Hey guys!
So recently I have been hearing/reading more & more about the concept of cheat days. Even my personal trainer regularly tells me about what she plans to go all out with on the upcoming Sunday. Although I didn’t strictly follow the eating part of Body for Life when I was on the plan, I remember that each week included a cheat day. From what I understand, a “cheat day” allows you to eat whatever you want on one pre-scheduled day of the week. During the rest of the week, you eat a strict, controlled diet. Although MANY people have plenty of success with losing/maintaining weight with regular cheat days, they aren’t for me. I’m all for throwing complete caution to the wind occasionally/on holidays, but I rather not schedule it as a weekly occurrence.
Much of why I am not a fan of them goes back to my Weight Watcher days. The foundation of the plan was a lifestyle change as opposed to a diet. The idea of eating rigidly 6 days of the week and then going crazy on the 7th day only fosters a “diet” mindset. The way I see it is that if I feel the need to “cheat”, perhaps my eating plan is a bit too restrictive. On WW, I had the option of saving up my daily points for a splurge later on in the week, but that approach never worked me. If I wanted to change my lifestyle, I had to find a way which allowed me to still enjoy chocolate/few treats daily. They may be small but those daily indulgences kept me going.
In theory, cheat days are great. Despite eating cakes, cookies, whatever floats your bloat for one day, you can shock your metabolism and continue to burn fat efficiently. In reality, it doesn’t quite work like that for me. After 6 days of hard work, it’s a shame to risk one day reversing my efforts. More than that, the constant pattern of eating too few calories during the week and then suddenly shocking my body with a surplus of calories is dangerous. It throws my hormones out of whack, and the insulin spikes leave me craving high fat/sugary foods even once the cheat day ends. Consider it the “Pringle Effect”: Once you start, you just can’t stop! Over time, I’ve also realised that my body responds better to small doses of treats spread throughout the week as opposed to larger amounts in one shot. With the latter, I end up feeling sluggish, de-motivated and bloated. I can handle that every so often but I rather not experience it on a weekly basis.
Physical effects aside, my main reason for not incorporating “cheat days” into my eating plan is because of its mental outcomes. I know the way I think, and ultimately cheat days would make me obsessive about “off limit” foods. Because I only have “one chance” to indulge my cravings, I’d want to ensure my choices are 100% worth it. To some extent, cheat days enable a binge mentality. More than that, there’s so much mental energy wasted on building up this cheat day and also on wishing my days away. If I want a damn cookie, I want it today, not 5 days later…nor do I want to count down till the day.
I know for every point I have raised, someone else can present cheat days as being effective for him/her. So again, this is just what works for me. It’s a realistic approach to eating, keeps my cravings at bay and is a style of eating which I can maintain in the long run. Sure, cheat days may boost my metabolism, but so will exercise…and fortunately the latter will keep me sane in the process.
What’s your take on cheat days? And more importantly…
What treat is completely worth it to you? Mine would be cheesecake & ice cream!
I’m with you – the cheat day approach would never work for me. Never! But to each his/her own like you said! And a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie is ALWAYS worth it!
Thanks, P…thanks a lot…now I am craving a gooey choc chip cookie ;)!
OMG! It feels like you were in my head when you wrote this post. I cannot agree with you enough. And I have come a long way in to this realisation. I have tried it all and truly feel this is what works best for me. Totally with you on this 🙂
Glad you agree! I guess it’s just about trial & error to find what works for you!
this post made so much sense to me. i am totally with you on this. the all or nothing doesn’t work for me at all. a cheat day often becomes a cheat week.. scary
Scary indeed! Some people can bounce right back after a cheat day whereas for others it can be a slippery slope!
i agree, I think you should be able to indulge each day rather than do a one whole cheat day. I just am all about not putting food into labels like that
Same here…even the most nutritionally-void food is fine in moderate amounts!
I think cheat days can be iffy. I think similar to what you said, and I know for me, when I know I can “cheat” I take it too far. I will eat so much to the point where I completely overdo it. I don’t diet, but I also don’t have “cheat” anything. I just eat what sounds good and try to balance everything out. Some days I have the 70/30 as you know, but “cheating” is just a tough word all together.
My end all be all worth it is CAKE!
The word “cheating” just has such negative connotations, and implies you have failed. Maybe I am in the minority but I don’t feel guilty about indulging my cravings…been there, done that ;)!
Oh God… you know you’re an addict when you see the word “watermelon” near the end of a post and your mind instantly forgets everything you just read. I need help 😆
I say nay to cheat days, mostly because I don’t like the idea of labelling foods as bad or off limits. Like you said, that sort of thing just encourages a diet mentality, when in reality that’s exactly what we should be trying to get away from. I find that I’m pretty much naturally inclined to follow an 80/20 or 70/30 approach to eating, and I like to include treats in my daily diet rather than going buck wild at the end of the week… that way I have something to look forward to every day, and it doesn’t encourage that “it’s okay to binge” kind of thinking.
Great post, Khushboo! Hope you’re having a beautiful Friday.
Haha you would LOVE this salad…it’s so fresh and flavorful! Maybe it doesn’t work for everyone but like you, I naturally gravitate towards healthier options most of the time and hence don’t feel guilty about adding in treats daily.
