Cheat Days

cdenae79
cdenae79 Posts: 12 Member
edited November 8 in Motivation and Support
trying to stay on track is hard I've been really good until today. I was even super careful on Thanksgiving. Only had one plate of food with no
Large portions on it, and NO pie. However today I caved and ate 2 pieces of pizza from a medium pizza. HELP!

Replies

  • johnnylakis
    johnnylakis Posts: 812 Member
    No more eating today. The punishment from not eating will be motivation to do better tomorrow
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    You can easily fit two pieces of pizza into your calories. The word "cheat" is negative and sets up an unhealthy relationship with food. You're a grownup. You made a grownup decision to eat something. Now you can eat lightly the rest of the day or tomorrow to stay on track, or you can accept that the extra calories will delay reaching your goal (by very little...it was probably 500-800 cals, so equal to one or two days worth of deficit for the average user)
  • JustWant2Run
    JustWant2Run Posts: 286 Member
    Help why? You had some pizza, what's wrong with that? Track it and make smart choices for the rest of the day.

    The notion of ''bad'' food is why most people fails on a long term basis.
  • Live_To_Win
    Live_To_Win Posts: 340 Member
    I don't have Cheat days I have Treat days as I deserve them now and then or this would be unbearable...
  • LotusAsh
    LotusAsh Posts: 294 Member
    No more eating today. The punishment from not eating will be motivation to do better tomorrow


    DAFUQ???
  • scottacular
    scottacular Posts: 597 Member
    Two bits of pizza constitutes a cheat day in your mind? Oh my, you're definitely a rookie. It barely constitutes a cheat meal. You're fine, move on.
  • zamphir66
    zamphir66 Posts: 582 Member
    No more eating today. The punishment from not eating will be motivation to do better tomorrow

    Poe's Law: I cannot tell if this is sarcasm or serious. I hope it's sarcasm.

  • Torontonius
    Torontonius Posts: 245 Member
    I don't feel bad about cheat meals, but lately I've found that I'm overdoing it on Friday nights with red wine, which follows into a Saturday where I'm not eating as well as I do during the week.

    That said, I don't really care - and neither should you - here's how I look at it:

    1) I need 1000 calorie deficit per day over a week to lose 2 lbs weekly.
    2) If I'm "good" 5 days a week, that's 5000 calories lost
    3) if I eat 1000 calories over my 'goal' calories on Friday and Saturday, then all I've done is *not* lose weight on those days - but I haven't gained weight either.

    The risk is when you start going way over eg: a cheat day where you eat 2000 calories more than your MFP goal - which in the example above means my weekly deficit drops from 5000 to 4000 calories.

    I'm also doing heavy weight training so i figure a couple of days a week with a calorie boost isn't necessarily a bad thing.

    Bottom line: make time/allow for some pleasure in your eating and you'll stick with your overall eating plan a lot longer than if you become uber-strict - but try not to go off the deep-end.

    Cheat meal - OK!

    Cheat day - no way! (or, not too often!)

  • jcr85
    jcr85 Posts: 229
    LotusAsh wrote: »
    No more eating today. The punishment from not eating will be motivation to do better tomorrow


    DAFUQ???

    It is true. Proven fact when you punish your self by not allowing any caloric intake for 24 to 48 hours after cheating on your diet you are 17.67% less likely to cheat again at your next meal.
  • DannehBoyy
    DannehBoyy Posts: 546 Member
    Nothing wrong with a bit of pizza! I used to eat 2 pizzas on my cheat day. I wouldn't recommend that though...
  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
    Um, log it and move on. It's not cheating if it fits into your calories. A slice of medium pizza probably only has 300 or so calories, so two slices could easily be worked into your day.
  • tamelakaye79
    tamelakaye79 Posts: 70 Member
    No more eating today. The punishment from not eating will be motivation to do better tomorrow

    This is SO wrong on so many levels and is a great way to create an eating disorder. Log your pizza (I LOVE pizza, btw) and adjust the rest of your day. What a sad sad life if you can't have pizza- or ANYTHING you enjoy. I think getting your mind right and creating a HEALTHY relationship with food is the largest battle with SUSTAINABLE weight loss. I really encourage you to Google flexible dieting and/or IIFYM and see what you think- you may find this to better suit your needs and NEVER feel like you have to punish yourself again.

    Dust yourself off- get your mind right- and carry on!! You CAN do this!!
  • cdenae79
    cdenae79 Posts: 12 Member
    No more eating today. The punishment from not eating will be motivation to do better tomorrow

    This is SO wrong on so many levels and is a great way to create an eating disorder. Log your pizza (I LOVE pizza, btw) and adjust the rest of your day. What a sad sad life if you can't have pizza- or ANYTHING you enjoy. I think getting your mind right and creating a HEALTHY relationship with food is the largest battle with SUSTAINABLE weight loss. I really encourage you to Google flexible dieting and/or IIFYM and see what you think- you may find this to better suit your needs and NEVER feel like you have to punish yourself again.

    Dust yourself off- get your mind right- and carry on!! You CAN do this!!

