Cheat Day?

Jedi_Jewel
Jedi_Jewel Posts: 83 Member
edited December 17 in Health and Weight Loss
How do you guys define a 'cheat day'? Is it a day off from logging food and exercise altogether? Or do you allow yourself one indulgent meal? No exercise? Or do you pig out all day, LOL?

Replies

  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    I don't really have a cheat day. I don't deprive myself routinely, so don't find it necessary to overindulge on any particular day. That said, I also don't worry if I have to go out and eat, and I have dessert, or eat foods that I know aren't particularly low cal. One meal once in a while doesn't make or break anything.
  • Iddjoe
    Iddjoe Posts: 2 Member
    My dr said to take a cheat day periodically, but to make sure I still log everything, and to still practice moderation, even during my cheat days - i.e., I can splurge and have pizza and coke, but not a whole box of pizza and a 12-pack of coke.

    And if I do, log it!

    That will help me see why I didn't lose as much on a particular day\week.
  • djrogers45
    djrogers45 Posts: 9 Member
    I have a cheat day scheduled for June 9th. So I'll let you know how it goes. I plan on eating myself into a coma :-)
  • Gr8ChangesAhead
    Gr8ChangesAhead Posts: 836 Member
    I just had a cheat day over weekend, and logged it all , ate well in the morning and from there it all went downhill. EXCEPT the alcohol i consumed which is rare for me. but if you don't log you have to go back to day one, its ok occasionally but i am not making it a habit. I actually tried to go for a walk and ended up in my neighbors backyard getting sloshed so no i had no exercise....
  • TinkrBelz
    TinkrBelz Posts: 866 Member
    I log in my exercise on Friday (my cheat day) but not my food. I do not pig out, but I do not worry about what I am eating.
  • Gotzy
    Gotzy Posts: 15
    I stay below my calories on a cheat day but do it in a less healthy way! I.e. Bananas and bread can have the same calorie count... :)
  • lau444
    lau444 Posts: 120 Member
    Honestly, my "cheat days" are never planned. I just eat what I want, and sometimes I want "bad things", so I have them in moderation and just make sure that I log everything. But I never skip my workouts.
  • tamerkins2
    tamerkins2 Posts: 212
    I do a cheat meal, maybe once per week. I will have a big old cheeseburger with french fries or greasy pepperoni pizza! Though I still log it. Also, I usually still work out that day and limit what else I eat, so I am usually not too far over calories. I guess I don't know if that is considered a cheat!
  • robinogue
    robinogue Posts: 1,117 Member
    I do a cheat meal, generally on the weekends and still log it.
  • elcooksta
    elcooksta Posts: 2
    I cheat, but I log. I also try to cheat within "the system". I will have calorie deficiencies throughout the week (eating and exercising), and if I have enough, I will eat what I want. And still log it (so I can stay under my weekly total).

    I have found that I CANT eat as much junk as I used to. But I also, if I have empty stomach space, am very conscious about my totals.

    So have a cheat day. But log it.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Typically it's a day when you don't worry about logging or necessarily eating "right". So if you want to eat jelly donuts all day, that's fine. Or if you want to eat cottage cheese and banana all day that's fine too. It's a mental and physical break. But I never call it a cheat day. Always prefer free day or splurge day. Cheat implies that you're doing something "against the rules", whereas this is factored in to the plan, and hence within the rules.
  • dg09
    dg09 Posts: 754
    I tried everything you listed, and I got pretty much the same results with every variation. The only difference being that the more I consumed, the more water I retained. Don't cheat anymore though, hate the bloating feeling.
  • SaunJay1
    SaunJay1 Posts: 7 Member
    On my cheat day, I may have one meal where I know it may not particularly be low cal; but I still log it and still exercise (a little longer than usual). I also may take in less calories at my other meals to balance out the bigger meal. On my cheat days I usually still come in at around the same net calories...
  • Sabresgal63
    Sabresgal63 Posts: 641 Member
    I kind of graze all day and don't log it. Its usually a weekend day.
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
    I will not take a cheat day. However, I do eat badly at times, but I maintain my caloric deficit, as per the system of this web site.

