What is the point/theory of a 'cheat day' when it comes to eating?

[DBR]

I've heard it before on multiple occasions: eat healthy 6 days a week and then pig out on the weekends. Or different variations, like eating sensibly five days a week and go crazy on the weekends.

Kind of seems like crap to me, but I eat Vietnamese food about twice a week and am on a first name basis with my pizza deliverer, so what do I know? However, very active, fit, and just regularly healthy people I know have talked about cheat days, and some have said they have them.

What is their purpose? Is a mental thing, like rewarding yourself, or is there more to it?

 

[RoJoHen]

Is a mental thing, like rewarding yourself,

Pretty much. "Cheat Day" doesn't mean "gorge yourself on crap all day." It's just a day where you allow yourself to not be as strict with your diet. Maybe you let yourself eat some pizza or some cake or have a soda. Cheat Days are for people on very specific diets and very specific training regimens. It basically just allows them to take a day off and relax with some not-so-healthy food.

 

[Marten]

I think the point is that it's hard to keep up a strict diet. One lesser day does not hurt that much, but keeps up the morale.

 

[Brian]

It keeps them from becoming obsessed with what they cannot have, which makes the strict days that much easier to follow. And it keeps them from falling off the wagon big-time and not going back. Continual self-denial accomplishes nothing.

 

[John O.]

And there's a school of thought that constant dieting is inherently self defeating bc your metabolism slows down and you start storing more fat and burning fewer calories; so a lot of people experiment with carb and calorie cycling to keep the metabolism fast. It's so anecdotal because life makes it impossible to keep a strict regimen but I know that a few famous fitness names like Arnold and Bruce Lee carb cycled; so, even based on their anecdotal reports of its effectiveness, it's hard to argue with people like that.

 

[Captain_Nick]

I don't understand this cheat day business. It is easier to not do something than to do it. For example, right now, I am not on a murderous rampage in a highschool. Nor am I raping a pig. But I don't need 'cheat days' where I can let my hair down a little bit and start some bush fires .. I just don't do these things. geddit?

 

[Brian]

Because people with food issues, low metabolisms or health issues are exactly like serial killers and pig fuckers. Riiight.

Nice perspective. That solves everyone's problems, thank you. You should write a diet book called, "Don't kill people or fuck pigs. Or eat!" It'll be a best seller.

 

[RoJoHen]

I generally ignore everything he says because most of it is pure nonsense.

 

[Biffette]

I've been on a diet where I had what you are referring to as "cheat days," except I didn't consider them cheat days at all. They were incorporated into my diet as days with unlimited caloric intake. It was nice to be able to eat pizza and ice cream I'd been thinking about all week, and after a while I noticed that I wasn't consuming as much on my unlimited calorie days as I had been when I started the diet. "Cheating days" implies failure, and doesn't seem like a psychologically honest way to diet to me.

 

[Captain_Nick]

Nice perspective. That solves everyone's problems, thank you. You should write a diet book called, "Don't kill people or fuck pigs. Or eat!"

Good idea I'll be sure to include a chapter on how not being sarcastic is as simple as not lighting your farts and flying to the moon while raping a pig that you have just killed.

Look at me son .. right now, I am not lighting my farts and flying to the moon.

 

[Captain_Nick]

Right now, I might be

 

[John O.]

I've been on a diet where I had what you are referring to as "cheat days," except I didn't consider them cheat days at all. They were incorporated into my diet as days with unlimited caloric intake. It was nice to be able to eat pizza and ice cream I'd been thinking about all week, and after a while I noticed that I wasn't consuming as much on my unlimited calorie days as I had been when I started the diet. "Cheating days" implies failure, and doesn't seem like a psychologically honest way to diet to me.

That's a better way to look at it, guilt and doubt kill most diets before they even start.

 

[lurok]

'Guilt days' are a good release valve if you're following a strict calorie-control regime and have limited time for exercise. But if you're able to follow basic principle of metabolising more than consuming, you can enjoy guilty pleasures any time. The point/theory that's always had more perplexed is the 'rest' day (break from exercise), but I've always assumed it's recommended as a safety measure against over-exercising or straining muscles.

