Cheat Days!

[juggernaut2005]

I currently do one cheat day/week (sunday). It helped me remain sane from mon-sat and I went from 325 to 280lbs.

I am aiming for 265-270lbs and wondering if I should stop the cheatdays? I read (a hypothetical example) that if you eat well mon-sat and cheat sun, your body won't retain all that extra cals you ate sun because its used to your eating pattern from mon-sat? So would it be beneficial to stop cheating?? My goal is to hit that weight by may so I can 2 months (no rush)..

What I eat when I'm cheating varies, but I don't do pizza or hotdogs etc.. I pretty much eat clean food but more calories..

Thanks

 

[zip]

Just dont go overboard and do some cardio in the evning and you should be fine.

 

[dontsurfonmytur]

I dont really cheat, i just eat different foods on fri/sat/sun. My nonwork out days...
But when i start to bulk im gona cheat maybe..everyweek or so, and im gona go ALL OUT. Let me just tell u im excited for bulking.

 

[zapedy]

does cardio actualy cancel out the junk food?

 

[cpush]

no it does not cancel out junk food. if anything, it "cancels" calories, so it depends on how much junk food you have had, and how much cardio you have done. if you didn't eat too much junkfood I suppose it could equal out. however it will not cancel out the negative effects those low quality foods had on your body (ie saturated fat).

 

[Steed77]

I would recommend a CHEAT MEAL in stead of a cheat DAY! I know for me...if I spend the whole day eating junk food...I pretty much have to start all over again on Monday craving these foods. I t is easier for me to have a cheat meal and pick up my diet on the next meal, right where I left off.

This works for me, but if you can get away with what you are doing without craving the 'bad foods', then more power to ya!

 

[katt]

I would recommend a CHEAT MEAL in stead of a cheat DAY! I know for me...if I spend the whole day eating junk food...I pretty much have to start all over again on Monday craving these foods. I t is easier for me to have a cheat meal and pick up my diet on the next meal, right where I left off.

This works for me, but if you can get away with what you are doing without craving the 'bad foods', then more power to ya!

Totally Agree Steed - I never do a whole day of cheating - just one meal.

 

[Steed77]

I used to take 1 cheat day, but it was too hard for me to get back on track. Then, someone told m ethey just do 1 cheat meal...so I tried it, and it works for me. I would usually go overboard with the Chocolate, and pizza, and ice Cream, and Frappichinos, and....well..you get the picture

 

[juggernaut2005]

I would recommend a CHEAT MEAL in stead of a cheat DAY! I know for me...if I spend the whole day eating junk food...I pretty much have to start all over again on Monday craving these foods. I t is easier for me to have a cheat meal and pick up my diet on the next meal, right where I left off.

This works for me, but if you can get away with what you are doing without craving the 'bad foods', then more power to ya!

thats a good idea.. so replace one meal with 'cheat food' and then back on track. Do u keep trck of the calories amount for the cheat food? or just go all out for that meal?

 

[Steed77]

thats a good idea.. so replace one meal with 'cheat food' and then back on track. Do u keep trck of the calories amount for the cheat food? or just go all out for that meal?

Usually I just eat what I want for that meal. I don't really want to know how much I am eating...LOL! Sometimes I'll take a peek...you'd be suprised how much "crap" you could eat in one sitting...I don't even want to think about the sugar.

This has worked for me

 

[katt]

I don't keep tract of my calories during my cheat meal - I would probably freak!

 

[juggernaut2005]

I don't keep tract of my calories during my cheat meal - I would probably freak!

lol I am gonna try it.. maybe have digornos wheat pizza (WHOLE BOX.lol), then next meal will be veggies and tuna... One thing I noticed is every monday morning I feel sick to my stomach, guess my body is used to a healthy eating pattern and the cheat days throws is off But the rebound is outstanding

 

[LB_SpecV]

I cheat once every 10 days or so. I go out for all-you-can-eat sushi, and then have a huge bowl of Cold Stone Ice Cream. So DAMNN GOOD....

