How often do you cheat?

pluthera

How often do you cheat on your diet and is it beneficial?

Thanks everyone

randomtai

Can't cheat on a diet. I fit things I want to eat in.

fr33sia12

I never cheat (or haven't yet and don't plan to) I enjoy what I eat and eat what I want fitting into my calorie allowance. The only person you cheat is yourself, so have a cheat day/meal if you want, but be ready for any consequences.

Sabine_Stroehm

Never. I have a lifestyle that includes some planned, and some unplanned treats and indulgences.

MelaniaTrump

Cheat meals were a 6 month waste of my life.

pluthera

How so?

MightyLolo

I don't "cheat" and I don't recommend it. But on days I both swim and lift (once a week), I plan for more calories, including a modest treat. It's still a day that's different from the other six, but the mindset is different from "cheating".
HTH

subakwa

You can't cheat yourself. If you want something, decide how that fits with your goals and make grown-up decisions about it.

If I want the occasional Indian takeaway, I plan it in and eat it. I like to ensure that I am within my weekly calorie target still so I make sacrifices in other places to allow it.

rosebarnalice

I don't cheat. Period.
But "cheating" depends on what the "game" is. MY game is logging with ruthless honesty-- even when what I log is not particularly healthy or below my calorie goal. So as long as I log it honestly, it's not cheating to me.

Having said that, I've been maintaining now for 4 months. I go over my calorie limit about twice a week (usually weekends), and I am under my calorie goal by about the same amount about two days a week to balance things out.

endlessfall16

Whatever you call it, cheat or not, just semantics.

It's all about managing your eating behaviors, calories. However you eat, planned, unplanned, big, small, if everything is generally accounted for, you are good.

goldthistime

I have what I call "accidental refeeds" once a month or so. Meaning that it was not my plan to overeat, but it happens. And also meaning that I try to look at the bright side.

mamabearkrone

I don't really cheat but on weekends I eat things that aren't on my normal diet plan I still stay in my calorie goal and maybe go over by 100-200 calories but that's rare.

ridge4mfp

I don't cheat. If I have an occasion coming up, or just really want that night out at the Tex-Mex joint, I plan for it accordingly. I bank calories for the week, eat lightly on other meals that day, and make sure to get some exercise.

Dannigreen31

One evening a week I'll have a night off. Have some Chinese or pizza but I'm always at the gym so it's always burnt off!

rickb0309

Not so far. Worked too hard to get here. Not worth it.

RoxieDawn

I think we should ask the mods to create a section in the forums called "If you cheat post here".

donjtomasco

I can't believe all the "Don't Cheat" responses, but God Bless you all!!! I cheat. How often? It depends. If I am going out on a date with my wife of 26 years, I am not going to be a homer that goes to a nice restaurant and worries about calorie counting. I don't drink alcohol anymore (it became a problem), so when she starts with a nice glass of whatever, I order a Ginger Beer or a Funky House Special, which is usually loaded with sweet whatevers, and is a calorie buster alone. We indulge on a nice appetizer, and I like to get the house special many times for my entre. Let's face it, most restaurant dishes will be cooked in pallet pleasing high calorie butter or oils, and I just won't ask for special preparation for me and my 'diet'. I want the experience and to fully enjoy the evening. I might even have a high calorie desert that evening too.

If possible, I will try and eat less during the day to leave room for my evening blowout, but this is not always possible.

If we go to a friends house for dinner, I could never pick around and ask about how the food was prepped and if it was weighed, and how much it weighed, then jot down notes for my MFP inputting later. I don't want to be 'that person' who appears to be making it all about himself and making a statement about being fit, or trying, which conversely can or might make others feel bad about their dinner. On the last night of our tennis league the club had a cookout for everyone. I had two hamburger pattie's, cheese, lettuce and two tomato slices on top of it. That plate alone got comments from others about why I was not "Eating The Bun"? I simply said I don't eat bread now if I don't have to. The woman next to me, a good friend, was chowing on her burger and was noticeably effected by feeling like she was a pig. (my words).