 

[RoJoHen]

'Guilt days' are a good release valve if you're following a strict calorie-control regime and have limited time for exercise. But if you're able to follow basic principle of metabolising more than consuming, you can enjoy guilty pleasures any time. The point/theory that's always had more perplexed is the 'rest' day (break from exercise), but I've always assumed it's recommended as a safety measure against over-exercising or straining muscles.

That is exactly what the rest day is for. Muscles require time to heal. If you don't give them that time, you're gonna end up tired, weak, and potentially injured.

Rest days are more beneficial for bodybuilders and weight lifters, though. I still like to do some light cardio on my "rest days."

 

[lurok]

'Guilt days' are a good release valve if you're following a strict calorie-control regime and have limited time for exercise. But if you're able to follow basic principle of metabolising more than consuming, you can enjoy guilty pleasures any time. The point/theory that's always had more perplexed is the 'rest' day (break from exercise), but I've always assumed it's recommended as a safety measure against over-exercising or straining muscles.

That is exactly what the rest day is for. Muscles require time to heal. If you don't give them that time, you're gonna end up tired, weak, and potentially injured.

Rest days are more beneficial for bodybuilders and weight lifters, though. I still like to do some light cardio on my "rest days."

Thanks RoJo. I was told that if in active (i.e, every day) physical exercise, needed time for muscles to relax and adjust/acclimatise to muscle development. Always accepted in principle (and seems to work, for me anyway) though wasn't sure of scientific principle behind it. Even though no rational principle, still give myself an off-day. Curious though...does it apply to giving a brain an off-day as well?

 

[RoJoHen]

Well, yeah, muscles do need time to recover. Even if you're not sore or tired, your muscles may not be completely healed from your workout. It depends what you're doing, though. If you're just doing cardio every day, you probably don't need rest days as much. But if you're doing heavy weight lifting and really breaking down your muscle fibers, you'll need more time to recover. That's why people often do a Leg Day and a Chest Day and a Back Day, etc...to let one muscle group heal while they're working another muscle group.

However, I believe it's bad for your liver ( or kidneys?) to do lots of intense workouts every single day without rest. It's more than just your muscles that need time to recover.

Sometimes your body just needs to sleep. I usually try not to workout more than 3 days in a row without taking a day off. When I work out too much I start to see diminishing returns.

 

[John O.]

I've always heard that high protein/creatine intake can be rough on your liver if you don't bolster your water intake - I assume that's because the liver has some function when it comes to doling out proteins to the muscles in the various parts of the body that are in breakdown. If you never rest and the liver's constantly working to pass out protein molecules, it makes sense it would wear it down. I know I make a point not to drink alcohol while in the midst of an intense training phase, at least not habitually, because I know that my protein and creatine uptake is already taxing it.

I know a guy at my gym who claims he comes 7 days a week, although I can't substantiate it. I just don't agree with that philosophy. I've had too many instances where I've come back completely fresh after 2, sometimes 3 or 4 days even, of solid rest, and found my strength absolutely shocking. Other times your muscles get cold and atrophy in that time, so I'm not sure what makes the difference - I'm sure it's a complicated mix of diet, sleep and stress that determines how effectively and quickly those muscles are healed and up to full strength.

But IMO rest is essential in any resistance training regimen - men and women, all ages. Not just for muscle repair, but tendon and cartilage. Esp over 25, those are being taxed with every movement, it's best to give them some time to heal.

 

[RAMA]

There are two main points to "cheat days": 1. They allow you to mentally calm your cravings, and the mental part of diets are often the most challenging. 2. They allow your metabolism to "jump start" because your body has had to adapt to a pattern of less calories, and will work harder to burn them on the cheat day. Your body needs a break in the monotony, and will also keep it from feeling like it must store fat. You shouldn't go crazy, and use some common sense. Start the cheating about 3-4 weeks into a "diet". Of course by diet, it really should mean a "nutrition" plan that becomes a lifestyle change, but that's a whole other topic..

RAMA

 

[Gavn]

There appears to be sound metabolic reasons for having a cheat day. Cheat day seems to prevent your thyroid gland from downshifting your metabolism. A slow metabolism is not conducive to weight loss, and after a few weeks of "dieting" (caloric restriction), your metabolism does start to slow down. Cheat day tricks your thyroid and prevents this downshifting.

Also it's a great psychological relief.

 

[Kenneth]

It normally depends on the current status of the person without having the information of the current status we are not able to suggest something that will be good for the persons.