Cheat day... Good or bad idea?

[YojanaFitbit]

Cheat day... Good or bad idea? 🤔

I think that we all have heard about this concept of first, you eat “clean” for six days, meaning you stick to your diet. Your macros and calories are in check and anything that could be classified as “junk”like fast food, dessert, and processed snacks is off the table. But then you let loose for the seventh day, and go crazy eating your favorite but not so healthy foods.

Some people think this is a good idea and talk about the psychological effects of having a cheat day, however others think that overeating can cause more harm than good. 

There is no specific guideline for when or how frequently your cheat meal or day should occur. But I found fascinating the theory behind this reward-based diet strategy. And to be honest I think that I've done it before. 

What do you think?

Mmmm...😋

[SunsetRunner]

In my experience, “Cheat Day” too often turned into Cheat Week End, then ... “Eh, may as well wait till next week Monday to be “good” again.” My solution was to acknowledge a Cheat Hour. If I really want a small dessert or something, I will have it after a strong talk with myself that this is a single incident and NOT a free for all. It’s worked so far. 

[alexthecat]

I'd be on board with a cheat snack or a cheat meal once a week. An entire cheat day is a little too much for me. I think I could undo an entire week of eating right in the course of that day. 

[ben1b]

I do this. On Sunday, every week. For me, this is a Cheat Day for food. I allow this, as long as I've done my daily fitness routine ... which for me, is five miles of running in the morning. I call this a "compulsory". Get the compulsory out of the way, and eat whatever I like for the day. Oddly, this doesn't affect my Monday morning weigh-in at all. 

On the rare occasion I ever miss a workout / daily routine, due to rain, illness or whatever ... I cancel my cheat day for that week. For me, this has worked well. I love my routine (it is strict) and I love my "cheat day" as well. 

[emili]

I did it when I was actively losing weight and I have been doing it ever since while in maintenance. Seven years this month. I don't believe in cheat days. I believe in cheat meals. When I was losing weight, it usually meant Friday and Saturday dinner. The rest of the day, I ate less to allow for the splurge. And by splurge, I mean a beer, a spoonful of dessert and a salad with a healthy protein not cooked by me. Saturday, slightly more "fun" things. Once I lost the weight, I stopped restricting my Friday and Saturday splurges and have now included Sunday as well. The rest of the week and the splurge days, I behave. It is too hard to be active with heavier food and harder to digest options in your belly. Not being active isn't an option, so I have my system that has been working for me. 

[YojanaFitbit]

I think it’s perfectly fine to occasionally indulge 😂. Just do it smartly. Choose one thing you really want, whether it’s ice cream or a cake, but don’t give yourself excuses to turn the one indulgence into a whole day or week of overindulging!