What are your cheat day 'rules'?
NotQuiteNorm
Posts: 283 Member
If you have them 
I was just curious as I let myself eat whatever as long as it's below my maintenance (I use the 'if every day were like today' staying below my current weight as a guide) and wondered if you guys have set principles?
Eg. I'm aware some people sorta cut back say 100 calories more than they might usually every day for 6 days, then eat that 600 on their cheat day. To clarify:
So what's your way of doing cheat days? Also wonder if anyone goes over maintenance on those days?
I was just curious as I let myself eat whatever as long as it's below my maintenance (I use the 'if every day were like today' staying below my current weight as a guide) and wondered if you guys have set principles?
Eg. I'm aware some people sorta cut back say 100 calories more than they might usually every day for 6 days, then eat that 600 on their cheat day. To clarify:
S 1400
M 1400
T 1400
W 1400
T 1400
F 1400
S 2100 instead of 1500 every day
M 1400
T 1400
W 1400
T 1400
F 1400
S 2100 instead of 1500 every day
So what's your way of doing cheat days? Also wonder if anyone goes over maintenance on those days?
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The guidelines I have for myself are to stay within my calorie goals and to have reasonable portion sizes. I eat whatever I feel like eating. I'm just reasonable about it.0
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I got rid of cheat days altogether (I would eat whatever on Saturdays and not log it). I'll still eat things I deem unhealthy (fast food, Chinese food, etc.) maybe once a week or every other week, but I stay under my calories. If you're including something to be within your deficit, I wouldn't really count it cheating. I guess it all depends on what you consider "cheating".
I do have periods of time in which I eat maintenance, this is usually on special occasions like weddings or birthdays or during the holiday season (I ate maintenance from Thanksgiving to New Years this past winter).0 -
Jesus4Mayor wrote: »The guidelines I have for myself are to stay within my calorie goals and to have reasonable portion sizes. I eat whatever I feel like eating. I'm just reasonable about it.
Not having cheat day is fair enough if you like it that way
I decided on cheat days as I like to be able to eat 1/2 a rack of BBQ ribs in one sitting every once in a while without guilting myself about it, rather than having either 2 ribs and feel moreish or having the rack and possibly going hungry later! I have a binge problem too which I control better with little things. Like once a week I consciously let myself have a certain boundary of bigger portions or higher calorie foods that usually aren't worth it. This way I eat 500 or so extra calories rather than 2000!
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There is no such thing as a cheat day. I can't "cheat" on life. I'm in it until I'm dead, there is no winning or losing and I'm not competing against anyone. If I consciously choose to eat more calories some days, then I do it.0
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hsmith0930 wrote: »There is no such thing as a cheat day. I can't "cheat" on life. I'm in it until I'm dead, there is no winning or losing and I'm not competing against anyone. If I consciously choose to eat more calories some days, then I do it.
Cheat day is just the most familiar term I know for "eating a little more than usual". Sorry if you misunderstood
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I cut down the days before and after whatever it takes to make my week average out to my weekly calorie goal. Generally, it's two days before and two days after. So, like tonight, when I am going to eat about 1400 extra calories worth of chips, tortillas, and cheese enchiladas, I eat about 350 less for each the two days before and each of the two days after.0
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I don't 'officially" have cheat days, but as you saw in another thread, as long as I've been at/under my goal for a bit, I don't guilt out over a dinner or night out with the girls. I am one who gets full quickly so a big meal isn't going to be that big for me, it's just more like, well I don't have to get the salmon tonight (but I also won't get the pasta alfredo).0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »I cut down the days before and after whatever it takes to make my week average out to my weekly calorie goal. Generally, it's two days before and two days after. So, like tonight, when I am going to eat about 1400 extra calories worth of chips, tortillas, and cheese enchiladas, I eat about 350 less for each the two days before and each of the two days after.
This is the one I'm most familiar with, I'm considering switching up some weeks! Really I don't mind if I lose my weight in 8 weeks or 16 so I mostly just have my usual deficit then once a week pre-plan to have a bit more, but it might give me a bit more incentive to reduce my "cheats" over time until they can maybe almost disappear save for holidays like Christmas!
