Cheat Days...

[RoadToRecovery]

How bad are cheat days?

My example of a cheat day, is at least 1 fattening food for the day. And I used to have a cheat day once a week, but I knocked it down to every 17 days.

Ex of a cheat day... Keep regular diet for the day, but for dinner Ill go out to eat at a resturaunt and get like a bacon cheeseburger, and a dessert; usually ice cream.

Some people recommend it, other people completely disapprove of the idea. Im on the fence with this one. What do you guys do?

[FrankieJJ23]

i think it keeps you sane, but i don't eat like that when i cheat i just eat but nothing crazy maybe a little sweet snack which is no better

[Ernst]

I'll eat whatever I want for a cheat day, within reason of course; and I still monitor my macros (albeit loosely). Still no fried foods or anything that bad, but pizza or a burger? Heck yes.

[Johny-too-small]

What ever happened to a cheat MEAL? LOL. Man, Im getting old

[FireGuy]

I think it depends where your bodyfat % is. If you are at 12% a cheat day/meal isnt going to change or hurt you much. If you are trying to get to the 6-8% range one cheat meal can ruin a whole weeks worth of work.

[audis4]

carb up day when i feel i need it. It's been 1.5 months and i feel hella strong. I only had cheat meals in the past when i was dating someone who wasn't as serious about bodybuilding as i was.

[abbot138]

carb up day when i feel i need it. It's been 1.5 months and i feel hella strong. I only had cheat meals in the past when i was dating someone who wasn't as serious about bodybuilding as i was.

Been there. Doesnt look too good to get a grilled chicken salad with no dressing on a first date. LOL!

[DSM4Life]

I am having a cheat week

[abbot138]

I am having a cheat week

Come on now DSM! Quit slacking. No crying, suck it up and get yo shiiit together

[DSM4Life]

Come on now DSM! Quit slacking. No crying, suck it up and get yo shiiit together

I have relatives down from out of state which we never get to see so this is my week off at the gym and my diet is pretty crappy. I am eating like crap just trying to take in as much protein as i can throughout the day. I'll take family over the diet any day but im sure the 28 hrs of straight partying the other day/night without sleep didn't help !

[audis4]

oh wait, i had some alcohol a couple weekends ago, I guess I better count that

ya dsm, I had a cheat christmas break last year (2.5 weeks)

I was at my ex-g/f's house and gained a lot but dropped it all in about 1.5 months.

[audis4]

Been there. Doesnt look too good to get a grilled chicken salad with no dressing on a first date. LOL!

ya, pisses me off when it take twice as long to hit a damn goal. This summer is dedicated to straight up lifting/dieting. Going great so far!

[abbot138]

ya, pisses me off when it take twice as long to hit a damn goal. This summer is dedicated to straight up lifting/dieting. Going great so far!

Yeah, im doin the same. No life, but the results have been great! Yeah been there too DSM, cant choose body building over family. I come from a big Italian family and if I told my grandma, "Yeah sorry grandma, cant eat your ziti its not part of my diet plan," she would literally slap me in the face.

[RoadToRecovery]

Yeah, im doin the same. No life, but the results have been great! Yeah been there too DSM, cant choose body building over family. I come from a big Italian family and if I told my grandma, "Yeah sorry grandma, cant eat your ziti its not part of my diet plan," she would literally slap me in the face.

god i miss my sunday dinners... I too come from a large italian family.
Even if there is no more than 6 people at the house, there is a small buffet goin on at the dinner table.

[C_Bino]

I think it depends on your bf% and goals. If you have a bf% above 12 there is NO REASON to have a cheat. Reason being; your cals are already high enough, why would you need to up them again when they are already clearly far above maintenance since you arent staying very lean.

Also, I believe setting a specific day or timeline to cheat is pointless. Sure, if you feel you need it to stay sane than do it when you NEED it. But if you can go without it for a month than go without it, dont cheat JUST BECAUSE its your scheduled cheat day. That I truly believe is just pointless.

And yes, a cheat meal is fine, cheat day on the other hand? Stupid lol.

So if you are below 12% bodyfat than sure have one once ina while, it can even be benficial, but iced cream AND hamburgers...a little too much imo.

Have all your regular meals, then throw someting extra in, a couple slices of pizza or a hamburger, slice of cheesecake etc.

