What are your cheat day 'rules'?
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I think it's a great strategy to manage the binge urge. Calling it a "cheat" day is perfectly fine. If it's working awesome! The whole journey for me and food is a "mind" thing and I have come a long way myself from the dreaded binge guilt cycle, starving, and trying to be what I thought was normal. My worst was at 87 pounds in 2010. I would binge and starve. It was sad and lonely. I like that the OP is finding fun ways to enjoy and manage food. I am and have been developing a good relationship with food. I need it every day to live and I want to be in control of it, not it of me:) Good on ya OP and ribs are good.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.
I actually started less than 3 years ago being very very underweight with trouble eating again after starving (came from secretive, ignorant dieting because when I asked for help at size 12 I was told it was big bones and brushed aside) and now know I'm capable of a uk 4 eek! I got used to eating sugar (literally rainbow dust which is flavoured granules) and gold milk and then slowly got an appetite. This winter I had SAD and went back to using sugar calories in chocolate and crisps to fill days that I didn't want to eat, but this time a 5-6 piece bar quickly became 200g and then 400g and a pack became a multipack, then sometimes two! That along with meals like "a whole rack of bbq ribs" and "10 fish fingers smothered in ketchup" on the days between where I felt famished led to well... I wear mostly jogging bottoms because I refuse to buy the next size of jeans...
This time I'm doing things more thoroughly as I don't want to be on either side of the extremes with my weight!0 -
Oh and I want to enjoy and have fun with it! Oh btw to the OP i got inspired by a soup recipe you shared at 80 something calories a pop. I saved up calories today and worked out a lot, but it's not a day I'm going over goal. I don't want to today. The whole pot is 1020 calories and I can serve up as I want and it's yummy. My "all day soup" is in my diary and it's open:)
Thanks! I love these for either days I'm sick or just want to be lazy!0 -
I save cheat days for occasions. Like, my birthday is next week, and I've been planning for months that I'll have a big cheat day then. Even if I'm 9,000 calories over--I've been planning it, getting ready to accept it (and ignore 'guilt'), and most of all, looking forward to it. It helps me stay on track during all the other days. If I'm thinking, oh, I can just go 200 over today and it'll be fine--yeah, maybe, but I'd rather have a big birthday meal rather than a 200 calorie midnight snack. I know most people do them somewhat regularly, but I just wait for big reasons to use my stocked up cheat days.0
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Substitute the word 'cheat' for 'treat', either way in the context of the post they are intended the same way.
I think the point here is that we are all different and we all choose the methodology that appeals to us *as individuals* to achieve goals that we set for ourselves.
As for any goal based process, there is likely more than one method that can be used achieve the end result.
If you prefer not to have treats at all, scheduled or otherwise then that is OK.
If you prefer to have treats anytime but keep within your daily allowance then that is also OK.
If you prefer to bank calories over a week to 'save up' for a special occasion - be it a wedding/social occasion/ scheduled treat day then that is OK too.
If you prefer to schedule a treat day and wish to put some guidelines in place for yourself to manage this allowance then this is OK - and a lot of people do this.
I am struggling with some of the comments in the post - if you don't believe in this strategy (cheat/treat/scheduled allowances - whatever label you call it), or choose not to apply this strategy to your own goal process then that is OK and your *choice* but please consider that your choices are your own and while they may work for you will not necessarily work well for others.
I think the author has a realistic and well thought out method for managing these treat days so that they are still controlled and contributing to her goals. I would like to applaud her for sharing and I will consider managing treat days or special occasions this way for myself moving forward.
On a side note, I wonder for those that choose not to have a treat strategy - again, there is nothing wrong with this choice, but why did you comment on this post? Surely the original question does not apply to you?...
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I used to have cheat days but now I call them "treat" days. Rather than cheating myself, I indulge on something I've really wanted within my calorie limits and exercise to ensure I stay in the green. I usually eat what I want anyways; I function better without being deprived.