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NotQuiteNorm wrote: »hsmith0930 wrote: »There is no such thing as a cheat day. I can't "cheat" on life. I'm in it until I'm dead, there is no winning or losing and I'm not competing against anyone. If I consciously choose to eat more calories some days, then I do it.
Cheat day is just the most familiar term I know for "eating a little more than usual". Sorry if you misunderstood
No, I understood, I'm just saying that there isn't such a thing. There are no "rules". This isn't some kind of game that you play to win and then stop playing. You can't cheat on a lifestyle change. It doesn't make any sense to me to say "every Saturday I'm going to eat like I used to eat". Why not NOT do that? Why not just be conscious of what you're eating and making the choice to indulge in a treat and either fit it into your calorie budget or be fine with letting it push you over some? That makes way more sense to me than trying to deprive yourself of treats for most of the week and cramming all your cravings into one day.0 -
@sofaking6 I guess in a way that's true for me too I have a lot of days where I don't eat nearly as much as half my calories back from exercise and though I say I can eat as much as my 500 deficit, I am yet to do so - if my 'calories burned' were 100% correct I am about 100-200 calories over most cheat days I'd estimate 0
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Rule #1: No cheat days.
Rule #2: When in doubt, see rule #1.
That's it. I don't have cheat days. If I eat more than my calorie goal, I log it, accept that life isn't perfect, and move on.0 -
Because I don't want it to push me over some and if I have to give up three ounces of grilled chicken and an ice cream sandwich for four days so that I can have as much Mexican food as I want and not have it push me over some, that's a trade I'm willing to make now and again.hsmith0930 wrote: »Why not just be conscious of what you're eating and making the choice to indulge in a treat and either fit it into your calorie budget or be fine with letting it push you over some? That makes way more sense to me than trying to deprive yourself of treats for most of the week and cramming all your cravings into one day.0 -
How can it be a cheat if there are rules?
ETA: I don't have scheduled cheat days, but some days I do eat a helluva lot more than others. So far it's been evening out to a slow but steady loss, which I am totally cool with.0 -
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It's done outside the scope of usual rules. It's meta.Need2Exerc1se wrote: »How can it be a cheat if there are rules?
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hsmith0930 wrote: »NotQuiteNorm wrote: »hsmith0930 wrote: »There is no such thing as a cheat day. I can't "cheat" on life. I'm in it until I'm dead, there is no winning or losing and I'm not competing against anyone. If I consciously choose to eat more calories some days, then I do it.
Cheat day is just the most familiar term I know for "eating a little more than usual". Sorry if you misunderstood
No, I understood, I'm just saying that there isn't such a thing. There are no "rules". This isn't some kind of game that you play to win and then stop playing. You can't cheat on a lifestyle change. It doesn't make any sense to me to say "every Saturday I'm going to eat like I used to eat". Why not NOT do that? Why not just be conscious of what you're eating and making the choice to indulge in a treat and either fit it into your calorie budget or be fine with letting it push you over some? That makes way more sense to me than trying to deprive yourself of treats for most of the week and cramming all your cravings into one day.
Wow. That was a bit harsh, as I do eat much better but to me it's a less healthy outlook on life to say "I am never going to touch fast food again even though I love it" because it's not healthy. Personal choice - neither of us are 100% right as lifestyles are all our own What I do do is have a half-rack of the full racks I used to sometimes eat 3-4 times a week as my cheat day sometimes. Sometimes I get a bakery cake. The bolded part of what you're saying is exactly what I'm describing, I just have boundaries as to what.
I'm sorry if I sound at all rude, but I'm just asking the people who -like me- find 'cheat' or if you like 'treat' days helpful, how the go about doing it and find your answer a bit condescending like you're trying to say I'm wrong... I do get a bit defensive so excuse me, I am sorry if you are only expressing opinion
BTW life does have rules. Whether it's the time you go to work or the subconscious time you tend to go to bed most people tend to run on some kind of schedule. I can get into the psychology of human behaviour if you're going to further argue, but really you do you, me and the 'cheaters' will do us 0 -
hsmith0930 wrote: »NotQuiteNorm wrote: »hsmith0930 wrote: »There is no such thing as a cheat day. I can't "cheat" on life. I'm in it until I'm dead, there is no winning or losing and I'm not competing against anyone. If I consciously choose to eat more calories some days, then I do it.
