Cheat day/meal question, 1200 calories people

boychucker

If you do cheat days or meals, do you do one meal a week or a whole cheat day but don't go crazy? If you eat 1200 calories, how many calories are your cheat meals/days and how often do you have them? My dh and i take a long weekend every month and I'm thinking of only cheating on vacation.

louloup

I only just started my diet seriously again on 4th jan. I am 1 week in today. I shall be cheating once every 3 weeks, with one meal (probably a meal out/takeaway)

themadteapot

Back when I was doing the "body for life" program it suggested having one cheat day a week. I lost at least twenty pounds with that diet and it really helped during the week knowing at max you only had six days until you could eat whatever you were craving. And half the time when that day rolled around your cravings had changed, and after dieting and working out for six days even if you wanted say a whole pizza you didn't have the stomach room to eat that much. Plus after a crazy cheat day I would find my next cheat day a lot more tame because I would remember how miserable I was from trying to eat a bunch of oily or processed foods when I was eating clean.

I would play around with the cheat day until you find what works best for you. And it is a cheat day! So don't worry about how many calories you are eating, just enjoy them and satisfy yourself (:

LizzyLiz696

I cheat one day out of the week ... Only one cheat meal ... 1,200 calories for that day... Let's say a burger combo ... But will try not to go over 800 calories ... Only water or coffee ... I drink teas... No soda .. And I started my Journey on September 21,2015 at 218-216 lbs ... Now 172.4 lbs... Tonight was my cheat day..

BodyByBex

I don't cheat. I eat. I had a McDonald's Double Cheese burger on Saturday. It wasn't a 'cheat day' it fit my macros and my calories. They never seem to taste as good as when I was drunk and fat and ate 15 at once though....

GsKiki

I don't do cheat days, I just eat everything in moderation.
I tried cheat days before and it was terrible. Just made me crave everything more, and I would always feel sick afterwards.
So now I eat whatever I want, just in moderation and make it work in my schedule and routine.

Lucille4444

I don't cheat. If I am hungry I will take a day and eat at maintenance, then go back to deficit eating.
Eating less calories, exercising, all of that was a big step for me, no way I'm going to risk all of that by cheating. One can easily ruin a week's worth of deficit by blindly eating whatever one wants during a 'cheat' day, I'm not going to do that.

callsitlikeiseeit

no cheating here either.

if i want something, i make it work with my calories. though at 1200 calories (which i have done before), that often means getting in an extra workout or eating at maintenance that day.

i eat around 1500 (im not strict with it ) and eat out, drink, eat chocolate... all on a regular basis.

suziecue20

I don't do cheat days or cheat meals. If an occasion crops up I'll go over my daily calories without worrying about it and just carry on with my deficit. I think if I made a conscious effort to have a cheat meal once a week or once a month 1 cheat meal would become 2, would become 3 etc., but that's just me.

Jonna13

I'm eating more on a daily basis-around 1400-1500 calories, but I don't do "cheat" days either, I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want a burger or pizza, I eat it. But I balance it out with healthier meals through out the day and plenty of water on the days my sodium intake is high. This has been working great for me as I have zero cravings etc. If there is a day I know I will be eating more (birthday party, occasion etc.) I try and get more exercise in to compensate.

ClosetBayesian

I don't cheat. I work what I want into my day. I had ridiculously chocolate cake (chocolate cassata, chocolate cupcakes, and the old-fashioned chocolate cake, all out of Death By Chocolate) every day from Christmas through January 3rd or so, and still managed to lose weight over the holidays. I ate healthier stuff throughout the day so I could "afford" the splurge on calories.

rosebette

I usually do a cheat meal once a week when my husband and I eat out. For 1200 calorie folk, a word of caution, though; often, a cheat meal could be your calorie allowance for an entire day, so you could easily "undo" the week's progress. I did a cheat meal at Bertucci's this week and logged it. The shrimp scampi entree was 1250 calories (not counting dressed salad and roll), and because I had done a heavy workout that day, I was starved, so I ate the whole thing. Not surprisingly, I'm up a pound. Perhaps what is more reasonable is to allow a treat, but in moderation.

Jetamu96

I don't do cheat days. Everything in moderation. I have a little treat every day (mini dark chocolate no added sugar ice cream cones are my obsession atm, only 77 calories). If I do go out to eat then I just stop when I'm satisfied. Simple ^^

marieamethyst

I usually eat more on the weekends, so I plan my week accordingly. Most of my extra calories on those days come from a bigger dinner (like several slices of pizza). Having those higher calorie days didn't really affect my weight loss; was still able to get down to goal weight and achieve the flat tummy that I was looking for.

Exercising helps give me some extra calories on those days as well!

ilex70

I eat around that neighborhood in calories.

I don't plan to cheat regularly, but it comes up some...holidays, guests.

I eat what I want within reason and then just go back to normal.

_Terrapin_

I may eat a Five Guys Burger this week; I think it is roughly 1,000 calories. Is it cheating on Wendy's or McDonald's? What is getting cheated? Is this an IRA audit trap?

amber68rose556

I prefer to get a little cadbury's fudge bar for 115 kcals whenever i go shopping, fits in my calories and feels like i had a treat!

Abbie918

I don't plan a cheat day, but I don't beat myself up if I end up over. For example, yesterday I went out to a spontaneous lunch with a friend on my off-day from the gym. I definitely ate more than I planned. I drank lots of water, and today I will work a bit harder and longer at the gym.

rachaelk2010

I have cheat days, but never plan them out. If I plan them, everything else I eat that week is unsatisfying and the cheat day inevitably gets me off track. If you want to eat something over the top or go out to eat, work out that day and ask for a box right when you order. Normally the meals you order are 2 services, so this way you can put half the meal in the box right away and get rid of the temptation of over eating. If I have a cheat day I try not to go over 300-500 calories. Anything more that that and I feel sluggish the following day.

kgirlhart

I don't have cheat days. I try to fit everything into my 1200 calories. If I work out I will eat back half of my workout calories and I can get more calories on those days. I did go over my calories on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I just got right back to it the next day, plus worked out. For me planning a day to overeat just seems counterproductive to changing my lifestyle. I eat what I want, I just work it into my calorie goal.