Cheat Day On Paleo Diet

[backyardathlete]

Is having a cheat day on the Paleo diet beneficial. Other low carb diets talk about how a cheat day can increase fat loss, like Tim Ferriss 4 hour body diet. Anyone have any input?

[Vella]

From what I've seen so far, on the boards and around the Webz, there are two benefits to cheat days.

The first is psychological.  Having a cheat day can help people stay on track - choosing not to eat something off their diet today because they know they'll get to "cheat" on the weekend, for example.

 

The other benefit is that it mixes things up for the body.  From what I understand (and feel free to tell me I'm wrong, anyone who knows better), having cheat days can prevent your body just getting used to the new energy intake level and stalling your weight loss.

 

As for whether it's beneficial specifically on the Paleo diet, well, if your weight loss has stalled, then having a cheat day every so often may well help you get back on track ... whether that's heading off Paleo or just eating more calories within the Paleo framework.  This doesn't necessarily mean everyone on the Paleo diet will need them, just that some people find them useful.

[cline]

You don't "need" cheat days unless you need cheat days. 

 

There are plenty of paleo friendly carbs out there so don't buy the bs that you need to stuff your face with pizza and cookies once a week to refeed carbs.

 

Most people do not like a low carb diet.  If you don't and you really want to do paleo, do paleo friendly carbs. It's not complicated. Honestly.

 

If you NEED a cheat day, have a cheat MEAL.  Sometimes you just want the damned pizza because well.... it's tasty.  Then eat the damned pizza. 

 

The person who got me on the paleo/primal bandwagon had great advice:  if you are going to cheat, make sure it's limited and totally worth it. 

 

In other words... cheat DAY?  seriously?  A whole day?  Why?  No I don't do that.  Ever.  What is the point of that? 

 

A cheat MEAL?  sure. But I make sure it's worth it.  There is an amazing place here that makes amazing pizza.  Once every couple of months, I go get pizza.  I don't buy the cheapie "I'm so drunk at midnight" pizza - I buy my favorite pizza.  Once in a while, I eat a cookie.  A real, homemade cookie.  To me, an oreo isn't worth it.  But once in a while an office mate brings in the most amazing short bread.  Homemade.  That's totally worth it.  She's amazing, she brings it in for celebrations.  And I eat one piece. 

 

Don't over think it. 

[backyardathlete]

Appreciate the help, thanks guys.

[somebody]

If you're in the business of making long-term, lifestyle-level changes to your diet, an occasional cheat meal will not affect you that much. Like cline's pizza for example: eating a pizza every few months while otherwise eating paleo is not going to matter as much over the course of five years as eating five pizzas a month will matter over the course of one year.

The only things that should be followed like law are matters of character and principle. Your diet has as much flexibility as you're willing to give in light of your goals and how and when you want to hit them.

 

One of my clients brought me little chocolate peppermint candies to a meeting earlier this week. I ate three of those suckers right then and there in that meeting. That's 150 calories for 30 grams of chocolate and peppermint. But you know what? It ain't no thang. It actually fit within my calorie goal for the day (even if the sugar wasn't planned).

If you know that you CAN eat something but you KNOW you're choosing not to, it's a lot easier to say no than telling yourself you CAN'T eat it.

 

So live it up on your cheat meal, backyardathlete. And burn it down the rest of the week.

[stevembk]

Lifestyle change.

 

I only ate meat and water on thanksgiving. no sides, desserts or gravy.

[Jacksson]

You don't "need" cheat days unless you need cheat days. 

 

There are plenty of paleo friendly carbs out there so don't buy the bs that you need to stuff your face with pizza and cookies once a week to refeed carbs.

 

Most people do not like a low carb diet.  If you don't and you really want to do paleo, do paleo friendly carbs. It's not complicated. Honestly.

 

If you NEED a cheat day, have a cheat MEAL.  Sometimes you just want the damned pizza because well.... it's tasty.  Then eat the damned pizza. 

 

The person who got me on the paleo/primal bandwagon had great advice:  if you are going to cheat, make sure it's limited and totally worth it. 

 

In other words... cheat DAY?  seriously?  A whole day?  Why?  No I don't do that.  Ever.  What is the point of that? 

 

A cheat MEAL?  sure. But I make sure it's worth it.  There is an amazing place here that makes amazing pizza.  Once every couple of months, I go get pizza.  I don't buy the cheapie "I'm so drunk at midnight" pizza - I buy my favorite pizza.  Once in a while, I eat a cookie.  A real, homemade cookie.  To me, an oreo isn't worth it.  But once in a while an office mate brings in the most amazing short bread.  Homemade.  That's totally worth it.  She's amazing, she brings it in for celebrations.  And I eat one piece. 