Cheat day is just the most familiar term I know for "eating a little more than usual". Sorry if you misunderstood
No, I understood, I'm just saying that there isn't such a thing. There are no "rules". This isn't some kind of game that you play to win and then stop playing. You can't cheat on a lifestyle change. It doesn't make any sense to me to say "every Saturday I'm going to eat like I used to eat". Why not NOT do that? Why not just be conscious of what you're eating and making the choice to indulge in a treat and either fit it into your calorie budget or be fine with letting it push you over some? That makes way more sense to me than trying to deprive yourself of treats for most of the week and cramming all your cravings into one day.
Just because you don't have rules doesn't mean rules don't exist. There are many paths to weight loss, they don't all need to make sense to you.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »How can it be a cheat if there are rules?
It's a cheat cause it's not your normal daily diet intake - usually above your deficit goal
I give myself rules because I'm a binge eater and need to learn to control the way I eat - I currently have the boundary rule of 500 calories but try to stay as far from it as possible too because I eat so excessively, and the rule to try to pre-plan that I am going to do it because my binges are spur of the moment and I can't let them control me 0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »
Because I don't want it to push me over some and if I have to give up three ounces of grilled chicken and an ice cream sandwich for four days so that I can have as much Mexican food as I want and not have it push me over some, that's a trade I'm willing to make now and again.hsmith0930 wrote: »Why not just be conscious of what you're eating and making the choice to indulge in a treat and either fit it into your calorie budget or be fine with letting it push you over some? That makes way more sense to me than trying to deprive yourself of treats for most of the week and cramming all your cravings into one day.
But how is that a "cheat"? You are making a conscious decision to keep your calorie counts low because you know you want to eat a lot of Mexican food on a certain day. What are you cheating at? Like are you cheating on grilled chicken and ice cream sandwiches for Mexican food? Are you in a committed relationship to those foods? No, you're a human. You eat like a human, by being conscious of what you eat and how many calories you're willing to eat of any given food. Sometimes the Mexican is a priority, sometimes it's not.
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hsmith0930 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
Because I don't want it to push me over some and if I have to give up three ounces of grilled chicken and an ice cream sandwich for four days so that I can have as much Mexican food as I want and not have it push me over some, that's a trade I'm willing to make now and again.hsmith0930 wrote: »Why not just be conscious of what you're eating and making the choice to indulge in a treat and either fit it into your calorie budget or be fine with letting it push you over some? That makes way more sense to me than trying to deprive yourself of treats for most of the week and cramming all your cravings into one day.
But how is that a "cheat"? You are making a conscious decision to keep your calorie counts low because you know you want to eat a lot of Mexican food on a certain day. What are you cheating at? Like are you cheating on grilled chicken and ice cream sandwiches for Mexican food? Are you in a committed relationship to those foods? No, you're a human. You eat like a human, by being conscious of what you eat and how many calories you're willing to eat of any given food. Sometimes the Mexican is a priority, sometimes it's not.
As I tried to explain the word "Cheat" is just a term and I am asking how those who do it turn a "ruin your progress cheat" into an acceptable part of our diet or the term you use: 'Lifestyle'. This is a term as 'diet' is in fact the correct word - our diets are what we eat whether we are watching our weight or not ^.^
Maybe this helps you understand?0 -
NotQuiteNorm wrote: »hsmith0930 wrote: »NotQuiteNorm wrote: »hsmith0930 wrote: »There is no such thing as a cheat day. I can't "cheat" on life. I'm in it until I'm dead, there is no winning or losing and I'm not competing against anyone. If I consciously choose to eat more calories some days, then I do it.