 

[katt]

I cheat once every 10 days or so. I go out for all-you-can-eat sushi, and then have a huge bowl of Cold Stone Ice Cream. So DAMNN GOOD....

My last cheat day included Cold Stone also! - I ate so much ice cream my stomach hurt!!! I agree - it is the BEST!

 

[dontsurfonmytur]

let me ask u guys a question.....do u guys cheat when ur cuttting??

 

[katt]

To be honest - I'm new and my first "cutting" won't start until the middle of April - I'm still in the bulking phase..... So.... I really don't know,,

I would think that I wouldn't go "all out" on cheat days, maybe just a few tastes every other week or so????

I won't know till I get there.

 

[Emma-Leigh]

Depends on what you mean by 'cutting' and it depends on how strict you need to be.

If you mean 'cutting for a comp' then many people will have a cheat meal each week - but they might take these out in the last few weeks as they get closer. Some people who have real issues with stubborn fat sometimes do not cheat at all during preperations.

If you mean just 'losing fat' then yes - people usually have a cheat meal each week.


Another hint if you have 'control issues' when cheating is to have the cheat meal as your final meal for the day.

That way you eat clean all day, have a treat, clean your teeth and go to bed. By doing it this way it means you will not spend the rest of the day pigging out and completely blowing your diet. So you just wake up the next day and get back to normal.

 

[juggernaut2005]

Depends on what you mean by 'cutting' and it depends on how strict you need to be.

If you mean 'cutting for a comp' then many people will have a cheat meal each week - but they might take these out in the last few weeks as they get closer. Some people who have real issues with stubborn fat sometimes do not cheat at all during preperations.

If you mean just 'losing fat' then yes - people usually have a cheat meal each week.


Another hint if you have 'control issues' when cheating is to have the cheat meal as your final meal for the day.

That way you eat clean all day, have a treat, clean your teeth and go to bed. By doing it this way it means you will not spend the rest of the day pigging out and completely blowing your diet. So you just wake up the next day and get back to normal.

excellent idea. but can one cheat day/week really blow your diet that bad??

 

[cpush]

are there honestly any benefits (besides mental sanity) to cheating once a week? Also, besides re-feeds/leptin overfills etc. I honestly don't remember the last time I cheated, sometime in 2005 But if it will offer me something..

*not just for cheating, maintenance as well*

 

[Emma-Leigh]

excellent idea. but can one cheat day/week really blow your diet that bad??

Although it depends on how much you eat if you have a control problem then yes, an entire day of cheating can result in you ruining an entire week of dieting - especially if you are only small...

For example - a small female may only be creating a calorie deficiency of 300-400 cals/day. That is ~2400 cals in 6 days. If she then eats 4000 odd calories on the 7th day she is right back to square one again.

Larger people who can create higher calorie deficiencies have less of a problem.

 

[Emma-Leigh]

are there honestly any benefits (besides mental sanity) to cheating once a week? Also, besides re-feeds/leptin overfills etc. I honestly don't remember the last time I cheated, sometime in 2005 But if it will offer me something..

*not just for cheating, maintenance as well*

For Cheating? No. They are psychological more than anything.

Re-feeds? Yes. Although the benefits of these will depend on your BF%, your calorie deficiency, your carb levels etc etc...


What I have said before on the matter:

Cheat days are more for a psychological benefit than anything else. You get to 'cut loose' and relax for the day... That is about it. A side effect might be some metabolic effects, but there are better ways to achieve those effects than cheese-cake and cookies!

Whether you want these types of days really depends on the basic things of:
- the 'strictness' with which you want to follow your diet
- your ultimate goal (eg: just lose some fat or get competition cut)

If you don't want them, then there is no real need (as long as you are not developing a disordered form of eating where you CAN'T eat anything other than 'safe' foods - then you are getting into the realms of eating disorders). Also, if you are trying to get REALLY cut, then they are not really a good thing either - especially if you have control issues!


