"Cheat" days?

I don't plan for cheat days, but if I go over every so often it's not a big deal to me and it has not hurt my efforts. I usually try to hit my net goals for the week rather than just the day.

yep

I have dropped over 100lbs collectively over the last 5 years.

I ALWAYS have a cheat day, even to this day. Friday night I always grill and have some beers.

ALSO, be very careful not to work out EVERYday. I actually ran into a problem with sleeping through the night because i had been running 3-6 miles a day 6-7 days a week, then working out again in the evenings. Was brutal... i got results but at an expense that made me miserable... I cut back to 4-5 days a week running and only doing the later workout on 2 of those days. The results kept coming and i felt a TON better.

I live by the 90% rule. I won't go a full week with out taking a break to go out for dinner or eat some dessert. Your body will get used to your normal intake and routine, and will adapt to help the additional calories. ie: eat 1500 calories a day for a month, then eat 6000 one day, you wont put on 5 (permanent) lbs from it. Your body will see that as abnormal, and try to flush it.

This is not really text book answer. I have read hundreds of weight loss forums and such, and this is just my take and it happened to work

If you have a cheat day--- still log and count everything! I find once a week is a bit much for me, but it all depends on your body and how it makes you feel.

I don't have scheduled cheat days, but usually if I have a good weigh in on a Friday I will eat something "bad" like Chipotle that night or over the weekend. I definitely don't eat whatever I want all day though. My biggest problem is willpower and using the least amount of "cheating" has really helped me form good habits to keep off the weight, but that is just the way I do things! You will learn through experience what works and does not work for you

I don't PLAN to cheat...everyone can go over their goal once in a while, but it's not a good idea to plan to do it in my opinion. If I did that I would probably stock up on everything I love and binge like a mad woman. If I eat something that calorie heavy I just get back on the wagon after...not the next day, right then!

Sunday's are my 'fun food' day. I eat whatever I feel like eating with two simple rules -

I still log everything that I eat
I stop eating when I'm full

I also try to get a big huge calorie burn work out in that day if I can

I have a "cheat meal" maybe once a week at the most. I do it when I feel like I need it and I find that it helps me stay on track by not having nagging cravings all the time. For me, there is just no alternative to buffalo wings and ice cream and eating a piece of fruit or some damn rice cakes like they suggest just doesn't cut it. Instead of getting discouraged by this one hefty meal I just accept it and move on, and carry out the rest of my day like a normal diet day!

Well put, exactly what I do too!

Maybe not a good idea to think of it as cheating as this is for you and noone else so technically you are only cheating you (one tip i'll give you though is to check the search option for any questions you might have as many people discuss te same issues).. This is a new lifestyle for you not a diet - I find that mindset helps me anyway. You can still have the things you enjoy but maybe in smaller quantities and mixed up with a whole lot of good healthy stuff instead. So long as you exercise and eat sensibly then you can still enjoy weekends away even if you don't have time for structured exercise - maybe you and your man can go for nice long walks together and burn some cals at the same time.

Once you get into this you will soon realise its not that hard - especially once you see and feel the changes happening.



Good luck on your journey x

My question is, I have heard some people give themselves a cheat day once a week where they can eat whatever they want and not count calories or stick with low-fat items. I can see it going both ways...it would be nice to be able to splurge and not feel like I am depriving myself, but it could also backfire if you start eating whatever you want every day...

What does everyone here do? Cheat days or no?

This is going to shock you, but you can indeed eat what you want every day and lose weight just fine.

unless you add ...staying in a caloric deficit...this is total crap

What he said^

I don't schedule my "cheat" days - but I allow them to happen occasionally. I count calories even on those days, so I know how much I've gone over on those days.

My weight-loss goal is currently at 2 pounds a week, or a deficit of 1000 calories per day. Even on my cheat days, I never overshoot by that much, so I'm still moving in the right direction - just not as fast.

If the occasional "cheat" day is what helps to keep you from feeling deprived and getting discouraged, then I say go for it. Just keep the long-term goal clearly in mind.

As a rule, I don't include cheat days since it would be one of those "slippery slope" situations like you mentioned.

In the two months-ish that I've been doing this, I gave myself two days off - Christmas and New Years Eve - in which family things came up and I know there'd be no way to fall within my daily limits. Otherwise, I have been diligent in sticking to my plan.

Don't fret too much about missing a day or two of exercise here and there. The most important thing is to be at (or under) your calorie limit at the end of each day. And besides, even five hours of exercise a week is a good achievement as well!

I think, though, as you go along and get some weeks under your belt, you're going to come up with a setup that works best for you!

Good luck, and remember, your best tool in losing weight is willpower. As long as you have that, you will achieve your goals!

My boyfriend is a runner and he does the 4 Hour Body diet, which includes a "binge" day. It works for him, but everyone is different.