Cheat day is just the most familiar term I know for "eating a little more than usual". Sorry if you misunderstood
No, I understood, I'm just saying that there isn't such a thing. There are no "rules". This isn't some kind of game that you play to win and then stop playing. You can't cheat on a lifestyle change. It doesn't make any sense to me to say "every Saturday I'm going to eat like I used to eat". Why not NOT do that? Why not just be conscious of what you're eating and making the choice to indulge in a treat and either fit it into your calorie budget or be fine with letting it push you over some? That makes way more sense to me than trying to deprive yourself of treats for most of the week and cramming all your cravings into one day.
Wow. That was a bit harsh, as I do eat much better but to me it's a less healthy outlook on life to say "I am never going to touch fast food again even though I love it" because it's not healthy. Personal choice - neither of us are 100% right as lifestyles are all our own What I do do is have a half-rack of the full racks I used to sometimes eat 3-4 times a week as my cheat day sometimes. Sometimes I get a bakery cake. The bolded part of what you're saying is exactly what I'm describing, I just have boundaries as to what.
I'm sorry if I sound at all rude, but I'm just asking the people who -like me- find 'cheat' or if you like 'treat' days helpful, how the go about doing it and find your answer a bit condescending like you're trying to say I'm wrong... I do get a bit defensive so excuse me, I am sorry if you are only expressing opinion
BTW life does have rules. Whether it's the time you go to work or the subconscious time you tend to go to bed most people tend to run on some kind of schedule. I can get into the psychology of human behaviour if you're going to further argue, but really you do you, me and the 'cheaters' will do us
Of course life has rules! What I'm saying is what makes eating some fast food a "cheat"? I absolutely would never say a person should cut something out of their diet entirely unless they 1) didn't like it anymore or 2) had a medical necessity not to eat it anymore. Eat the McDonald's fries (for example) if they sound good to you. But either get a small and let that be a snack and let it fit in with the rest of your calories, or get the large and be okay that you might go over a few calories that day after you eat dinner. Why does there need to be a rule set up that "I can't eat McDonald's any day except on Saturdays," or "I can only eat extra calories on this one specific day"? Why can't it just be "Hmm, I want some fries today I'll grab a small and log it." or "hmm, I was under a couple days last week, I can probably afford an extra 200 calories today"? Like why do we have to demonize eating over calories sometimes or eating indulgent treats sometimes so much that we have to call it "cheating" or say that we're eating "bad" foods, or whatever.0 -
It's a "cheat" because it's something that couldn't fit into my normal, daily calorie limit. "Cheating" is a metaphor for doing something outside of the typical realm of day-to-day eating. I feel certain you grasp the concept, so I'm not certain what benefit's to be gained from semantical arguments about the concept.hsmith0930 wrote: »DeguelloTex wrote: »
Because I don't want it to push me over some and if I have to give up three ounces of grilled chicken and an ice cream sandwich for four days so that I can have as much Mexican food as I want and not have it push me over some, that's a trade I'm willing to make now and again.hsmith0930 wrote: »Why not just be conscious of what you're eating and making the choice to indulge in a treat and either fit it into your calorie budget or be fine with letting it push you over some? That makes way more sense to me than trying to deprive yourself of treats for most of the week and cramming all your cravings into one day.
But how is that a "cheat"? You are making a conscious decision to keep your calorie counts low because you know you want to eat a lot of Mexican food on a certain day. What are you cheating at? Like are you cheating on grilled chicken and ice cream sandwiches for Mexican food? Are you in a committed relationship to those foods? No, you're a human. You eat like a human, by being conscious of what you eat and how many calories you're willing to eat of any given food. Sometimes the Mexican is a priority, sometimes it's not.
If you don't want to call doubling, or whatever, a typical day's caloric limit a cheat, then don't. It's a commonly understood shorthand phrase that was never designed to be parsed as if it were some crucial bit of a contract.
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hsmith0930 wrote: »NotQuiteNorm wrote: »hsmith0930 wrote: »NotQuiteNorm wrote: »hsmith0930 wrote: »There is no such thing as a cheat day. I can't "cheat" on life. I'm in it until I'm dead, there is no winning or losing and I'm not competing against anyone. If I consciously choose to eat more calories some days, then I do it.
