A Cheat Day?

i watch biggest looser, they said you need a cheat day. is this important? will it really throw the body off? and is it wise for once a weeK?

Actually, it's good because it will help keep your metabolism up. However, I don't know if I'd do it for an entire day... I'd just let myself give into a junk food craving every now and then. But, to each their own. What's important is that you don't have your diet be so strict that you feel deprived. Your diet has to be something you can live with.

I think it depends on what you do on your cheat day, and what cheating means to you. If it is eating more than you're daily intake on the other days, it kinda depends on by how much more. I'm sure if you aren't going over your burn It is not a big deal to have a cheat day. If by cheating you mean eating something you don't normally eat, then as long as you don't eat too much I don't think its a big deal either. I think it is good to have a day where you allow yourself a treat, whether it be more fuel or just something you don't eat often (like for me ice cream mmm!), other wise you may feel deprived and end up overeating as a result. I say be good 90% of the time, and don't worry about that 10%.

 

good luck! :)

i looove junk food so i asked my trainer about cheat days. he said to take something like sunday and on that day to not worry as much about what i was eating. 

so on sundays, i know my goal is to lose weight, but i dont feel the pressure of dropping pounds, so ill have fries or something as a treat but nothing huge because i dont want to lose all my hard work. 

my trainer says this is a good idea as long as you dont lose it to junk food, because it keeps your body working and doesn't let it get used to one monotonous diet. plus it makes you happy too!!!

 

Everybody is different. Let me say that first. What works for one person won't work for another. However, if your cheat day was a day where you ate your current body weight's maintenance calories, but not more than that, you would be fine. For instance, when I am wanting to lose weight, I cut my calories to between 1300-1500/day (depending on my activity for that day), but, at my weight and activity level, I could have about 2000 calories and not gain anything. I hope that makes sense. Cheat days are good because as long as you don't go overborad, they keep you from giving up, they can help keep you from plateauing as drastically, and they allow you to live life. For instance, if I have a get-together planned at a friends house one week, that day will be my cheat day.

I have a cheat day once a week, usually Saturday.  I figure I'm probably going to mess up on the weekend anyway, better to have it planned than to feel like I'm a failure and binge.  Even though it's a 'cheat' day, you should still regulate it.  Yes, go ahead and eat more calories than usually, but don't turn it into a massive binge.  For example, I'll order something at a restaurant that I know is a couple hundred calories more than I would normally get, and then I might have a lower calorie dessert.  That's my cheat.  It's not straight up stuff your face with whatever the hell you want for 24 hours.  Anyway, the additional calories tricks your body so it doesn't go into starvation mode and revs up your metabolism.  On Saturday when I cheated I had some pizza and a snickers ice cream bar.  I thought that maybe I had over done it, but the next morning when I weighed myself, I had lost weight.

hummmm......... thats cool.... i can have some of my yummies every now and then.  and sat. would be a great day for me, thats the day friends get together once or twice a month.... like when its my time to host we have bon fires, so putting it all together i dont take the time to calulate....  but i also dont have the time to binge either! but nice to know i can have  something i usually dont have durning the week.... i want to lose and not gain back what i losted. but that just shock my body and get it out of this no lose slump i have been in..

i do not think it world for everybody.

for me it would trigger overeating and might get me off the diet.

i prefer sticking to my calorie plan, and maybe eat mre on really special ocassion (like a trip abroad or so)

If you can do so, make them maintenance days (where you eat at maintenance level, not weight loss level) - especially if they're going to be regular days like every Saturday. The occasional splurge is not the end of the world either, but if you eat lots (or eat like you used to, if you were obese before) you'll get a nasty shock on the scale the next day. Most of it is water and food volume, not fat, but it can be rough on the emotions.

I am an advocate of preserving mental health through this process, and sometimes that means throwing eating plans to the wind and having whatever you want. And, most importantly, not stressing about it afterwards, and getting right back on track.

alcohol is my treat on the weekends haha! I eat and exercise very well during the week, but on friday and saturday nights i drink. 

"maintenance days"-that sounds good!

Consider it more of a "cheat meal". I started working with a personal trainer a few months back and was following a strict diet. Well, I hit a plateau, and to my surprise he asked what my favorite fast food restaurant was, and I said "Taco Bell". He said, "Go there for lunch today." So I did! I had my old favorites: a ranchero chicken taco and a bean burrito. From there on, I've had one or two "cheat meals" a week and have lost at least 2 pounds every week - sometimes more. I stick with my high protein, low carb diet for most the rest of the week, as well as my regular workouts, but allow myself to cheat once or twice. Of course, keep portion sizes reasonable and don't over-do it!

I make my cheat meal in the middle of the week if I can. I weigh-in on Mondays, so usually have my cheat day on Wednesday or Thursday to allow plenty of time to burn it off if I need to. It seems to be working well! My cheat meals so far have consisted of Chinese carry-out (small order of chicken w/ broccoli and a 1/2 cup of rice), thin crust pepperoni pizza, taco salads, and I even feasted on cheesey mashed potatoes, mac'n'cheese, and cake on Easter Sunday! It seems to have certainly kicked my body into "fightin" mode, and has also helped to kick the cravings. Good luck!

i usually go to buffets on my cheat days.  :D  and i eat whatever i want.  alot of times, i don't even want to go, but the family does.  AND once i get there, believe me, i eat!

when i go to buffets, i usually fill up on the salad.....  i will have a bite chicken, or whatever kind of meat, a bite or two of vegs, and a bite or two of sweets.... but i mainly fill up on the salad side....