What's YOUR treat method/cycle?

Karmyeboo

Just interested to see how people treat themselves with food they enjoy either a cheat meal/treat etc I've seen various such as
- 1 day in the month for a cheat day
- Each night fitting a treat within calorie goal limit
- One cheat meal a week

I was thinking to go with every 21st day of moderately clean eating within calorie limit having a cheat day

What's your treat method and what do you generally treat yourself with

Alatariel75

I just had a bowl of ice cream, it's pretty much a nightly thing. Fits my goals.

DemoraFairy

If it's a special occasion or I'm going out to a restaurant for a meal (especially if it's one that doesn't publish its calories) then I'll use that as my cheat meal and eat what I want. If it happens unusually regularly for a period of time for some reason then I'll try to be careful while I'm out, but since things like that are usually fairly spread apart, it doesn't matter so much.

I'd rather not do it at a set time/interval partly because I don't feel the desire to eat more if I'm just at home, and because I'd much rather have a day of relaxing when I'm with people having fun than just a day at home by myself eating a big meal. And it's much easier to stay in your calories accurately when you're at home than when you're out.

Liftng4Lis

I make room in my allotment daily for something yummy.

GypsyByTheSea

I have fought hard to overcome binge eating. It has taken all of 3 years to learn to eat in a healthy, sustainable way every day. My brain sees a cheat day or meal as a free for all. I have learned to work some treats into my calories almost every day - that way I never feel deprived and I don't perpetuate the cycle of overeating or "cheating".

Kalikel

If I feel like it, I have a "treat", but I generally don't want them. I don't even think of them as treats any longer. Eating stuff that isn't good for me doesn't seem like a treat. It might taste good, but so does a bowl of berries. And the berries are healthier. Eating yummy food and staying healthy - that's a treat.

I just don't want those "treats."

I used to think I did, but when I gave myself permission to eat them, I found out that I don't really want to. I really want to eat the healthier fare.

If I want junk food, I can have it any time I want. I don't have to portion it, even. I can just have whatever I want, whenever I want it.

I choose not to have that stuff. So I guess my method is making choices.

rybo

I don't allot special times or schedules or amounts to my treats. They just occur. I also truly enjoy my "usual" daily foods such that I don't feel the need to eat something decadent as a reward for eating "healthy".

KarenJanine

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

I make room in my allotment daily for something yummy.

This

In addition I work to weekly calorie goals, which means I usually eat less on week days when I have more structured eating patterns, and more at the weekends when I am more likely to go out for meals, attend celebrations, etc. So on average I maintain a deficit across the week, even if I have a 'blowout' meal.

prestigio

I'll have something 'unhealthy' every now and then. Make it fit in my macro's.
If someone is treating or something similar, I'm not going to be 'that guy'. I'll join if I want to and again, make it fit my macro's (or account for it the next day).

Machka9

I eat yummy food all the time.

I figure that if I've got a maximum calorie limit, I'm not touching anything I don't like ... it's just not worth it. Only food I like!!

If I want more yummy food than usual, or yummy food with a higher calorie count ... like say, cheesecake ... which might take me over my maximum calorie limit, I exercise for it.

I usually exercise quite a bit on weekends, so I can have pizza for dinner or whatever I want.

No cheats involved ... it's all within my maximum calorie limit.

ndj1979

i eat the foods that I like/want every day. I just make sure that they fit my macro/micro/calorie targets for the day.

stop viewing foods as cheats, bad, evil, good, etc. Food = food it provides your body with energy for bodily functions.

There is no such thing as bad food, just bad diets.

eat the foods you like, make sure you hit micros/macros, and stop applying moral judgements to food.

barbecuesauce

I think cheat days are incredibly stupid--who are you cheating? Yourself?

I don't know what "moderately clean" means but I bet it looks like how most of us on here eat--mostly nutrient-dense with a sprinkling of calorie-dense.

I eat a treat most days. Some days I go to bed before I get around to it and some days I don't want it. Having junk food as an everyday option lessens its allure.

richln

IIFYM. Weekdays are usually pretty boring "clean" foods, but I schedule ice cream in almost every night. Weekends usually involve some pizza and beer.

chivalryder

My method is: If I want it, I'm eating it.

Machka9

Machka9 wrote: »

I eat yummy food all the time.

I figure that if I've got a maximum calorie limit, I'm not touching anything I don't like ... it's just not worth it. Only food I like!!

If I want more yummy food than usual, or yummy food with a higher calorie count ... like say, cheesecake ... which might take me over my maximum calorie limit, I exercise for it.

I usually exercise quite a bit on weekends, so I can have pizza for dinner or whatever I want.

No cheats involved ... it's all within my maximum calorie limit.

For example, this evening my husband made Anzac Biscuits. The house filled will the delicious smell of warm cookies.

I had one ... because it fit in within my calorie limit.

rhyolite_

I don't really understand the concept of a cheat day. I eat what I want all the time, just less of it than I did before. I had a movie day with some friends and worked half a box of S'mores Oreos into my calorie allotment for the day. It wasn't a "cheat" - I still stayed within my calories. I eat out on a daily basis because my coworkers are always wanting to go out for lunch and I want to join them. I get the things I want and adjust my portion sizes as needed. I've lost 30 pounds so far.