Cheat day is just the most familiar term I know for "eating a little more than usual". Sorry if you misunderstood
No, I understood, I'm just saying that there isn't such a thing. There are no "rules". This isn't some kind of game that you play to win and then stop playing. You can't cheat on a lifestyle change. It doesn't make any sense to me to say "every Saturday I'm going to eat like I used to eat". Why not NOT do that? Why not just be conscious of what you're eating and making the choice to indulge in a treat and either fit it into your calorie budget or be fine with letting it push you over some? That makes way more sense to me than trying to deprive yourself of treats for most of the week and cramming all your cravings into one day.
Wow. That was a bit harsh, as I do eat much better but to me it's a less healthy outlook on life to say "I am never going to touch fast food again even though I love it" because it's not healthy. Personal choice - neither of us are 100% right as lifestyles are all our own What I do do is have a half-rack of the full racks I used to sometimes eat 3-4 times a week as my cheat day sometimes. Sometimes I get a bakery cake. The bolded part of what you're saying is exactly what I'm describing, I just have boundaries as to what.
I'm sorry if I sound at all rude, but I'm just asking the people who -like me- find 'cheat' or if you like 'treat' days helpful, how the go about doing it and find your answer a bit condescending like you're trying to say I'm wrong... I do get a bit defensive so excuse me, I am sorry if you are only expressing opinion
BTW life does have rules. Whether it's the time you go to work or the subconscious time you tend to go to bed most people tend to run on some kind of schedule. I can get into the psychology of human behaviour if you're going to further argue, but really you do you, me and the 'cheaters' will do us
Of course life has rules! What I'm saying is what makes eating some fast food a "cheat"? I absolutely would never say a person should cut something out of their diet entirely unless they 1) didn't like it anymore or 2) had a medical necessity not to eat it anymore. Eat the McDonald's fries (for example) if they sound good to you. But either get a small and let that be a snack and let it fit in with the rest of your calories, or get the large and be okay that you might go over a few calories that day after you eat dinner. Why does there need to be a rule set up that "I can't eat McDonald's any day except on Saturdays," or "I can only eat extra calories on this one specific day"? Why can't it just be "Hmm, I want some fries today I'll grab a small and log it." or "hmm, I was under a couple days last week, I can probably afford an extra 200 calories today"? Like why do we have to demonize eating over calories sometimes or eating indulgent treats sometimes so much that we have to call it "cheating" or say that we're eating "bad" foods, or whatever.
I already answered both, but to repeat "cheat" is a term word.
I can't just do it willy-nilly because I am trying to correct a binge eating disorder. Do you have a better way for me to stop food "controlling" me than for me to learn to be able to control it? Or are you just going to try to tell me that binge eating disorder doesn't include food literally controlling you even though it's an accepted description of how a binge feels to many.0 -
hsmith0930 wrote: »NotQuiteNorm wrote: »hsmith0930 wrote: »NotQuiteNorm wrote: »hsmith0930 wrote: »There is no such thing as a cheat day. I can't "cheat" on life. I'm in it until I'm dead, there is no winning or losing and I'm not competing against anyone. If I consciously choose to eat more calories some days, then I do it.
Cheat day is just the most familiar term I know for "eating a little more than usual". Sorry if you misunderstood
No, I understood, I'm just saying that there isn't such a thing. There are no "rules". This isn't some kind of game that you play to win and then stop playing. You can't cheat on a lifestyle change. It doesn't make any sense to me to say "every Saturday I'm going to eat like I used to eat". Why not NOT do that? Why not just be conscious of what you're eating and making the choice to indulge in a treat and either fit it into your calorie budget or be fine with letting it push you over some? That makes way more sense to me than trying to deprive yourself of treats for most of the week and cramming all your cravings into one day.
Wow. That was a bit harsh, as I do eat much better but to me it's a less healthy outlook on life to say "I am never going to touch fast food again even though I love it" because it's not healthy. Personal choice - neither of us are 100% right as lifestyles are all our own What I do do is have a half-rack of the full racks I used to sometimes eat 3-4 times a week as my cheat day sometimes. Sometimes I get a bakery cake. The bolded part of what you're saying is exactly what I'm describing, I just have boundaries as to what.