Like you most of the other readers here, I do not like the idea of cheat days. Instead of eating a tub of ice cream and go on fried food coma, I rather enjoy a piece of cake or fried whenever I crave for it but in smaller portion to satisfy my cravings. Also, it brings me lot of sanity to work out regularly and eat mindfully on a daily basis rather than planning my so called cheat days!
Same here! Also I find that when I plan these cheat days, I end up eating sh1t on the day regardless of whether or not I actually want it….because otherwise, I’d have to wait another week! I rather just satisfy my cravings as and when they come!
Cheat days are great and I actually cheat everyday even though I would say I eat healthy 80% of the time. I guess I’m in a different boat than some people because I’m happy with my body and I’m only trying to maintain my weight. I train A LOT so I’m able to eat more too… which is one of the reasons why I love training. My method have been working for me for 3 years and my cheats haven’t set me back on anything.
I do eat pretty healthy during the week though and cheat minimally (like chocolate or chips here and there) but I tend to do whatever I want on the weekends. I eat anything from bubble tea poutine to fried chicken to greasy Chinese food! I also make my own lunch and dinner on weekdays and most of my foods are real foods, no sugar and no additives so that really helps.
I think my point may not have come across totally. I don’t consider little treats like a few squares of chocolate daily as a cheat…they’re part of the 80/20 balance. I was referring more to a full on, blow-out day. It’s great that you’ve found a style of eating that works for you though :)! Bubble tea poutine sounds interesting…I’ve heard of both but never together!
I love your mentality towards cheat days and completely agree. To me, the concept of cheat days is like splitting up the week into days you’re allowed to have fun on and those that you don’t. Somebody invites you to the movies? Sorry, can’t go, I’m not allowed to have fun tonight.
I don’t mean to say you couldn’t have fun in life without treats but I personally like to have the foods I want when I want them. Life’s too short to spend it waiting for you next cheat day.
You hit the nail on the head with that movie comment- what if someone invites you out for a meal on a day that is not scheduled as a cheat day? To me at least, it sucks out the flexibility aspect of having fun.
sadly, everyday for me is a cheat day… or every other day. i need something fun. sometimes it is a mini croissant with my coffee. or a mini cupcake for the evening. it’s usually something sweet. but i tend to eat pretty healthy for my lunches and dinners at least. 🙂
Haha I won’t consider that a cheat day…I was referring more to the days where nothing is off limits. I am with you about healthy meals with a couple of treats thrown in…and for me it’s 99% something sweet too!
Ditto to this whole post! To me cheat days just promote an unhealthy relationship with food. I’d much rather just go with the flow with what I eat. Maybe I’ll have dessert two days in a row, maybe I’ll go two weeks without it. I don’t think you should have to schedule your food!
Cheesecake is so worth it for me too! That, and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
Oh man we are so on par…carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is another one of mine. Can you tell I have a thing for cheese/dairy 😉
I nod along, & agree, with like ALL your posts. Just, FYI:).
Xxx
Haha I’m glad to hear that, Sarah! Hope you’re well 🙂
Good point – I found though when I was doing BFL before that my 6 days actually became my lifestyle and not just a diet as I became used to that way of eating and it felt good to me. I wasn’t hanging out for the cheat day as such but it did make it easier while following the program to know there was something built in there so it wasn’t all a diet mentality. That being said, even on my ‘cheat’ days I didn’t go all out and actually had…err…quite a few cheat meals instead especially when socialising. I made it fit my lifestyle and it was fine. You’re not going to fail on the plan because you had more than one cheat day/meal. I was a lot more laid back with it. Nowadays, haha, it’s all about clean eating and dessert 😀
Good point about BFL! Although I didn’t strictly follow the eating portion of the plan, I love that it promoted a balance. So many strength training-related diets seem to do away with carbs…ugh!
Its like this.. I tried cheating and normal days, but used to be feeling that I’ve been depriving myself something on normal days and by eating bad on cheat days, I felt guilty later. SO now I’ve started eating a little portion when I want to eat dessert and eating smaller or healthier options when I go out. AND if i cheat too much, all the workout through the whole week goes out the window…
I read posts where – for example- if u eat dosa, u can eat plain instead of the masala dosa (when eating outside). I liked that approach too.
My indulgence is to go with the flow n eat a portion of the gooiest stuff on the menu when I go out 9if i feel like it). All the other portions and the main meal and all stuff at home, I eat in normal portions and with healthier stuff.
“Go with the flow”..I love that! With all the conflicting information out there, the simple act of eating has turned into something overly complicated.
I liked this post alot Khushboo, and it really got me thinking.. which is something I appreciate 😉 As many of your readers have said, cheat days seem like a poor idea. To me they set you up for failure but also to become way too obsessive and strict with the other days… always planning for the cheat day, or trying to get back on track the next. Either way it always becomes about the FOOD and the meal, rather than having such things as a part of your life. Daily treats are totally fine and it’s not necessary to have them saved up for one balls-to-the-walls day.
ICE CREAM forever and always will be my choice of a “cheat meal” but then again, I do have it quite often anyway!
