Yea cheating a day is self destructive. Once I had a whole pint of Phish Food
(Ben & Jerry) and next day I weighed an extra 5 pounds!!

Another time I was at a conference that had a wonderful healthy dinner. But my friend presented me with a piece of chocolate cake---I got glassy eyed and I took in every crumb. I didn't have the nerve to check the scales!

It's that chocolate that just gets to me!!

Cheating days may include comfort food if I'm depressed that day. I don't shop for those things anymore so makes it impossible now. I don't have a car so I can't make that emergency run. LOL

Peanut butter and celery is my favorite snack. Apples and peaches satisfy my sweet tooth. - 6/20/2010   2:48:49 AM

I never actually PLAN for a cheat day, but I usually end up eating/drinking way too many empty calories on the weekend. I almost always start off with a work out and a healthy breakfast and lunch, but then dinner with friends gets out of control. - 6/17/2010   4:08:49 PM

I can't have a cheat day because it blows my whole diet out of the water. Eating junk food usually makes me crave it so I tend to treat myself with a little bit every now and then instead of eating too much of it once a week. - 6/16/2010   4:45:56 PM

The idea of a cheat day seems to reinforce the bad habits that contributed to my current situation! Instead, as the article mentions, I am trying to balance my calories over the week so that when I have the occasional sweet I make adjustments to ensure that I stay on track. - 6/15/2010   7:52:25 AM

I think this is a great reminder. Until recently I've been stuck on a plateau for months and I believe it is because of my "small cheats". I don't have a hard time during the week, but the weekends are killer, and "movie nights" with snacks are my biggest weakness. It's just best to stay off refined sugar altogether - then we don't have to worry about binging. My trainer's motto is "PUT NO JUNK IN THE TRUNK!" :) - 6/10/2010   6:31:40 PM

I think it depends on the individual and that person's unique eating issues, if they have any. For me anyway, as a binge eater, cheating or whatever you want to call it is bad news because all of my issues are with control. Also, I am not one of those people that beats myself up, I'm only too willing to let myself off the hook. So, if I stay in my calorie range for several days I think it's easy, I get into the habit, and I keep going. If I go over my calorie range then it almost never ends at a day, one day turns into two, turns into three and there goes a week and it turns into a cycle. So, being strict is best for me as far as the calorie range goes - I don't limit any foods, but it's fundamental for me to not go over my calories, because that's my whole issue.

I think it boils down to figuring out what your problem is and fixing it. If exercise is what your issue is, then no, having a cheat day now and then isn't going to lead to problems. If you are a chocolate addict who has a piece and loses control, then no, letting yourself have chocolate everyday is probably a bad idea if it is the root of the problem. - 6/10/2010   1:45:36 PM

Yeah -- you can do a lot of damage with an indulgence day but it really helps sometimes to go ahead and enjoy your food and your life. What has helped me most of all is not completely FREAKING out when I have a day that exceeds my calorie goal and letting everything go. Knowing my BMR, meaning how many calories I burn doing nothing, and how figuring how many calories it takes to lose a pound has helped; so has understanding averages. It really does help when you have a very high calorie day to follow it with one that is low-cal and then go back to your plan. Even if I have totally blown my day, if I stay under my BMR calories for the week, at least I won't gain weight. Of course, that is strictly considering calories, not other aspects of healthy eating, like water and vegs and nutrients and exercise!!! - 6/9/2010   1:47:07 PM

Denying a craving can do more harm than succumbing to it. I schedule in my favorite 'cheat' foods. Restricting too much now can cause you to binge to much later. - 6/9/2010   1:39:04 PM

I think its important not to deny yourself a craving, but I think its not a bad thing to remember that the more we stick with a diet plan, the greater the results will be. There are always times in a diet where we end up splurging, but when you make healthy eating a lifestyle, not diet, its so much easier to fall back on the healthy choices and not continue to splurge. - 6/9/2010   1:30:48 PM

Your title and your text are talking about two different things. Do I find one, occasional cheat day helpful--yes, indeed! However, the text seems to be referring to regularly scheduled cheat days, as frequent as weekly--now that is a different story. On special occasions, like a birthday party, wedding, Thanksgiving, Christmas, a Fourth of July picnic, I will attend, eat as healthily as possible, actually allow myself a sufficient quantity of food to feel satisfied (yeah), and, blessedly, not mention to a single soul one word about dieting. However, if I cheat more than a half dozen times a year, I doubt if it would be helpful.
It is like the young priest who asked the Bishop if it would be OK if he kissed a pretty young nun. The wise old man answered, "once is OK, just don't get in the habit."
So, no, I don't find it wise to make cheating a routine or habit. - 6/9/2010   11:00:25 AM

