New member! Logging cheat days? Cravings???

nguyenlychee

Hi all,

I'm extremely new to this healthy lifestyle. I started working out (mainly lifting, some HIIT here and there) 1 and half month ago. I joined Myfitnesspal very recently. I've been trying to log everything to accuracy. Today is my cheat day, we log on cheat days too right?

Second question, how can I suppress cravings? The calorie cap I'm given is +1200, and it's SOOOO hard to go one day without chips. 50g of my favourite potato chips is nearly 300 calories!! How can I live without thinking about chips all day?

Paix_Amour

Sometimes I log cheat days, sometimes I find it too depressing. I just make sure to put the extra effort in my workouts later on.

Where are you getting your calorie cap? 1200 is the bare minimum. And sometimes cravings will go away after you avoid the food for a while (like if it's not based in a nutritional deficiency).

Paix_Amour

Smelling the food sometimes works for me for supressing cravings, as well as thinking about how much of my day goes to waste with those calories!

glamgrljess22

Lets be friends! In my about me I stated I love two things chocolate and CHIPS lol

kailibertsch

I log my cheat days. I don't always want to and will sometimes find me trying to convince myself that I can skip this one day, but I have not in 200 days of logging skipped a cheat day. Sometimes I actually find that I ended up eating less than I thought and I am proud. Other days I see I went a little crazy but try to just take note and move on to another new day. As for your second question...i'm still trying to figure that one out. If it is a specific meal I know well in advance that I will be having I try to bank a few calories the days leading up to it. Foods that I know I can't keep in check or just eat one serving of, I don't even keep in the house.

Welcome, by the way. Feel free to add me if you are looking for friends!

nguyenlychee

Paix_Amour wrote: »

Sometimes I log cheat days, sometimes I find it too depressing. I just make sure to put the extra effort in my workouts later on.

Where are you getting your calorie cap? 1200 is the bare minimum. And sometimes cravings will go away after you avoid the food for a while (like if it's not based in a nutritional deficiency).

The calorie cap is what myfitnesspal gave me for my goal!

glamgrljess22 wrote: »

Lets be friends! In my about me I stated I love two things chocolate and CHIPS lol

Forsure

pplastics

If you are going to have a cheat day, absolutely log it (and I would also recommend not straying too far above your calorie limit...you would not want one day to ruin any progress you made).

1200 calories can be too low for many people, especially if you are exercising. Do you add in any extra calories for the exercise you do? It is one of the main reasons I do exercise....so I can eat more food!

As for craving a particular food, I usually try to work it in, either by eating a smaller quantity of it or by finding a lower calorie alternative.

I also have to remind myself from time to time that I am a grown adult capable of controlling what I put in my mouth, and that losing the weight/being healthy is much more valuable than some short term taste reward.

TavistockToad

nguyenlychee wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm extremely new to this healthy lifestyle. I started working out (mainly lifting, some HIIT here and there) 1 and half month ago. I joined Myfitnesspal very recently. I've been trying to log everything to accuracy. Today is my cheat day, we log on cheat days too right?

Second question, how can I suppress cravings? The calorie cap I'm given is +1200, and it's SOOOO hard to go one day without chips. 50g of my favourite potato chips is nearly 300 calories!! How can I live without thinking about chips all day?

Have 25g and fit it in your calories for the day!

NK1112

Eat the chips, weigh them so you know how many ounces you are eating. Log the food into your diary. See the result of how many calories you have left for the day.

Log your cheat days.

Be honest with what you are logging. It's meant to be there for you to be able to see the trend of your eating.

After a month of accurate logging ... see if you have lost weight and how much ... it will help you to find out the real calories you need ...