 

Don't over think it. 

Great post.  What helps me is to look at it as a choice every time I chuck something in my mouth.  I am committed to making as many good decisions as I can.  If I make a poor one, I realize it is poor and dont make it often.  And as mentioned above, you can bet it is going to be worth it.  I'm not working this hard to eat a cookie made by an elf.

[Loren Wade]

You don't "need" cheat days unless you need cheat days. 

 

There are plenty of paleo friendly carbs out there so don't buy the bs that you need to stuff your face with pizza and cookies once a week to refeed carbs.

 

Most people do not like a low carb diet.  If you don't and you really want to do paleo, do paleo friendly carbs. It's not complicated. Honestly.

 

If you NEED a cheat day, have a cheat MEAL.  Sometimes you just want the damned pizza because well.... it's tasty.  Then eat the damned pizza. 

 

The person who got me on the paleo/primal bandwagon had great advice:  if you are going to cheat, make sure it's limited and totally worth it. 

 

In other words... cheat DAY?  seriously?  A whole day?  Why?  No I don't do that.  Ever.  What is the point of that? 

 

A cheat MEAL?  sure. But I make sure it's worth it.  There is an amazing place here that makes amazing pizza.  Once every couple of months, I go get pizza.  I don't buy the cheapie "I'm so drunk at midnight" pizza - I buy my favorite pizza.  Once in a while, I eat a cookie.  A real, homemade cookie.  To me, an oreo isn't worth it.  But once in a while an office mate brings in the most amazing short bread.  Homemade.  That's totally worth it.  She's amazing, she brings it in for celebrations.  And I eat one piece. 

 

Don't over think it. 

This.

 

And stop calling it a cheat. It's not black and white. Paleo is very dependent on the person and what their body can handle. For some people that means every once in a while enjoying something you wouldn't normally eat. If we think of it as cheating, we treat a diet like a diet and not a life decision.

[alienjenn]

Also depends on WHY you went paleo... I gave up grains because they aren't nice to my tummy... had some wheat accidentally on Thursday (ordered my salad sans croutons... it came with... figured what's the harm in picking them off)... I've been so sick I ended up calling out of work one night... the pain and cramps and nausea....I haven't left my couch in basically two days except to go to the bathroom.... there will be no cheat days for me

(sent by the phone. .. all mistakes are the phones fault)

[Poetik]

Is having a cheat day on the Paleo diet beneficial. Other low carb diets talk about how a cheat day can increase fat loss, like Tim Ferriss 4 hour body diet. Anyone have any input?

For what it's worth, paleo as a whole isn't necessarily low-carb, even if many interpretations of it can be. For what it's worth, several low-carb / keto people have slowly been introducing more carbs into their diet. Mostly potatoes.

 

In any case, I'm thinking of a couple of aspects on how the cheat day works.

 

The first is the result of the metabolism slowing slightly on a chronic caloric deficit. The larger spike in calories can help with that regard.

The second is that it can help in performance. More replete glycogen stores allow for better workouts and overall gains.

The last is incentive to continue the diet. However, after a while of doing it, many may find that certain foods lose their appeal.

 

Otherwise, going to agree with cline and Loren Wade.

[Loren Wade]

For what it's worth, paleo as a whole isn't necessarily low-carb, even if many interpretations of it can be. For what it's worth, several low-carb / keto people have slowly been introducing more carbs into their diet. Mostly potatoes.

 

In any case, I'm thinking of a couple of aspects on how the cheat day works.

 

The first is the result of the metabolism slowing slightly on a chronic caloric deficit. The larger spike in calories can help with that regard.

The second is that it can help in performance. More replete glycogen stores allow for better workouts and overall gains.

The last is incentive to continue the diet. However, after a while of doing it, many may find that certain foods lose their appeal.

 

Otherwise, going to agree with cline and Loren Wade.

Yeah, I agree. Paleo itself is unrelated to low carb. Paleo can be high/low carb, or high/low fat, or high/low protein... it's what you make it!

[Poetik]

Yeah, I agree. Paleo itself is unrelated to low carb. Paleo can be high/low carb, or high/low fat, or high/low protein... it's what you make it!

Definitely. It's a big world out there. There's plenty of macro choices for everyone.