Just how much does a "cheat meal" or "cheat day" affect weight loss?

[FrostFox]

If you go nuts one day a week, just how much are you setting yourself back?

[AzureEyesD]

about a week.

[justdragit]

That would depend on the cheat meal/day. Prolly wont set you back too much. Could set you back a week as said above. Depends on what kind of activity you do that day .. a lot of factors come into play.

[ChiefGuy]

then again if its a modest cheat, it could help kick up your metabolism.

[plAythiNG]

really, 1 week set back, no way, cannot beelieve that even one dya of havieng cheat meals, can stuff u up an entire week of traiing.

[Mad_Mike]

Definetly depends on what your cheat day is like. For me, on cheat days I normally work out and eat less than maintenance but I will get bombed at night (~1000-2000 calories or so, light beers or vodka/rye/diet cokes). I lift weights for 1.5 hours+ 5x/week and do multiple HIIT cardio sessions per week. Since I broke my plateau last week I've been losing a pound a day... it seems a hard weekend of cheating was what got me through the plateau. I'm not advising cheating for everyone, I go freaking insane during the week and the only way that I could actually get results was by enjoying the weekend.

[tmac1 4 lyfe]

yes kick start because we are just like cars huh. i need to go drink some gasoline too.

[Bad Company]

Ive had cheat meals and cheat days. Doesnt seem to effect my long term progress. Water weight for about 5 days, and then im down to less than before.

[PatMac]

Ive had cheat meals and cheat days. Doesnt seem to effect my long term progress. Water weight for about 5 days, and then im down to less than before.

X2

[ChiefGuy]

yes kick start because we are just like cars huh. i need to go drink some gasoline too.

Real mature comment and nice use of simile by the way. Stay in school.

[rforgione]

Ive had cheat meals and cheat days. Doesnt seem to effect my long term progress. Water weight for about 5 days, and then im down to less than before.

x3

[ChiefGuy]

really, 1 week set back, no way, cannot beelieve that even one dya of havieng cheat meals, can stuff u up an entire week of traiing.

Calories in = calories out.

If you ate 1500 over maintenance and you normally cut 500 daily you set yourself back 3 days. Simple as that.

[Bad Company]

Calories in = calories out.

If you ate 1500 over maintenance and you normally cut 500 daily you set yourself back 3 days. Simple as that.

In theory...
But...

People argue that your body cant absorb ALL of the calories u comsume on a cheat day.

[webhead]

Ive had cheat meals and cheat days. Doesnt seem to effect my long term progress. Water weight for about 5 days, and then im down to less than before.

X4, definitely, zig-zag works great

[josh83]

Ive had cheat meals and cheat days. Doesnt seem to effect my long term progress. Water weight for about 5 days, and then im down to less than before.

X5, except Chinese buffet....it has bad consequences.

[futamuscleman]

I had two cheat days. Friday and Saturday. Friday was never intended to be, but of course I ended up drinking alot, and having maccas at 2 in the morning.

Saturday was bad, and I knew it was going to be a bad day as it was my friends 18th birthday party. This combined with heaps of drinks as well. Probably like 8,000 calories, maybe even more.

Probably one of the worst, if not, the worst day of eating I've had. On Sunday I was 89.7kgs **up from ~84kg. I was shocked as I didn't expect it to be this bad. After eating good on Sunday I am 87.7kgs on Monday morning. Tuesday morning I was 86.4kgs (I was at the gym for 2 hours on Monday, still don't feel back to normal again yet though). I am nearly feeling back to normal now, and it's just gone Wednesday, by Thursday I will be about right I think.

So I reckon 3 - 4 days is what it takes after a bad day or two. It all depends how much you eat and what you eat on your cheat day and how much physical activity you are involved in on the days following the cheat day (or days).

[bigguy29]

make it a cheat 'meal' not a cheat 'day' and you'll hardly set yourself back...simple as that.

[Schlot16]

The weight you put on after a cheat is mostly water weight, not pure fat -- and the bloating usually subsides after a few days.

Cheat days are usually for mental sanity purposes as it is- I wouldn't do it if stepping on the scale and seeing a number that is 2-3 lbs higher than the day before is going to make you put on your running shoes and sprint for miles on end, while not eating anything until you return to normal.

Like it was said earlier, cheat days usually help anyways, zig-zag method of calorie intake is used by many while cutting!

[xxraffyxx]

Cheat days or cheat meals actually help boost my metabolism if done correctly and sometime I will be able to tell im actually leaner the day after a cheat meal. I say cheat meals/days are a must! just have to be done correctly!

I wouldn't "go nuts one day a week" and go to a buffet and eating all you can eat to where it hurts. If you do, do that it might set you back a week.

[yomama2]

to quote a smart guy who said this to a fat man:

"You don't get cheat days. You've had too many cheat days over the last 10 years, which is why you're here talking to me. Stop thinking about which day you can use as your cheat day to eat the most unhealthy food in one sitting. no cheat days!"