But dont go and eat an entire pizza or whatever.

[RoadToRecovery]

I think it depends on your bf% and goals. If you have a bf% above 12 there is NO REASON to have a cheat. Reason being; your cals are already high enough, why would you need to up them again when they are already clearly far above maintenance since you arent staying very lean.

Also, I believe setting a specific day or timeline to cheat is pointless. Sure, if you feel you need it to stay sane than do it when you NEED it. But if you can go without it for a month than go without it, dont cheat JUST BECAUSE its your scheduled cheat day. That I truly believe is just pointless.

And yes, a cheat meal is fine, cheat day on the other hand? Stupid lol.

So if you are below 12% bodyfat than sure have one once ina while, it can even be benficial, but iced cream AND hamburgers...a little too much imo.

Have all your regular meals, then throw someting extra in, a couple slices of pizza or a hamburger, slice of cheesecake etc.

But dont go and eat an entire pizza or whatever.

I set a day basically for something to work forward to... kinda like a check point. It really does help me get through 2 and a half weeks of blandness.

I say cheat DAY solely on the fact that it is the day where i will have my cheat meal. I dont go crazy and have a half gallon of icecream lol. But I will throw in that bacon cheeseburger and have a couple scoops of icecream. Every other meal that day, however, is not out of my regular diet pattern.

[RoadToRecovery]

So bino - Usually people will say that about cheat days but completely opposite. You think that cheat day for someone like me (I think my bf% is around 16 now) is a big no no?

I mean, sometimes I just get that feeling and I say to my self
"If i eat one more piece of whole wheat toast with a can of tuna, i will mangle roommates chiuaua".

Its not often, especially that once a month ordeal.

[sweeney todd]

if you have no plans of competing or modeling, i wouldnt consider that out of a 7 day week and 6 meals a day, total of 42 meals, that 2 meals would wreck progress. youre still eating clean nearly 95% of the week. you might want to take advantage of living while youre alive.

[audis4]

I've been eating like this for about 2 years now.

I don't eat for taste, just for fuel. Food doesn't excite me like it did when i was a fatty.

[WelshWarrior]

I always have 1 cheat meal per week when dieting strictly. If I'm bulking I don't need it as Bino says above.

However, I'd say it depends. I'm pretty ectomorphic so can get away with it. For an endo I wouldn't recommend it.

[C_Bino]

So bino - Usually people will say that about cheat days but completely opposite. You think that cheat day for someone like me (I think my bf% is around 16 now) is a big no no?

I mean, sometimes I just get that feeling and I say to my self
"If i eat one more piece of whole wheat toast with a can of tuna, i will mangle roommates chiuaua".

Its not often, especially that once a month ordeal.

Well I suppose it comes down to dedication and goals really in the end. I quite enjoy the food I eat day in and day out and dont cheat because I have absolutely zero craving for ice cream and sweets. And I truly mean that, When I finished my last diet, which was a contest prep although I didnt do a contest you know what I ate after? Oatmeal. That is what I really wanted, and I ate it wish fish. So I had the kids oatmeal that is flavoured and that was like my cheat meal after the prep.

Its also because I am very cautious with what I eat for health reasons. I absolutely under no circumstances can justify to myself eating iced cream or what not. Just cant justify it for any reason and really doesnt satisfy me. You can eat a bowl of iced cream, sky rocket your blood sugar and still feel hungry or just have a bowl of oatmeal.

You just have to make the right food choices in order to not get bored with your food. You dont want your hobby to feel like a chore or whats the point.

Sugar free ketchup, cinnamon, Mrs. Dash, mustard, splenda...all things you can use to make things taste better without sacrificing much in the way of calories.

Even have half a cup of cottage cheese with a scoop of protein in it. Mix it up and it tastes just like pudding and its about 330cals from 50g protein, 20g carbs and 5g fat.

[C_Bino]

I've been eating like this for about 2 years now.

I don't eat for taste, just for fuel. Food doesn't excite me like it did when i was a fatty.

Well said. I know what you mean, I look at a plate of sweet potato, chicken with some nice cpices on it and broccolli on the side and would take it ANY day over a plate with greasy pizza on it.

I know what I need to eat to get where I wanna get, why would I let food thats bad for me in the first place get in the way of my goals. Makes no sense to me.