So, if we go to someone's house I will eat what they have and be a good guest, log the best I can later, and just chalk it up to a fun evening. And in doing so, I am usually surprised at how little I actually ate as opposed to the big cheat that I expected it to be. I still exceeded my calories in most cases, but so what?

This is a long term life thing that I am doing. There will be weddings, there will be sleepless nights, there will be times when the body feels like it needs some grease and gravy and carbs (mashers and butter and fries) and I try and listen to my body and give it what it asks for within reason. The days where I can easily manage fewer calories far exceeds the days that I have cravings and need to eat more then MFP allows, so I just accept it and move on. What matters is what the scale says after a week, or a month, and over the months am I on the right track. The scale never lies.

So yes, BIG CHEATER HERE. Maybe once a week, maybe not for several weeks, sometimes maybe 2-3 days in a row if my kids have come home and we have a party or event or wedding or a special date night.

And so far so good. This is my third go around with losing weigh on MFP, I did this in 2013 and 2015 (2015 was the Gold's Gym 12 week challenge which I will never do again), now this time that I started on April 25th. Each time ironically, I started my 'plan' around the same weight amount, in 2013 I weighed 209, in 2015 I weighed 215, and this year I started at 214. But I am certain that each year I could add 5 pounds to the upside since I never was hoping on the scale as I was gaining weight, since it was too depressing.

2013 and 2015 I was rigidly and obsessively trying to stay perfect on a daily basis, and ANY misses (cheats) resulted in me getting down on myself and depressed that I was failing at this and could not maintain dedication to improving myself. The result of this rigidity (for me) was that when I lost my goal in weight, for me it was like "So Now What?" I had become so obsessed with being perfect on my MFP and calories and measurements and watching every ounce and logging every ounce, that I lost site of living, so when I was done losing weight I felt lost. I am not saying that THAT was the reason for my "YO-YO'ing" with my weight loss and gain over the last 3 years, but it is a consistent pattern unique to me that seems to have been the trouble spot. So while taking that into account, I decided this time to do the best I could, and to enjoy food and life when the opportunities presented themselves versus being a food hermit and letting food and calories run my life and dictate my food intake on special evenings or at special events.

This years weight loss plan was inspired by the need for a hip replacement on May 23rd. My hip was bone on bone, and anything and everything hurt. Nothing I did (including playing tennis) could hurt my hip more, it was just a matter of having pain and living with it 24/7, which unfortunately I had gotten used to and was my new normal which occurred over 2 years. So part of pre surgery included full doctor checkups (being 54 docs take surgeries more seriously with our age being higher). Well, my cholesterol was thru the roof again, but this was self inflicted since I love a large chicken fried steak with gravy, mashed potatoes and fries, with pecan pie to close out the meal. In the interest of hopefully having the most successful surgery and recovery as possible, I knew losing as much weight as possible before surgery was the most prudent plan, despite the pain, so I hit the gym and treadmill starting on April 25, and started MFP again and blew the dust off my graphs and charts. I lost 15.75 pounds in the next month (a lot of that just junk weight and water retention in the first week). The day of surgery I added 11 pounds in swelling and water retention. The doc and PT recommended NOT worrying about dieting since my hip required a lot of calories to heal properly. There was no way to really come up with a 'calorie burned' amount during rehab, but I figured it was quite a bit, since I was constantly sore and worn out as my hip did what it was supposed to do, and I continued to add to my PT and walk on it as much as possible. My calorie intake ON MOST DAYS post surgery were in excess of my maintain calorie intake plan, yet I was still losing some weight. What I did not know know how much was just water and swelling I was losing, and I would not really know this till I returned to normal swelling wise, and when the anesthesia wore off. So, the first week or two, while in a kind of constant fog state, it was a leap of faith regarding my diet, but I still ate healthy, I just ate to excess to make sure that I was on the 'feed the hip' side versus not supplying my hip with the nutrients that it might be needing. I think the result was that my stretching and exercises worked the way they were supposed to work. It actually took 16 days to get back to my 'day of surgery weight', and today is day 21, three weeks to the day post surgery. I was at 198 the day of surgery, and this morning weighed in at 194.6, so it looks like my eating to excess of my daily maintain calories was a good plan, and I guess I have been burning more calories then I expected in my physical therapy.

