Staying on plan vs. planned cheat days
 

Personally, my goal is to stay on plan. I try to make it so I don't beat myself up if I happen to slip, and get right back on plan. But generally speaking, I get better results when I stay on plan and I personally find that one slip tends to lead to a second, and then a third.... Also, I'm doing a low carb plan, so once you are in ketosis, having sugar and starchy carbs has more of an impact beyond just the extra calories.

But I also know that a lot of people are very successful with having a planned cheat meal or day periodically.

I'm curious how you handle this issue and why you made the choice you did?

I was on IP - well, actually still am technically for about a week yet. I found that if you had a cheat day (I only had 2 myself) then it would take me abut 24 hours to get back into Ketosis, which was 24 hours that I couldv'e been burning fat ...

I would love it if I could do a cheat day and continously lose at a good pace, for me in particular, it's not an option.

I'm basically done at this point and will phase out starting Friday. Once in maintenance, I will have a cheat day on the weekends and then follow up with a strict P1 day to rebalance.

Originally Posted by healthyangie:
I was on IP - well, actually still am technically for about a week yet. I found that if you had a cheat day (I only had 2 myself) then it would take me abut 24 hours to get back into Ketosis, which was 24 hours that I couldv'e been burning fat ...

Calories matter. Not ketosis. You can burn fat or gain fat in ketosis depending on your energy intake.

I gave myself 2 chat days, Saturday and Sunday. I find that I go crazy wanting everything on every commercial if I don't. I also find that even on my cheat days, I sometimes make good choices. I'm speaking from past experience. I've only been on my recent journey for a week now, but I still had a salad at the buffet instead of two platefuls of junk.

My suggestion would be to have at least one "no guilt" meal per week, if you don't want to do a whole day.

I don't plan to cheat, and I try really hard not too. But sometimes, s hit happens. I just make sure that I get right back on track the next meal!

After being on numerous diets over a 20 year span, the one that worked the best was when we allowed ourselves a cheat day, or even just a cheat meal.

I don't know why, but changing our diet plan at least once a week seemed to keep us (husband and myself), losing at a steady pace.

We found that we really didn't need to pig out on that free day. I think just mentally knowing that we were a bit looser with our expectations was enough. When we tried to do the same diet plan every day, either counting calories, limiting carbs, or using a diet program, we always fell off the wagon, and even if we stayed with it for months, the results weren't as successful as when we had a cheat day.

This is the only way we'll approach it this time. We stick with our diet plan 5 days a week. It's going to be a way of life for us now, at our age, and we can live with this.

Originally Posted by JohnP:
Calories matter. Not ketosis. You can burn fat or gain fat in ketosis depending on your energy intake.

The question was whether a cheat day worked for us .. for me it doesn't. My losses are considerably lower with a cheat day involved. So for me, a controlled intake while in ketosis is the answer.

I'm doing a low carb diet my Dr. requested me to be on and have found that one cheat meal a week hasn't hurt so far. On WW's I usually always saved my weekly points for one day and it never hurt my weight loss. I've actually noticed I lose more sometimes after a cheat meal or day.

When I say cheat btw, I'm not diving into a tub of ice cream and chips LOL. I mean in moderation. Add a tortilla here with fajitas, a small soft serve ice cream, or a handful of popcorn at the movies. Small things occasionally once a week or every now and then an off plan meal when I go out to eat for a special occasion, like Valentines. If I know I have a special day coming up, I adhere heavily on plan up unto that day, enjoy the occasion, and go right back to being on plan. Life happens and its going to keep happening lord willing diet or not.

Planned cheat days aren't a bad thing if you can get right back on track the next day or meal with no problem. Some people can, some people can't. It really depends on you. I make sure my cheat meals are things outside of my house. I eat them, I go home and all I have is food on my diet there to keep me accountable so I don't go off on binges. I do not buy things I'll see every day at home to make me crave them because I know my limits. Other people have different ones. Do whatever works for you.

Hasn't hurt my weight loss so far. :) I would rather my weight loss slow down and me stick with a plan instead of be miserable at every family/work function and give up completely. Skinny people eat a piece of cake occasionally and don't beat themselves up about it. Why should I?

