Binging on Cheat Days

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jaina08
jaina08 Posts: 561 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Every time I have a cheat day I binge like crazy. I end up regretting it soooo much. Will this affect my weight loss? Sometimes I end up having two binging cheat days in a row... It just makes me upset... It's such a bad habit. How do you guys eat on your cheat days? I just had one today and I feel so bad about it...
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Replies

  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    I succeed by not having cheat days. My plan leaves me very satisfied. Why would I need to cheat?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Every time I have a cheat day I binge like crazy. I end up regretting it soooo much. Will this affect my weight loss? Sometimes I end up having two binging cheat days in a row... It just makes me upset... It's such a bad habit. How do you guys eat on your cheat days? I just had one today and I feel so bad about it...

    I think you should stop having cheat days. It sounds like it's doing much more harm than good.

    Is there a reason you can't fit foods you enjoy eating into your current calorie and macronutrient goals?
  • jaina08
    jaina08 Posts: 561 Member
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    Every time I have a cheat day I binge like crazy. I end up regretting it soooo much. Will this affect my weight loss? Sometimes I end up having two binging cheat days in a row... It just makes me upset... It's such a bad habit. How do you guys eat on your cheat days? I just had one today and I feel so bad about it...

    I think you should stop having cheat days. It sounds like it's doing much more harm than good.

    Is there a reason you can't fit foods you enjoy eating into your current calorie and macronutrient goals?

    Yeah I think I really should stop having cheat days. It seriously ruins everything making me go overboard. So are you saying that instead of having cheat days I can just add chocolate for example into my diary as long as it fits my calorie limit and macros?
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    Instead of having days dedicated to gorging myself on all my favorite foods, I just work them into every day. I've tried having spike days, but my activity level is so high that honestly, it's hard to even come close to maintenance some days.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    Yes, that's right. I eat good chocolate most days and just fit it in.
  • jaina08
    jaina08 Posts: 561 Member
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    Yes, that's right. I eat good chocolate most days and just fit it in.

    Okay that does sound like it would be better to just have a little treat everyday instead of just going all out in one cheat day..
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Every time I have a cheat day I binge like crazy. I end up regretting it soooo much. Will this affect my weight loss? Sometimes I end up having two binging cheat days in a row... It just makes me upset... It's such a bad habit. How do you guys eat on your cheat days? I just had one today and I feel so bad about it...

    I think you should stop having cheat days. It sounds like it's doing much more harm than good.

    Is there a reason you can't fit foods you enjoy eating into your current calorie and macronutrient goals?

    Yeah I think I really should stop having cheat days. It seriously ruins everything making me go overboard. So are you saying that instead of having cheat days I can just add chocolate for example into my diary as long as it fits my calorie limit and macros?

    Yes, this is exactly what I am suggesting.
  • siqiniq
    siqiniq Posts: 237 Member
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    I succeed by not having cheat days. My plan leaves me very satisfied. Why would I need to cheat?

    I agree. Cheat days just set me up for failure. I don't cheat because I don't diet. I just do my best to eat healthily every day.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    I don't do cheat days, but I do use refeed days and IIFYM. On my refeed days, I usually eat about 30% above maintenance, but I still track my macros. By the end of a refeed day, I'm usually sick of food. I have enough margin to eat what I want and still hit my goals (I had a cheese and pineapple pizza and breadsticks last time), and it's usually enough that I don't want to do it again for a while.
  • lsuz
    lsuz Posts: 74
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    I feel like since I've been "cheating" for the past 15 years and now have 75 lbs to lose, so when I want to loosen the structure, I just stick to the calorie count and pick something I miss. The slope is just too slippery.
  • becajb
    becajb Posts: 50
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    I don't do cheat days per say. What I do is make good choices over the weekend but don't pressure myself into entering everything. If I get round to it. To be clear though these days are never under my calorie count but are not complete blow outs either.
  • Aliviuum
    Aliviuum Posts: 67
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    The food choices I make during the day keep my feeling full, I don't need to have a cheat day. Sounds like you're restricting yourself.

