Cheat Day...

CamsMama22
CamsMama22 Posts: 27
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
What are peoples opinons on having a cheat day to eat what you want? My mom is doing a diet where she eats right for 11 days and then cheats Friday and sat. Shes lost alot of wieght so far but wouldnt that sooner or later make it harder for you to lose lbs.
just kind of wondering if I should allow myself one cheat day every two weeks. Cuz I have a feeling if I don't I might now stick with eating healthy. That way I can look at it as well if I want that candybar I can have it Sat. but I have to eat right till then to deserve it!
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Replies

  • holthaus30
    holthaus30 Posts: 58 Member
    It is good to have a cheat day or a cheat meal, it helps to keep away those cravings for bad food. I have cheat meals, not a whole day of going way over, and I do it once every 2 weeks. If anything it may slow your progress down a bit but it doesnt seem to be hurting myself.
  • methodless
    methodless Posts: 62
    I cheat every weekend
    But even when I cheat, I am cautious about it

    e.g. last weekend, I had KFC, but had more chicken and less fries than usual and used significantly less Ketchup and such when I did

    Its a guilty cheat, I let myself do what I want, but I let the progress stay at the back of my mind so I don't go overboard.

    Some insist it helps your metabolism stay as fast as it is, I just don't want to stop enjoying my life
  • EricDe90x
    EricDe90x Posts: 51
    I'm having a cheat day today because I'm trying to gain (muscle) weight and I lost 0.8 lbs this week. I usually have a cheat day on Fridays or Saturdays because that's when I'm hanging out with friends which means there's a lot of snacks around.
    If I was trying to lose weight, I'd only have a cheat day once a week to begin to not like bad food. Like if you eat healthy for a while then eat crappy food like McDonalds, you'll grow to not even like McDonalds. I already don't really like fatty foods because I take these cheat days.

    For Me Today: 2 slices of toast instead of 1 (w/ orange juice & banana, a 600 calorie breakfast)
    Planters Chocolate Peanut Big Nut Bar
    Chocolate chip muffins w/ banana for lunch
    Whey isolate shake after working out
    Whatever mom makes for dinner (Most likely barbeque chicken)
    Probably gonna have raisins and yogurt after

    I'm not going overboard binging, I'm just not eating how I probably should. But last week, I had 4 packs of toasty crackers and then 2 peanut bars (I love peanut butter)!
  • lddavis06
    lddavis06 Posts: 13 Member
    I always have ONE cheat meal a week, which is whatever I am craving, after my weigh in. I follow my meal plan until supper time, and have a protein, carb, fiber and a dessert (the cheat meal). It lets me get what I am craving out of my system, and spikes my insulin for the week(what my trainer has told me-not sure how else to explain). I am on a low sugar, high protein diet. This cheat meal usually reminds me how crappy I feel after eating "garbage", and is enough to keep me on track for the week :)
  • CamsMama22
    CamsMama22 Posts: 27
    I just don't want to stop enjoying my life

    Very well said! Thats how I feel! Thanks!
  • hanahlai
    hanahlai Posts: 281 Member
    I have a cheat MEAL on Saturday. I eat whatever I feel like eating. Then I go back to my daily limit. It helps just enough to keep me through the week :-) I have done this for about 60 days so about 8 cheat meals or so? I have heard "cycling" your calories can help your body not get too stuck in a low caloric intake. I am no expert by any means, but if a cheat meal keeps you eating healthy the rest of the week then it's better than not eating healthy at all!
  • almonds1
    almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
    People seem to have a lot of mixed emotions about them ... I know a few fitness models at my gym who do them and say they worked for them. One girl would eat an entire large Pizza on her cheat days.

    I tried it when I was cutting and it worked awesome for me...

    In my opinion - staying under you Daily Cal goal is not a cheat day... Thats just me, I like to go over.
  • marrtini21
    marrtini21 Posts: 8 Member
    I allow myself to eat a real & tasty meal on Sundays. I still try not to get too crazy with it. It's ok to establish such a day unless it's like every other day. I think it's much wiser to eat a little more once and then and still control it than be miserable because of your diet and finally quit it.
  • skinnylove00
    skinnylove00 Posts: 662 Member
    go for it if you think thats what you need!! since i have a problem with binge-eating, cheat days are a bad idea for me...i wait all week for my cheat day then i get REALLY excited, lose control, and clock in at 4,000+ calories or something. its always really hard for me to get back on track for a really long time after that day too. in the end, i personally just felt it did more harm than good to me.