There have been days where I was all out of calories and sat down with a bag of chips anyway. That wasn't a cheat day either, it was a lack of self control. But considering I'm eating at a deficit, the extra calories aren't going to make me gain much, if anything.

I know that cheat days make sense to some people, and may even help with their goals. I just know that my attempts in the past to lose weight always failed when I demonized certain foods or looked at my diet as something I could "cheat" on.

CooCooPuff

I keep sweets around the house and usually eat some in the afternoon because that's when I usually want them. If I really want something when I'm out, I'll get whatever I can make fit into my calorie goals

I might try to save some calories if I know there is an event coming up, or I'll take whatever i ate over that day and reduce my intake a little for the next few days.

Mezzie1024

I don't log or hold back when I travel. That's usually once or twice a year, but this summer I've practically lived at the airport and it's gotten a bit out of hand. I may have to revise my plan to not logging one day per week while traveling, or something similar.

DeguelloTex

I eat what I want if it fits in my macros.

When I was still eating at a deficit, I'd have to eat fewer calories for a couple of days in order to make room for a trip to a Tex-Mex restaurant once a month or so. Now that I'm eating at maintenance (or a little below, now -- curse you, C25K!) I can fit it in as a normal dinner just by having more protein and less carbs earlier in the day.

SavannahStClair

I agree with a lot of the other posts here. I view "cheat days" as cheating yourself. Plus, if I weighed more the next day I would lose motivation and probably just fall off the wagon. So, I have treats if it fits in my day and only if I wanted them before I realized I was under my calorie goal for the day. Even then, my treats are potion controlled, and I don't go overboard.

HikeCyclist

During certain phases I will start buying Reese's peanut butter cups LOL I have a major weakness for them! I will buy maybe one or two packages and eat them over 2-3 days. However, I always make sure that they fit into my calorie allotment. I feel that allowing myself to have this once in a while, actually when I really want it, prevents me from going off track.

WBB55

According to my FitBit, my TDEE is on average around 2150. If I eat under that, I know I'm still on track for weightloss in the long term. I can fit regular treats or a nice dinner out with drinks in a 2150 day. Certainly the more days at 2150 means the slower my loss overall, but knowing that my day's total calories could be anywhere from 1200-2150 gives me A LOT of flexibility.

I guess my "plan," if you want to call it that, is to average out on a weekly basis eating about 2000-4000 fewer calories than I burned (based on info from my FitBit), without going over my TDEE on any specific given day. Birthdays and holiday dinners not included, though I do still try to make sure I'm below TDEE for that week.

Lounmoun

I don't view food as clean/unclean, good/bad, cheating/treats. I think about what I'd like to eat that day and I fit it in my calorie goal.
Some foods don't help me meet my nutrition goals or fit my calorie goal well so I just choose other foods I like.
I might make a decision to occasionally go over my calorie goal (maintenance calorie day) or exercise more to accommodate the higher calorie food.
I do eat out once a week for one meal with my family. You could call it a treat but I still plan my meal in advance, fit it in my goal and log it.

BoxerBrawler

I typically eat out once a week either a Friday or Saturday night. That is the meal e.g., appetizer, food, dessert, whatever that I have without batting an eye. I don't think about the calories, sugars, salt, etc. I just get what I like and enjoy it. I don't over eat (stop when I'm full), and by this point in the game I pretty much select healthier options as it a habit now and I enjoy 'cleaner' foods. I always leave room for dessert, or an ice cream

kshama2001

@Karmyeboo - you may wish to ask this in the clean eating group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/133-clean-eating-group

lalepepper

I try to avoid planning full days or even really any time where I am not in control. Fitting that "treat" in to my daily budget and macros leaves me a lot less likely to try to take advantage of a day to go overboard, and helps me to continue not seeing food as a reward.

professionalHobbyist

Dark chocolate 85% every morning with coffee

It is good for my heart and yummy

cwolfman13

i don't really have a schedule...sometimes my friends invite me over to a BBQ and I over eat a little or eat something I normally wouldn't...I like taking my kids out to pizza every few weeks, etc. it's not really scheduled...pretty much these things just come about but in the context of my diet as a whole, these things are pretty much de minimis. I try to steer clear of terms like "clean", but I would suppose that's how many would view my overall diet.

SuggaD

I make it fit when I want it. When I want huge treats, I wait for the weekend as usually have bigger calorie budget.

Need2Exerc1se

I purposely eat less during the work week so I can eat more on the weekends. You could consider every weekend 'cheat days' if you wanted (I don't).

I eat treats as rarely as I need them. By that I mean not every time I want, but often enough to not be miserable.

I have very high calorie days on occasion, but not an a regularly planned schedule.

bookworm_847

I set aside some calories for whatever I'm into at the time and eat it before I go to bed. Lately it's Dove dark chocolate.

If it's something bigger that I'm craving, I'll wait and see if I'm still craving it after a 3 days or so. If I am, I'll just make it fit and have a serving.

Other than that, I just plan and make things fit. I've gone overboard a lot less since I quit making anything off-limits.