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shannonbun wrote: »I save cheat days for occasions. Like, my birthday is next week, and I've been planning for months that I'll have a big cheat day then. Even if I'm 9,000 calories over--I've been planning it, getting ready to accept it (and ignore 'guilt'), and most of all, looking forward to it. It helps me stay on track during all the other days. If I'm thinking, oh, I can just go 200 over today and it'll be fine--yeah, maybe, but I'd rather have a big birthday meal rather than a 200 calorie midnight snack. I know most people do them somewhat regularly, but I just wait for big reasons to use my stocked up cheat days.
It was before my breakthrough of "I have to fix this way of eating", but this year on my birthday I got a 32x1inch portions proper sugarcream, iced 'Frozen' cake ordered for me by my mum seen as I'd been so low all winter. My family of 12 all had a slice of about 1by2 inches each (I got Sven because reindeers taste better than people and many other jokes and puns ensued)... Then in a binge I swallowed all but about 4by4 inches so I definitely had more than enough this birthday. Next year I'm asking her to get me a cupcake haha!0 -
I don't have a scheduled "cheat day". If I go over, oh well! I log it and deal with it. The next day, I just move on. I"m not perfect 100% of the time. I am not concerned with calories on major holidays and my birthday.
That being said, on Sundays, I consider the day to be a success if I just stay under my calorie; macros are of no concern that day. I usually have to eat a few things that will be thrown out soon if I don't eat them that day and those food usually are carbs. 0 -
Cheat day: "No Rules, Just Right"
I actually don't really believe in "cheat" days because I feel like this implies I'm depriving myself on a daily basis.0 -
I'm just getting back in to MFP after not using it for a while. Here's how I plan to work it: I will do my best to stick to more or less my calorie budget when I'm at home. If I'm away from home, I will do my best to plan ahead (like taking a meal when I go shopping, or getting a subway sandwich, which is pretty easy to estimate). Every other week at church we have a potluck, and on those mornings I'll eat a little less than I normally would for breakfast and then try to eat moderately and not worry about it. If I get 400-500 calorie deficit for 6 days and then eat an extra 500 calories on one day, I'll still lose weight. But I won't eat a meal after potluck--that will be the last meal of the day. I am never hungry, even after the food all digests, because I have enough calories for energy, and most of the food served there is healthy food anyway, whole food, not junk, so it keeps my energy up well even though I don't eat again.
I don't really like junk food much anymore. That helps a lot!0 -
onyxgirl17 wrote: »Cheat day: "No Rules, Just Right"
I actually don't really believe in "cheat" days because I feel like this implies I'm depriving myself on a daily basis.
I do feel like I'm depriving myself though of some things I love - to an extent and for a really good reason! Because really the reason it often tastes so good that I miss it like this is that it's terrible for me unless eaten seldom. I used to eat take aways and high calorie food so often that I feel deprived and like to use my cheat/treat/maintenance days to slowly teach myself to consider once a week having just one or two of these foods normal, instead of the 3-5 times a week I used to normalize 0 -
NotQuiteNorm wrote: »
I think it's a great strategy to manage the binge urge. Calling it a "cheat" day is perfectly fine. If it's working awesome! The whole journey for me and food is a "mind" thing and I have come a long way myself from the dreaded binge guilt cycle, starving, and trying to be what I thought was normal. My worst was at 87 pounds in 2010. I would binge and starve. It was sad and lonely. I like that the OP is finding fun ways to enjoy and manage food. I am and have been developing a good relationship with food. I need it every day to live and I want to be in control of it, not it of me:) Good on ya OP and ribs are good.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.
I actually started less than 3 years ago being very very underweight with trouble eating again after starving (came from secretive, ignorant dieting because when I asked for help at size 12 I was told it was big bones and brushed aside) and now know I'm capable of a uk 4 eek! I got used to eating sugar (literally rainbow dust which is flavoured granules) and gold milk and then slowly got an appetite. This winter I had SAD and went back to using sugar calories in chocolate and crisps to fill days that I didn't want to eat, but this time a 5-6 piece bar quickly became 200g and then 400g and a pack became a multipack, then sometimes two! That along with meals like "a whole rack of bbq ribs" and "10 fish fingers smothered in ketchup" on the days between where I felt famished led to well... I wear mostly jogging bottoms because I refuse to buy the next size of jeans...
