Hi all,
I read somewhere on this site that someone had started the nhs diet and was allowing themselves a cheat day of 2000 calories? How does that work? I'm going to start on Monday and I am going to stick to consuming 1400 cal per day but I am willing to reduce more if that means I can have a cheat day?? Help please?
It's whatever works for you- I tend to comsume far less in the week and eat more at weekends, I spin for an hour at 6.45am every Thursday just so I can have a bottle of wine at the weekend (I am on maintainance by the way!)
Thank you for your response. Think I understand. So if I drop to maybe 1300 a day then I have an extra 700 to us on my cheat day?
Why would you want to cheat yourself? I lost weight on the plan (not a diet) and some days went over 1400 and if I ate out I had what I wanted. But it all evens out in the end.
I say this as if it is in the past but of course the 12 week plan is a lifestyle changing plan to get you into better eating habits for life.
I did put on a couple of kilos during a holiday in October when I didn't have any choice of food and during December I have been away a lot. But I am now looking forward to getting back into my normal diet and losing that bit extra.
If you are exercising as well that helps, but does mean if you are doing a lot some days you may need to eat a wee bit more - I did c25k then ending up doing a marathon (walking & jogging not running) and had to eat more when I was training.
The 12 week plan does work and don't beat yourself up if you have the occasional treat and go over your calorie limit.
Ok thank you for your response it answered my question in terms if I go over when out for dinner then subtract the next day.
Sorry perhaps I wasn't clear. I find that if I go over one day I don't need to compensate by eating less the next day, I still lose weight (or maintain weight when I get to where I want to be). It may take a bit longer but it is sustainable as a permanent way of eating once you reach your target weight.
Good luck with your journey.
Your body hates you. If you restrict calories for a prolonged period and you are near your target weight, your body may reduce it's metabolism to conserve fat. This in turn reduces the rate of weight loss. Moderate cheat days might fool the body into thinking that the good times are back and getting the metabolism back on track. I'm a little sceptical about all this, certainly about the reasoning and mechanism.
There is little problem with having a cheat day at your BMR (base metabolic rate, maybe 2000 calories for women) because you won't put on weight, you'll merely not lose quite so much that week, but REAL cheat days (binges by any other name) will probably be the harbinger of the end of your weight loss.
I'm 3 stone overweight. I do not need to think about cheat days for a long while yet. Besides they happen frequently enough due to "Real Life" (weddings, meals out, holidays etc).
Try a cheat meal not a cheat day or a cheat week 
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