I'm sorry if I sound at all rude, but I'm just asking the people who -like me- find 'cheat' or if you like 'treat' days helpful, how the go about doing it and find your answer a bit condescending like you're trying to say I'm wrong... I do get a bit defensive so excuse me, I am sorry if you are only expressing opinion
BTW life does have rules. Whether it's the time you go to work or the subconscious time you tend to go to bed most people tend to run on some kind of schedule. I can get into the psychology of human behaviour if you're going to further argue, but really you do you, me and the 'cheaters' will do us
Of course life has rules! What I'm saying is what makes eating some fast food a "cheat"? I absolutely would never say a person should cut something out of their diet entirely unless they 1) didn't like it anymore or 2) had a medical necessity not to eat it anymore. Eat the McDonald's fries (for example) if they sound good to you. But either get a small and let that be a snack and let it fit in with the rest of your calories, or get the large and be okay that you might go over a few calories that day after you eat dinner. Why does there need to be a rule set up that "I can't eat McDonald's any day except on Saturdays," or "I can only eat extra calories on this one specific day"? Why can't it just be "Hmm, I want some fries today I'll grab a small and log it." or "hmm, I was under a couple days last week, I can probably afford an extra 200 calories today"? Like why do we have to demonize eating over calories sometimes or eating indulgent treats sometimes so much that we have to call it "cheating" or say that we're eating "bad" foods, or whatever.
Some people like rules. We like boxes and numbers and checkmarks and all that jazz, but at the same time we acknowledge that being unbending isn't healthy so we give ourselves permission to break the rules but still we are who we are so we have rules about breaking the rules. Clearly this freaks you out but you're not doing a very good job of explaining why.
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I don't cheat. If I want something, I work it into my calories. If I go over by going out to eat, I'll cut a bit off the next couple days. Cheating implies that I'm doing something I shouldn't.0
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I don't have a cheat day that I have chosen say once a week. I just go day by day and if I cheat I cheat and then get back on track. Seems the cheat day is a pressure breaker.0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »It's a "cheat" because it's something that couldn't fit into my normal, daily calorie limit. "Cheating" is a metaphor for doing something outside of the typical realm of day-to-day eating. I feel certain you grasp the concept, so I'm not certain what benefit's to be gained from semantical arguments about the concept.
If you don't want to call doubling, or whatever, a typical day's caloric limit a cheat, then don't. It's a commonly understood shorthand phrase that was never designed to be parsed as if it were some crucial bit of a contract.
I think if you look at her diary you can see why. I went 10 days all with her going over her goal before I got tired of it - I am not criticising because if this is still letting you lose weight, @hsmith0930 I envy you! Keep doing what you're doing however I am less than 5ft tall and can't actually make my 500 calorie deficit without either exercising or going below 1200 calories (I set mine to 1000 to make sure I do the exercise as I don't know how to log exercise without it putting more calories on, but eat about 1300 most days once I've burnt off 500 or so).
You may have it easy - some of us don't!0 -
Does having goosebumps also imply that you're a goose? Or is it just a term used to describe a commonly understood phenomenon in a shorthand rather than literal way?I don't cheat. If I want something, I work it into my calories. If I go over by going out to eat, I'll cut a bit off the next couple days. Cheating implies that I'm doing something I shouldn't.
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@svbrand It's all about how you wanna do it! I'm just curious and was dumb enough to think it would be fun to ask everyone for their personal version of it clearly not 0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »
Does having goosebumps also imply that you're a goose? Or is it just a term used to describe a commonly understood phenomenon in a shorthand rather than literal way?I don't cheat. If I want something, I work it into my calories. If I go over by going out to eat, I'll cut a bit off the next couple days. Cheating implies that I'm doing something I shouldn't.
That's such a good one! I was trying to think of an example, but my brain is busy thinking about how yummy my dinner (and a dessert) was! Well worth losing a little slower in my opinion - though if these days didn't exist I think I'd have thrown in the towel around Easter!0
This discussion has been closed.
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