Cheat Days: Fact or Fiction?

micmac327
micmac327 Posts: 128
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi Everyone,

I'v heard from many reliable fitness and weight loss experts that giving yourself one cheat day a week is key when it comes to losing weight. Some of their reasons:

- a cheat day allows you to indulge (within reason) on foods that you crave, allowing you to better stick with your diet
- a weekly "treat" makes you less likely to cheat during the week and motivates your efforts
- a cheat day confuses the body and prevents plateaus

I'm sure there are dozens of other reasons backing the Cheat Day theory.

I wanted to know what everyone else thinks of this and if you've have success in attaining your gials by giving yourself a weekly cheat.

Replies

  • bcunning
    bcunning Posts: 81 Member
    I have to say that having a cheat day once a week has seemed to help me a lot. I have been eating healthy and working out for about 6 months now, and have not plateaued yet. (keeping my fingers crossed). But , I do not go crazy with it, and just pig out for a whole day. I basically allow myself one or two cheat meals, and don't worry if I go over my calories for that day, as long as it is not too much.

    Things I noticed, when I first started changing my lifestyle like this, it helped a lot with the cravings, I had always eaten fast foods, and craved fatty, salty, high calorie foods and sodas.

    The longer I have gone now, the less I have those cravings, so it actually seems like I eat my cheat meals a little less often (it is more like once every other week now). And I have stopped drinking sodas altogether. So now I find that even my cheat meals are not so bad anymore, since I eat them in smaller portions than I used to as well.

    So I do recommend doing it, it has definitely helped me so far.
  • craignev
    craignev Posts: 1,247 Member
    I would go as far as to say I have a cheat 'day' but it do have a bit of a cheat meal with booze on the evening ater weight-in.

    It's more to preserve my sanity that anything else :drinker:
  • beskimoosh
    beskimoosh Posts: 375 Member
    Honestly?

    I love food. Cheat days let me have food without worrying about my calories, and have a glass of wine (or multiple glasses :p) without worrying about it. Keeps me sane and on track!

    Also, like someone else said, the longer I do this, the healthier cheat days get, with much smaller portions!
  • imkegoal
    imkegoal Posts: 156 Member
    My weigh in day is my cheat day and it Works for me! Yesterday I went 1500 Cals over and I weighed the Same today as yesterday. Either way, any weight you may gain on Your cheat day will come off within 1 or 2 days. it definitly makes the diet easier to keep up.
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    I don't have cheat days, but I don't restrict what I eat at other times. If I want pizza, I have a bit. Works for me.
  • Sul3i
    Sul3i Posts: 553 Member
    I say everything in moderation... if we eat healthy most of the time little indulgants here n there don't hurt :-)
  • imkegoal
    imkegoal Posts: 156 Member
    Ps: as you may have gathered from my post: I still track on my cheat day. i tend not to go more than 600 Cals over my allowance on my cheat day. Which is generally less than wat I have stayed under in the days before weighin day, so it equals eachother out in the end.
  • DONNALEES
    DONNALEES Posts: 50 Member
    I have been on Jenny Craig since January 2nd. They don't allow for cheat days, I sure wish they did. I haven't cheated yet but have come very close in the past few days.
  • MogwaisGrandma
    MogwaisGrandma Posts: 195 Member
    I don't have specific cheat days but I do go over once in a while. Only been doing MFP for a month and I am hoping for my 10lb loss mark on Monday so it seems to be working for me.
  • kleighsamboer
    kleighsamboer Posts: 250
    I mean, honestly, didn't we all have enough "cheat" days? That is what made us fat! I allow myself organic 70% or higher dark chocolate IF my calories allow for it. I don't drink, smoke, rarely drink coffee and I eat a clean diet without processed foods. I had to drastically change my life. I just don't see how people can justify cheat days or weekends and gorge themselves on fast food and alcohol.
  • Lauraph
    Lauraph Posts: 79 Member
    When I first starting "dieting" to lose weight I weighed in on Friday morning and then Friday was my "free" day. I didn't have to count my calories and I could enjoy some of the things I had craved that week. It worked for me because it helped keep me sane and on track the whole week. As my health started improving and I changed my diet to mostly whole foods I no longer craved that food that I was saving up for Fridays. I just didn't want it anymore.

    The key for me was learning to eat for health and not just weight loss.
  • laurabini
    laurabini Posts: 257 Member
    I can't avoid a cheat dinner today: my aunt has made lasagne :love:

    Anyway I have a cheat meal once a week and sometimes before a workout I treat myself with chocolate, I think it's not too bad.
    As everyone says: everything with moderation :)
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    I mean, honestly, didn't we all have enough "cheat" days? That is what made us fat! I allow myself organic 70% or higher dark chocolate IF my calories allow for it. I don't drink, smoke, rarely drink coffee and I eat a clean diet without processed foods. I had to drastically change my life. I just don't see how people can justify cheat days or weekends and gorge themselves on fast food and alcohol.

    Personally, I gained weight because EVERY day was a cheat day. Far more than a cheat day, actually.

    A bit of junk here and there, occasional days over calories, they're not the end of the world.
  • Bergiere
    Bergiere Posts: 39 Member
    I don't think it should be called a cheat day. Cheating implies you're doing something wrong, unless that appeals to the 'bad boy/girl' in you. :)
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