[RoadToRecovery]

Well said. I know what you mean, I look at a plate of sweet potato, chicken with some nice cpices on it and broccolli on the side and would take it ANY day over a plate with greasy pizza on it.

I know what I need to eat to get where I wanna get, why would I let food thats bad for me in the first place get in the way of my goals. Makes no sense to me.

To each its own i guess.

[audis4]

To each its own i guess.

it basically comes down to how serious and how quickly you want to achieve your goals.

lifting and eating right has become so much fun for me. I love seeing myself improve on a weekly basis.

I have always been about balance but bodybuilding is one thing I suppose I obsess over

[RoadToRecovery]

it basically comes down to how serious and how quickly you want to achieve your goals.

lifting and eating right has become so much fun for me. I love seeing myself improve on a weekly basis.

I have always been about balance but bodybuilding is one thing I suppose I obsess over

Well its just a hobby to me... If i could make it more of a job I would but as of right now my time is soaked up by military life. Im not trying to get contest prepped, im just looking to have healthy life style and look better while im doing it.

[C_Bino]

Well its just a hobby to me... If i could make it more of a job I would but as of right now my time is soaked up by military life. Im not trying to get contest prepped, im just looking to have healthy life style and look better while im doing it.

But than there is the catch righ there. You want a healty lifestyle so why ever eat garbage?

That is one of the reasons I dont as well, like i said I absolutely cannot justify putting that stuff in my body when I think about my health.

[gettingBIGGERfast]

about the only time I cheat every now and is when, because of time constraints, I just have to. I am out of town every weekend and usually I cook all my food and load it up in an ice chest and pack in in the car...but sometimes, I just don't have the time to get it all prepared. So for some meals I have to "scrounge." And I ain't rich, so I can't be eating a restaurants all the time. I end up eating a lot more subway than I should. Either that or I have to go to the grocery store and figure out something there that I don't have to cook. Dammit, there just needs to be more hours in the day

[Dictator]

I like your thinking. Very old school and hardcore. I used to cheat also but found that it's really for the weak. I used to think I needed a cheat but I really don't. Recently, Ive not cared at all about a cheat food. Not to mention I also wouldn't put that garbage in my body. It's all poison.

I think it depends on your bf% and goals. If you have a bf% above 12 there is NO REASON to have a cheat. Reason being; your cals are already high enough, why would you need to up them again when they are already clearly far above maintenance since you arent staying very lean.

Also, I believe setting a specific day or timeline to cheat is pointless. Sure, if you feel you need it to stay sane than do it when you NEED it. But if you can go without it for a month than go without it, dont cheat JUST BECAUSE its your scheduled cheat day. That I truly believe is just pointless.

And yes, a cheat meal is fine, cheat day on the other hand? Stupid lol.

So if you are below 12% bodyfat than sure have one once ina while, it can even be benficial, but iced cream AND hamburgers...a little too much imo.

Have all your regular meals, then throw someting extra in, a couple slices of pizza or a hamburger, slice of cheesecake etc.

But dont go and eat an entire pizza or whatever.

[RoadToRecovery]

I like your thinking. Very old school and hardcore. I used to cheat also but found that it's really for the weak. I used to think I needed a cheat but I really don't. Recently, Ive not cared at all about a cheat food. Not to mention I also wouldn't put that garbage in my body. It's all poison.

Were talking about having a snack once in a while, not being a POW lol.

I come a background of delicious food... while my whole family consists of over eating italians, my father was a baker in brooklyn. So ive been surrounded with amazing food my whole life.

Going from gourmet meals to canned bland and having a little meal once in a while does no make a person weak. Like i said, its more like a goal to reach. kinda like a reward system. I dont gorge myself by eating a shit load of candy and cake. I have a medium rare bacon cheeseburger and 3 scoops of icecream.

Now if you were to say, it would prolong my results by weeks and all that, thats one thing. But saying im poisoning my body, now thats alittle excessive. Unless you are growing your own food, and killing your own livestock... you putting poison into your body one way or another.

[T3/T4 GSR]

I think non competing bodybuilders over think this anyway. I say make a plan and stick to it but once in a while go to the diner and have a burger and fries this way you can have some friends without them eventually not bothering to invite you anywhere because they know you will just complain about the food or alcohol.