Don't be bumbed about going over ... you are trying to make lifestyle changes and those take time.

rossinator63

Don't think of the chips (or other cravings) as tasty food you desire, think of it as a toxin that is degrading your health. Can change the though to "why would I want to eat that". It has worked for me for a number of items, including anything with trans-fat or high fructose corn syrup. Read the label.

beamer0821

what exactly are you cheating on? your body still knows and registers what you've eaten even if you don't write it down

imo only obviously, for long term success i think you will find it useful to learn how to not deprive yourself and work in things you enjoy like potato chips. you can easily burn 300 calories, so why not have the potato chips on a day your exercise? or eat 150 calories worth of chips every other day? something like that.

knowing you can just have what it is you really want when you want it, takes away that impulse that you can only have it when you're "cheating"

TavistockToad

rossinator63 wrote: »

Don't think of the chips (or other cravings) as tasty food you desire, think of it as a toxin that is degrading your health. Can change the though to "why would I want to eat that". It has worked for me for a number of items, including anything with trans-fat or high fructose corn syrup. Read the label.

:huh:

RoxieDawn

I log cheat days. I use the reports in MFP to see just how I am doing. I need to be reminded of how to cheat maybe a little better or NOT! CHIPS for me all the way.. CHOCOLATE - yummy!

As for the cravings.. You will learn or will just do it ... If they are a problem for your deficit, you start to ignore them and know that your numbers will suck at the end of the day or week.. Then weigh in day comes in and your pissed at your self!

You could cram carrots and celery but these are not satisfying!

This does not work everyone... I have to JUST SAY NO!

victoriaalice40

I am not strong enough to have cheat days - as they will turn into cheat months or years. But, when I am ready to have cheat days I will log them not only because of pure habit but because I want to know how devastating that cheat day was and maybe not need one. ~~Ya right.

NikonPal

I personally don’t have what I would call “cheat days.” I record everything and back into my target calories.

About 2-times a month I “plan” to have a meal that is not my normal eating (or shall we say less than optimum health focused). Because it has been “planned” I have adjusted my eating to compensate.

In over 1 year, I have never gone over my daily allowance – except on a “planned” vacation or "planned" holiday meal. In those cases, I will use visual portion-size control (fist size); I know what is healthy and I know what is low/high/super high in calories and select accordingly and don’t go crazy.

I do factor in snacks “every” day but keep them in the 5-100 calorie range (100-calorie popcorn, fiber bar, Edy’s Ice bar; sugar-free jello; etc.

So far, I am down 164 pounds.

malibu927

rossinator63 wrote: »

Don't think of the chips (or other cravings) as tasty food you desire, think of it as a toxin that is degrading your health. Can change the though to "why would I want to eat that". It has worked for me for a number of items, including anything with trans-fat or high fructose corn syrup. Read the label.

Explain how potato chips would be a toxin?

OP, maybe give it up for some time to focus on your goals, then when you feel you have it down add a smaller serving back in, or find an option that's lower calorie and still satisfying.

As for cheat days, everyone is different. I don't do them myself. Some log it (recommended), some don't.

fearlessleader104

Pop chip 100 calories

lfrazier2482

They do sell packages of individual bags of chips. Each one comes in around 150 calories.

zSandman

rossinator63 wrote: »

Don't think of the chips (or other cravings) as tasty food you desire, think of it as a toxin that is degrading your health. Can change the though to "why would I want to eat that". It has worked for me for a number of items, including anything with trans-fat or high fructose corn syrup. Read the label.

Screw that.

zSandman

With regards to your question. I do log them but my "cheats" tend to be calculated refeeds. Usually, 10-20 percent surplus or at maintenance calories high carbs/ moderate fat protein.

gothchiq

Everyone has to figure out their strategy... for some it's moderation, for some it's cutting out certain types of things entirely. You may have to try a few methods and see which one is best for you. What I do is completely avoid/don't buy the tempting binge foods that I lose control with. Sometimes I find substitutions that are great. Like for example, rather than eating ice cream, I put frozen fruit in the food processor (usually bananas and strawberries) with a little milk and a tsp of vanilla, blend until smooth. It's delish and is like soft serve, but is nutritious and has reasonable calories.

NaeTeaspoon

I log my cheat days - even if only because over time I've realised my 'cheat' foods are getting healthier and healthier as my palate changes
- Welcome!

glamgrljess22

I've been logging everything. Cheat days included (and my many horrible outings for lunch with co workers).