a week. started to up my cals on 1-2 days and have a 'naughty' night on one of those nights and i have consistantly lost ever since it helps you not crave and slip up on the 'good' days aswel. good luck x0
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I do my cheat day on Saturday because it's also my relax day. It's my all around cheat day. I get to sit on the couch with the pup, watch movies, NOT clean or stress and cook a really tasty dinner. I just keep my "cheat" food in moderation. If I want ice cream, I can have it, but only a serving size or two, not the gigantic bowl my mind thinks it needs. Corn dogs for breakfast? Definitely. haha They're my favorite junk food0
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I0
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The way to have a spike day is to manage your calories over a week, so that your deficit for the week stays where you want it.
My weekly loss goal is half a pound (1750 weekly deficit). The way I manage my calories is to eat 6 days as if at a 1 lb weekly loss goal (500 daily deficit x 6 = 3000) PLUS all exercise calories), and then 1 day a week, my rest day, I eat appx. 1250 extra calories. This works out to be a weekly deficit of 3000 - 1250 = 1750 calories. Half a pound.
Works like a charm and refuels my body on rest day for the hard workout week ahead.
blessings.
I know you've explained this to death, but do you eat all your recommened calories plus exercise calories? My recommended calories are about 1500 and when I exercise I burn from 200-600. So should I be eating all 1500 and the exercise calories? And on a spike day would I just add 1250 to the 1500? lol sorry i am just so used to doing the typical starve yourself diet that this whole eating more to lose weight blows my mind!0 -
Only you are going to know what's right for you in regards to "cheat days." If I feel like I'm in a strong place, I'm able to do a meal on occasion. However, sometimes my "cheat days" or "cheat meals" turn into "cheat weekends" or even "cheat weeks," because I have a hard time getting back on the wagon. I feel like I'm dealing with food addictions, though, so overeating, even if for one meal, is incredibly difficult for me. It mentally takes me back to where I've been. Everyone's different, though, and if you are someone who can go crazy for one meal and jump right back on the program, go for it.0
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I'm really only about a week and a half into my weight loss journey, but I had a cheat day last week and still lost 5.6 lbs my first week. Yesterday I had a cheat/no exercise day and I'm still on pace to lose this week. Coming back from yesterday, I actually did the most cardio I've done at once (97 min) without faltering, and lower-body strength. Having the cheat day definitely gave me the extra push today!0
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Cheat days are a mistake. they are a binge waiting to happen. They key is to act in moderation over all. If you are craving some chocolate, its better to have a little bit when you want it than to wait till your cheat day. Healthy eating and weight loss is a lifestyle makeover not a fad diet or a diet at all.
If you know your going to have some unhealthy food during a day, exp your friends want to go out for pizza, your better off to plan around it and eat healthier or workout longer the rest of the day than to just take a day off and binge.
I completely disagree, it may not work for some but if your trying to lose weight there is a large hormonal advantage to having one weekly. Also your assuming that a cheat day is a binge and it's not at all. Mine are planned and well executed.
The biggest issue isn't just losing weight, it's keeping it off.
Dieting is a problem because we need to restrict calories to create a calorie deficit so our body uses stored energy to make up the difference. Restricting calories cause or hormones to go out of whack and eventually slows metabolism and increases our physical cravings. It doesn't work, evidence is in the fact that 95% of the people who lose weight end up gaining it back.
People who spike have a physiological and psychological edge over those that don't. I'm not saying you have to do it to lose weight and keep it off but it helps. According to the National Weight Control Registry, the majority of people who have maintained weight loss for over a year, exercise an average of 1-1.5 hours a day. I've lost 100lbs, it's been almost 8 years, and I exercise 1-1.5 hours a week, and I spike weekly.
Also if you are keeping to a low calorie goal to lose weight, say 1,500 calories. Those 1,500 calories should be from the best food sources you can find. Foods that give your body what it needs and ones that help you not be hungry all day long. If you tried to fit in a small blizzard, say 500 calories, you've just wasted a 1/3 of your daily calories, didn't get any nutritional benefits, and you'll be hungry right after.
Now if you spike at 3,000 calories, this is the day you can fit in the calorie dense foods you've been craving. Plus then your mind starts to make the connection and it becomes almost habit. A blizzard is ok on spike day but not the other days.0 -
I've found that they do nothing but help me...it all depends where the calories are coming from, of course. Spending an entire day eating unhealthy, fatty foods isn't the best way to spend it, but eating more of your regular foods plus a few high cal things you wouldn't normally eat or have been craving is good, plus I've noticed that it helps restart my weight loss if I haven't lost anything during the week.
Also, it helps mentally, because if I'm craving something on a non-"cheat" day and I tell myself I can't have it, I'll just want it more and am tempted to binge. If, instead, I tell myself that I'll be able to eat it if I wait just a few days, I'm more motivated to stick to my healthier, lower-cal foods that day.0 -
The way to have a spike day is to manage your calories over a week, so that your deficit for the week stays where you want it.
My weekly loss goal is half a pound (1750 weekly deficit). The way I manage my calories is to eat 6 days as if at a 1 lb weekly loss goal (500 daily deficit x 6 = 3000) PLUS all exercise calories), and then 1 day a week, my rest day, I eat appx. 1250 extra calories. This works out to be a weekly deficit of 3000 - 1250 = 1750 calories. Half a pound.
Works like a charm and refuels my body on rest day for the hard workout week ahead.
blessings.
I know you've explained this to death, but do you eat all your recommened calories plus exercise calories? My recommended calories are about 1500 and when I exercise I burn from 200-600. So should I be eating all 1500 and the exercise calories? And on a spike day would I just add 1250 to the 1500? lol sorry i am just so used to doing the typical starve yourself diet that this whole eating more to lose weight blows my mind!
What I do is have a calorie range daily, (BMR -500) to BMR.
So for me it's 1,800-2,300
I know that if I eat anywhere in that range I will lose weight, I lose faster lower, and slower higher. This does give me the freedom to eat more on the days I feel I need to. I don't really want to eat my extra exercise calories because I want the calories I worked hard to burn to help me lose more fat. If I just eat them back and replace them, my workout was a wash.
Spike Day I eat 2X(BMR)
This day I don't exercise, I just take a full day break form the dieting life and have a day to enjoy.0 -
I can't do cheat days, at least not yet. I'm a compulsive binge eater and in the past I've done a lot of very unhealthy things to lose weight. I am trying to leave those habits behind but even going over my calories by a little sends me into a panic. When I feel as though I've failed I spiral out of control and when I eat something I feel is not good for me or too much I have a difficult time stopping.
So for now I won't do cheat days. If I ever do I won't be calling them cheat days because that just makes it sound like a bad thing when I know that logically it's not bad for you to give the strictness in your diet a rest every once and a while. Just not for me, not quite yet!0
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