Who here has a cheat day once a week?

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workoutgirl23
workoutgirl23 Posts: 267
in Food and Nutrition
just curious, who on here has a cheat day once per week. I've been really good at logging my food and dieting lately, and i've lost 12 pounds so far. but i still like to allow myself one cheat day/meal per week. where i won't log, and will let myself indulge. and then at the end of the cheat day, i'm more than happy to go back to my diet the next day. and it hasn't seemed to hurt my weight loss at all. i'm still losing. what's your views on cheat days once a week, are they harmful to a diet or good? I've heard mixed things.
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Replies

  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    I have never done a cheat day and never will. You can undo a whole week in just one day. In my opinion, it's a bad idea and a bad habit to get into. I definitely do cheat meals once every couple of weeks. There is only so much damage you can do in one meal.
  • tomhancock
    tomhancock Posts: 100 Member
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    If it works for you, great. I do not do it. I find it just makes me crave food I can't have, because I eat that food once in a while.

    The only time I "cheat" is if I am burning so many calories I need to eat lots more - for example my wife and I hiked six miles saturday and six miles sunday, so we did not feel bad eating about 1000 calories over what we eat dieting. We were still eating healthy food.
  • MariarR33
    MariarR33 Posts: 69
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    I have never done a cheat day and never will. You can undo a whole week in just one day. In my opinion, it's a bad idea and a bad habit to get into. I definitely do cheat meals once every couple of weeks. There is only so much damage you can do in one meal.

    Eating whatever 1 day will not undo what you have been working so hard for the week. It may slow things down, but eating right is about what you do in general. Not that i recommend a cheat day, but a cheat meal, or a dessert every now and again is not going to harm you. Sometimes you just need to indulge a little. Just be careful you do not allow yourself this all the time. When you plan to cheat, I feel you are more successful because you knew it was coming and don't have to feel guilty about it.
  • katharineshalia
    katharineshalia Posts: 243 Member
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    Bumping this cause just undid all week's work in one day :( went over 636 yesterday and drank too much wine Friday. Still under weekly goal by 13 calories, so..
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    I have never done a cheat day and never will. You can undo a whole week in just one day. In my opinion, it's a bad idea and a bad habit to get into. I definitely do cheat meals once every couple of weeks. There is only so much damage you can do in one meal.

    Eating whatever 1 day will not undo what you have been working so hard for the week. It may slow things down, but eating right is about what you do in general. Not that i recommend a cheat day, but a cheat meal, or a dessert every now and again is not going to harm you. Sometimes you just need to indulge a little. Just be careful you do not allow yourself this all the time. When you plan to cheat, I feel you are more successful because you knew it was coming and don't have to feel guilty about it.

    Re-read my post, I agree with you. I said I do a cheat meal but not a cheat day.
  • CristaA42962
    CristaA42962 Posts: 45 Member
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    You don't have to have a cheat day, you can allow yourself to eat the things you enjoy in moderation. It is all about watching what you put in and out. If you want ice cream, have 1 scoop not 4, make sure you exercise too. I would not recommend cheating unless you have the calories to do so. I find not having something I want now and then is bad for you because instead of taking a few bites I want to just shove my face. So allowing a treat in small portions works for me perfectly. I have only been disappointed by cheat days and found I binged my face out.

    Also, try to curb your cravings with other things. When I am craving something sweet, I try to have a slice of watermelon instead of chocolate. Something salty, go for planters heart healthy nut mix. Eventually you will get used to it. Unfortunately, loosing weight and eating food, I find you have to treat it as if you were an alcoholic or drug addict. I also found that Fiber Ones 90 Calorie Brownies are not terrible, and they make 100 calorie ice cream sandwiches. There are things you can find and do to satisfy those needs.