    It's worth noting that I've read opinions that the caloric deficit doesn't need to be strictly adhered to day-by-day. In fact, if you make your goal week based instead of day based, you'll lose weight all the same. Presuming this is true, you can eat a few hundred calories short a few days a week, and then "spend the investment" on some high caloric food on your so-called cheat day.

    In fact, the phone app (Android anyway) has a weekly report which helps track exactly that. I ate over on Thursday, Friday and Sunday of last week, yet came in 137 calories under for the week as a whole.
  • mamitosami
    mamitosami Posts: 531 Member
    I try to do just one cheat day a week (it sometimes ends up being two!), but I eat very lightly all week so I save extra calories for the weekend, so I eat the ones I've saved and a bit extra. Sometimes it becomes a lot extra!! But my weight hasn't suffered, so it's working. I can't just eat normally all week and then eat more, it just is too many calories for me and I gain weight that way. So it seems like a cheat 'cause I get to splurge on extra chocolate or whatever.
  • Jedi_Jewel
    Jedi_Jewel Posts: 83 Member
    On my cheat day, I may have one meal where I know it may not particularly be low cal; but I still log it and still exercise (a little longer than usual). I also may take in less calories at my other meals to balance out the bigger meal. On my cheat days I usually still come in at around the same net calories...


    Thanks everyone, you have all been helpful! I overindulged on Saturday (enchiladas, beer, etc.) and felt like crap! Not to mention the guilt I felt! ^^^ I think your method sounds like a fair way to do things from now on. Thanks so much!
  • vipergts223
    vipergts223 Posts: 114 Member
    I guess my cheat is when we go out to dinner, but i would only allow myself one a month if i had a choice
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I don't really have a day per say, it's usually a meal or something that I just don't normally have like dessert. I do still log everything though to hold myself accountable. The only time I really don't is when I just can't keep track of everything I ate or drank like over St. Patty's weekend or on Easter
  • dry61ed
    dry61ed Posts: 34 Member
    My one cheat day is to do what ever I want. I chose. Work out or no, eat what I want, etc. It is freeing. And I find that the longer I eat healthy the less I want to over eat on my free days. It is interesting.
  • dry61ed
    dry61ed Posts: 34 Member
    Oh, I like that idea. Keep calories the same or less, but eat what you want in those guidelines. I will try that for my cheat days. Thanks for the idea.
  • gigicrafty
    gigicrafty Posts: 15
    I used to have " bad food Friday" BUT its one of those things like depending how dicipline you are you may just get rid of all the good you did!
    My " cheat days" are more like " cheat meals". If I'm going to or if i DO eat something bad that I've been craving or wanting I make sure that same day OR the next I work extra hard. Food is food and despite certain things tasting delicious it shouldn't control us like we should be in control of ourselves!
    Yeah i have to tell myself that every time I want french fries and a cherry coke. :)
  • pogojr
    pogojr Posts: 83 Member
    I have a cheat day/naughty day every so often. I still log every thing, but I eat and drink things that aren't normally in my new lifestyle. I normally aim for those days when I know we are going away or going out, but most of the time, the only reason I am over is because of alchohol. The "naughty" foods don't even interest me as much. I guess that means I'm adjusting!
  • torizia
    torizia Posts: 140 Member
    I think today is my first 'cheat day'. I've had loads of chocolate but smaller meals (so about 250 calories over my target) but gave blood so decided I deserved a treat! Back to normal tomorrow..
  • christinet8504
    christinet8504 Posts: 108
    I don't have cheat days.I made up my mind that I was going to eat clean(er) and so thats what Im doing. I will allow for certain allowances on special occasions ONLY (ie a piece of cake on my BFF's birthday or something like that). For me that's the way to go - This way I don't feel guilty.
  • hkesh
    hkesh Posts: 1
    I try to normally stick to 1200cals, ive worked out my bmr to be 1600 (or thereabouts!) if i have a cheat day i will still log EVERYTHING (stops a day of easing the reins becoming a binge which is much much harder to come back from) but allow myself to eat the extra cals. It's incredible how much extra food you can have for 400 cals!

    That being said though, if you really feel like eating something then just do it, thinking of it as a lifestyle change rather then a "diet" makes all the difference :)
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