This time I'm doing things more thoroughly as I don't want to be on either side of the extremes with my weight!
You've got a fantastic attitude and your gonna Rock this!
I so relate. I have my jammy pants that I was living in. I have dropped 9 lbs that I know of since Feb 16 and know I lost more 'cause the way my clothes are falling off and how I feel, but don't want to be a slave to that scale. I got up to 163 from Nov to last feb and was so depressed, tired and felt I'd lost control over food and was not exercising... blah, but now I feel so much better and happy again. But also am not letting this "gotta get skinny" now attitude control me. It was exhausting. Back to "cheat" days, Hubby and I are planning one and I was uncertain, but I have been working out a lot and my Net cals have been pretty low, so tomorrow I will most likely eat most of my exercise cals back on something supper yummers:) and feel no guilt.
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Always wear a condom0
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Boy, people do love to argue semantics! What you meant came across clearly enough.
Norm, I think the way you're working this sounds great and if it's working for you then go right on ahead. I kind of like the idea of banking a few calories so I can treat myself once a week. I've been under by about 200 each day so far and I haven't touched the calories I burnt off through exercise. We usually eat out with the mother in law once a week so maybe I can bank some calories so I don't have to be quite so careful that night. Also my birthday is coming up so I have to plan around that. It would be miserable to have to watch every calorie even on your birthday. What you're doing sounds fine and if it works for you, more power to you!0 -
Why does it matter to anyone what is considered a cheat day for them? There are millions of weight loss journeys going on right now all of them different in their own way. Some eat "clean", some eat 80/20, some eat 90/10, some eat whatever as long as it fits their cals, some eat iifym, some save cals for "cheat or treat" days, some ppl prelog for weeks, some log while their eating. No one is wrong and no one is right when it comes to these methods. Everyone has to find what works for them. I don't get all the animosity over a word. Stop letting everything get to you. Calm yourself and go eat a cookie! Hangry ppl!0
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Once a month I have a day where I eat whatever I want. That said, I don't push myself to be"bad" or binge. I will get mexican food and eat all the chips I want or something and not worry for that one day if I tracked it well. I also weigh once a month so this day is my weigh in day. (Coincidentally that day is tomorrow. Woo Hoo!)0
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ForeverSunshine09 wrote: »Why does it matter to anyone what is considered a cheat day for them? There are millions of weight loss journeys going on right now all of them different in their own way. Some eat "clean", some eat 80/20, some eat 90/10, some eat whatever as long as it fits their cals, some eat iifym, some save cals for "cheat or treat" days, some ppl prelog for weeks, some log while their eating. No one is wrong and no one is right when it comes to these methods. Everyone has to find what works for them. I don't get all the animosity over a word. Stop letting everything get to you. Calm yourself and go eat a cookie! Hangry ppl!
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I got "banked" calories! CheatTreatDay tomorrow! woot woot. It made me work out even harder today than yesterday in anticipation *smiles*0
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I am so cookie monster on my cheese n crackers right now!
...but I did bank calories to allow for this this week
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It just simple for me though. In a week span i can have 1 cheat meal which i can take not more than 1000 kcal in the meal. All other meals is around 300-400 kcal0
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Thanks for all the support guys, you all have some great ways of making it work for you! I'm so glad to see people sharing what they do as it inspires me to possibly take the next step and make it a cheat/treat meal with a cap like @PongKriangsakWongwaimahasan363 has rather than a whole day!
Personally my intake is too small (as am I) to cut back most days, but I may do so on days that I work my butt off!0 -
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.