I'm glad to hear this. I have a friend who swears by her "free weekends". She does look forward to them and at this point she is still losing. Thanks for your post. - 6/8/2010   10:27:51 PM

I don't have a cheat day, but I will allow myself a "cheat" meal. Sometimes these are planned (wedding, birthday, openhouse) but other times not. I use them on a day I know I could use a break, or want to indulge in something I don't regularly eat. And I will always work out extra hard the following day or day of. It helps keep the sanity in check! hehe... :) - 6/8/2010   9:53:57 PM

i'm not a fan of cheat days, that doesnt mean i dont engage in them though. I think i try so hard and then eventually go into crazy mode and overeat, but those are usually unplanned cheat-day events - 6/8/2010   1:29:17 PM

Cheat days are hampering my progress. I like the idea of calorie cycling ... I'll give that a try. That way I can still keep my eating in check and monitor my nutrition. The main reason I do "cheat" days is to give myself a break from logging the food, but I think I get sloppy and consume more calories than I think I am. - 6/7/2010   9:40:23 PM

I know I won't stick to a diet where I can't have the foods I love, ever. That is just plain discouraging for me. So on some level I understand needing to have them occasionally in order to make the change permanent.

However, when I have a day where I have less control - a wedding, visiting family, etc. - I think less about what I'm eating but I still log everything. That way, I know just how far over I've gone and it helps me make better choices the next time a day like that comes up. I might make a huge difference, for example, if I take a smaller piece of steak at dinner that's just as satisfying, or if I put a good-sized serving of junk food in a bowl rather than eating from the bag. Then I'm still happy and I ate 2200 calories instead of 2700.

I don't get the point of "cheat days". I just make room for foods I love - in moderation - whenever I really want them, or I at least track that I've eaten them to help me eat what I love while still learning how much I can have to eat. I'm prone to binging as it is - a cheat day would probably be a 3000 calorie fiasco. I'd rather have the odd 2400 calorie day on a special occasion, and know that and continue with the program, than have a 2400 calorie day every week and not keep track of just how much I'm sabotaging my efforts from the other six days. - 6/7/2010   7:15:41 PM

"Cheat" is such a negative word! The word "Cheat' makes it sound and feel like 'the devil made me do it" and I had (or have) no responsibility in the matter. So NOT true! What works best for me to is call it what it is: A personal decision to choose to deviate from acceptable standards and behavior. To do this, I have created a couple of "Extra Meals" on my nutrition tracker that I've labeled: Grazing and Junk Food. As I track those "choices" that usually turn out to be poor choices in the long run, it give me a 'talking' point with myself when faced with similar situations in the future.

However, just by calling something by a different name doesn't negate the harm that the action does. Whether "cheating" or "choosing" - the important thing is to learn what works best for us and then do it. - 6/7/2010   1:52:03 PM

I don't trust myself to do a cheat day. I want to stay in the habit of eating healthy. but, if I have a really bad craving during the week, I may give in to a little taste of something. Most times, that's all it takes to satisfy me. - 6/7/2010   7:54:53 AM

I wont cheat. I rather stick to my goal and plan. I don't even like the word cheat it is negative and I am all about being positive. If I want a treat I look for a healthier version. for me this is about a lifestyle change not a diet so having a guilt free day is not required. - 6/7/2010   12:45:27 AM

I credit my "free" day to my success. I look forward to my mocha frappe and the one day of freedom of no logging. One year later the other six days I continue to return back fully to my balanced nutritional menus. This just works for me. - 6/6/2010   6:19:06 PM

I don't think cheat days are neccesarily a good idea, but then again, I don't think you should completely forbid and deny certain foods at all. It's a part of life that "moderation is key" (I know we've all heard that a million times) so I just find ways to incorporate less healthy things into my everyday life. That way I don't feel deprived or crave them so much that I wind up binging later. - 6/6/2010   6:14:14 PM

I incorporate treats into my daily plan. I don't have "cheat days," but I do have days when I don't track. It gives me a mental break from recording everything. Sometimes I need the mental break from tracking more than I feel the need to satisfy a craving!

