Group: Specific Diets & Nutrition

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 104, Messages: 22775

With so many diets and nutritional plans out there, you can get lost. Find out what works best for others and share your experiences!

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After Effects of Cheat Day

arondaballer
arondaballer
Posts: 1,054
Joined: 2003/06/14
United States
2006/02/22, 08:45 PM
I have been helping my girlfriend as she has been trying to lose weight. I gave her a pretty simple eating plan (no sweets, soft drinks, easy on breads, and easy on carbs at night). For the first 4 weeks, she had no cheat meals since it generally takes about a month for it to become a habit, but after 4 weeks, I had her eat one because she was having bad cravings. We have had one every week since, and she has made some lifestyle changes in the process (She only wants to eat wheat bread, drink only water). She has made some great progress, and while Wrestler has some very good points, cheat meals CAN be helpful. However, you must also keep in mind that cheat meals can easily be and are often abused. And as much as I would not like to admit it, sometimes you just gotta live a little.

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I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle-victorious.
--Vince Lombardi
"Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." H. L. Hunt

CristalBelle
CristalBelle
Posts: 1,389
Joined: 2003/06/27
United States
2006/02/22, 11:47 AM
Was just curious about how significantly cheat days effect your progress.

Ex. I had pizza and an alcoholic beverage Friday night. I had been very good all week, and it was my cheat night to go with our movies we rented. When I weighed Saturday morning. I was up 3.5lbs. I know it very well could be water weight...but could the salt and other things I haven't had so much of in a while also contribute to the gain??
sstump1
sstump1
Posts: 1,227
Joined: 2005/03/20
United States
2006/02/22, 11:56 AM
Yes it could be salt and water weight. I personally seem to feel bloated after cheat days...I've started cutting down to a cheat meal a week. Otherwise it's really dependant on your goals.
wrestler125
wrestler125
Posts: 4,619
Joined: 2004/01/27
United States
2006/02/22, 01:43 PM
I feel cheat days are psychologically a bad idea. Think about it like this...

To be successful, you are going to have to make a lifestyle change, not just a temporary diet. Now if you have a cheat meal once a week, you are using that cheat meal as a reward. If you put something in a position of reward, it enhances the idea in your brain that that thing is a good thing, and it will become something you desire even more.
In my eyes, cheat meals should be few and far between. I know that this may sound like a hard assed thing to say, but it has been my experiance that those that cheat less often, have much less of a desire to cheat. I have witnessed the fact that a diet can produce psychological changes.

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Iron and chalk.

Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
CristalBelle
CristalBelle
Posts: 1,389
Joined: 2003/06/27
United States
2006/02/22, 01:57 PM
I guess, then the question is, how strict do you keep your diet. Does it get to the point where you can't go out and have a slice, or a nice dinner, and not feel guilty about it? Or be afraid it's going to completely screw you up?

Also, I suppose I used the wrong phrasing. Personally, I didn't think of my "cheat meal" as a cheat meal. My thinking was "Ok, we're renting movies,and staying up late, so we're gonna have a pizza and drinks." I didn't think of it as a reward for eating clean, but was wondering if my eating clean that week would change the way the "cheat" or not as healthy foods effected me.

sstump1
sstump1
Posts: 1,227
Joined: 2005/03/20
United States
2006/02/22, 02:29 PM
Wrestler...I have to disagree that it's a bad idea though. Like I said it depends entirely on your goals. As well you have to be able to say only one per week or every two weeks and not deviate from that. If you don't have the will power to stick to one cheat meal a week (or whatever you set) then does it really make sense that you'd have the will power to say you can never have another piece of cake again for the rest of your life?

In my opinion a cheat meal is a kick start on the road to eating healthier and it's simply a way for your mind to catch yourself throughout the week. If you go to the cabinet and see a bag of cookies, you have the cheat meal to fall back on and say I'll save that for Friday. If you don't then you're just mentally having to force yourself not to eat it. Which for someone that hasn't lead a healthy lifestyle and has indulged for so long it can be difficult to do. I certainly agree that over time the decision of what you include in a cheat meal should be altered and eventually you can nearly eliminate the meal all together by changing what is included in it.

For me I have no big goals or aspirations to be a body builder, an underwear model (except for my wife) or a top elite athlete. Surprisingly that is many peoples starting points...even if they end up doing more...they start somewhere. I simply would like to look, feel and be healthy and strong. This is why I say it depends on your goals. If your ultimate goal is to compete at the top level of any sport or figure event, then yes it's a very very bad idea as every aspect of your life should match your determination in your sport if you want to be ahead of the pack.

