Spike days... A most famous myth.
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I'm a guy that has a dog that eats her poop sometimes.So, who are you?0 -
Everything that is true for me is true for everyone else in the world too!!!0
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On the one hand, I have to keep a fairly consistent eating plan because like you I've had a seriously flawed relationship with food (I didn't get to 319 without it!) So I'm like you - a spike day would be a step down a slippery slope.
On the other hand I recognize that the majority of people, even the majority of folks here on MFP, don't have the disordered history with food I do, and therefore don't have the same triggers. Apparently for many of them the spike day works quite well.
Everyone is not the same as me. Or you.0 -
Here we go again. Why does what someone else does bother a person so much that they have to make a thread about it. Been spiking three years and I seem to be doing ok. I have helped many, many people that had plateued, using the spike method. Some people can eat at a weekly deficit and lose weight consistently. Others are not so fortunate and spiking fixes some of their hormonal issues that inhibits fat loss. If you want to deprive yourself go ahead but that doesn't make you any more special than me.
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The notion of rest day is just a weak excuse to fall off the wagon. It's like an ex-junkie celebrating shoot-up day. Or, an ex-drinker celebrating happy hour. You know how that goes.
Oh crap, you mean I have to work out 7 days a week? WTF yo!?
I think I'll hang on to my 2 (yeah, I know, I am SO lazy) rest days per week while I train for my next half marathon, thank you very much!
On another note that's already been pointed out by some previous folks, why does what someone else does (ie, cheat, spike, or rest days) bother the OP so much? It doesn't affect you at all (unless they are in your home fixing YOUR meals), so why care about what someone else is doing?0 -
Funny, my scale has moved down 80 lbs and my waist size has gone down 16 inches with a weekly spike day. But according to you it isn't supposed to do that.
I call shenanigans.0 -
I don't do spike/cheat/whatever you want to call it, I eat in moderation and within my calories for the day!!
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Look. The fact that we needed MFP in the first place debunks the notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day. We're here cause we lost control. We're here cause we gave up control to food. We're here cause we're junkies.
The notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day is just a weak excuse to fall off the wagon. It's like an ex-junkie celebrating shoot-up day. Or, an ex-drinker celebrating happy hour. You know how that goes.
Take your spike days regularly and then wonder why your clothes size doesn't change. Or, wonder why your scale never moves. Yeah, go ahead and have that ice cream and then complain about it.
We are junkies. We have to be above clean, beyond pristine. Either you have the will to beat that down. Or, you don't. Either you can live without it now. Or, you have to make excuses to dodge what it takes. Is it in you?
So, who are you?
My name is Brett. I'm a foodie who's been eating clean for two years.
Spike day =/= cheat day. If you *plan* your day (as you do with a spike) and your weekly deficit remains the same, where's the "cheat"?
I was at a six MONTH plateau, didn't lose a thing no matter what I did, just maintained. Started spiking, have been losing nearly every week, some weeks more than others (we all know weight loss isn't linear). My spike day contains some "junk" food *as well as* healthy food. Mostly I use it to enjoy takeout, specifically Thai, which I don't eat any other day of the week.
And as an aside, I have suffered from binging in the past, and spiking has helped me control that in a way that NOTHING has for ten years.
Don't confuse true spiking with "cheating" where people go all out without concern about the health of what they're eating *as a whole* and no concern about their weekly deficit. It's all about the forest.
So, yes, I'll continue to have my spike days. And I won't have to wonder why my my clothing size doesn't change or why the scale doesn't move. And why's that? . . . Oh yeah, because they're both changing, for the better.
Care to define spike day? i have been plateaued and need to break thru and have played with calories and exercise...0 -
Look. The fact that we needed MFP in the first place debunks the notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day. We're here cause we lost control. We're here cause we gave up control to food. We're here cause we're junkies.
The notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day is just a weak excuse to fall off the wagon. It's like an ex-junkie celebrating shoot-up day. Or, an ex-drinker celebrating happy hour. You know how that goes.
Take your spike days regularly and then wonder why your clothes size doesn't change. Or, wonder why your scale never moves. Yeah, go ahead and have that ice cream and then complain about it.
We are junkies. We have to be above clean, beyond pristine. Either you have the will to beat that down. Or, you don't. Either you can live without it now. Or, you have to make excuses to dodge what it takes. Is it in you?
So, who are you?
My name is Brett. I'm a foodie who's been eating clean for two years.
Could you please explain why I am losing weight doing a spike program then? And why I have no problem with my self-control and relationship with food the other 6 days of the week? I'm doing what works for me, and you can do what works for you.0 -
Well. I've been a life long eater of local and organic food. I've been gardening organically my whole life. Next step: we're hoping to go through the approval process to get our own chickens.
