How do you do YOUR cheat day.

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theroadto100
theroadto100 Posts: 209 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just recently decided I need to start allowing myself one cheat day a week, but I feel like there's so many ways to go about it, I'm just curious as to what other people find works best.

For example, does your cheat day mean going over on your calories? Or does it mean you just make less healthy choices? So would you still consider it a "good" day if you had, say, a burger, but still stayed under on your calories? (Hopefully this isn't too confusing... haha). ANYWAYS, I'm just wondering how other people's cheat days work. And let me know how it's helped progress your weight loss.

This post is such a confusing mess I apologize, haha.
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Replies

  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    So would you still consider it a "good" day if you had, say, a burger, but still stayed under on your calories?

    I call that a "lean" day if its just the one burger tbh.

    Im not "dieting" so i have nothing to cheat on! Just eat a moderate deficit daily, exercise hard, hit macros, its all good! :D
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    A cheat day is a bit too open ended for me and I could do too much damage in an entire day. Instead I usually have one meal every couple of weeks where I don't worry about calories. This usually comes into play when I go out to eat.
  • MrsZMartin
    MrsZMartin Posts: 165 Member
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    I don't call it a cheat day if I stay under calories. Occasionally (say, when it's a big holiday or company comes into town), I'll take a day (sometimes a few) off of counting completely. These are what I call cheat days, but they don't happen every week. I also continue to workout even if I am off counting. For a once a week thing, I would suggest doing one meal where you allow yourself to eat whatever you want, and don't worry about logging it. If you try to log it, in my experience, you can end up with guilt, which makes the freedom not worth it. Such a splurge will not hinder your weight loss, and could likely increase your sbility to stick to your plan on other days and meals. Good luck!!
  • kneeki
    kneeki Posts: 347 Member
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    This happened to me a few days ago... I made a (high) protein Cheesecake and dominated it.

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  • yikesy
    yikesy Posts: 4
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    Any day you stay under/within your calorie allotment is a good day! My 'cheat' days consist of not even keeping track of the calories - or if I am really feeling a little guilty or afraid that I mat go over board with drinks with friends then I try to make sure I workout a little longer/harder that day to help balance out the calories. Obviously the more you cheat on cheat day the less effective your diet is going to be - but we need to live a little as well. I can 'cheat' once a week and still stay within my weekly calorie allotment (think of it as using up banked calories from earlier in the week from exercising etc.).
  • fdlafon
    fdlafon Posts: 259 Member
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    A cheat day is a bit too open ended for me and I could do too much damage in an entire day. Instead I usually have one meal every couple of weeks where I don't worry about calories. This usually comes into play when I go out to eat.

    I think this is a good rule - I had some Chinese food with a friend on Friday, and thought I was in heaven while enjoying it. It was nice to have something that I hadn't eaten in weeks.

    I believe that a cheat meal is the way I would handle it. An entire day can do a lot of damage. Enjoy!
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    My cheat day is usually a weekend day. I eat whatever I want might have a few beers too.
  • theroadto100
    theroadto100 Posts: 209 Member
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    Thanks, everyone! This all definitely helps me a lot.
  • itsuki
    itsuki Posts: 520 Member
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    My "cheat" days are days where I eat less healthy. Generally it's more like a cheat meal, not a whole day. I give myself one cheat meal per week and I can use it on whatever day I want.

    For example, today was my cheat day and I went to Burger King and had a 730 calorie lunch. It was delicious. I have no regrets.

    I just plugged my whole day into my diary and I'm still under for my goal by about 70 calories. If I had been over that would have been fine too, 'cuz it was a cheat meal. Generally I'm under or on target on my cheat days, and can always throw in an extra workout if I'm over by a lot.

