Some diets include "cheat days" into their program.

[BeCarefulIBite]

• Are “cheat days” a valuable aspect to a weight loss diet? Why or why not?

One downside of “cheat days” is they can undo the hard work of sticking to a diet plan.

• Are there other downsides of including “cheat days”?
• What are the long-term consequences of dieting with “cheat days”?

[GershonSurge]

Another example of an outlier that led me away from “accepted wisdom” was our finding that casein, which for decades had been the most highly rated and respected protein, dramatically and convincingly promoted cancer. No one wants to say the obvious— that casein is the most relevant chemical carcinogen ever identified.

Campbell, T. Colin. Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition (p. 39). BenBella Books, Inc.. Kindle Edition

[GershonSurge]

@Kifferly,

You wrote a masterful opposing view to my post. 

Thanks!

[Kifferly]

@Bogdel No, you did not come across as critical in your post. I was concerned that i was coming across as encouraging cheating.  Like you, I enjoy this group bc I receive so many great tips on eating healthy, which is something I'm constantly researching, in efforts to stay motivated on this journey. In regards to my weight loss, I did EXACTLY the things that I never considered doing in the past. I cut my portions in half, stopped frying foods and started baking and using my crock pot more, started eating more fruit (fresh veggies are still a challenge for me 😁), incorporated more whole grain or whole wheat products and joined a gym! I'm way more active than I've ever been (and i actually enjoy it).  Once my clothes began feeling and looking better, I knew there was no turning back for me! 

[Dominique]

---

@Bogdel wrote:

I'm afraid I need to say, "wrong!". Sounds to me like you have not watched "What the Health". You can find it for free on Netflix. I can't recommend it enough!

---

Thanks for pointing me to Netflix, but one lifestyle change I made since getting my first Fitbit many moons ago is I stopped watching TV altogether. As a result, I have so much more time for physical activity, which is more conducive to good health IMO.

I also prefer to educate myself with hard science rather than ideologically motivated entertainment. I therefore put more trust in recommendations from organizations such as the American Cancer Society than in manifestos available on Netflix.

Here is what the ACS says about calcium (and, indirectly, dairy):

Is calcium related to cancer? Several studies have suggested that foods high in calcium might help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, and calcium supplements modestly reduce the recurrence of colorectal polyps. But a high calcium intake, whether through supplements or food, has also been linked with an increased risk of prostate cancer.

In light of this, men should try to get – but not exceed – recommended levels of calcium, mainly through food sources. As women are not at risk of prostate cancer and are at a higher risk of osteoporosis (bone thinning), they should try to get recommended levels of calcium mainly through food sources. Recommended levels of calcium are 1000 mg/day for people ages 19 to 50 years and 1200 mg/day for people aged older than 50. Dairy products are excellent sources of calcium, as are some leafy vegetables and greens. People who get a lot of their calcium from dairy products should select low-fat or non-fat choices to reduce their intake of saturated fat.

Quite different from the claim made by @GershonSurge that [dairy products’] amino acids have sulphur attached to them, and when they enter the body they form sulphuric acid. This results in calcium depletion. I just wonder how I’m still alive with all the sulphuric acid generated in my body... 

If you have a look at diet and activity factors that affect risks for certain cancers, you will see risks factors vary according to the type of cancer, but the general recommendations all point in the same direction: Get regular, intentional physical activity. Reduce lifetime weight gain. Increase the intensity and amount of physical activity. Avoid obesity and weight gain around the midsection.  Get to and stay at a healthy weight and to get regular physical activity. Stay at a healthy weight and avoid tobacco use. Etc. etc. Another recurring recommendation is to eat more vegetables and fruits. I totally get it, I’m not anti-vegetarian, I eat plenty of them everyday. But it’s not the only thing I eat. I eat a diverse, balanced diet which, combined with a sufficient regimen of physical activity, has me maintain a healthy weight.

Again, there are many ways to eat for optimal health. You have picked yours, that’s fine. I have picked mine, it should also be fine.

[Baltoscott]

I guess I don't believe cheat days are all that helpful, but the responses so far make we wonder if we all agree on what exactly is a cheat day. 

Some folks seem the talking in terms of bad addictive foods they want to avoid, and see cheat days as undermining strategies that might reduce and eliminate those foods by keeping the craving for the bad food alive.  From that point of view, a "cheat" is reverse for a day whatever level of daily abstinence you have set for yourself, and is a failure that will likely lead to complete relapse.  To be honest, that is probably true.  Keeping an all or nothing approach to commonly available foods can be achieved through will power and avoiding situations where the bad food is found, but if you have friends or family, or work outside the home, managing availability is very difficult.  I think that is why many folks who try high-carb/low-fat diets, or low-carb/high fat diet don't stay on them very long.  