    Good Luck!!
  • VForce1990
    VForce1990 Posts: 1
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    I always have a cheat meal once a week without fail, and for a few of very good reasons which may or may not be applicable to everyone.
    1. I am on an EXTREME calorie deficit, and I would need to be eating an excess of 8000 calories to undo my weeks work.
    2. It replaces my glycogen in my muscles and boosts my metabolism for the coming week.
    3. Towards the end of the week i begin to feel very fatigued and this gives me the boost I need.
    4. Without it to look forward to I would not be able to keep to my diet, (although this probably says more about me than cheat days themselves)

    And finally the reason I do not simply have cheat meal or even try to control my cheat days, and that is because when my cheat day does finally roll around my body needs the nutrition (or at least it feels that way, if you can barely hold a conversation). And if I only had a meal I KNOW that I would no be able to stop.... And I would probably go off my diet for a week (which would harm your results :L) rather than just a day.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    I don't do it n a schedule. Sometimes I'll go weeks or even months without one Sometimes I'll have a couple back to back.
  • workoutgirl23
    workoutgirl23 Posts: 267
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    Yes. i agree. i love my cheat day once per week. it hasn't hurt me yet, if any thing i thinks its helped me stay on track. as long as its just one day per week, i don't think it hurts any thing.
  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
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    just curious, who on here has a cheat day once per week. I've been really good at logging my food and dieting lately, and i've lost 12 pounds so far. but i still like to allow myself one cheat day/meal per week. where i won't log, and will let myself indulge. and then at the end of the cheat day, i'm more than happy to go back to my diet the next day. and it hasn't seemed to hurt my weight loss at all. i'm still losing. what's your views on cheat days once a week, are they harmful to a diet or good? I've heard mixed things.

    I don't. I don't see the point in wasting what you're working hard for. Everything in moderation. Cheat days aren't in moderation.
  • DietingMommy08
    DietingMommy08 Posts: 1,366 Member
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    I dont call them "cheat days" I call them "Not logging days" lol. I do it every saturday and they have NOT done any harm to me. I am still losing weight the same as I was before.

    Its watever works for you.
  • corrinnebrown
    corrinnebrown Posts: 345 Member
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    Not once a week. Maybe once every couple of weeks.
  • zsaoosh
    zsaoosh Posts: 402 Member
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    I eat ice cream almost daily :blushing:
  • NewChristina
    NewChristina Posts: 250 Member
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    I have never done a cheat day and never will. You can undo a whole week in just one day. In my opinion, it's a bad idea and a bad habit to get into. I definitely do cheat meals once every couple of weeks. There is only so much damage you can do in one meal.

    ^^ agreed. I'm afraid to have a cheat day. It's kinda like smoking: I quit 4 years ago and I know that if I cheat- it's all out the window. :noway:
  • hippietofugirl
    hippietofugirl Posts: 430
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    I have a cheat day probably once a month. During that day, I consume enormous amounts of food. Upwards of around 6,000 calories. If I had one of those days every week, I would never lose weight. I am actually trying to get rid of my monthly cheat days because I feel absolutely terrible after I'm done indulging. It feels like I'm poisoning my body and I have no control. Not to mention, it makes me crave the things I indulge in more than if I didn't have them at all.
  • jentarver
    jentarver Posts: 192
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    I used to when I first started, but then after a while it just became habit to be constant day after day. I have something every once in awhile.
  • adriansharred
    adriansharred Posts: 3
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    I would just have the "nice meel day" and still log it down i only been on this for a week and yer i seem to be burning a hell of a lot more then i can eat due to work, infact most days i get the warning popup saying that im not eating anoth and that my body will go into starve mode and wont burn as much but would still log it all down. But i am useing this website more for fun then anything else
  • Angie_1MR
    Angie_1MR Posts: 247
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    Cheat meals, not cheat days....for me, cheating is a slippery slope!
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    What is this "cheat" meal/day that you speak of?
  • shilo2609
    shilo2609 Posts: 2
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    I just started with a personal trainer last week. They told me to do a 5-2 or 6-1 week. Means I regulate what I eat 5 or 6 days a week but give myself one day to eat what I want. Now, having said that, it does not mean go eat a whole pizza. For me it means, if I have a family day and have a few drinks or BBQ, I will still watch what I eat but will not stress if it's not celery and salad. :-\

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