Exactly…it takes away from the other aspects of life that aren’t food-related! Even going out for meals suddenly becomes what you are/aren’t going to splurge on rather than tenjoying the company you are with.
I don’t schedule cheat days but I have mixed feelings. It would make me more obsessive and prone to binge myself sick. Maybe if it wasn’t super strict ie you allowed yourself some treats during the week and were more lax one day (but not food coma level) then it might be better. I agree though I don’t like anything that is super strict or involves too much thinking about food, for me it results in disordered thinking.
I agree with your approach about not being super strict during the week yet being even a bit more lax on one day…it seems to be the pattern I’ve fallen into lately!
I just think that you should be able to eat what you love every day in moderation. A strict diet might work for a while, but I have a feeling people start to hate the ridgity of it and then just give up. Balance is key.
Exactly- there’s only so long a person can keep up with an extremely rigid diet. I hate to sound like a pessimist but it’s kinda like you’re setting yourself up for failure by being overly strict.
I really love this post, Khushboo. I don’t designate a cheat day for many of the same reasons you listed. It took me a long time to learn that the diet mentality does not work; that labeling foods “off limits” or “indulgent,” only drives my desire for those foods into high gear. By giving myself permission to eat the foods that I once restricted, I not only feel satisfied and happy, but the chances of “over-indulging” decrease tremendously. It’s a win-win!
I’ve entertained the idea of becoming slightly more strict with my eating habits many times; usually after reading articles in Oxygen magazine! I look at those women and almost envy their discipline. How do they do it? But then I remind myself that I am both a health nut AND a foodie, and claiming both identities means I get to enjoy the best of both worlds. I don’t need to take either to the extreme; I can exercise and eat healthy most days, but I can also enjoy small treats most days. I really wouldn’t want it any other way!
Hope you had a lovely weekend! xoxo <3
“I am both a health nut AND a foodie, and claiming both identities means I get to enjoy the best of both worlds.”—> Thank you for putting my thoughts into words…SO true! The way I see it is that some foods are good for physical health whereas others are necessary for mental health. And for me, I need a bit of choc daily to keep me sane & happy :)!
Great post Khushboo! I think everyone who has been consious of their eating habits can relate to it, I know I definately can. I don’t agree on cheat days either because it really indicates binging to me and like you, I cannot stop after one day (no matter how much I tell myself). Also, if I knew a cheat day was around the corner I would go crazy trying to think of all the unhealthy foods I could fit into it! So, the effects before and after the day would take up my whole week….bad idea! 😉
A very bad idea indeed! And besides the mental effects, I definitely hate the physical effects in terms of feeling sluggish.
“cheat days” never worked for me, because I’d end up eating TONS on my “cheat” day, even if I didn’t really want it! It was the opposite of enjoying everything in moderation! Maybe it works for some people, but not me!
That was something I faced occasionally with WW- I’d sometimes save my points up during the week in anticipation of a meal out and whether or not it didn’t happen, I’d still end up stuffing myself because I “earned” it.
I think the word ‘cheat’ has a negative connotations, and to me, it doesn’t make sense. You cheat with someone to do something, but cheating to yourself makes no sense to me at all.
A few months ago, a Horrizon TV documentary in the UK showed the benefits of fasting, and it suggested people should fast twice a week and it evidently proved health benefits of doing so.
I’ve heard about fasting being beneficial to health! If done safely, it can be be a great way to clean out your system.
Doing a whole cheat day turned out to be a disaster for me!! I was super restrictive (and annoying!) throughout the week, and then reversed all my progress by stuffing myself to the brim on my cheat day. Now, I still regularly cheat – but in a much healthier way. Some weeks I will have a treat every single day of the week, and some times I will go two weeks without an off-plan meal. It’s all about listening to your body and honouring its cravings – not hiding it away for your cheat day, haha.
I couldn’t agree more…when I eat “clean” for an extended period, it’s not because I am depriving myself. It’s purely because that’s what my taste buds are craving.
Oh my gosh, I agree with you 100% on this! Each and every point you made, I swear I couldn’t have said it better myself! And I loved this -> “In theory, cheat days are great. Despite eating cakes, cookies, whatever floats your BLOAT for one day”
Going all out on “cheat” type foods only makes me end up craving them more so I am MUCH better off spreading my treats out in small doses throughout the week. I know my personality…I know that a “cheat day” for me would quickly become a “binge day” and I would end it feeling miserable (both mentally and physically!)
One thing that is ALWAYS worth it? Homemade desserts….like my mom’s pineapple upside down cake, pumpkin pie, or blackberry cobbler! YUMMMMM!
Ohh does your mom have room for one more? Blackberry cobbler sounds SO good right now!
I agree with you. When I was desperately trying to lose weight last year I was extremely diligent 6 days and went nuts on Friday night. It did me no good. So now I don’t have a set cheat day as such. If I feel like eating something not-so-healthy once in a while, I just do it without over-thinking it.
And the one treat that is completely worth it to me is samosa chaat.
Over-thinking treats only makes me want to rebel and eat more of it! Not long till you can eat your heart out with samosa chaat!