It's kind of like your signature "Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.". You're absolutely right...Pain is only temporary...however someone that doesn't have it in their mind and hasn't based their life on fighting through pain will need crutches. Unless of course they are being chased by a bunch of rabid wolfs in which case their goals and priorities may change and they might find that they can fight through it.

Different strokes for different folks though. That's what I love about FT...you get a bit of everything.
flyonthewall
flyonthewall
Posts: 1,823
Joined: 2005/01/18
Canada
2006/02/22, 02:55 PM
I think you have to keep things in perspective. Don't weigh yourself the morning following a cheat meal. Know that you have to get right back to being 100% good for the next 6 days. In your case, I'd guess the salt and alcohol has more to do with the sudden weight gain. If your really trying hard to lose weight, keep your cheats relatively clean. For example, only have 1 slice of pizza or make a healthy home made one, don't go way overboard!

Personally, I just can't seem to be good 100% of the time even 6 days per week, so I don't have cheat days. However, I do go "off the wagon" on occation, and don't beat myself up over it. Everything balances out over the course of a week or two. My "off the wagon" are not full out bad foods, just not my normal clean diet.

I think the bottom line is, are you still dropping weight after a week. If not, I'd double think the cheat meal, or at least what you're choosing as your cheat meal.

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Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.
Lonegirl
Lonegirl
Posts: 446
Joined: 2002/11/13
Canada
2006/02/22, 08:30 PM
I like having a cheat day a week...it begins when I wake up and ends when I go to bed....It has worked well for me...andy cravings I have all week I get over with on Saturday...by the time Sunday comes I want some healthy carrots and chicken :) (Sun-Fri I eat about 1500-1800 cals a day...well balanced broken into 6 meals) They've also shown that not only psycologically but physically it works wonders at it kicks your body out of starvation mode and keeps the calories burning and the metabolism up...
arondaballer
arondaballer
Posts: 1,054
Joined: 2003/06/14
United States
2006/02/22, 08:48 PM
One other thing I forgot to mention: She has no access to weights unless she comes to the gym with me, so she does a bike and some bodyweight exercises every day, and then on Saturdays, we go to the gym for a pretty tough weight session and then we have our cheat meal which is generally high in protein and carbs like mexican or japanese (Yes, I realize that this stuff is purely junk and it's also loaded with a bunch of stuff I probably don't even want to know), but I like to think that incorporating the tough weight session justifies a little bit and makes a difference.

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I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle-victorious.
--Vince Lombardi
"Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." H. L. Hunt

Mojo_67
Mojo_67
Posts: 1,299
Joined: 2003/09/23
United States
2006/02/23, 12:53 AM
Just be sensible with your free meal Cristal, make sure it has a good source of protein and I would keep the alcoholic bevs to a bare minimum, if any. Remember, the free meal isn't a free pass to eat anything. It's only meant to give you a needed break from your normal diet. You still need to be sensible.

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Seize the day!
wrestler125
wrestler125
Posts: 4,619
Joined: 2004/01/27
United States
2006/02/23, 12:20 PM
I get what you are saying. However, plan a cheat meal for every friday. You will find yourself looking towards that friday meal, and this will psychologically reinforce the idea that you should be desiring this. If you don't put yourself in this position, you can neglect DESIRE.

I'm not saying I don't have off days. Hell, I am known to have a snickers in the middle of training or grab a slice of pizza right before class, sometimes 3. However, to decide to cheat reinforces the wrong psychology. It is better to not "cheat" and be lax about your diet, than be strict all the time and then cheat. This is much easier to stick to, as you will find yourself loathing a strict diet.

I have NEVER put a client on a diet. EVER. And I am yet to find a person that listened to me and followed my nutrition advice that I couldn't get results from. I prefer to use a set of guidelines. You guys have seen these guidelines here. Eat HEALTHY. Use common sense. You know what you should and shouldn't be eating.

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Iron and chalk.

Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
CristalBelle
CristalBelle
Posts: 1,389
Joined: 2003/06/27
United States
2006/02/23, 12:25 PM
I think I'm doing what you're saying Wrestler. I don't eat anywhere near as clean as I could, but I am working on it. I also don't have a set day for a "cheat" meal. Just decided to have the pizza while watching movies. Wasn't planned, just did it, and then try to get back to normal eating.

Mojo...I'm really gonna have to buckle down on the foofoo girly drinks. That is my one true weakness. Hand me something pink with alcohol in it, and it'll be gone in no time.

::Must stay away from pink drinks...Must stay away....::