Re-feeds are for a physiological purpose - with these you AIM to kick up your metabolism and help prevent your body from metabolically coming to a stand still... But your requirement for these depends on a few things:
- your body composition
- the calorie deficiency you are at (and the level of your carbs in particular)

The leaner you are, the more likely your body will require 'refeeds'. Similarly, the greater your calorie deficiency (and especially if you are doing very low carbohydrate dieting) then the more likely re-feeds will be necessary. These are not 'cheat days' - but days of 'clean foods' with higher calories (esp higher carbohydrate levels). The aim is to fill your glycogen stores, trigger your fat cells to increase your leptin levels, and release a whole heap of neurochemical in your brain - which help trigger those beneficial metabolic effects that people talk about.

If your BF% is high, or your calorie/carb range is reasonable, then they are not really necessary from this point of view.

 

[juggernaut2005]

Although it depends on how much you eat if you have a control problem then yes, an entire day of cheating can result in you ruining an entire week of dieting - especially if you are only small...

For example - a small female may only be creating a calorie deficiency of 300-400 cals/day. That is ~2400 cals in 6 days. If she then eats 4000 odd calories on the 7th day she is right back to square one again.

Larger people who can create higher calorie deficiencies have less of a problem.

Pays to be a BIG BOY sometimes. .

My cheat days don't involve fries or icecream (I have lowfat/lowcar icecream sometimes) or burgers etc..

its usually extra servings of 'good stuff'. Extra salmon, extra shrimps, extra spaghetti squash.. I know the calories is plenty and I always feel like crap the next day....

I'm gonna switch to cheat meal and eat it as my last or second to last meal... Something tasty, maybe fries and a candy bar or cheese pizza


BTW: Emma can you recommend a good, decent calorie, lowfat pizza reciep? From scratch!

 

[juggernaut2005]

also, how about one or two drinks/week (on fridays).. vodka + diet coke... That can't be that harmful right?

 

[LB_SpecV]

I dont have times of year where I cut or bulk, I just do the same thing always. Eat right, and stay cut while staying muscular at the same time.

 

[dontsurfonmytur]

but do u get any bigger? and have u always been cut even when u were young?

 

[katt]

also, how about one or two drinks/week (on fridays).. vodka + diet coke... That can't be that harmful right?

Mine is vodka + diet pepsi...... I really don't think it has effected me to terribly much - I've heard it just messes up your metabolism for a couple days. I'm sure if I get more anal about it - I'll give that up until I reach my goal

 

[LB_SpecV]

but do u get any bigger? and have u always been cut even when u were young?

I have slowly been getting bigger/increasing my lifting weight. I personally, am not trying to get any bigger thought, just keep my current physique. Also, 5 out of 7 days of the week its hard to put all my energy into lifting since I run and then lift soon after, which is by choice, because right now staying ripped and performing better in cardio is more important to me.

I never was FAT when I was younger, but I used to be chubby-ish. I also used to eat every fast food product on earth, and didnt give 2 s***'*. I sometimes wish I still didint care....

 

[Steed77]

excellent idea. but can one cheat day/week really blow your diet that bad??

Well...for me, there is a chance it will blow my diet, because it will be hard for me to get back on track. If I eat a whole days worth of "cheat-foods", whether psychological or not....my body will start to crave those "cheat foods"...making it tougher to get through the week. I'd rather have one cheat meal...enjoy it, then get right back on the wagon.

If I eat bad for a whole day....the wheels just fall off!!!!

But...everyone is different. I would just do what works for you

 

[gmontem]

Will an appetizer, entree, and dessert in one sitting be considered one cheat meal or three?

 

[LB_SpecV]

Oh god, just eat what you want every once in a while and keep regimented besides that.