If you log cheat days...

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  • TX_Aggie_Dad
    TX_Aggie_Dad Posts: 173
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    I do one or two cheat meals per week. I log everything out of curiousity. I realize that there are certain "favorite" cheat meals where I can really put away the calories (pizza, soda, and ice cream( whereas others I think of as cheats that really aren't that bad (a fatty steak and potatoes). It helps me because I find that I tend to not go overboard on my cheat days. It is a cheat, not an excuse to binge like I'm never going to eat again.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
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    Give the fact that on average, most of us will gain back 73% of any weight we lose, I think you need to log it. It's a no brainer.
  • micheleld73
    micheleld73 Posts: 914 Member
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    I don't have cheat days...I have I eat what I every days. I log everyday unless I don't have internet connection, it doesn't matter the occasion.
  • Briargrey
    Briargrey Posts: 498 Member
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    I don't do 'cheat' days -- I just eat, and some days I may have days that I have more than others or when I indulge in items I don't usually indulge in (anymore). I *always* log everything because part of my lifestyle change is to ensure I'm aware of how much I'm eating and what it is, and I don't cheat anyone but myself if I don't put them on my log. Knowledge is power. Next week, I'm traveling somewhere I haven't had to go for more than a year, and there's a really awesome South American fusion restaurant there that I love and have missed terribly. It's fresh ingredients, and maybe healthier choices than processed fast food, but it is still a lot of calories, and I know it. So I'm planning in advance for that night out eating by putting plans in place now to exercise more from the hotel and to just not sweat it when I have it, because it is awesomely good. I'll log it so I know the impact, of course. Some might call this a 'cheat' day, but instead I just call it living and not restricting myself! Bring on the Don Quixote chicken burrito with its fresh tomatillo sauce!
  • JudieJudes
    JudieJudes Posts: 174 Member
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    Hi wildcatta77

    Take a look at my diary for today - totally cheated :blushing:

    Tomorrow's another day :)

    JJ x
  • TX_Aggie_Dad
    TX_Aggie_Dad Posts: 173
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    I find it interesting that some people on this thread have clearly planned in advance cheat days/meals. Whereas others think of cheat days as days where they made bad choices. I personnel find that the planned in advance cheat meals allow me to stay strong and avoid cheating the rest of the week. Personal choice. I just found the difference an interesting contrast in how people approach the idea of eating healthy.
  • captmiddy
    captmiddy Posts: 147 Member
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    I log days that some may call 'cheat' days. For me the still leave me with at least at 500 calorie deficit usually. But when I am on vacation I will log estimates. I do not bring a scale with me everywhere I go and make people wait for me to weigh out things to get a real calorie target, so I guess at it. I try to keep things in check. Part of this has to be about knowing what your real portion sizes should look like without having to resort to a scale every time. But definitely log everything and make sure you know it was a day you didn't log properly so that if your off for the week you can point back to that day and know it may have been short compared to the real calories you consumed.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    I log mine just for future reference. At least it helps if my goals aren't being reached. Otherwise it's a hole in my records.

    It is also useful to see what happens if I just eat with reckless abandon!

    When I was eating 1700 a day, I did have a (are you sitting down?) cheat fortnight. I aimed to eat 2300 a day and it slowly crept up to around 3000. I did consider this blog post, though: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

    What was interesting was that despite the cheat fortnight, I didn't seem to build up fat levels again.

    So logging my cheat days (well, weeks!) has helped me rethink my goals and eating amounts. One issue with 2012 was that I did lose muscle mass. So I worked out that I could probably eat around 2400-2500 to maintain fat levels and muscle tissue... so what if I ate 2300 on rest days and 2800 on lifting days while keeping my protein levels up? That's where I'm at currently - cycling carbs/calories with constant protein intake.
  • michellechawner
    michellechawner Posts: 892
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    I log everyhing. Even my cheat days. I make myself accountable for everything that goes into my body. But when I do have my cheat days or meals I don't worry about it. I don't like the idea of not logging because I don't want to get too relaxed with myself and not log it when I eat something crappy. Then what's the point of logging anything in the first place. I say log it and if you go over every once and a while don't trip.

    ^^Exactly this! I log every bite, even if it's not good, because I have to be accountable for it. The worst I've gone over is by 700 so far. so I ate 2100 that day. Pizza, wine, and dessert all included in the dinner, but we were celebrating my boyfriend getting into nursing school, so every once in a while, it's ok.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    I don't really have designated cheat days, but I do have days where I go way over my calorie goal. In those cases, I log everything. Simply because it's kind of interesting to see where my macros fall.