And during these last three weeks, I have had quite a few very indulgent cheat meals, so I am happy that in spite of all the cheating, I have been able to maintain my plan on the rest of the days.

I think the main thing to do is that if you cheat, you can make it up. Maybe count your calories on a weekly basis (while keeping track daily, just make sure that you are at your planned deficit for the full week) so that what matters is your net CICO for the week, versus being worried about a one meal cheat here or there.

I fully agree with "if it fits in your daily plan anything is fine to consume" but this limits your ability to enjoy the occasional gluttonous consuming meal, which as far as I am concerned is simply a reward to your hard work on all the other days.

But if you can't do this psychologically, and if cheating sends you into a tailspin which causes you to junk your plan and give up due to blowing it out for one meal, then I guess you need to be more diligent about NOT cheating, and that is fine too. It is just not the diet that I want to live by. And living that way, FOR ME, the last two times I lost weight, resulted in me losing control when I had reached my goal, and I slowly gained the weight back. Maybe I felt like I had been so deprived that I felt like I deserved a reward. But then those reward moments became more common, then while it is not that hard to get used to losing weight, and getting used to a lower calories in diet, it seems (to me) to be as easy to go the other way and get used to adding some pasta here, a piece of pie there, a cookie here and there, and before I know it, I am on my way back up again and I convince myself that once again I am just not able to maintain a healthy weight.

But this time it feels better since I am not limiting myself, I am rewarding myself more often with 'cheat meal' or as I like to call them 'Reward Meals' or 'Reward Moments'. Anyway, it's still too early to know for sure, I am only in week 8 right now, and in no way am I as knowledgeable and experienced as MOST people in MFP, which is why I am on MFP and roam these communities to learn from the experts and to try and incorporate their knowledge into a plan that works for me and my lifestyle.

Good luck to you, from a confessed Cheater!!!!!

Zipp237

There is no cheating. There are only choices.

Sabine_Stroehm

donjtomasco wrote: »

I can't believe all the "Don't Cheat" responses, but God Bless you all!!! I cheat. How often? It depends. If I am going out on a date with my wife of 26 years, I am not going to be a homer that goes to a nice restaurant and worries about calorie counting. I don't drink alcohol anymore (it became a problem), so when she starts with a nice glass of whatever, I order a Ginger Beer or a Funky House Special, which is usually loaded with sweet whatevers, and is a calorie buster alone. We indulge on a nice appetizer, and I like to get the house special many times for my entre. Let's face it, most restaurant dishes will be cooked in pallet pleasing high calorie butter or oils, and I just won't ask for special preparation for me and my 'diet'. I want the experience and to fully enjoy the evening. I might even have a high calorie desert that evening too.

If possible, I will try and eat less during the day to leave room for my evening blowout, but this is not always possible.

If we go to a friends house for dinner, I could never pick around and ask about how the food was prepped and if it was weighed, and how much it weighed, then jot down notes for my MFP inputting later. I don't want to be 'that person' who appears to be making it all about himself and making a statement about being fit, or trying, which conversely can or might make others feel bad about their dinner. On the last night of our tennis league the club had a cookout for everyone. I had two hamburger pattie's, cheese, lettuce and two tomato slices on top of it. That plate alone got comments from others about why I was not "Eating The Bun"? I simply said I don't eat bread now if I don't have to. The woman next to me, a good friend, was chowing on her burger and was noticeably effected by feeling like she was a pig. (my words).

