Does everyone have cheat days?

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marystingley
marystingley Posts: 25
in Health and Weight Loss
I've read on here about a lot of people having cheat days and thought I'd give myself one (today). I went to a Chinese buffet with my family and now I feel like crap. I lost almost 2 pounds last week and feel like I've gained it all back now. Is this what everyone's "cheat day" is like and does it affect you negatively?
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Replies

  • wookiemouse
    wookiemouse Posts: 290 Member
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    That's why I don't have cheat days. :)

    I've really never understood that. If you eat food that tastes great and is good for you, why would you purposely put crap in your body? It makes no sense to me. I DO go over on calories on occassion, but it's always with healthy options. I'm ok with that.
  • KuroNyankoSensei
    KuroNyankoSensei Posts: 288 Member
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    It won't affect it too much ^^. I went home for a week, and not only did I go to a Chinese buffet, I went to another buffet as well, and in between, a lot of home-cooked meals that filled me to the brim ;x . . . and it only took me a week to get back to my original weight before I went back home ;3! You wouldn't have gained 2 pounds with just one buffet visit, it'll mostly be the sodium holding in water weight ^^.
  • tequila09
    tequila09 Posts: 764 Member
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    Not everyone has a cheat day. I do though. I use to have one every week but decided that's not the best idea for me. Now I just try to stick to my calories for as long as I can and then if I'm really really craving some..thing bad ill have it. Or if its a special occasion. If you feel gross why not go for a walk or jog? That will definitely make you feel better!
  • fatty_to_fitty
    fatty_to_fitty Posts: 544 Member
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    Some people have spike days where they consume thousands of cals in order to shock their systems but then go back to healthy eating the next day. They are unbelievably disciplined which may explain why this works for them.

    If you eat sweets and treats as part of your normal diet (or fast or processed food) I don't believe this would work.

    However if what you mean is do we all fall off the wagon and decide to have a little of what we fancy. Hell yeah!

    Don't stress about what you just don't let it ruin tomorrow for you. Hope that makes sense and clears things up.
  • Rylansmommy12
    Rylansmommy12 Posts: 103
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    i have cheat days for alchoul does that count? Lol once a month. But hey i use to drink 3X A Week.
  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
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    I have cheat days so that I don't lose my mind.... =) You do get really frustrated counting every calorie, and tracking all of your exercise everyday...cheat days are good for the mind, and body! They speed your metabolism up.
  • Krisstah
    Krisstah Posts: 136 Member
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    I have cheat days.. BUT the cheat has to remain within my calorie in take for the day... on fridays i can have a treat of my choice, last friday i had an ice cream bar for a snack. I also decided to take that day off from working out. But this didn't mean that my other meals were cheats too.

    Mind you one day of enjoying one bad meal isnt going to hurt. If its really bothering you though, cause i know i would probably feel the same way if i did it, i would work out extra.. like if i was only supposed to work out 30 min after work, id work out 45 min or an hour instead
  • Lynn625
    Lynn625 Posts: 56 Member
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    I had a cheat day yesterday or more like a cheat meal :). I had a Shrimp Platter for dinner. It was way over my calories.
    I am back on track today.This is not something I want to make a habit of, but when it does happen as long as I can get back on track, it is ok.
  • dward2011
    dward2011 Posts: 416 Member
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    I don't have cheat days. I eat what I want and when I want to (keeping calories in check and watch my portion size). I like knowing exactly how much I've eaten each day and what the macros are each day. I feel it keeps me in line. I never feel deprived or binge because I eat what I want. I had beers last night and had dinner at an Irish bar, but I made sure that my exercise calories were stellar that day.
  • TallyGal97
    TallyGal97 Posts: 80 Member
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    I have days where I treat myself, but I definitely track it. And it is not a free for all day, just one meal.
  • marystingley
    marystingley Posts: 25
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    Thanks for your quick responses! Yeah, I'll probably work out an extra half hour tomorrow or something since I feel so awful. Since I had the buffet for lunch, do you all think I should skip dinner? So I don't go over my calories? After logging everything I ate, I only have 31 calories left for the day and don't want to go over. (I never include exercise calories, I don't like eating them back). Thanks for your advice!
  • filippi
    filippi Posts: 4
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    Cheat days are a good tool in order to help the dieter psycological and physiological.
    You can have a "cheat day" (which would be better to be a cheat meal) where you don t count macros, just relax and enjoy, or you could have a structured "cheat day" which is known as refeed where you watch your macros and have a surplus of calories in order to help recovery after exercise.
    I recommend you to take a look at Lyle`s McDonald web (bodyrecomposition.com) and his books are good reads all of them
  • Nanadena
    Nanadena Posts: 739 Member
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    No cheat days here. I chose a lifestyle change.:heart:
  • FuneralDiner
    FuneralDiner Posts: 438 Member
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    I don't get the point of them. Surely they will only set you back.

    If I want to indulge, I'll have a yummy treat once in a while as long as it fits within my calories. I'll exercise for longer that day if necessary as well.
  • fit4lyfeLisa
    fit4lyfeLisa Posts: 529 Member
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    I have a cheat meal, not a cheat day.
  • jadedzen
    jadedzen Posts: 221 Member
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    kinda yes, i will cheat but i avoid food that makes me feel like crap because it's not worth the price of ordering out for how that food makes me feel. I cheat on things like an extra bowl of granola.
  • BodyByButter
    BodyByButter Posts: 563 Member
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    Occasionally I will eat something more decadent (my weakness is Japanese hibachi and if I eat it I do not hold the sauces). But, never a full day and only once or twice a month. I chose a 1 lb/week plan and have a lot of calories available each day. So, I don't feel deprived on a normal day - no reason to feel like I need to "cheat.". I am a creature of habit and in developing good habits it doesn't pay for me to break them every 7th day.
  • Renee1583
    Renee1583 Posts: 4
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    Thanks for your quick responses! Yeah, I'll probably work out an extra half hour tomorrow or something since I feel so awful. Since I had the buffet for lunch, do you all think I should skip dinner? So I don't go over my calories? After logging everything I ate, I only have 31 calories left for the day and don't want to go over. (I never include exercise calories, I don't like eating them back). Thanks for your advice!

    Definitely don't skip a meal because you had one bad meal. This will put your body into starvation mode and it will then just hold on to those excess calories you have eaten. My advice would be (as other have said) smash out some cardio which is a good fat burner and then tonight for dinner have salad or vegies with grilled chicken or fish. Something nutritious anyway that will keep your metabolism going, but is still low in calories. Skipping a meal is definitely a bad idea anytime. Also, if you are worried about only having 31 calories left, do 300 calories of exercise for example and you will then have those to use as well. I hope this helps you a little.
  • amivox
    amivox Posts: 441 Member
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    they aren't cheat days, they are calorie spike days, I eat the same, I just eat over my normal daily NET, and its always on my rest day.
  • miamimanni
    miamimanni Posts: 23
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    After my cheat day I usually feel bad too.

    But they say cheat days are actually good for you to some degree. Your body gets use to eating the same thing over and over and over again. So having that cheat day or cheat meal you basically all of the sudden shock the system. So you make it hard for it to adapt to your caloric deficit.

    When I feel guilty, I fast the following day after the cheat day. I mean our goals are to usually stay under 1500 calories anyway, so if you eat maybe 3000 calories in one day, you'll burn the excess with a your BMR if you fast.

    Manni

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