For me (and I'm just about in maintenance mode now), a non-tracking day is good if I know I'm going to dine out. But I don't really call it a cheat day, and I don't throw my healthy eating out the window. If I know I'm going to indulge in a lunch out with coworkers, I still make sure to eat my servings of veggies and fruit, and I will make an extra special point to have a filling, low-fat breakfast. - 6/6/2010   4:12:06 PM

I think "cheat" days are a bad idea, but I also don't think its practicable (or effective) to try to make every meal perfect nutritionally and calorie-wise. I prefer the concept of 'flexible restraint'. I look at my calorie budget over the week and eat more on some days and less on others. I try not to go below -250 of the low end of my calorie range or higher than +1000. Usually, the range is more like -100 to +500 (in terms of being outside my daily range) over the course of a week.

I try to eat healthfully and with an eye to total calories, fat, protein, carbs etc for most (probably 80% or more) of my meals during the week. But when I go out for a special dinner (usually once a week), I focus more on taste, quality and portion size than calories. Also, if I'm in an environment where I have less control over my food options (e.g., some meals on a business trip, dinner at a friends), I watch portions and try to make healthy choices where available but otherwise don't fuss about it. I think that if I tried to exert control all the time, I'd just lose control.

So far, this has worked for me. I've lost over 30 pounds since Jan 1, have been at or below my goal weight for 2 months, and am back at the weight I was 4 years ago before I started having health problems. Most importantly, I feel much better and I rarely, if ever, have the urge to binge. - 6/6/2010   12:28:00 PM

I don't think in terms of "cheat" days, and have never used calorie cycling or budgeting. I limit the amount of times I eat "unhealthy" foods, i.e., restaurant pizza, fast-food fries. I have learned to make healthy versions of these foods so when I do get a craving, I make it myself thus satisfying my craving without sabotaging myself or "cheating." However, if my friends want to go to a restaurant that really doesn't do "healthy" I try to plan for it - the extra calories, fat, sodium, cholesterol. For example, there is a great burger joint on Capital Hill - Good Stuff Eatery. A friend was in from out of town, and we went there for lunch. Several of us had never been there before. I only ate half of the small fries and my burger. This allowed me to participate in the event, and experience food from a restaurant I had not gone to before. What I found was that I really didn't like it that much - grease dripped out of the burgers, the fries were salty and greasy too. I found I liked my healthy version of burgers and fries more, and my acid reflux doesn't flair up either. - 6/6/2010   9:22:21 AM

I've done the "cheat" weekend. The problem I found with it is that it takes me 2-3 days to get back on track. I've even had thoughts of "what's another day?" Not good. This time, I've been trying to keep my calories consistent throughout the week and weekend. I eat packaged foods during the week to count calories and sometimes on the weekend I'll have something from fast food, but I'll always look up the calories and incorporate them into the day. - 6/5/2010   6:20:52 PM

i dont set a "cheat day" or even a cheat meal, i just eat a little of what i'm craving when i want it, and make room for it, i've found that depriving myself from the things i want leads to binging on it later, after using up all my calorie allowance the rest of the day trying to quench my craving. sometimes i even have more than i should, but somehow i still keep losing..but i know that easier said than done for a lot of people, eating in moderation... - 6/5/2010   4:15:15 PM

"Cheat" - The power of the word. Although the word "cheat" provokes a negative reaction, I prefer to see it in the positive light. In the high school where I teach, students are allowed to use a "cheat sheet" for math exams. The positive outlook is that they have an opportunity to jog their memories when undertaking certain math problems, thereby receiving a more positive outcome ie: a better grade. As far as weight loss is concerned, when we cheat we satisfy a need. How we deal with the consequence of cheating is entirely up to us. So whether we want to call it a "cheat day" or a "free day" or whatever term we like, it is what it is: "cheating." Like someone wrote "everything in moderation." Cheers! - 6/5/2010   10:39:47 AM

NO No No There is no such a thing as a cheat day. It might might be called a above your normal calorie day. I know from weight loss experiences that it is a proper way to loss weight. Our bodies have an amazing way to adapt to stresses that is put upon it. When that occurs, we must change something in the process. Increasing the amount of calories you consume for one day will do nothing but increase your metabolism, and satisfy your cravings. Remember 3500 calories equal 1lb of fat and I would shutter to think that someone could eat that much more food in one day. - 6/4/2010   10:04:20 AM