So, if we go to someone's house I will eat what they have and be a good guest, log the best I can later, and just chalk it up to a fun evening. And in doing so, I am usually surprised at how little I actually ate as opposed to the big cheat that I expected it to be. I still exceeded my calories in most cases, but so what?

This is a long term life thing that I am doing. There will be weddings, there will be sleepless nights, there will be times when the body feels like it needs some grease and gravy and carbs (mashers and butter and fries) and I try and listen to my body and give it what it asks for within reason. The days where I can easily manage fewer calories far exceeds the days that I have cravings and need to eat more then MFP allows, so I just accept it and move on. What matters is what the scale says after a week, or a month, and over the months am I on the right track. The scale never lies.

So yes, BIG CHEATER HERE. Maybe once a week, maybe not for several weeks, sometimes maybe 2-3 days in a row if my kids have come home and we have a party or event or wedding or a special date night.

And so far so good. This is my third go around with losing weigh on MFP, I did this in 2013 and 2015 (2015 was the Gold's Gym 12 week challenge which I will never do again), now this time that I started on April 25th. Each time ironically, I started my 'plan' around the same weight amount, in 2013 I weighed 209, in 2015 I weighed 215, and this year I started at 214. But I am certain that each year I could add 5 pounds to the upside since I never was hoping on the scale as I was gaining weight, since it was too depressing.

2013 and 2015 I was rigidly and obsessively trying to stay perfect on a daily basis, and ANY misses (cheats) resulted in me getting down on myself and depressed that I was failing at this and could not maintain dedication to improving myself. The result of this rigidity (for me) was that when I lost my goal in weight, for me it was like "So Now What?" I had become so obsessed with being perfect on my MFP and calories and measurements and watching every ounce and logging every ounce, that I lost site of living, so when I was done losing weight I felt lost. I am not saying that THAT was the reason for my "YO-YO'ing" with my weight loss and gain over the last 3 years, but it is a consistent pattern unique to me that seems to have been the trouble spot. So while taking that into account, I decided this time to do the best I could, and to enjoy food and life when the opportunities presented themselves versus being a food hermit and letting food and calories run my life and dictate my food intake on special evenings or at special events.

This years weight loss plan was inspired by the need for a hip replacement on May 23rd. My hip was bone on bone, and anything and everything hurt. Nothing I did (including playing tennis) could hurt my hip more, it was just a matter of having pain and living with it 24/7, which unfortunately I had gotten used to and was my new normal which occurred over 2 years. So part of pre surgery included full doctor checkups (being 54 docs take surgeries more seriously with our age being higher). Well, my cholesterol was thru the roof again, but this was self inflicted since I love a large chicken fried steak with gravy, mashed potatoes and fries, with pecan pie to close out the meal. In the interest of hopefully having the most successful surgery and recovery as possible, I knew losing as much weight as possible before surgery was the most prudent plan, despite the pain, so I hit the gym and treadmill starting on April 25, and started MFP again and blew the dust off my graphs and charts. I lost 15.75 pounds in the next month (a lot of that just junk weight and water retention in the first week). The day of surgery I added 11 pounds in swelling and water retention. The doc and PT recommended NOT worrying about dieting since my hip required a lot of calories to heal properly. There was no way to really come up with a 'calorie burned' amount during rehab, but I figured it was quite a bit, since I was constantly sore and worn out as my hip did what it was supposed to do, and I continued to add to my PT and walk on it as much as possible. My calorie intake ON MOST DAYS post surgery were in excess of my maintain calorie intake plan, yet I was still losing some weight. What I did not know know how much was just water and swelling I was losing, and I would not really know this till I returned to normal swelling wise, and when the anesthesia wore off. So, the first week or two, while in a kind of constant fog state, it was a leap of faith regarding my diet, but I still ate healthy, I just ate to excess to make sure that I was on the 'feed the hip' side versus not supplying my hip with the nutrients that it might be needing. I think the result was that my stretching and exercises worked the way they were supposed to work. It actually took 16 days to get back to my 'day of surgery weight', and today is day 21, three weeks to the day post surgery. I was at 198 the day of surgery, and this morning weighed in at 194.6, so it looks like my eating to excess of my daily maintain calories was a good plan, and I guess I have been burning more calories then I expected in my physical therapy.

