NickWolverine's Journal, 28 June 2015

I love your plan! Sunday is your reward day and it seems you keep things under control. Losing 6 pounds in a month says it all! Terrific!  

Good for you, I love my cheat days as well. 

Thanks guys! A cheat day is a good way to stay on track for those long diets, and big stretch weight loss plans. All in moderation of course, just enough to curve that hunger and craving. 

I don't really understand 'cheat' days and 'reward' days. You're only cheating yourself, and you reward yourself by deviating from your goal? I mean, if it is working for you, that's great. But I don't think that is good advice for people who's problem is over eating or compulsive or comfort eating. For me, a 'cheating' day is to eat at my maintenance level which doesn't set me back in weight. But it still sets me back in time and energy. As I said, if it works for you, that is great. 

I think that's fine advice for a dude over 200 pounds. Women under 150 - don't even try it. Cheat yourself right into your fat pants. You'll "refill" the tank that is your thighs. LOL 

I stay on a 1300 to 1500 cal a day, doing good and taking the weight off! I eat pretty healthy . Trying to learn how to just change amounts of food and how to juggle what I eat. It has been an adventure not being afraid to give myself a little sweet along the way!! But I'm loosing weight slowly and feeling good about it. So far I have lost 9 pounds. My real hangup is exercise!!! Need to do it for my health,but really don't want to!!! Lol  

@Doloressurfside - Start out light so you don't get discouraged. Some walks and maybe some sit-ups, etc. Once you get into the habit, it will be easy to step it up. 

So true,thanks so much for encouraging words! I used to Zumba 5 days a week but stopped, lost so much weight and felt great. I need to just start back just dragging my feet! Lol!  

Had to look it up. I'm not much of a dancer, but it definitely looks like a great way to exercise.  

I cheated last night and I've been down about it all day but I like your outlook so I'm going to forgive myself and forget about it. It was only a 320 calorie cheat after all and I shouldn't allow that to derail my overall efforts. My main issue is I lose weight extremely slowly partly due to not being able to really exercise. I'm disabled with failed back syndrome (after 3 very major surgeries) and do good to get around at all. Exercise is all but impossible for me and that makes the weight come off sloooowwwwww. And that is why I was so down about cheating, little as the cheat was. 

@TexasAngel77 - what is your maintenance level vs your defecit level? If you are keeping a fairly good spread for your deficit you may not have even hit your maintenance level. 

I'm new to this so I don't understand those terms. It sounds like you're saying I may not have gone over the calories needed per day to maintain my current weight. If thats the case then that is my hope. I only found this app today so I don't know. 

Yes, that is what I am saying. You can use a special calculator to determine your calorie level for maintenance. Then determine how much hunger you can tolerate to discover what your caloric deficit will be. For example, if your maintenance is 2400 and you choose 1600 for your deficit. your spread is 800 calories. As long as you stay below 2400 you will not gain weight, but the lower you stay below 2400 the faster you will lose the weight. 

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/calorie-calculators/ 

Exercise is not necessary and neither is eating certain foods. Specifically for losing weight, you just need to focus on your calorie intake. So you can eat a piece of cheesecake if you want, but the calories in that piece may account for more than half of your allotted intake for the day. 

Exercise will make the process go faster, but you will want to track the calories burned. People often underestimate the amount of calories they ingest and overestimate the calories they burn. You need to get in the habit of doing the opposite. 

Thank you so much. That is really helpful. And, yes, I agree :) 

No problem. Glad to help. Good luck! 

Seems I must have not noticed all the comments that piled up on my entry ha ha! Let me first start off by saying that I am a big guy, I weight currently 225 pounds and sit at 20% bodyfat, which isn't good, but that's why we're all here right? The whole calories in vs calories out couldn't be more true, but from what I have learned, seen in results, studied in school, and seen on my clients is that the body will adapt to diets, foods, and caloric needs pretty quick. So it's important to mix up your diet and calories or foods to meet your needs. Surviving off salads, fruits, and nuts week after week will only teach your body to adapt to these foods, or this caloric amount. A "Cheat Day" doesn't have to be a day like I spend mine, eating junk and not tracking a calorie. A cheat day is a term, some use "Re feed day" or "Easy Day" and all it is, is a day where you spend filling up the body with a caloric surplus and/or to a maintenance level BMR. Of course those who really struggle with weight loss, may not or should not attempt to surplus during these days....possibly just fill up to your maintenance level instead. Why? It's a neat trick to help the metabolism keep running at 100%, instead of slowly decreasing it's work ethic. Ever wonder why your diet started off great, losing a pound or 2 a week then after 6 weeks it started to slow down? It's because your body is adapting to the diet and the deficit. Sure, lower your BMR once again....but eventually you're everyday needs like digestion, breathing, blood flow, movement...ect will be reduced as well. That's why in my 8 years of fitness and nutrition I have always encouraged "Cheat Days" to help the metabolism, and always add more to your work load "Exercise" before reducing your BMR. Again, this once a week trick is just something I found that has worked for me, friends, clients, and my 70 year old mother. Let me note, that a Cheat day doesn't have to be as aggressive as mine, for I am in the gym 6 days a week and only 30 years of age. Simply meeting your maintenance BMR will be fine, or squeezing in that slice of pie at the end of the week may keep your mind on track and keep your metabolism burning fat instead of storing it trying to survive.