I agree that cheat days might be a recipe for disaster. All foods in moderation for a sustainably healthy lifestyle. - 6/4/2010   12:53:25 AM

No free days , No cheat days, No rewards with food for weight lost. If you are serious about losing the weight and maintaining a healthy life, it can't have a start and and end. It's a continuation for life. Don't deprive yourself, stay away from the junk foods. Portion control , how its cooked, that's the key .Enjoy all foods, but in moderation.
If you can't handle pizza, don't order a whole one, buy a slice. We all know what our weakness are when it comes to certain foods. Does a alcoholic does go to a bar.? No.!.. Food addicts have to lookout for foods that trigger relapses.
So don't ;t have vast amounts of the wrong foods in your home.
Many times have I "dieted" to reach that special weight.. Usually went out for a big celebration of food and drink when the goal was reached. Starting the weight gain all over again. Story of my life, till now. No yo-yo dieting. I don't use the word diet. I simply have changed my eating habits and physical activity.
Diet is a bad word. If its not a diet, theres no cheat or free days. Its a lifestyle!!! - 6/3/2010   10:40:55 PM

Like the idea of "calorie cycling"... - 6/3/2010   9:49:38 PM

The very word "cheat" really bugs me. It reminds me of spelling tests and ex-boyfriends. How about celebration, choice or informed decision meals? - 6/3/2010   9:30:30 PM

I dont have cheat days, I just leave myself enough room in my calories to where a very small portion of something tasty is okay. Today i had half of a cookie. It satisfied my sweet tooth...though i think i should find a better way to do that. Any ideas? Message me :) - 6/3/2010   4:11:40 PM

I'm trying to go with the idea that nothing is off limits, and that includes going over my daily allowance on a given day. I log it, see it, and eat the following day with that in mind. Cheating? I don't think so, merely trying to be kind to myself and stay accountable at the same time. - 6/2/2010   10:27:44 PM

I'd never heard of "calorie cycling" before, but I have had days where I over ate and then wasn't very hungry the next day and I just went with it. Glad to know that's an acceptable way of eating once in a while. :D - 6/2/2010   2:37:55 PM

I don't believe in "Cheat Days." As long as I can fit everything into my daily calorie count, then the type of food doesn't matter. This is my life, and occasionally(after several days) I have to give into a craving. If it's too many calorie, it's not a 'cheat.' It's me taking an extremely rare opportunity to go over my range. - 6/2/2010   1:20:26 AM

I tried having a cheat day for a little while (I was allowed to drink more calories i.e. WINE!) :) However, I found that these days were hard to recover from...I eventually ended up just throwing in the towel and saying "I'm happier these days." Now I just keep Aristotle in the back of my mind, essentially "nothing to excess nor deprivation." - 6/1/2010   8:20:57 PM

I did Body For Life years ago and it worked a cheat day into the week. I found that on my cheat day I didn't eat nearly as much as I thought I would and on my regular "good" eating days it was hard for me to not focus on the cheat day and start craving the stuff I could have on my cheat day. I personally didn't like that. I love eating what I want when I want but accounting for it and eating it in moderation. Some days if I have a craving for something real bad I cut back for the day or eat strict for a few days so I can splurge on one meal and I find that is much more doable. Works great for me. - 6/1/2010   7:28:59 PM

If you are calling it a "cheat day", then you are cheating yourself! You are setting up a mindset where certain foods can ONLY be allowed when the healthy lifestyle is being set side. Back at Easter, as I was about to enjoy a peanut butter-filled chocolate bunny, a co-worker asked me if I could have that on my "diet." Well, I'm not on a "diet," I've adopted a healthy eating lifestyle, and any lifestyle that cannot accommodate an occasional treat is not, in my opinion, worth living. A mindset that has to call the chocolate bunny "cheating" in order to have it, is a mind that isn't committed to the healthy lifestyle. It's a mindset that sees healthy eating as a form of punishment. And it's a mindset that will fall back into old habits with little provocation. - 6/1/2010   2:33:45 PM

No Cheat days. I just have whatever I want, when I want it and account for it everytime. - 6/1/2010   12:43:25 PM