I also volunteer at a farm.
So I grew up with great food (my Mom was a Home Ec teacher, so we ate really well).
In recent years I became no longer the person that could never gain weight. Blame hormones (I'm 35 now) or blame the fact that I travel a lot for work. So, while I've always been healthy and active MFP helps me to maintain.
Nice to meet you.0 -
Do not imply that everyone lacks the self control to resume healthy eating after one meal/day off a week. Or, indeed, that these spikes are completely unregulated. Just because you lack the willpower, doesn't mean everyone else does.0
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I'm not addicted to food. I can quit any time I want.0
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Look. The fact that we needed MFP in the first place debunks the notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day. We're here cause we lost control. We're here cause we gave up control to food. We're here cause we're junkies.
The notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day is just a weak excuse to fall off the wagon. It's like an ex-junkie celebrating shoot-up day. Or, an ex-drinker celebrating happy hour. You know how that goes.
Take your spike days regularly and then wonder why your clothes size doesn't change. Or, wonder why your scale never moves. Yeah, go ahead and have that ice cream and then complain about it.
We are junkies. We have to be above clean, beyond pristine. Either you have the will to beat that down. Or, you don't. Either you can live without it now. Or, you have to make excuses to dodge what it takes. Is it in you?
So, who are you?
My name is Brett. I'm a foodie who's been eating clean for two years.
Spike day =/= cheat day. If you *plan* your day (as you do with a spike) and your weekly deficit remains the same, where's the "cheat"?
I was at a six MONTH plateau, didn't lose a thing no matter what I did, just maintained. Started spiking, have been losing nearly every week, some weeks more than others (we all know weight loss isn't linear). My spike day contains some "junk" food *as well as* healthy food. Mostly I use it to enjoy takeout, specifically Thai, which I don't eat any other day of the week.
And as an aside, I have suffered from binging in the past, and spiking has helped me control that in a way that NOTHING has for ten years.
Don't confuse true spiking with "cheating" where people go all out without concern about the health of what they're eating *as a whole* and no concern about their weekly deficit. It's all about the forest.
So, yes, I'll continue to have my spike days. And I won't have to wonder why my my clothing size doesn't change or why the scale doesn't move. And why's that? . . . Oh yeah, because they're both changing, for the better.
^In other words, there is no cookie cutter plan for everybody. Don't assume it's your way or the highway. Spiking DOES work for some people, especially those of us who don't want our lives to be ruled by calorie counting and our food choices each and every single day. If you've managed to do that for 2 years, that's great, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone. For some, spike or even cheat days (there IS a difference) is what keeps them from giving up on weight loss altogether.0 -
To: Pu_239: By the looks of the pics you posted. You had great results overall!
I have done low days and high days to zigzag, same calorie amount overall for the week, and had great results.
Do what works for you. If it doesn't work, try something else.0 -
That was harsh, but I loved what you had to say so much, that I am going to copy, print and post on my fridge.
Thanks for sharing that!!!0 -
Maybe thats your own personal experience but i didnt join MFP because i "fell off the wagon". I joined because someone told me about the site and having always count my cals i thought what better way of doing it so signed up.
I like my food yes but im not a food addict. I have treat day every saturday and i eat what the hell i like. This hasnt affected my weight loss at all. Since being on this site i've lost 18lbs and thats based on having a day off every week, sometimes i have the whole weekend off and still lose weight. I don't believe in depriving myself of everything cause otherwise i'd be more prone to binges. I've dropped a size since joining this site so maybe ur theory is right for you but definatly not for me and im sure its the same for many others. I earn my treat days hence why i call it treat and not cheat.0 -
I think its ridiculous for you to project your unhealthy relationship with food onto everyone else's diets... If you can have a piece of cake and still lose weight... why the hell not? If you can't have a piece of cake without going crazy.. then don't... it's as simple as that. People need to pay more attention to THEIR BODIES and THEIR relationship to food and stop telling other people what they should do. It's one thing if a person has an unhealthy habit like compulsive over or under eating and wanting to help them... but like it's been said... not everyone treats food like its heroin... and so you can't make that generalization and make the bold claim that because I eat what I want on Sunday's I'm basically like an addict relapsing. I'm not going to OD on cookies. You have to figure out what works for you.0
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Hey Brett, I'm Kim. I've been eating clean for only a little over a month. I don't have cheat days but cheat moments. The other night I wanted a dunkin stick so bad, but when I saw that it would remove half of the calories I burned during boot camp, I changed my mind. I agree with you a good bit, but I also believe that some people have more willpower than others. I am a strong person, but when it comes to food I am weak. This is why I can't do an entire cheat day. It would blow everything I've been working hard to do. God knows it goes on so much easier and prettier than comes off. 0
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I have "cheat" days and I'm down 50 pounds. I also was an alcoholic and I now have a drink every now and again. It's all about control in the big picture0
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No it doesn't.Look. The fact that we needed MFP in the first place debunks the notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day.