@segacs I went out to dinner last night with the hubby... this morning? 149.4. Bye bye 146.2. Thank you for this post, it's what will get me through today0 -
I have just one rule. Log it all! That way I can't act all surprised if things don't go according to plan at my next race!0
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DeguelloTex wrote: »
I never claimed you should tell yourself that. Besides which, you beg the question with your "if I have the calories" caveat. I'd never have the calories for the kind of meals I'm talking about because that meal alone is more than my daily calorie total.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.
If I want a burger, why should I tell myself "oh, no, you have to wait until cheat day" to have it? If I have the calories, I'll eat it. Granted, except fast food burgers, I rarely consume hamburgers anymore, but I'm not going to limit myself.
However, since you bring it up, one reason I could think of would be that it would foster better planning of such meals and make it less likely to go careening off course with more spontaneous overeating. Another reason might be that planning and looking forward to a meal such as that might be part of the enjoyment of actually having it. Another might be that you determine that it just isn't worth the effort to try to fit in those extra calories, so you forego such meals.
Just wanted to say I've agreed 100% with all your posts. People trying to act super self-righteous about "cheating" have clearly misunderstood the term.
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tiffanyking1976 wrote: »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.
@segacs I went out to dinner last night with the hubby... this morning? 149.4. Bye bye 146.2. Thank you for this post, it's what will get me through today
I'm actually 127lb this morning which is lighter than my last weigh in! Woohoo, I lost at least 1lb this week!
Just keep working hard and drink lots of water if your meal was salty as you can retain lbs of water! 0 -
Friday is my only cheat day and I eat whatever I want.
I also eat as much as I want. No rules or limits. I've always been about breaking the rules-it's part of my rebellious personality.
I believe working out and dieting 6 days will out weight any caloric intake from just 1 day. It's no big deal.
The way I see it is: I take 1 step backwards but 3 steps forward.
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marcocrrnz wrote: »Friday is my only cheat day and I eat whatever I want.
I also eat as much as I want. No rules or limits. I've always been about breaking the rules-it's part of my rebellious personality.
I believe working out and dieting 6 days will out weight any caloric intake from just 1 day. It's no big deal.
The way I see it is: I take 1 step backwards but 3 steps forward.
6 steps forward
Does this work for you? I know if I really let go I can definitely undo a few days work, esp if I don't exercise! I suppose you maybe aren't a fan of some low density-high calorie things I am like choc! 0 -
NotQuiteNorm wrote: »Thanks for all the support guys, you all have some great ways of making it work for you! I'm so glad to see people sharing what they do as it inspires me to possibly take the next step and make it a cheat/treat meal with a cap like @PongKriangsakWongwaimahasan363 has rather than a whole day!
Personally my intake is too small (as am I) to cut back most days, but I may do so on days that I work my butt off!
Whether it is a cheat meal or cheat day only matters how you see it? If a cheat meal is 3000 cals or a whole day is. It will register the same. My cheat day is only called that because each meal by itself usually is able to fit but, not together. It is best to have "rules" regardless of what you do.
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I rarely have cheat days. Usually just cheat meals. Last weekend was an exception
Though. I had a birthday party to go to for 3 friends (birthdays in a row.) So I knew I was going to have a few beers. I saved up all my exercise cals over the week.
If it's a cheat meal I don't have any "rules" but I do go for better sides. For example, fruit instead of hashbrowns or salad instead of fries. It helps that I'm not a fan of those things in the first place. Then I'll make sure I eat more nutritious foods the rest of the day.0 -
tiffanyking1976 wrote: »@segacs I went out to dinner last night with the hubby... this morning? 149.4. Bye bye 146.2. Thank you for this post, it's what will get me through today
You didn't eat 10,000+ calories over your goal, and besides, even if you had, the body simply isn't that efficient a machine where it would immediately show up on the scale the next day. It's probably just normal fluctuation or water weight or some combination thereof. Don't stress. Weight loss isn't linear, and one meal or one day here and there won't derail you.0
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