If we are truly accountabnle for our choices, there is no cheating in eating :-) I like that Spark teaches us to incorporate all foods into our diet. I never feel a reasin the "cheat" - 6/1/2010   11:30:27 AM

I also cannot do "cheat" days. I am with the last person - it triggers me to make everyday a "cheat" day. I really think my body would do well with the cycling. I definitely notice days that I feel a need a few extra calories, where other days I can really stick to a minimum. My biggest goal in using Sparkpeople is to be able to eat "cheating" foods in moderation and have them be a part of my healthy lifestyle and not be forbidden. I need to first get my mind of its sugar addiction. - 6/1/2010   10:45:26 AM

I'm sure different things work for different people but I cannot have a "cheat day". It triggers me to have a cheat week and then I have to start all over. If I want something like a piece of pie or a cookie, I eat it. Depriving myself isn't what works for me, learning to eat in moderation is. - 6/1/2010   10:22:46 AM

This concept of calorie cycling...I'm understanding that to be saving unused calories from the week and using on a splurge treat. I have done this for treats at the end of a day, but never thought of it as a week long carry over. I'm not sure I would want to get into the habit of such a thing. Honestly, it is difficult for me to plan one day, let alone a whole week of calorie intake. - 6/1/2010   2:10:19 AM

When I want to cheat it has an emotionally needy base to it. I am just getting started with sparks and it looks too scarey for me. - 6/1/2010   12:52:54 AM

I really wish the link to the study weren't dead so I could read more on the issue. The person who just did my fitness eval at my gym totally advocated having a cheat day. I'd like more info. - 5/31/2010   11:54:46 PM

A whole day of "cheat eating" could be disaterous! I would think a person is more apt to binge then go off the wagon afterwards.

I myself incorporate the foods that are "special" into my daily calories count while still maintaining healthy nutrition. This way I do not feel deprived or as if I am dieting. Of course sometimes I go over in calories but then I will exercise a little harder if I feel the need for it. - 5/31/2010   11:24:01 PM

I tried the strict week eating plan and I must say I prefer balancing my meals over 7 days. When I am in the mood for something a bit more costly calory wise I indulge and then organise my other days around it. I admit that my basic meal plan is well balanced so it is easy for me to figure where I am at calory wise. Since I have been using sparks, I have found myself a lot less frustrated and satisfied in a way I would not thought possible before. In addition, when I go overboard, I know exactly where and when. Knowing more about calory intake, fat, carbs and portion sizes makes it a lot easier to make wise choices. Before I eat, I know if I can afford it and I would add if I truly want to eat such and such a food. Sparks has shown to be a very usefull tool. - 5/31/2010   5:02:21 PM

"Cheat Days" may be a good idea or work for some people but the worst thing that ever happened to me was to discover that if I ate some of my old foods I would not immediately balloon up to my former weight. I learned this a year ago and have been struggling to stay away from them and go back to the healthier eating habits that I learned and that enabled me to lose a huge amount of weight.

Learning how to incorporate those foods into my life in a healthy manner will not be possible as they are the trigger and/or binge foods of my food addiction.

I am now in the beginning stages of therapy for my food addiction. Only after I deal with the issues of my addiction will I be able to attempt the incorporation of any of these foods.

To my credit, however, I still have not had ANY pizza since about late September 2008 - my programme began October 2008. - 5/31/2010   11:56:17 AM

i eat what i want when i want. sort of...
i eat healthfully every day, but i also work in some really yummy stuff daily too. i HAVE to have sweets, cakes, candys, icecream, etc. on the days i eat out, if they have some really yummy dessert, i eat that and then have a small dinner salad to go with it. at home, i keep single serving snacks, 100 calorie packets, etc. i get a sweet in every day, no matter what. sometimes it is as simple as fruit salad drizzles with lightly sugared strawberries. sometimes it is a tablespoon of chocolate covered coffee beans. if i try to ignore that craving for sweets, i end up over eating on something else that does not satisfy my craving and then i still want the sweet when i am done! - 5/30/2010   11:15:48 PM

I like cheat days. I realize that they're defeating the purpose. But, quite honestly I am not willing to give up EVERYTHING that is not good for me nutritionally or calorie/fat-wise. To me, if I can't enjoy life, I'd give up "diet & exercise" entirely. So, "cheat days" are the compromise. That's just how it is. I'm not living on carrots and celery folks! - 5/30/2010   1:01:22 PM