Do you give yourselves "cheat days" as a reward?

ambert256

Hello!

I was wondering if anyone else gives themselves cheat days? I'm pretty strict about keeping up with my diet, but I'm in the army and when I pass a PT (physical fitness) test with a higher score than before I reward myself by letting myself have a bag of chips or sweets. Does anyone else get to a goal they give themselves a cheat day?

thankyou4thevenom

No. For me food is fuel, it's not a reward. Before anyone says that so boring, who said food that is fuel has to be not tasty.
I do have refuel/maintaince days. These are part of my new lifestyle so when I lose the weight, I'll already know what I'm doing.

gamesandgains

No, I just fit my cheat meals into my macros. If the cheat meal doesn't fit then I'll go for an alternative. A small sacrifice for the sake of achieving a long term goal imo.

arditarose

Nope. I bank calories so I can eat what I want within my goals. If I'm in a deficit, and I go over one day-I might try to fix it up a bit with some low days or exercise, or just expect to lose less that week. In maintenance, I save calories everyday so I can have a high day over the weekend.

Mgtei

Double post.

Mgtei

Mgtei wrote: »

No, but for me that 's more because I feel like I've had my share of cheat days this lifetime. However, I do sometimes celebrate with food because for me that's a part of normal eating. I just plan for it as best I can. And sometimes for no special reason I'll plan to have a cookie at lunch, like I did just now. Because chocolate.

Congratulations on doing well on your test!

paris458

I dont, something fun will come up and I allow myself a cheat meal, like dinner with friends or a bbq. but I dont always plan for it and I dont go out of my way to cheat as a reward. I just know they will happen so I try to stay on track as much as possible.

PixelPuff

I'll be the person in the thread that says *kitten* YES, I DO. I'd go crazy without. Then again, my diet I use is a lil weird.

Meatless on weekdays, meat free-for-all on weekend [in moderation for calories, you see]. In addition to eating meat again on weekends, I allow myself some leeway on calories. I try to eat around my 1200, but I'll splurge and go just a bit below my maintenance some days. Such as Friday... BBQ festival in the town over. Iatesomuch. xD; Regreeeet, but still below my maintenance.

Building_Bulk

Nope. I eat what fits into my diet and I don't really do cheat meals because I enjoy the foods I already eat so I don't find myself missing anything.

SueInAz

A bag of chips or some sweets is not a cheat day.

Frankly, I don't like the whole concept of a "cheat day" or "cheat meal". It implies that I'd be doing something wrong or against the rules and my personal relationship with food is better than that. If I want some chips or sweets, I have them in a modest portion and build them into my calories for the day. Of course, I don't have an end goal for my weight loss, either. I know this is for the rest of my life so my outlook may be a bit different than yours.

I don't think using food as a reward is a good idea, in any event. If you want to reward yourself for your accomplishment (and you should!) do it but pick something other than food. Buy yourself a piece of clothing you've been wanting or get a pedicure or a massage. If you've been dying for some chips or sweets, buy yourself a small bag and get past the craving.

Cortneyrenee04

That seems counterproductive to me. I eat what I want every day, though.

AddieOverhaul

I don't do conscious cheat days, I just go over my calories sometimes for special occasions and don't worry about it too much (will try to do really well the next few days to sort of make up for it). Some people who get into "cheat day" mindset go so crazy with food on that day that they undo all of their work for the previous week. I don't think the odd treat will derail you - and it is easier to maintain that long term than being super strict.

stfuriada

My self control is shaky at best, so I'm not about to challenge it.

Whitezombiegirl

No. I dont have that kind of relationship with food and l don't want to develop it. Food is fuel for me- not entertainment

JohnBarth

I never "cheat". I don't like the word, as I think it carries a negative connotation. I splurge occasionally and work it into my calorie plan if I can. If not, I enjoy the splurge and move on. I'm eating at a level that's maintainable long term, and splurge meals are going to come along from time to time. No more guilt. No more binge. Just living a new healthy lifestyle.

Danixkm

I personally don't but I don't see a problem with a cheat day. I try to eat healthily most of the time but if I want something 'cheatsy' I'll eat it and just log it in my calories to keep an eye on things.

tenka491

I do a cheat meal, but only if I have been good all week or two weeks. Sometimes, my cheat meal is simple, like a couple of pints of Guinness or lunch with coworkers. I keep it in check though, because I know if over do it I have to run extra miles next week.

Lasmartchika

No... but only because I fit chips or sweets or whatever into my daily calories.

triciab79

There is no such thing as a cheat meal. There is eating on your schedule in a way that is planned for and there is failing to control what you eat. Did you plan ahead and cut the extra calories, did you plan ahead and work out in a quantity equal to those calories you were planning to consume? Do you have a workable plan to fit those calories into your week? If not you didn't just cheat a little you left your diet and your will power in the dust and resorted to the bad habits that made you gain weight to begin with. If you do this regularly you will gain weight lose will power and become that portion of the statistic that spends their life yoyo dieting. It is 100% true that you can have whatever you want but it is also 100% true that if you fail to plan you should plan to fail. This whole cheat day thing makes people who are struggling to get a handle on their eating find a reason to fail.

messiahs

No. I eat sweets or indulgent foods when I want them enough to go out and get them, which is rare enough, and don't dub it a cheat day or dub it a reward. It's just a day where I have to eat a little less or work a little harder.