I calorie count, so I can eat whatever foods I'd like, no neat to set aside a special day. There are times I indulge and go over maintenance calories. I really refrain from using the work "cheat", though it may be semantics, because it's just my life! I suppose it also helps that I'm in maintenance now. There will be times I eat cake and ice cream and have a big fat burger and end up a bit over calories, which will then lead to a few days of making up for it -- but that's how things go. So far that's worked for me.

Originally Posted by LockItUp:
I calorie count, so I can eat whatever foods I'd like, no neat to set aside a special day. There are times I indulge and go over maintenance calories. I really refrain from using the work "cheat", though it may be semantics, because it's just my life! I suppose it also helps that I'm in maintenance now. There will be times I eat cake and ice cream and have a big fat burger and end up a bit over calories, which will then lead to a few days of making up for it -- but that's how things go. So far that's worked for me.

Me too. I go by gut feeling and daily weigh-ins rather than calorie counts. If I eat a ton of food and am then not hungry at all the next morning/afternoon, I just wait until I'm hungry to eat.

Today is one of those days :P

Originally Posted by LockItUp:
I calorie count, so I can eat whatever foods I'd like, no neat to set aside a special day. There are times I indulge and go over maintenance calories. I really refrain from using the work "cheat", though it may be semantics, because it's just my life! I suppose it also helps that I'm in maintenance now. There will be times I eat cake and ice cream and have a big fat burger and end up a bit over calories, which will then lead to a few days of making up for it -- but that's how things go. So far that's worked for me.

This, but I'm not in maintenance yet. For example, today I met a friend for lunch and ate a large-ish sandwich from a local sandwich shop and chips. It's more food than I normally eat for lunch, so I won't want snacks this afternoon. I will go over my calories today, but if I try to stick to plan exactly every day then I will binge. Tomorrow my lunch will be more on plan.

This is the first time I've really allowed myself to live while dieting and worrying more about overall trends than just one day or just one meal has been life changing for me in these few short weeks. If I felt like I was depriving myself, I would be more likely to have a cheat day where I ate hundreds and hundreds over plan which is how I've sabotaged myself in the past.

We also have our "cheat meal" outside of our home. That's part of the fun for me, get out and enjoy a night away. We don't keep any food in our home that might be too tempting. For me, the cheat meal works the best when we're eating a more structured diet. When I was counting calories, it didn't work that well, I could work in some chips, or a cookie, and still stay within my calorie limit, but it just wasn't that exciting to live like that. I mean, I wanted more out of it. The cheat meal does that, and I looked forward to it.

Low carb was the easiest for me. After a week of eating low carb, I really didn't crave any sugary snacks. So, my cheat meal would be pretty healthy, for the most part. Maybe we would have a few nice cocktails, while going out and dancing.

Now we're doing BistroMD, and I really like their meals, but we do look forward to getting those 2 nights out. I can eat like this for a very long time, and be very satisfied. Now, if I could only duplicate some of the recipes Bistro uses!

We are much looser with our eating here on Saturdays. If we want something or want to go out with friends, we try to choose Saturdays and go for it! It works for us and may not work for everyone! I plan to exercise and eat this way forever, so I want to do it in a way I can live with for the long term. I am a big fan of doing whatever works for you as an individual. Best of luck!

Originally Posted by healthyangie:
The question was whether a cheat day worked for us .. for me it doesn't. My losses are considerably lower with a cheat day involved. So for me, a controlled intake while in ketosis is the answer.

Of course - a "cheat day" involves going off plan and because you're eating more (calories) you're losing less, if any, fat. That's not what you said though. You said ...

Originally Posted by healthyangie:
...it would take me abut 24 hours to get back into Ketosis, which was 24 hours that I couldv'e been burning fat ...

The implication is that you need to be in ketosis to burn fat which is far from accurate for anyone.

Originally Posted by JohnP:
Of course - a "cheat day" involves going off plan and because you're eating more (calories) you're losing less, if any, fat. That's not what you said though. You said ...



The implication is that you need to be in ketosis to burn fat which is far from accurate for anyone.

Thanks for that clarification John ... now I know what I was really thinking :)

I have planned slip-ups! At my old job on Saturdays we always went out for at least drinks but usually dinner. I would always look at the menu online and try to stay on plan as much as possible but sometimes I would let myself have that bread that came before the meal or have the dessert. And usually at least once a week I did a lunch with a co-worker. I think having planned "slip-ups" helps you not loose control but allows you to have that unhealthy treat so you don't obsess about it.