    THIS

    Interestingly enough, my binge/indulge/cheat/over-eat day totals are consistently lower than my "back in the day when I was fat and not doing anything about it" totals.
  • kELELA2012
    kELELA2012 Posts: 11 Member
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    I used to not log my cheat days, but I felt like I was cheating myself. Now I log everything and I am surprised that I am still often times under my calorie goal. I gave up on cheat days because I always felt like I was depriving myself of something, now I eat what I want but in moderation. I do a lot of food swapping of my old choices for new healthier ones. I end up too full to even think about eating anything else.
  • maarbo
    maarbo Posts: 22
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    I log everything...even holidays. I think it's important to see what we're putting into our bodies...even on days that we're aware are not "normal" eating days. It may even help you to not go quite as crazy at the next holiday or event! It doesn't stop be from having cheat meals/days...I just like to see where I stand with them! :) To each their own.

    Ditto - I log everything and try to stay within the bounds.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    I don't have cheat days, but what I suspect you are asking is how do I handle logging on days where I intentionally go over my calorie goal.

    If I know a special meal is coming where I won't have a lot of control over what I eat (or won't want to control what I eat to any severe degree), I will fast for 24 hours leading up to that meal, and then I eat and drink what I want, and if I'm over, I'm over. I try to be conscious about not having 5 whiskey sours when 2 or 3 will do, but I'm not sitting there counting calories in my head either.

    For a special occasion where I know I'll have some control over what I eat, then I plan in advance to make sure my calories and macros are in basically in line with what I want them to be.

    But I always log. I just think it's a really bad habit to not log your food on the days when you go over. It's like hiding in the closet and eating an entire batch of cookies, trying to convince yourself that if no one sees you do it, it didn't happen. Do it, and own up to it, and get past it.

    ETA: Another reason I think you should log everything, ESPECIALLY the bad days, is because in several weeks or months, if you haven't made any progress or not as much progress as you expected, it's nice to have a reason. And if you've logged everything and you can see that you are undoing all of your hard work every weekend and calling it "cheating," you might be more inclined to change your habits. If you haven't logged those days, it's a lot easier to convince yourself that you aren't doing anything wrong and that you're just one of those "special" people who can't lose weight no matter how hard they try.
  • micheleld73
    micheleld73 Posts: 914 Member
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    I just think it's a really bad habit to not log your food on the days when you go over. It's like hiding in the closet and eating an entire batch of cookies, trying to convince yourself that if no one sees you do it, it didn't happen. Do it, and own up to it, and get past it.

    LOVE THIS!! so true!
  • FishingGuy75
    FishingGuy75 Posts: 59 Member
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    I've learned that if I don't log everything (like now) then my eating will get out of control pretty quickly.
  • AliciaStinger
    AliciaStinger Posts: 402 Member
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    I don't have a strict "cheat day" (as in I don't set aside one day a week for it)...but if I get invited out spur of the moment or semi-binge the week before TOM comes, I consider those cheat days. TOM overages are usually about 200-300 calories/day above my goal, and last about two to three days. I try to log all of it, but I eat so many little things (donuts, cookies, chips and salsa, cheese, pickles - like being pregnant, I guess) that if I don't log it while I've got my head in the fridge, I tend to forget exactly what all I ate! As for going out, a trip to Stake N' Shake can put me over by anywhere from 400-1,000 calories. I definitely log it as a reminder why fast food shouldn't be a daily thing for me! X-D

    Good luck!
  • nakfam
    nakfam Posts: 11 Member
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    I log everything... every day. I allow cheat days, but generally no more than 1/week. Doing it this way has helped me stay on track. If I tell myself I can't have something, there's a part of me that just has to have it, so it "cheat days" or even a "cheat snack/meal" allow me to satisfy that particular desire and still stay on track.
    Tracking all of it helps me to see when I'm starting to go off track and reel it back in to get back on the right path. Tracking my food honestly has been the biggest help for me to see why I gained the weight to begin with! I honestly didn't think about what I was eating - that combined with inactivity... well, we all know where that leads!
    Overall, I've had success with being honest with myself (activity and eating combined). No sense in pretending that the bad decisions don't happen or make an impact because they do... I've learned that I don't have to do it all perfect, but when I try my best, I see results!
  • stacyb99
    stacyb99 Posts: 44 Member
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    I know I should log my cheats-- AND after reading this, I am really going to do it next time-- my thought was out of sight out of mind, but I realize that is clearly only cheating me and slowing down my progress-- thanks for posting
  • zornig
    zornig Posts: 336 Member
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    I try not to have cheat days, just the occasional meal (usually one a week) where I eat what I want. I still try to exercise portion control and only eat half of what I'm served or (like at a buffet) just take very small bits of all the things I want to try. The only time I don't log everything is when I'm eating at a restaurant, because I really have no way of knowing how much butter or oil they used, or how much cheese, etc. But then again, I basically only eat one meal out per week. Tonight I was like "f^%# it, I'm having a cheat meal," but I had it at home and I still only ate 450 calories. Totally manageable within my daily limits but I still got to feel like I was throwing caution to the wind. Although it definitely threw my macros off.

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