Cheat Day

How often do you have a cheat day? Once a week, twice month, once a month, never?

Once a week.. I eat double my bmr. Works like a charm.

I just started on Monday, but my plan is to have 1 cheat meal a week. I don't want to give myself an entire day to cheat.

I actually don't have a cheat day. My biggest downfall in the past has been deprivation of my favorite foods. So, instead, what I do is just eat what I want in moderation. I want fries? I order the smallest size they have off the value menu. I want cheesecake, I get some friends together and go get a piece of cheesecake while out shopping (the friends are to share the monster piece of cheesecake they bring you, since all I really want is a few bites). When I used to deprive myself on a regular basis, I found I would just "fall off the wagon", so to speak, that would send me rolling out of control.

I usually allow myself one cheat day a week. But if I will generally throw in some extra gym time to make it even out. So I guess that's not really a cheat. lol

My sister doesn't count on the weekends, and she's dropping weight like crazy.

one day a week i eat whatever i want, it might not work for everyone but its worked for me! gone from 282 pounds to 170, aiming for 150. my diarys open if u wana look:) i honestly dont know how i continue to lose weight but it seems to work lol

Once a week, all day! It keeps me motivated and it works!

one cheat day a week. Big Mac Combo, large size with a mcchicken sandwich, a double cheeseburger and 2 BBQ sauce.
Once a week I eat this

Normally once a week, gives me something to look forward to!

I could not progress without my cheat day, or as we prefer to say in the scientific community: "RE-FEED THERAPY"

The science behind calorie spiking is about shocking your metabolism, stoking the fires so to speak.
I set aside one day per week where I eat about twice my daily goal, and once a month I set a day for a total food orgy where I eat like a pig for 24 hours.
This has both physiological and psychological benefits.
It's nice knowing I am never more than 7 days from eating anything I desire in whatever quantity I want.

I'd be miserable otherwise.

Please don't confuse people. A refeed is not a cheat day.

It's nice knowing I am never more than 7 days from eating anything I desire in whatever quantity I want.

I could not agree more. There is an Entenmann's Cheese Danish Twist on my kitchen counter. Every time I walk past it, I threateningly tell it, "Sunday," so it knows the day it will meet its doom. It's very silly, but it helps when surrounded by the foods of which I cannot eat a reasonable portion.

Once a week.. I eat double my bmr. Works like a charm.

Me too. She's my mini me! ♥ ^ Oh and it's a full day, not one meal ☺

Hmmm maybe I'll change my mind then! You both seem to be having a lot of success so maybe il try it out

I would love to incorporate a cheat day! But could someone tell me...say I want to lose 1 lb a week, need that 3500 calorie deficit in a week, if I have a cheat day, won't that wipe out oh say like a 3rd of my deficit? Which....there goes my lb a week? Maybe cheat days are for people that have a higher deficit?

I could not progress without my cheat day, or as we prefer to say in the scientific community: "RE-FEED THERAPY"

The science behind calorie spiking is about shocking your metabolism, stoking the fires so to speak.
I set aside one day per week where I eat about twice my daily goal, and once a month I set a day for a total food orgy where I eat like a pig for 24 hours.
This has both physiological and psychological benefits.
It's nice knowing I am never more than 7 days from eating anything I desire in whatever quantity I want.

I'd be miserable otherwise.

The "food orgy" as you describe has nothing to do with refeed I'd say. Moreover, that famous "spike" you are talking about is purely related to carbohydrates. A sane refeed protocol consists in eating mostly carbs within a day, on maintenance. Thus you'd higher your leptin levels and lower the insulin-resistance the brains has (not to mention preventing thyroid shrinking) just to continue to loose weight (and preventing muscular catabolism).

it makes sense if you are low on carbs, and high in deficit ; otherwise, it doesn't do anything physically.
I read (need to look though) that reboosting the leptin with a day is not that efficient, since results are interesting after weeks.
People who need "cheet days" means they are too restrictive most of the time - Lately I noticed (before I increased my intakes) that I was only waiting that mighty Saturday in order to crave on thousands calories (I'd say 3000-4000). Then what...
I've also heard that "cheat days" shouldn't be logged )as if they were not normal days.

Going that way means you (all the people who "cheat") operate an explicit split between two way of feeding yourself :
1- Restriction during days
2- Binges during a day

That is where the vicious circle comes in, they are days when you'll eat less to binge even more ; or you'll have two "cheat" days per week. And few months later gain weight....

To people who "cheat" :
- Ask yourself why you need to do that
- If you are on a diet, that won't work your whole life, the yoyo will be waiting for you
- It's not sane, and you'll pretext a "cheat" to overcrave on food you don't even want to eat.
- Looks like some eating disorders are hiding somewhere hehe

In fact, you should not consider "cheats"at all, but once in a while, take pleasure by eating something you love, as a happy greedy :-)
Some interesting readings :
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=EatingDisorders

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/eating_disorder_struggles.htm

I just dont understand these "cheat days". I am new to MFP so bear with me. My goal is 1200 cals a day so if i reach this goal and dont go over everyday am i allowed a "cheat day"?