I calorie cycle so I have high, low & medium days. There is never a need to "cheat."

Originally Posted by healthyangie:
Thanks for that clarification John ... now I know what I was really thinking :)

I've got no doubt you know calories matter but many people read these threads.

i do have a planned cheat day which is Fridays and it's shocking how much i can eat, probably upwards of 3,000 cals although i've never counted.. and a lot of it is junk. The rest of the week i have no problems reigning it in and i eat "clean" and don't overeat and i'm pretty much at goal (except for the loose skin with a bit of fat spare tire) and for some reason i continued to (while nearly at goal) very slowly lose even with that huge cheat day-i suspect it gave a jolt to my metabolism and leptin, etc. it's the only thing i can think of...but you have to decide what is right for YOU of course :)

I second the calorie cycling. I don't have a structure but I do it. If I go over by 400 calories one day, I'll pull 200 out of the next two days or decide that I'll lose less this week and let it go. If its more than 400 calories, I automatically let it go. Too much deprivation following binging is a bad cycle.

Otherwise I would say if you find the desire for cheat foods too often, maybe you need to look at your plan. Are you eating foods you genuinely like everyday? If not, explore recipes and find new healthy foods you do like. For me, a bowl of raspberries and blueberries is a healthy treat I love. Do I like ice cream? Of course, but when something like the berries are the alternative its a lot easier to stay on plan.

For the most part, I don't like to call them cheat days. I prefer to look at it as life happens, and I don't expect to be perfect on plan every single day.

I am on plan most days, but it's ok to now and then, eat off plan. Or maybe life throws you a curve.

As long as you have more on plan days than off, it's all good.

For instance, I have 2 weddings to attend this summer. I'm already planning for this. I will up my activity for a few days before and after, and I will be more vigilant about my food for a few days before and after, because I know, I'm going to eat cake and have a few drinks. One day of indulgence won't kill me. Repeated ones, that's another story!

I used to call them cheat days but now If I do have a day where I eat rubbish or a night where I sit and eat a chocolate bar I don't worry about it because it was worrying about it that had made me fall off the wagon in previous attempts. Like someone else said, one day turns into 2 and so on... and that was me!
I think because I am exercising every day I just work on the notion that I will have to do an extra 10 minutes on the treadmill at the gym...I would rather do that than deny myself a little of what I want when I fancy it ;)

Originally Posted by ReillyJ:
i do have a planned cheat day which is Fridays and it's shocking how much i can eat, probably upwards of 3,000 cals although i've never counted.. and a lot of it is junk.

Good to hear that I'm not the only one who does this. I have a high-calorie dinner (about 1,500) every two weeks or so, and a free-for-all dinner (probably 3,500 to 4,000 cals) about once every two months. (I don't eat junk, though, because I much prefer gourmet food.) These indulgences keep me sane and haven't derailed my weight maintenance. The key, for me, is to weigh myself at least twice a week and make small day-to-day adjustments if needed.

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Originally Posted by shcirerf:
For the most part, I don't like to call them cheat days. I prefer to look at it as life happens, and I don't expect to be perfect on plan every single day.

I am on plan most days, but it's ok to now and then, eat off plan. Or maybe life throws you a curve.

As long as you have more on plan days than off, it's all good.

For instance, I have 2 weddings to attend this summer. I'm already planning for this. I will up my activity for a few days before and after, and I will be more vigilant about my food for a few days before and after, because I know, I'm going to eat cake and have a few drinks. One day of indulgence won't kill me. Repeated ones, that's another story!

:yes: Yes! This is exactly how I try to look at things too! Well said shcirerf. Today was a coworkers birthday, and everyone was having cheesecake. I had a slice and didn't regret it (right away at least :), it kind of sat in the bottom of my stomach like a brick for the rest of the day) It was delicious and a nice treat (no matter how my gut felt later!)

I compensated for the extra cals at dinner, and instead of making spaghetti with pasta and ground beef like I had originally planned, I used squash and ground turkey. I don't want to deny myself the enjoyment that comes from tasty food with friends, as long as its not all the time. These are permanent changes that I am making to my eating habits and I don't ever want to feel like I am cheating myself.