    instead, i set aside 200 calories or so a DAY for a little treat. some days i want to treat myself, some days i find that i dont even need it. it just helps me keep in perspective and not cranky all through the week because i didnt let myself have that little craving. its been helping, too since i feel less guilty if i cheat in a snack than cheat for an entire day. :flowerforyou:
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I have a cheat day. I think it's healthy. But, I only get a cheat day, if I was good all week. If I cheat during the week, no cheat day. That includes exercise too. If I miss a day, no cheat day.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    I have found that if I have a cheat day (not a regular basis), and have a meal that I wouldn't ordinarily eat, I find it east to keep on going and not go back to a healthy eating pattern again. For example: About 5 years ago a friend and I were dieting. We had both lost close to 20 pounds and had decide to go out to dinner. We went to a local German Cuisine restaurant and had a (big) meal. I had Veal Oscar which was delicious. We also each had a glass of wine. The next day both of us were eating terrible. That was the end of that diet. I think it was because I was going in starvation mode for about 2 months and after eating a large meal, my body told me it wasn't going back. I am eating different now and I'm not denying myself like before, but I am also skeptical about a big cheat day for fear the same thing will happen. I don't really feel the need, or crave anything in particular these days that I can't eat within my calorie limits.
  • CamsMama22
    CamsMama22 Posts: 27
    Right now I'm still eating what I want mostly, just watching how much I eat to stay within my cal. intake. I use to pay no attention to serving size! and I am now. I think I might start a one cheat day (Sat) a week and then maybe after a couple of months make it one day every two weeks.

    Thanks everyone for your positive feedback! :)
  • almonds1
    almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
    I'm having a cheat day today because I'm trying to gain (muscle) weight and I lost 0.8 lbs this week. I usually have a cheat day on Fridays or Saturdays because that's when I'm hanging out with friends which means there's a lot of snacks around.
    If I was trying to lose weight, I'd only have a cheat day once a week to begin to not like bad food. Like if you eat healthy for a while then eat crappy food like McDonalds, you'll grow to not even like McDonalds. I already don't really like fatty foods because I take these cheat days.

    For Me Today: 2 slices of toast instead of 1 (w/ orange juice & banana, a 600 calorie breakfast)
    Planters Chocolate Peanut Big Nut Bar
    Chocolate chip muffins w/ banana for lunch
    Whey isolate shake after working out
    Whatever mom makes for dinner (Most likely barbeque chicken)
    Probably gonna have raisins and yogurt after

    I'm not going overboard binging, I'm just not eating how I probably should. But last week, I had 4 packs of toasty crackers and then 2 peanut bars (I love peanut butter)!

    Dude, you should not worry about cheat day... You should just eat and eat clean
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    go for it if you think thats what you need!! since i have a problem with binge-eating, cheat days are a bad idea for me...i wait all week for my cheat day then i get REALLY excited, lose control, and clock in at 4,000+ calories or something. its always really hard for me to get back on track for a really long time after that day too. in the end, i personally just felt it did more harm than good to me.

    instead, i set aside 200 calories or so a DAY for a little treat. some days i want to treat myself, some days i find that i dont even need it. it just helps me keep in perspective and not cranky all through the week because i didnt let myself have that little craving. its been helping, too since i feel less guilty if i cheat in a snack than cheat for an entire day. :flowerforyou:

    You must have been typing the same time as me. Been there done that!
  • SophieC19
    SophieC19 Posts: 117 Member
    I don't have a whole day 'off' I just have an evening meal every saturday such as pizza or takeaway and I'm still loosing :)
  • CamsMama22
    CamsMama22 Posts: 27
    I have a cheat day. I think it's healthy. But, I only get a cheat day, if I was good all week. If I cheat during the week, no cheat day. That includes exercise too. If I miss a day, no cheat day.

    That sounds like a good way to do it! :smile: Thanks for the advice!
  • avafrisbee
    avafrisbee Posts: 234 Member
    I have a "cheat day" every Sunday. By "cheat day" I mean I watch what I eat, I don't down two big macs, large fries, shake, cola large pizza and cake and ice cream. I mean that if I found myself craving a piece of chocolate cake or a bowl of ice cream during the week, I tell myself not until Sunday. Then on Sunday, if I still want it, I eat it in a sensible portion. I also don't log on Sundays because Sundays are family time and I get mad at my husband for playing video games and being on the computer all the time so if I am always on my phone or running to the computer after every meal, I feel a bit of a hypocrite. Just my take. It is working, if it stops working I will find something else.

    Let me reiterate that my cheat day is not about eating all the sugar, fat and junk I can get my hands on. It's about maintaining good habits and enjoying the sweet (or savory, or salty or oily) things in life responsibly.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I have a spike day every Sunday. I eat my regular 1550 calories Monday through Saturday, then eat 3100 + any leftover calories from the last week I didn't eat. Last Sunday I ate 3600 calories and lost 1.1 lbs that week.
  • Sarahmeridith
    Sarahmeridith Posts: 298 Member
    I cheat Sundays. i eat a healthy breakfast but eat whatever I want for lunch/dinner. I just try and stop when Im full so I dont go to crazy
  • Meaganandcheese
    Meaganandcheese Posts: 525 Member
    I have a splurge meal or a treat on the weekends, but I don't consider it cheating. It's part of living life, and it keeps me on track the rest of the time because I am enjoying it, not fighting cravings for things I "can't" have. Don't diet, live it.
  • queenxpeaches
    queenxpeaches Posts: 3
    1 large pie?? holy **** lol my cheat day MIGHT be half a pie damn girl lol sorry im new XD
  • Jaloth
    Jaloth Posts: 28
    I do not believe in Cheat days because I find they do not work for me!! If I want that chocolate bar then I excerise a lot harder so that way I am earning it!! If you need chocolate try and eat dark chocolate it will help with the cravings and it is good for you!! Good luck and try to find a way that works for you and stick to it!! Everyone is different!!
  • EricDe90x
    EricDe90x Posts: 51
    I'm having a cheat day today because I'm trying to gain (muscle) weight and I lost 0.8 lbs this week. I usually have a cheat day on Fridays or Saturdays because that's when I'm hanging out with friends which means there's a lot of snacks around.
    If I was trying to lose weight, I'd only have a cheat day once a week to begin to not like bad food. Like if you eat healthy for a while then eat crappy food like McDonalds, you'll grow to not even like McDonalds. I already don't really like fatty foods because I take these cheat days.