I lol'd.

[xxraffyxx]

I do agree with some stating cheat days are for mental sanity. (OMG I cant ever have a candy bar again?!?!?! oh wait I can have it on this day phew.... thank god!) but like i stated it helps boost/trick your metabolism. how can i explain this:

say your body burns 2000 calories a day... you only take in 1500 so every day you are 500 calories deficient. weight loss will happen, but your body will recognize what is happening and will understand if it continues to burn 2000 calories a day it will eventually die so what our body will do is slow down our metabolism and only burn 1500 a day. thus going into survival mode. what the cheat meal dose is trick your body into thinking everything is back to normal going into its norm of burning off 2000 calories a day.

hope that makes sense and helps out

[Schlot16]

I do agree with some stating cheat days are for mental sanity. (OMG I cant ever have a candy bar again?!?!?! oh wait I can have it on this day phew.... thank god!) but like i stated it helps boost/trick your metabolism. how can i explain this:

say your body burns 2000 calories a day... you only take in 1500 so every day you are 500 calories deficient. weight loss will happen, but your body will recognize what is happening and will understand if it continues to burn 2000 calories a day it will eventually die so what our body will do is slow down our metabolism and only burn 1500 a day. thus going into survival mode. what the cheat meal dose is trick your body into thinking everything is back to normal going into its norm of burning off 2000 calories a day.

hope that makes sense and helps out

:clap clap clap:
x's 2

[bigpopa71]

make it a cheat 'meal' not a cheat 'day' and you'll hardly set yourself back...simple as that.

I agree with the cheat meal as well. On the day I have my cheat meal I go to the gym and eat my first three regular meals just as I normally would. The meals are well balanced and I also take my supplements for the day(three protien shakes, Multi vitamins, Lipo 6). An hour before the cheat I take a dose of lipo 6 and enjoy my cheat for the day. The next day I make sure I avoid the scale. On the second day I usually jump on the scale and see Ive actually lost a pound.

A cheat meal once a week or every two weeks is ok and actually I think its a + for long term success but a cheat day can be the end of a life style change. Self control is the key to what we are trying to do and eating one meal every week or two and returning to a healthy way of eating is a fine display and is very normal. pigging out for a day is a loss of your control and will probably lead to two days a week then three, then four, then im right back to were I started.

[blazing]

I do agree with some stating cheat days are for mental sanity. (OMG I cant ever have a candy bar again?!?!?! oh wait I can have it on this day phew.... thank god!) but like i stated it helps boost/trick your metabolism. how can i explain this:

say your body burns 2000 calories a day... you only take in 1500 so every day you are 500 calories deficient. weight loss will happen, but your body will recognize what is happening and will understand if it continues to burn 2000 calories a day it will eventually die so what our body will do is slow down our metabolism and only burn 1500 a day. thus going into survival mode. what the cheat meal dose is trick your body into thinking everything is back to normal going into its norm of burning off 2000 calories a day.

hope that makes sense and helps out

Will drinking about a 6 pack of beer give you the same effect of tricking your body to going back to burning more calories? I'm currently taking 1700 calories a day and on Saturdays is the only day i intake more calories. Mostly from alcohol consumption.

[commi]

Will drinking about a 6 pack of beer give you the same effect of tricking your body to going back to burning more calories? I'm currently taking 1700 calories a day and on Saturdays is the only day i intake more calories. Mostly from alcohol consumption.

Just smoke weed if you feel that you must get intoxicated, it does not affect body building at all as long as you can control munchies which in reality isent as hard as people make it out to be.

[blazing]

Just smoke weed if you feel that you must get intoxicated, it does not affect body building at all as long as you can control munchies which in reality isent as hard as people make it out to be.

That didn't answer my question.

[commi]

That didn't answer my question.

I know but im just saying that you should just smoke weed and then have a good cheat meal. To answere your question alchohol is much worse than any cheat meal (unless you eat a dozen tim hortons doughnuts or something completely stupid.) I havent read much into it but ive heard that alchohol can actoually increase your body fat percentage in one night (dont know if thats true or not).

[medic707]

Will drinking about a 6 pack of beer give you the same effect of tricking your body to going back to burning more calories? I'm currently taking 1700 calories a day and on Saturdays is the only day i intake more calories. Mostly from alcohol consumption.

Alcohol is a diuretic and increases estrogen levels as well as just being empty cals, http://forum.bodybuilding.com/search...rchid=56903321 there is a few threads to read through and here are some articals http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=Alcohol

Figure out your prioritys and everything in moderation.

[Bronkko]

If you go nuts one day a week, just how much are you setting yourself back?

you need to define nutz.

could be a few days or a few weeks.

fwiw.. i consumed a guesstimate of around 10000 (food and alcohol) cals last tuesday...i still lost half a pound for the week.

[dillingerescp]

then again if its a modest cheat, it could help kick up your metabolism.

Definitely.

If you're not being absurd about the cheat, it can help quite a bit.