And during these last three weeks, I have had quite a few very indulgent cheat meals, so I am happy that in spite of all the cheating, I have been able to maintain my plan on the rest of the days.

I think the main thing to do is that if you cheat, you can make it up. Maybe count your calories on a weekly basis (while keeping track daily, just make sure that you are at your planned deficit for the full week) so that what matters is your net CICO for the week, versus being worried about a one meal cheat here or there.

I fully agree with "if it fits in your daily plan anything is fine to consume" but this limits your ability to enjoy the occasional gluttonous consuming meal, which as far as I am concerned is simply a reward to your hard work on all the other days.

But if you can't do this psychologically, and if cheating sends you into a tailspin which causes you to junk your plan and give up due to blowing it out for one meal, then I guess you need to be more diligent about NOT cheating, and that is fine too. It is just not the diet that I want to live by. And living that way, FOR ME, the last two times I lost weight, resulted in me losing control when I had reached my goal, and I slowly gained the weight back. Maybe I felt like I had been so deprived that I felt like I deserved a reward. But then those reward moments became more common, then while it is not that hard to get used to losing weight, and getting used to a lower calories in diet, it seems (to me) to be as easy to go the other way and get used to adding some pasta here, a piece of pie there, a cookie here and there, and before I know it, I am on my way back up again and I convince myself that once again I am just not able to maintain a healthy weight.

But this time it feels better since I am not limiting myself, I am rewarding myself more often with 'cheat meal' or as I like to call them 'Reward Meals' or 'Reward Moments'. Anyway, it's still too early to know for sure, I am only in week 8 right now, and in no way am I as knowledgeable and experienced as MOST people in MFP, which is why I am on MFP and roam these communities to learn from the experts and to try and incorporate their knowledge into a plan that works for me and my lifestyle.

Good luck to you, from a confessed Cheater!!!!!

To me, none of this is "cheating". It's living.

cross2bear

Please explain something to me - I truly do not get this. If an averaged sized person had knee or hip surgery, would the doctors tell them to eat more? Because their body will need more fuel to heal? Or is it just doctors who tell people who are overweight to "dont mind calories" if they know you are watching what you eat? My dad had both knees replaced and his doctor didnt say anything about his diet. I am facing knee surgery too, and if my doctor says dont worry about calories, I think I would question her sanity - of COURSE I am going to mind calories! Seriously, I dont understand this and would love some scientific validation.

Francl27

I don't cheat. It's my diet... it's what's sustainable to me. It includes treats and whatever I want to eat, I just make it fit.

I go over my calories a couple times a week but eat less the rest of the time to make up for it though.

kbow_

Don't be fooled. Anyone here telling you they don't cheat is a modest liar. First of all, everyone has their own definition of "cheating" since all diets and weight-loss goals vary. For me, I try to stay away from dairy, carbs, and gluten. My definition of a cheat meal would be having something I don't incorporate into my everyday diet, such as a serving of pasta or ice cream.

When you cheat, make it something you wouldn't normally have, but do so in moderation. Savor two cookies instead of the box. Eat out and get a burger, but get water and opt for a side salad rather than fries.

To answer your initial question, I cheat 1-2 times per week. When I cheat, I do so in moderation, and am sure to exercise that day.

ladyreva78

I cheat every single day of my life.

I just make sure I fit it into my calories. If I have to eat a specific way to lose weight, follow a restrictive diet that bans all those foods I love, I'm just going to go postal. As a result, I eat the things I love and still lose weight. If that's cheating, then I guess I do cheat on a daily business.