Other responses to this thread view cheat days as a one day calorie bump in a calorie-restricted weight loss diet.  That seems to be the thrust of the original question which asks about cheat days in the context of a weight loss diet.  The idea here is that the cheat day boosts your metabolism (probably not) or that it cuts back on the psychological and physiological stresses associated with the low calorie diet so that you can grind out another week.  There may be some psychological value in a cheat day in this context if you are trying to lose weight quickly and have dramatically reduced your calories, but for me at least, it is easier to think in terms of weekly calories, divide by seven, and then shoot for that amount each day.  That way I don't feel so deprived that I need a cheat day.  I try to avoid hunger while losing weight by adding more veggies, salads, whole grains and potatoes; of course I eat a lot of those things already, along with nuts, meat and dairy.  

One last thought.  If you do wind up with an inadvertent "cheat day" (hey, that ice cream just happened!), own up to it while it is going on, give yourself a few more bites, then toss it in the trash.  If don't stop until after binge is over because the carton is empty, the advice is the same; just own up to it and move on.  At the next meal go right back to your plan.  Losing weight takes time and one meal or one day off the diet is not going to make any difference in the long run.  

[Mukluk4]

---

---

@GershonSurge wrote:

We all know about drug babies -- those who are born with an addiction. If you crave cheat days, then your DNA has likely been modified to crave fat, salt and sugar. Raise your hands -- Which tastes better to you? French fries or boiled potatoes? There's your answer on where your DNA is positioned and where your future child's DNA switch will be positioned and where your future grand-childen's DNA will be positioned and so on until someone breaks the chain. 

---

Actually, the fries are engineered by flavor scientists to hit natually calibrated taste sensors in your mouth in the right combination.  The Boiled Potatoes are not.

---

@GershonSurge wrote:

Personally, I'd tell the teacher that I wouldn't attend a class that would suggest "cheat meals" are OK unless it included the topic "Cheat cocaine is OK," and they force everyone in the cafeteria to put a dose of cocaine on their tray like they do with milk. 

---

I think Cheat Cocaine should become a thing.  That sounds pleasant.

[SunsetRunner]

The definition of "cheat day" is always a little bit different because everyone can see something else as cheating. I didn't do any cheat days. Maybe something like "cheat meals" but even this I never really saw as cheating. The reason for that is the word "cheating" builds a feeling of guilt and I really wanted to avoid it. Every time during weight-loss when we feel guilty and "dirty" we are one step closer to give up. One "cheat day" may start a chain reaction. However, if we don't see it as cheating but simply let's say "rebalancing meal". It sounds whole lot better and doesn't make us feel as we do something wrong. Although, I find "cheating" dangerous if one is a food addict and I am the case of such. My deficit was huge by the numbers ( according to Fitbit it was sometimes over 1000kcal ) and considering how fast I lost lots of weight and since I learned to adjust Fitbit calorie counter to my individual case, I was probably falling into even greater deficit. I was always hungry and I felt like a drug addict on rehab. It became easier when I added lots of good almost everyday running. That somehow kept hunger at bay. Occasional "cheat meals" happened several times ( holiday, celebrations of birthdays etc. ) but I managed not to make it a habit. The worst feeling was always that thinking "if I eat that my all effort will be for nothing". 12 months later I'm wiser and I know that it's not about cheating. You can't cheat if something is a part of your lifestyle and such meals from time to time became a normal thing for me. I went into "conscious eating" and if it happens I eat out, grab a bar of chocolate occasionally or a croissant I'm not going to crucify myself for that. The point is I don't cheat. But this is now. During my weight-loss, I would rather refrain from such temptations but it's merely due to my food addiction ( which is still there, lurking in the darkness 😉 ).

@Dominique the linked website about various cancers gives me a little hope as it looks like I'm doing something right. The one I'm afraid is colorectal cancer as my chance to get ill is increased due to cases in the family ( my mom is a col. cancer survivor ).

"Around 20% of bowel cancers are associated with hereditary factors other than Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer" [Fearnhead NS, Wilding JL, Bodmer WF]

So change in my diet ( I'm almost vegetarian, meat in my diet happens very seldom, on top of that I have I reduced dairy products, too ) and greatly increasing my activity level, dropping significant weight etc. is related to that issue. But I must admit, I am scared like hell of the screening at some point.

[LakeishaTherese]

I don't feel bad about the content of a cheat meal, so much as the quantity. Overall I have chosen to make choices that are generally healthier and more "diet friendly" like foregoing the white rice at my favorite chinese restaurant and instead going for the less bread, more vegetable options. I tend to over do it on the chinese food though... 

I understand the whole colon cancer risk thing. My aunt was diagnosed when I was a toddler. She survived and is still around and going strong about 24 years later, and has not gone out of remission once. But, when I started having a few GI related issues the first thing that my mother and aunt both mentioned was the family history. If you're asymptomatic, the screenings are likely going to be just precautionary like the occasional exams for cancer like men and women both start getting at one point or another. 

I can explain the running keeping the hunger at bay part a little bit though from my nursing classes.  When you're using your muscles they need a lot of oxygen and a lot of nutrients because they're using and making a lot of energy in the mitochondria. The oxygen and nutrients are all delivered by blood. Your stomach also uses those same things in the digestion process. But, your body would have a hard time distinguishing why you're running, so it would still divert more oxygen carrying blood to your leg muscles, which would slow digestion down a little bit. Plus, it's a safe bet that you're also drinking more water while running, which would keep you feeling a bit more full.