[RoadToRecovery]

I think non competing bodybuilders over think this anyway. I say make a plan and stick to it but once in a while go to the diner and have a burger and fries this way you can have some friends without them eventually not bothering to invite you anywhere because they know you will just complain about the food or alcohol.

I can dig that... nicely put.

[RuhlFreak55]

WELL.....call me weak i guess but for sanity's sake i need a cheat meal pretty much once a week.......granted it's not always extremely shit food......sometimes it's whole wheat pasta for instance....just vast amounts of it and the ability to have some garlic bread with it.......i just feel that for me you have to have that to stay sane......i was planning on doing a show this year and quite frankly cutting the cheat meal out too soon was what killed me......i literally went crazy and binged because i cut everything tasteful out.

[Dictator]

well my cheat meals are something like beef skewers and rice. stuff that people cheat with is insane. like bacon cheeseburgers and cheesecakes in the same meal repeated a couple times. like mentioned, if you're an endo and fat, u dont need em. you need punishment LOL. if you're an ecto and dieting you might need them. all depends on your body but if you're eating it and you're not getting far then you're wasting your time. i know a local guy here that claims he diets for years but never changes. he cheats way too damn much because he's just weak. he has no discipline and can't diet. but i guess the meals that he does diet (maybe only breakfast) he probably is happy to pretend to be doing it i guess...

[RoadToRecovery]

WELL.....call me weak i guess but for sanity's sake i need a cheat meal pretty much once a week.......granted it's not always extremely shit food......sometimes it's whole wheat pasta for instance....just vast amounts of it and the ability to have some garlic bread with it.......i just feel that for me you have to have that to stay sane......i was planning on doing a show this year and quite frankly cutting the cheat meal out too soon was what killed me......i literally went crazy and binged because i cut everything tasteful out.

I dont binge... thats not a problem... but sometimes i just need a change of pace and some flavor. For you true Bodybuilders I can understand not cheating. Not that I dont take it seriously, but I was just seeing how bad a cheat day really was. If it was killin my progress or not.

[GT2]

One cheat meal a week IMO is perfectly acceptable. If you stick to your diet for a whole week, then you deserve to treat yourself on a friday or saturday night and go out for dinner. It will satisfy your needs, and most likely keep you from binging or an all-out cheat day.

[AdamGH]

I have one cheat meal a week at least. Whatever I want to eat though. I think it is a good reward for doing well all week long. Gives you something to look forward to as well. Which is good for your general morale. All that combined helps with your motivation to keep going forward.

[audis4]

^^I guess we all look at 'rewards' differently.

My 'reward' is becoming a monster. Having people take double takes. A 'reward' to me, isn't something that I taste for 10 seconds and makes me feel like shit for the rest of the day.

[RuhlFreak55]

One cheat meal a week IMO is perfectly acceptable. If you stick to your diet for a whole week, then you deserve to treat yourself on a friday or saturday night and go out for dinner. It will satisfy your needs, and most likely keep you from binging or an all-out cheat day.

I have one cheat meal a week at least. Whatever I want to eat though. I think it is a good reward for doing well all week long. Gives you something to look forward to as well. Which is good for your general morale. All that combined helps with your motivation to keep going forward.

agreed on both counts.......if i hadn't cut my cheat meal out so early in my contest prep i feel i would have done alot better and perhaps not had the breakdown i did.

^^I guess we all look at 'rewards' differently.

My 'reward' is becoming a monster. Having people take double takes. A 'reward' to me, isn't something that I taste for 10 seconds and makes me feel like shit for the rest of the day.

so you don't see cheat meals as beneficial at all????? i was under the impression that when cutting they serve to reset the metabolism to a point and when bulking......well **** we're trying to get fuge why not eat a shit ton?

[Ernst]

Some people are making cheat days sound like an epic feast of sugar and fat. My cheats do not involve snickers bars wrapped in bacon and I don't ever eat fried food. I mean, I don't think the fact that I had a big roast beef and jalapeno sandwich on sourdough for lunch one day instead of a turkey breast and some vegetables is gonna kill me or my immediate goals.

[AdamGH]

My idea of cheat meal would be something like going to Red Lobster for example. Getting lobster/shrimp in alfredo sauce with noodles. Then all the biscuits I could eat . Or getting the Rockzilla lobster tail with mash potatoes with cheese. I think that is a good example.