    For Me Today: 2 slices of toast instead of 1 (w/ orange juice & banana, a 600 calorie breakfast)
    Planters Chocolate Peanut Big Nut Bar
    Chocolate chip muffins w/ banana for lunch
    Whey isolate shake after working out
    Whatever mom makes for dinner (Most likely barbeque chicken)
    Probably gonna have raisins and yogurt after

    I'm not going overboard binging, I'm just not eating how I probably should. But last week, I had 4 packs of toasty crackers and then 2 peanut bars (I love peanut butter)!

    Dude, you should not worry about cheat day... You should just eat and eat clean
    I take cheat days not only because I'm gaining weight, but because I like eating bad food sometimes. But if I'd get better results without cheat days, then I'd honestly be willing to drop them or have them once a month instead of once a week.

    I think cheat days are about learning what true food enjoyment is. It's not about the taste anymore. It's about the nutrition and how you feel AFTER you eat. I remember my first week eating healthy with P90x; I had a nice rotisserie chicken dinner and I didn't stuff my face, I ate a healthy portion. And for the first time in a while, I didn't feel bloated after dinner and it felt awesome and the food still tasted great. I could *feel* my fitness progressing.
    I don't think cheat days are about taking a break and stuffing your face. It's about learning that you don't actually want to stuff your face.
    On cheat days, eat to enjoy, not eat to stuff your face for the sake of stuffing your face. On regular days, eat better than you normally would. And on cheat days, some eat worse than they normally would and some eat the same as they normally would. That's just my repetitive two cents on it.
  • moonsforeyes
    moonsforeyes Posts: 228
    For me it depends on your definition of a cheat day.

    A cheat for me is having a meal I normally wouldn't, but it still fits in my daily allowance of calories. Example: Olive Garden! I have it every now and then but make sure that I can fit it in my daily allowance.

    Sometimes I read about cheat days being an all day binge-fest which I think can make weight loss difficult.
  • jonski1968
    jonski1968 Posts: 4,490 Member
    A cheat day is what keeps my sanity...Not had one for 3 weeks now...explains my insanity..
  • tlinval
    tlinval Posts: 175 Member
    I call mine my "treat day". It's all day on Tuesdays. I find I am much more motivated to stay on track when I can have a day planned to have those treats I don't have during the week. I'm a compulsive overeater. If I start eating a treat I'm not very good at portion control, etc, so I choose to just "save it" for treat day. Sometimes, on really difficult days, I write down what I really want to eat and keep it in my pocket. Then on treat day I pull out that list and see if I want any of those things. Lately, I'm finding that I DON'T want all of the things on that list!! This is a HUGE NSV for me!! I also am finding myself not wanting to stuff myself silly. Again, another big step.

    It works for some people, not for others, everybody is different. I think it's important to know what you need to be successful!
  • Sophie983
    Sophie983 Posts: 119 Member
    I don't have planned cheat days. There are days when I eat more or maybe have a little treat and that's enough for me. Today I had 2 little organic oatmeal cookies for example. :smile:

    My body doesn't need junk food.
    I don't think anybody's body benefits from Mcdonalds or Burger kings food. I think it's harmful even if it's eaten only once a week.
  • JaclynnGail
    JaclynnGail Posts: 204 Member
    I always have a cheat day a week...usually on Saturdays. When I first started losing weight last fall, my cheat day generally involved me going way over my calorie limit. Now that I am in the habit of eating well, I find that I am perfectly happy with a "cheat day" that, in actuality, involves me eating the amount of calories it would take to maintain my current weight. At this point, that is more than enough to keep me satisfied, and I don't have to feel guilty at all. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer...you just have to find what it takes to keep YOU motivated and on track.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    I have a splurge meal or a treat on the weekends, but I don't consider it cheating. It's part of living life, and it keeps me on track the rest of the time because I am enjoying it, not fighting cravings for things I "can't" have. Don't diet, live it.

    Ditto...except I don't necessarily wait for the weekend. We met friends for dinner before a play last week on Thursday so I big splurge meal was then. I do little treats throughout the week as well.

    This is a life style change and shouldn't be about deprivation.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Had mine yesterday. 5 Coors lites yum yum and 1/2 steak sandwich with cheese and onions. Oh soooooo f........ good.
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