    Do my cheat days stop me from losing weight? Well, maybe a little. I've lost just about 10 pounds in 9 weeks. Maybe I would have lost a little more if I didn't cheat, but I would rather lose weight slowly and cheat sometimes, than lose it quickly and then go on a three week food bender and wind up back where I started.
  • cooter2533
    cooter2533 Posts: 108
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    I normally try to keep my cheat days/meals to my maintenance calories or just above. I have been cutting at 1600 cal so on a "bad day" I'll hit 2400 or so.
  • bhalter
    bhalter Posts: 582 Member
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    Mine is more a half day. I'll usually save "cheat days" for a day when we have plans with friends. Eat healthy all day except for that one meal and then "indulge" a bit. That way I don't go crazy and end up licking chocolate frosting off a pizza or something.
  • jenniet04
    jenniet04 Posts: 1,054 Member
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    Sundays are my cheat days. I eat whatever and however much I want. I generally don't log it, but I don't do too much damage because of the goal I'm working toward, so I usually stay within my maintenance calories.
  • PirateJohn
    PirateJohn Posts: 80
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    I don't like calling it "cheating," because that means you're doing something bad. Eating the occasional candy bar or ice cream isn't cheating if it's incorporated into an overall healthy diet.

    I remember running the Long Beach Half Marathon and a woman I passed had scrawled on the back of her shirt, "I run for donuts." I couldn't help but comment as I ran past. :)
  • cafel3
    cafel3 Posts: 89
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    I don't eat the same number of calories each day. Some days are lower. Then, I use the "left over" calories from the low-cal days so that I can eat my maintenance calories about twice a week. My weekly calories, however, are at or under my weekly goal.

    I don't restrict any foods. I just try to eat everything in moderation. I also plan my meals the day before, so if I know that we're going to have pizza for dinner on Friday, I lower my calories the rest of the day.
  • NsRhea
    NsRhea Posts: 7 Member
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    My cheat day is usually just a cheat meal. I can't put the Chinese food down xD. However, I always try to log it afterward. It keeps me conscious of what I ate. Plus I read that a cheat meal / day can trick your body into thinking you're continually getting that high calorie intake so it continues burning calories at a decent rate rather than becoming accustom to the low calorie meals every day and then stalling out after a month or so.
  • Kelly_Wilson1990
    Kelly_Wilson1990 Posts: 3,245 Member
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    I don't do cheat meals. I eat healthy versions of all the foods I love so there is no need for a cheat day.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I eat twice my daily goal during my weekly "free day"
    And once a month is my binge day - 24 hours of pure fun - EAT EAT EAT!
    About 10,000 calories -- LOVE IT!

    The hardest part is turning it off.
  • rudegyal_b
    rudegyal_b Posts: 593 Member
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    ive cheated once, have no intentions of doing that again anytime soon...i just treat myself daily within limits
  • SKINNYMESOON2B
    SKINNYMESOON2B Posts: 112 Member
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    I was actually pretty bad this weekend. I usually eat pretty good, but this weekend I choose unheathly things to eat including chicken strips and fries and cold stone ice cream. I did however realize what i was eatting and logged it and managed to stay under my calorie goal. But that little set back for college hangover eatting ended with Sunday night. Im vouching to stay on track.
  • determinedsocialworker
    determinedsocialworker Posts: 108 Member
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    I don't really do a cheat day, either. I workout 5-6 times a week at the gym no matter what and I generally have a meal that is kind of out of the ordinary for me. It is generally pizza because I adore it, but it has to matter to me...before I never thought much about what I was eating. I count what I eat as best I can so I am making a conscious decision of what I am doing, and a ballpark of how many calories it's going to be and then I decide if it's worth it. For me, sometimes I do it and realize after that it wasn't, and i learn for next time. But I don't find a full day does anything good for me. I may have a cheat meal or a cheat treat per week, but generally stay within my calories. I don't generally eat back my exercise calories but on that day, maybe I do, and maybe I go over, but not too often. I want Onederland by May 1, so I find having that goal keeps me pretty well on track. Good luck figuring out what works best for you.

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