I used to think cheat days were a good enough idea, without having tried them. But the implication behind them (in most cases) seems to say that you eat whatever you want, all day, and I've done that, and simply felt sick, self-conscience, tired and very fat. It's one way to say "here, binge, because you can't have these things any other day".

Cheat meals? Sure, call them that. But I know that days where I eat whatever I want don't work for me. It's better to nudge those foods in where your calories allow when you actually really want them, instead of scheduling for them, as many people seem to do. A day where you have some chocolate isn't a cheat day. And I wouldn't dub a day a cheat day just because you had chips.

This is all just my opinion on the general subject. The whole concept is actually kind of strange now that I think about it.

brandyosu

Yes, I do. It isn't for everyone but it works for me.

FitPhillygirl

I'm trying to maintain without losing anymore weight as I have been so far this summer. Therefore I eat whatever I want and don't consider it cheating.

Laurenjenai

I have any snack I want any day, I just make sure to stay within my calorie goal. Truthfully though weekends I tend to over indulge, but that just makes it harder for me during the week lol. Moderation moderation moderation, it's important to remember that and it won't make things so difficult.

shadowfax_c11

I do my best to never use food as a reward. Food as comfort is what got me here to begin with. For me seeing the number on the scale go down is the reward. I allow myself some sweets or chips every day, they are just a part of my everyday eating. In fact there is nothing off limits as far as I a concerned. I just budget my calories to be able to "afford" the foods I want. Sometimes the budget says I need to wait a day or two to have some things. But when I do enjoy them I don't see them as any kind of a reward. As an adult I don't need bribes to get myself to do what I know is right.

When I want to do something nice for myself I go to a movie or to the museum or the botanical garden that I love. I ride my horse, go to an aikido seminar, buy some flowers for my home.... Even these things are just something I do on a regular basis. I don't have to earn them. I deserve to be loved by me every day, just for being me. I deserve to have a happy and comfortable life filled with the things I enjoy, within my budget, and I deserve to live in a healthy body that I am proud of while I do all of that.

Zia209

PixelPuff wrote: »

I'll be the person in the thread that says *kitten* YES, I DO. I'd go crazy without. Then again, my diet I use is a lil weird.

Meatless on weekdays, meat free-for-all on weekend [in moderation for calories, you see]. In addition to eating meat again on weekends, I allow myself some leeway on calories. I try to eat around my 1200, but I'll splurge and go just a bit below my maintenance some days. Such as Friday... BBQ festival in the town over. Iatesomuch. xD; Regreeeet, but still below my maintenance.

I bet you save a ton on your groceries. I might need to have some meatless days in my schedule. I want a nice vacation, so that will help me save up

Mr_Knight

As a reward? No.

Sometimes life happens and you deal with it....but no, I don't do cheat meals as a "reward"...

kaseyr1505

I don't reward myself with food. I eat what I want, in moderation. So I don't feel the need to cheat.

eshnna

No, I eat what I want that is within my allowed calories. If I want to splurge, I exercise more to allow myself to eat it.

oh_happy_day

I bank calories throughout the week to account for a day on the weekend where we eat out or I have a few glasses of wine. I still try to eat mindfully, I log it as accurately as I can and call it a day. I try not to think of it as a cheat day because that plays into unhealthy all-or-nothing/food as comfort thinking that I can struggle with. I know that this Saturday I'll be eating out twice and that even the 'best option' is still going to put me over my calories. So I'll just enjoy the food, do the best I can and I'm eating lightly over the next few days to even it out.

kikomansauce

Yes I love food, and it's the best motivator/reward for me xD I love food too much I eat for the pleasure of my tastebuds, not my body. HAHA! That's bad, I don't care. Food is delicious

Docbanana2002

I disagree with the idea of "cheating", NOT because I think it is bad to have a larger or less nutritious meal now and then, I just don't like the sneaky connotation of me cheating as if I'm doing something illicit. I'm not cheating anyone or anything if I have a bad day, diet wise. Sometimes I just can't be perfect. I log it and move on.

I also have some days that are higher net calorie than others on purpose, for various reasons. Again, it isn't "cheating" but a part of my plan. I'm trying to lose a half pound per week (250 calorie deficit), but find it easier to have some days be days when I restrict more and run a 500 calorie deficit, then pick a few other days to eat at maintenance. I tend to plan my maintenance days at times when I either know I'll be more sedentary (so will have fewer calories to eat back) or when I have a special occasion where I'll want to enjoy a larger or more caloric meal.