That reminds me... I still have some chocolate logged that I haven't gotten around to eat yet.

chrislee1628

I try to fit everything into the allocation of calories, but if I go over, I exercise more that day, or the next day if late at night to make up for it

sometimes you just need to, to make it none boring and keep you going

MissusMoon

kbow_ wrote: »

Don't be fooled. Anyone here telling you they don't cheat is a modest liar. First of all, everyone has their own definition of "cheating" since all diets and weight-loss goals vary. For me, I try to stay away from dairy, carbs, and gluten. My definition of a cheat meal would be having something I don't incorporate into my everyday diet, such as a serving of pasta or ice cream.

When you cheat, make it something you wouldn't normally have, but do so in moderation. Savor two cookies instead of the box. Eat out and get a burger, but get water and opt for a side salad rather than fries.

To answer your initial question, I cheat 1-2 times per week. When I cheat, I do so in moderation, and am sure to exercise that day.

No, not everyone is lying. Some people here aren't on diets. We have committed to staying in deficit. I have not gone over in my calories once. I rarely even begin to delve into exercise calories. Whether I'm eating grilled fish and steamed broccoli or pizza and wine, I'm in deficit. I'm not cheating in any sense of the word.

Your restrictions and definitions are your own, but it is not a good idea to say that everyone else is lying.

SezxyStef

kbow_ wrote: »

Don't be fooled. Anyone here telling you they don't cheat is a modest liar. First of all, everyone has their own definition of "cheating" since all diets and weight-loss goals vary. For me, I try to stay away from dairy, carbs, and gluten. My definition of a cheat meal would be having something I don't incorporate into my everyday diet, such as a serving of pasta or ice cream.

When you cheat, make it something you wouldn't normally have, but do so in moderation. Savor two cookies instead of the box. Eat out and get a burger, but get water and opt for a side salad rather than fries.

To answer your initial question, I cheat 1-2 times per week. When I cheat, I do so in moderation, and am sure to exercise that day.

no we aren't liars modest or not.

You can tell by my diary.

I eat what I want when I want..if I want chocolate every night for 2 years I will do just that.

I don't believe you can cheat on a diet...

and yes I eat a whole chocolate bar not just a piece of it.

not everyone believes that you do cheat meals or days or etc a lot of us choose to fit those foods in when we want them and don't see it as a bad thing...

glassyo

But is it cheating if you still log it?

In my world, no. To me, cheating means eating something not accounted for and not planning to account for in your diary (if you log). So, usually, I'll eat handfuls of cereal or mini marshmallows or that extra reeses piece because of this little "there are like 3 times as many orange reeses pieces in a bag than yellow or black" game I play with myself and either not log it or just log an estimate because I didn't weigh them beforehand.

But I've never deliberately had a cheat meal because I know my limits and....I can't not have limits.

vikinglander

This:

Zipp237 wrote: »

There is no cheating. There are only choices.

I let the "cheats" come to me. If I come face-to-face with a slice of chocolate layer cake in my office cafeteria, meh...not so tempting. But at my brother's 50th birthday party...yeah, maybe. There has to be a good reason.

randomtai

kbow_ wrote: »

Don't be fooled. Anyone here telling you they don't cheat is a modest liar. First of all, everyone has their own definition of "cheating" since all diets and weight-loss goals vary. For me, I try to stay away from dairy, carbs, and gluten. My definition of a cheat meal would be having something I don't incorporate into my everyday diet, such as a serving of pasta or ice cream.

When you cheat, make it something you wouldn't normally have, but do so in moderation. Savor two cookies instead of the box. Eat out and get a burger, but get water and opt for a side salad rather than fries.

To answer your initial question, I cheat 1-2 times per week. When I cheat, I do so in moderation, and am sure to exercise that day.

Yeah... no.

Calliope610

I don't cheat. I make deliberate decisions to eat healthy and within my calorie goals or to say "IDGAF". If IDGAF, I had better be ready to accept the consequences....

AnnaNicoleFriend

Oh dear, I cheat quite a bit! Try not too more than once a week but sometimes you have a lot of dinners out and I'm not about that salad life