The solution doesn't have to be complete deprivation, for many that makes one more likely to relapse.We're here cause we lost control. We're here cause we gave up control to food. We're here cause we're junkies.
No it isn'tThe notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day is just a weak excuse to fall off the wagon.
Food in moderation != heroinIt's like an ex-junkie celebrating shoot-up day. Or, an ex-drinker celebrating happy hour. You know how that goes.
Thanks for the permission, that's what I was waiting for.Take your spike days regularly and then wonder why your clothes size doesn't change. Or, wonder why your scale never moves. Yeah, go ahead and have that ice cream and then complain about it.
Maybe you have to be that way, I don't.We are junkies. We have to be above clean, beyond pristine. Either you have the will to beat that down. Or, you don't. Either you can live without it now. Or, you have to make excuses to dodge what it takes. Is it in you?
So, who are you?
My name is Brett. I'm a foodie who's been eating clean for two years.
I'm a foodie who still eats food I enjoy, just less of it.0 -
Really you mean I can't lose weight and have rest days? And I can't have days where I don't care about the calories? Then someone please explain how I lost 33 lbs so far?0
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i feel like i'm being told off for eating or drinking more once a week
it works for me and a lot of other people even my trainer told me to do it ! if i didn't have a spike day i wouldn't still be here nearly half way to my goal. Were all entitled to our own opinions it just annoyed me that this annoys you, we all eat healthy the rest of the week, this is a moderation lifestyle not a diet 0 -
Bollocks. Not everyone is alike, not everyone here has the same goals.
In Communist Russia, the days spike YOU.0 -
Too bloody right, couldnt have put it better myself :happy:I think its ridiculous for you to project your unhealthy relationship with food onto everyone else's diets... If you can have a piece of cake and still lose weight... why the hell not? If you can't have a piece of cake without going crazy.. then don't... it's as simple as that. People need to pay more attention to THEIR BODIES and THEIR relationship to food and stop telling other people what they should do. It's one thing if a person has an unhealthy habit like compulsive over or under eating and wanting to help them... but like it's been said... not everyone treats food like its heroin... and so you can't make that generalization and make the bold claim that because I eat what I want on Sunday's I'm basically like an addict relapsing. I'm not going to OD on cookies. You have to figure out what works for you.0 -
Mmm, I just had ice cream. It was delicious.0
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Look. The fact that we needed MFP in the first place debunks the notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day. We're here cause we lost control. We're here cause we gave up control to food. We're here cause we're junkies.
The notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day is just a weak excuse to fall off the wagon. It's like an ex-junkie celebrating shoot-up day. Or, an ex-drinker celebrating happy hour. You know how that goes.
Take your spike days regularly and then wonder why your clothes size doesn't change. Or, wonder why your scale never moves. Yeah, go ahead and have that ice cream and then complain about it.
We are junkies. We have to be above clean, beyond pristine. Either you have the will to beat that down. Or, you don't. Either you can live without it now. Or, you have to make excuses to dodge what it takes. Is it in you?
So, who are you?
My name is Brett. I'm a foodie who's been eating clean for two years.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: .....unless this is a serious post. If that's the case, I change my response to :huh:0 -
I've lost all my weight enjoy many cheat days. But I control myself enough to be able to not do it every. single. day. and fall off the wagon. I'm sorry if you can't do that, but it doesn't mean cheat day are a myth.:happy:0
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In Communist Russia, the days spike YOU.
HA0 -
Brett, run your own race.0
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Look. The fact that *I* needed MFP in the first place debunks the notion of rest day / cheat day / spike day. *I'M** here cause *I* lost control. *I'M* here cause *I* gave up control to food. '*I'M* here cause *I'M A junkie.
^^^^^ ftfy (fixed that for you)
Different people regain control over their food differently. If being obsessive works for you, then I'm very happy for you that you've found your path. But this isn't like a religion where you either believe in the One True Entity (or set of entities) or you're a heathen. We're all here to lose weight (edit: technically, that's not true - most of us are here because we want to lose weight, some people just want to learn about food, and others just want to ogle before-and-after pictures), but this site is a set of tools that can support many paths to the same goal.
We're all adults, and by and large we're all here because we've shown that we're perfectly capable of making our own decisions and just want some tools to make the decisions a little easier.0
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