Quiting Cheat Days

BlackPantherChick123

I'm sick and tired of having cheat days. They keep me from reaching my goals and I want to know how can I stop myself from giving in. I want to just have one occasionally now until I reach my goal weight. My overtraining has made me have the urge to have one but I'm changing my workout routine but I want to know how can I stop myself from having so many cheat days. I need some advice because I'm coming home from a vacation and all I been having was dinner and dessert and exercising every morning in the gym but I know I been overeating just a bit because I don't know the calorie contents of the food but I allowed myself to have what I want and then I start fresh on Thursday.

Zella_11

To avoid cheat days, consider changing your calorie settings. Is it possible to set your weekly weight loss goal to .5 or 1 lb per week for awhile? When I overly restrict, it only leads to a "cheat" day that ruins my weekly calorie deficit. Now that I'm at a reasonable calorie deficit, I don't feel the need to indulge in a "cheat" meal or day--I feel much more satiated.

Zella_11

Don't worry--you'll get back on track. Hope you enjoyed your vacation!

hiyomi

What do you consider a cheat day? I have "cheat days" every weekend, but they have not thus far hindered my weight loss. I just make sure not to eat above 2,500 calories and so far I still continue to lose weight as long as I eat good Monday-Friday. Usually my cheat days will consist of a small breakfast, small lunch, large dinner and a "junky" snack lol If you plan ahead, and count your calories out, you should be able to make room for days where you can have a little more to indulge in. Then again, I weigh a lot, so this may be why its not hindering my weight loss. I weigh 267 lbs.

BlackPantherChick123

I don't count calories on my cheat days. I'm sure I overeat but i exercise like a maniac every day but I know they are causing me some problems and my confidence is dropping in the way I see myself. So I want to change that asap but I can't until I get home but I'm scared I'll have the urge to have a cheat day but I want to avoid any as much as possible for at least a month.

CarCar0207

Severe restriction will almost always lead to binging or "cheat days" because our body is compensating for its not getting. Try increasing ur protein and healthy fat intake and decreasing ur carb/sugar that way ur body will feel fuller and more satisfied resulting in less cravings and less desire to"cheat"

hiyomi

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

I don't count calories on my cheat days. I'm sure I overeat but i exercise like a maniac every day but I know they are causing me some problems and my confidence is dropping in the way I see myself. So I want to change that asap but I can't until I get home but I'm scared I'll have the urge to have a cheat day but I want to avoid any as much as possible for at least a month.

Nonono! Always count calories! It's extremely important! It's extremely easy to go overboard on calories if you do not pay attention to the calories in foods!

WinoGelato

So all you ate on vacation was dinner and dessert, still exercising, and you are concerned you have undone your progress?

How many calories do you normally eat? what kinds of foods were you eating and how much? I can't imagine one meal being so far above your maintenance cals that it would have a negative impact, unless you are eating as if its Thanksgiving every night?

lorrpb

Log your calories. Eat smaller portions of your "cheat" good, prob about 1/2 of you have been. Split dessert or save half, eat fewer pieces if pizza of whatever.

BlackPantherChick123

I normally count calories, but the places I have my cheat days and on vacation don't have nutrition info. I feel like I'm eating over maintenance and have no idea. I just feel fat and bloated and want to lose it all asap and extra. It's hard to count calories when you have no idea and that all the good food is high calorie and you just want to finish it or that you have a big appetite. I love food but I also love to keep my figure, that's why I kinda restrict because all my favorite foods are high in calories and I avoid them when I'm dieting because I will feel like I want more since I have a huge appetite.

MissusMoon

I'm set to lose 2lb per week and I don't do cheat days. I find ways to fit my treats into my daily goal. I had ice cream today, and I had pizza yesterday. I'm losing steadily and I haven't gone over my calories during my 33lb and counting journey. It can be done.

Machka9

I do diet breaks rather than cheat days.

I'll stick to the diet for a certain number of weeks, and then I take a diet break of a designated period of time, usually corresponding with a holiday.

So when I started, I stuck to the diet for 16 weeks, reached my first goal, and then took a 1-month diet break where I ate what I wanted and didn't log, but exercised more than usual because I was on holiday.

Then I stuck to it again for another 16 weeks, reached my second goal, and that brought me to a mid-November long weekend getaway, and I took a diet break then.

Then I stuck to it until about 4 days before Christmas, and took a 6 week diet break.

And so on ...

I'm on the diet again right now and will stick with it for a month to see if I can drop about 2 kg, then I'll take another diet break.

BlackPantherChick123

I know I can lose the weight, but I'm just afraid I'll end up bingeing or just overeating on large meals but I want the quick weight loss since I don't really have patience.

CarCar0207

Go keto - allows for more food, decreased cravings/appetite and easy to follow rules.

endlessfall16

It's all about how to train your dragon. Good movie. Lots of people think severe restriction leads to overeating but then lots of other people also can't curb overeating either, in other words over eating leads to more over eating which is the case for the OP. You'll find all sorts of logics explained.

Again, it's all about control training.

