cheat days, free days ?

[Nora58]

Getting healthy is the goal of losing weight for most people on the forums and that also includes a lifestyle change to maintain that healthy body. Eating the right foods should be second nature to most people that have been at it 6 months or more and working out or getting exercise that fits your needs should be as well.

I am so confused when I read about a cheat day or a free day and it seems to me that there really hasn't been a total shift yet that will last over time if it is so easy to put unhealthy, or an over abundance of calories in your body and know it is hurting you. Maybe everyone does it and many don't talk about it but it just sounds strange to plan a day to do this.

Maybe someone that does this could explain the reasoning behind it. I'm sure it works in some way for you but I just don't get it for long term success.

[FitBeforeFifty]

Here's an illustration of what I was talking about. This is a weekly view of my NET (TDEE - Food) calories during my last week of weight loss. I lost 1 lb that week and hit my goal weight. As you can see, my NET calories are all over the map but I was still 268 calories under my budget (which had a deficit built in).

Like I said, keep in mind these are NET calories. That wednesday had a net calorie intake of 1203 but I ate 1840 (which is about as low as I go, even in weight loss mode). On friday my actual food/beer intake was 3623 calories. Some people call that a cheat day, I just call it Friday night. 

[Nora58]

@FitBeforeFiftyMany people do a weekly average instead of a daily one so it's not so stressful so it all works out to your benefit at the end no matter how you look at it. Nice work.

[HelenaFitbit]

I try not to rule myself by cheat days; if I want to eat something, I'll eat it and add it to the day's budget. This of course, knowing my caloric allowance for the day and making sure I stay under. 

Restricting a period of time to get a "free" day caused my anxiety to rise and I ended up eating everything on sight. A binge is never a good thing, specially when it wipes out the progress you've made. 

I can't eat sugar so that automatically cut off my alcohol, pastries and regular soda intake. I'll have a diet coke and I drink at least 2 times its equivalent to balance it out; if I really want a treat (to celebrate a particular occasion) I'll have a 70% Pacari dark chocolate or a Zacapa Rum on the rocks.

[Gscakes]

Everybody needs a cheat day if not just to look forward to something. I'm not saying go crazy and eat everything in sight but to have in the horizon the thought of having one day where you could actually enjoy yourselves moderately everybody needs it

[A_Lurker]

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@Gscakes wrote:
Everybody needs a cheat day if not just to look forward to something. I'm not saying go crazy and eat everything in sight but to have in the horizon the thought of having one day where you could actually enjoy yourselves moderately everybody needs it

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I don't have a cheat day, but I don't deny myself what I want.  I do, however, do a maintenance week (theoretically every 16 weeks, don't ask, I don't remember, it was someone who gave me the number).  The idea is that for a week I eat exactly what the fitibit told me I burned.  I also treated it as a rest week, specifically not going insane with the activity.  I say this because I have one day in the past 28 where I burned 4840.

Last time I was 20 weeks in, did this for 10 days (started partly because I was feeling a little run down) and didn't gain anything.  It made going back to the weight loss easier.  I have a long way to go, and decades of bad habits to break.  I don't think I'd do well with a cheat day.  For some people it may work, but I don't think it's for me.

This is not to say that I haven't gone over every now and then.  I'm usually pretty good, but had one night maybe a little over a month ago where, after a few too many drinks, had far too much bar food than I should have.