    Tamelakaye79- thanks :) and I added you as a friend if that's ok!
  • cdenae79
    cdenae79 Posts: 12 Member
    Also, what is IIFYM?
  • tamelakaye79
    tamelakaye79 Posts: 70 Member

    Tamelakaye79- thanks :) and I added you as a friend if that's ok![/quote]

    Absolutely!
  • LotusAsh
    LotusAsh Posts: 294 Member
    jcr85 wrote: »
    LotusAsh wrote: »
    No more eating today. The punishment from not eating will be motivation to do better tomorrow


    DAFUQ???

    It is true. Proven fact when you punish your self by not allowing any caloric intake for 24 to 48 hours after cheating on your diet you are 17.67% less likely to cheat again at your next meal.

    it's also an unhealthy behavior and can cause an unnatural relationship with food. I did that once...never again
  • kemval74
    kemval74 Posts: 28 Member
    No more eating today. The punishment from not eating will be motivation to do better tomorrow

    This is SO wrong on so many levels and is a great way to create an eating disorder. Log your pizza (I LOVE pizza, btw) and adjust the rest of your day. What a sad sad life if you can't have pizza- or ANYTHING you enjoy. I think getting your mind right and creating a HEALTHY relationship with food is the largest battle with SUSTAINABLE weight loss. I really encourage you to Google flexible dieting and/or IIFYM and see what you think- you may find this to better suit your needs and NEVER feel like you have to punish yourself again.

    Dust yourself off- get your mind right- and carry on!! You CAN do this!!

    This!!!!!! Excellent response Tamelakaye79
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
    cdenae79 wrote: »
    Also, what is IIFYM?

    If It Fits Your Macros - Macro is short for Macronutrient. MFP allows you to select macronutrients to track along with calories (trans fat, carbs, fiber, vitamins, etc).

    Basically, IIFYM, means that any food you eat is just fine as long at you are within you macro limit for the day.
  • whatatime2befit
    whatatime2befit Posts: 625 Member
    I don't consider any food to be a "cheat". I treat myself to what I want, fitting it into my daily caloric goals. I have pizza, chocolate, etc. I just a make sure to track it and try to eat healthier meals the rest of the day.

    I know that if I try to give up the foods I love, this will be an abysmal failure for me. We need to learn to eat in a way that is sustainable for life, and giving up pizza for life (for me) ain't gonna happen :)
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Two slices is going to be, at most, 600 calories. That's a typical Friday night dinner for me, as I try to eat sensibly earlier to use my calories on that. Just fit what you want to eat into your day in moderation. I've never felt the need to cheat because I don't cut foods out.
  • ems212
    ems212 Posts: 135 Member
    Don't call them "cheat" days or meals. As long as you keep that stigma on certain foods, you'll always be more prone to indulge. I don't have "cheat days". I simply eat what I want, in moderation. For instance, this weekend I know I'm going out to dinner at my favorite restaurant. I know that the meal I want is high in calories. So, I'm planning a light breakfast & lunch to help counteract it, and I'm planning a workout after dinner. I'll also cut my dinner in 1/2 and take the other 1/2 home. If I say "Saturday is my cheat day", I know that mentally I'll cave and won't do as well as if I say "Saturday's dinner is a treat, but I'm going to stay on track regardless."
  • IncredibleShrinkingSandy
    IncredibleShrinkingSandy Posts: 118 Member
    edited December 2014
    I go over calories at least once a week and don't feel bad about it and you shouldn't either. I have been on my weight loss journey since the beginning of September and am down 20 pounds total since then, even with going over about once a week. The important thing is to balance it all out. On the days I am within my calorie range I am under my calories by 200-300 most days. So, I have some calories banked up when I do go over that one day a week, which helps. So, just remember that as long as you are being careful MOST of the time, it won't matter if you have some pizza. I actually was really bad over Thanksgiving weekend; $1.49 bag of chips on Thanksgiving plus, a plate full of food and two small pieces of pie, sushi Friday, Jack In The Box Saturday and, Taco Bell Sunday. I weighed myself on Friday and had gained 2 pounds just from Thanksgiving alone! Today, I weighed in about a half pound lighter than my most recent low. So, don't get discouraged. Remember, once in a while you're allowed and entitled to enjoy a treat. Just make sure it is once in a while.

    Edited to fix typo
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    I also hate the word cheat. The key to sustainable weight loss is to avoid deprivation. Learn to eat healthier and make better choices rather than give up the things you love to eat. The things that I have given up are things that I don't want to put in my body, e.g., processed foods. The things I love to eat, I've learned to make them healthier. I love pizza and eat it regularly, but now, I'll spend extra to get it from a pizza place that uses fresh ingredients, has a healthier crust, and will get healthier toppings. Same for desserts. I still enjoy my desserts, just learned to make healthier substitutions that don't sacrifice taste. And two slices is nothing. Before any big event, I have an entire medium pie, and I don't skip other meals to "make rooms" for the extra calories. I love the looks I get from those watching me eat it (wondering where I am putting it).
  • tomjinca
    tomjinca Posts: 23 Member
    Wow 2 pieces of pizza - you should be flogged. Forget about it - it's ONE DAY!
This discussion has been closed.