I train my eating habit as such that I eat large meals when I like (and I like eating/buffets like everyone). Then, on other days I tune out, "ignore" eating. I'd just eat enough/less quantity and nutritious foods and move on. On these days it's "severe restriction" by most people's standard -- but it's really not if you look at the bathroom scale or take a trend. Neither the big meal days nor the lesser days lead to anything in particular since it's all about control of the body. You stimulate your body to like and overeat and you de-stimulate it to go "sleep". It's your dragon.

bellabonbons

The beauty of my fitness pal counting calories is that no foods are forbidden. I factor in the sweets that I love , the desserts that I love, and all the foods that I love so I'm not tempted to have out-of-control cheat days.

BlackPantherChick123

Well, I know I gained weight on my vacation, but my vacation has been fun, and I feel confident to lose the weight and to be able to control my eating habits and I'll try not to overtrain as much so it won't lead me to have the urge for a cheat day. I usually stick to a 800 calorie diet if I want to lose weight quickly (which works for me) but I hate eating the same foods and I like to eat multiple different foods when I have my meals instead of one type of meals plus a dessert to have something sweet in my diet which I normally have an apple, Fiber One or Actic Zero ice cream (150 calories since I eat the whole thing).

endlessfall16

bella, until you love everything a bit too much and then it's out of control, no?

VintageFeline

800 calories and admitting to overtraining? So you're obliterating muscle (and your heart and other organs are muscles) and have sever anxiety about eating out and "cheating"? I think you need more help than can be offered here, you need to seek professional help. Your behaviour is disordered.

Machka9

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

Well, I know I gained weight on my vacation, but my vacation has been fun, and I feel confident to lose the weight and to be able to control my eating habits and I'll try not to overtrain as much so it won't lead me to have the urge for a cheat day. I usually stick to a 800 calorie diet if I want to lose weight quickly (which works for me) but I hate eating the same foods and I like to eat multiple different foods when I have my meals instead of one type of meals plus a dessert to have something sweet in my diet which I normally have an apple, Fiber One or Actic Zero ice cream (150 calories since I eat the whole thing).

There it is ... the reason you have urges for a cheat day.

1) Seek professional help!

2) You do not need to be on an 800 calorie a day diet. That is NOT recommended. Up it to 1200 calories and you can have "multiple different foods", treats, etc. ... then you won't need a cheat day.

hiyomi

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

Well, I know I gained weight on my vacation, but my vacation has been fun, and I feel confident to lose the weight and to be able to control my eating habits and I'll try not to overtrain as much so it won't lead me to have the urge for a cheat day. I usually stick to a 800 calorie diet if I want to lose weight quickly (which works for me) but I hate eating the same foods and I like to eat multiple different foods when I have my meals instead of one type of meals plus a dessert to have something sweet in my diet which I normally have an apple, Fiber One or Actic Zero ice cream (150 calories since I eat the whole thing).

An 800 calorie diet?! That's....insane! That is waaaay to low of calories, nobody is recommended to eat below 1200 calories a day! You really need to reevaluate your eating habits and come up with a better goal. Eating that little isn't just crazy, but its also very dangerous. It can destroy your health and of course you'll want to binge all the time only eating 800 calories a day.

VintageFeline

*1200 before exercise. Overtraining tells us far more than 1200 calories is needed.

WinoGelato

800 cal diet
Overtraining
Want to lose weight ASAP
Feelings of guilt about food
Obsession over not being able to accurately calorie count.


Please seek help from a specialist trained in eating disorders. I remember you now from earlier posts. This is not the first time you've talked about these concerning issues.

WinoGelato

Also, while the important thing is that you get help for your ED, it's possible to still log meals even if you are eating at a restaurant that doesn't have nutritional information. Search the database for something similar from a restaurant that does post nutritional info. If you logged the estimates you may realize you are not overdoing it as much as you think on your vacation and that would hopefully help with these feelings of guilt and your desire to then further restrict to compensate from your cheat days.

Please seek help.

Francl27

Vacations are tough. Just get back on track and eat what you want within your calories.

And yeah.. log everything.

Scamd83

CarCar0207 wrote: »

Go keto - allows for more food, decreased cravings/appetite and easy to follow rules.

That's a bold claim, I presume that's your own experience of sticking to a keto diet but that doesn't mean it would necessarily be everyone else's. Still though, if you're going to offer that up as a suggestion maybe you should go into a bit more detail for the sake of OP so they can decide a bit better.

CarCar0207

@scamd83 I am fairly new to keto but the info out there is abundant for anyone interested. Although I wasn't coming from a place of severe restriction and over exercise, I was coming from my own place involving ED and unhealthy relationships with food where I lived in complete panics after my binges and could compensate by severe restriction powered by guilt and self loathing. Keto diet has helped back to the path of trusting my hunger signals and even helped decrease them (especially in the way of temptation and over indulgence). It's true that this is a drastic change in lifestyle that won't work for everyone but the healthy benefits and science behind them are huge and I have personally found it to be a rewarding choice thus far.

Francl27

Scamd83 wrote: »

CarCar0207 wrote: »

Go keto - allows for more food, decreased cravings/appetite and easy to follow rules.

That's a bold claim, I presume that's your own experience of sticking to a keto diet but that doesn't mean it would necessarily be everyone else's. Still though, if you're going to offer that up as a suggestion maybe you should go into a bit more detail for the sake of OP so they can decide a bit better.

Also not sustainable for a lot of people...