    I still eat brownies and caramel every day - only now I get it from a protein bar or 100 calorie bags :) You can indulge to avoid "cheating" just be smarter about it :)
  • AnaCoffee
    AnaCoffee Posts: 95 Member
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    I agree with everyone else - work in those foods if you can. Last Saturday I had a really satisfying meal at a restaurant of stuffed shells, white bread, butter, & a side salad, and then I had 2 chocolate covered pretzels from a nearby bakery. It took me over calories for that day, but I'd exercised a lot that week and had plenty to spare since I just couldn't eat up what I'd burned off. I even made a blog post about how I refused to feel guilty about it because I knew there wasn't a reason to. Yesterday hub brought home Popeyes and I portioned out 1/4 cup of the mashed potatoes and cole slaw. I still had the satisfaction of eating the take out, but it wasn't excessive and didn't cause me to go over. A lot of my friends on here also have treats & favorite foods they like.

    I realize that I'm new here, but I really like this much better than when I was on WW (twice.) I no longer feel guilty for eating that treat. I no longer have the confusion of "You're telling me to eat almonds & yet they're so high in points I can't fit them in." Not knocking WW as I did loose a lot of weight with them. It's just here I can better track calories, fat, protein, etc. and see that yes, that one thing I'd love to eat, I can work in as long as I'm sensible about it.
  • hannah_ryann
    hannah_ryann Posts: 259 Member
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    I've found that cheat days don't work for me, because just by mental association, the word "cheat" implies negative images for me. I think of my weekly calories as a bank account. If I am under calories during the week, I earned the extra calories I choose to eat (or not eat) on the weekends. If you're serious about making this a lifestyle change, you have to realize that life itself is going to give you days where you'll eat more than you planned, but you have to accept that and compensate.
  • bugtaylor
    bugtaylor Posts: 77 Member
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    good question
  • EmilyEmpowered
    EmilyEmpowered Posts: 650 Member
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    this was my problem too. For me, I just can't have cheat days. if I allow myself a cheat day, I binge! I do allow myself the foods I want here and there. I just seriously decide a) does it fit in my macros/calories that day? b) do I REALLY want/ned/have to have it? and c) is it a special occasion that warrants what I want? At least once or twice a week I have the treats I am wanting, combined into my normal daily diet. If I allow myself a cheat day, it becomes two cheat days, three cheat days, or a WEEK of being off diet.
  • emmalousmom1
    emmalousmom1 Posts: 121 Member
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    Every time I have a cheat day I binge like crazy. I end up regretting it soooo much. Will this affect my weight loss? Sometimes I end up having two binging cheat days in a row... It just makes me upset... It's such a bad habit. How do you guys eat on your cheat days? I just had one today and I feel so bad about it...

    I think you should stop having cheat days. It sounds like it's doing much more harm than good.

    Is there a reason you can't fit foods you enjoy eating into your current calorie and macronutrient goals?

    Yeah I think I really should stop having cheat days. It seriously ruins everything making me go overboard. So are you saying that instead of having cheat days I can just add chocolate for example into my diary as long as it fits my calorie limit and macros?
    YES OF COURSE:)
  • kathleenjoyful
    kathleenjoyful Posts: 210 Member
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    Every time I have a cheat day I binge like crazy. I end up regretting it soooo much. Will this affect my weight loss? Sometimes I end up having two binging cheat days in a row... It just makes me upset... It's such a bad habit. How do you guys eat on your cheat days? I just had one today and I feel so bad about it...

    I think you should stop having cheat days. It sounds like it's doing much more harm than good.

    Is there a reason you can't fit foods you enjoy eating into your current calorie and macronutrient goals?

    Yeah I think I really should stop having cheat days. It seriously ruins everything making me go overboard. So are you saying that instead of having cheat days I can just add chocolate for example into my diary as long as it fits my calorie limit and macros?

    I eat a couple of squares of raw chocolate (or dark chocolate) and a low cal ice cream or frozen yoghurt most days. I work what I want to eat into my calorie count and I have far less cravings. For me it is important to learn to eat "normally" and still enjoy food.
  • l0vedim0
    l0vedim0 Posts: 42 Member
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    I used to do a "cheat day", but it was very counterproductive. The reason being my ability to eat a lot of food in one sitting. Combine that with calorically dense yet nutritionally empty foods and it equals the WMD to my dieting. Instead I changed my thinking from "cheat day" to "cheat meal". I only get one cheat meal compared to an entire day of gluttony.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    I have weekly refeeds, not cheats, and I have a set calorie goal that is about the number I would maintain weight at.

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