Should I do a cheat week?

Blooperss

Hi everyone, I've been giving my diet/change in lifestyle another go. It's been about 2 months and I've lost 16 pounds in total - went from 161 to 145. I'm going on a trip to Paris for a week soon and I'm REALLY debating on a cheat week but don't know if it will be worth it. It's my first time going there and I will probably not be able to go again for a long time. My question is - should I go all out and eat everything my heart desires while on this trip or should I set restrictions? My goal weight is 125 lbs so I'm not too far off - only another 20 lbs to go. I'm just scared I'll gain back the 15 lbs if I go crazy during that week LOL.

I've done cheat weekends where I was able to bounce back fairly quickly after resuming my regular diet. But this is 7 days not 2 days and I'm scared the pounds will be harder to shed!

Any insight/advice is highly appreciated! I just want to lose the weight for good!

wizzybeth

I would be really careful about that. My friend has had a very strict diet for a long time. Then she went to England for a week. And she ate a bunch of stuff she normally wouldn't eat and then she spent a day and a half in bed with bad stomach cramps and diarrhea LOL.

I would say, if it were me, use some self-control but do not deny yourself too much. It's a fine line. There is more to experience in Paris besides the food. I certainly would not pass up something completely delightful... But don't make yourself sick.

yes you can easily recover from one week of going crazy... But you don't want to get sick while you're there either.

jayemes

If it were me I'd enjoy the food without getting gluttonous. Try and keep up your healthy eating (because it's a lifestyle, not a diet) but eat closer to maintenance and maybe splurge on one meal a day - have a decadent breakfast one day, dessert another..... this way you can have the food without feeling bloated or sick like @wizzybeth said. Have a great time!

TonyB0588

No. The whole concept of cheating isn't exactly a positive trait. So why consider it for eating?

If you're going to be exposed to new foods, I'd say try them, but watch your portion sizes very carefully. Have a tiny bit of everything. And there would perhaps be a few items you know you can skip altogether.

Enjoy your trip.

Machka9

Eat ... but don't go crazy.

And then walk or cycle. Paris is well set up for both. You could conceivably spend entire days walking all over the place to see all the sights ... and then you might want a nice dinner to wrap up the day.

ISweat4This

Enjoy the food, try to control your portions. A smaller breakfast may help if you plan on indulging at dinner.

elisa123gal

Paris? There are countless amazing beautiful things to see, walk to.. it is chalk full of fresh new experiences. The people are thin...there is fashion galore. who wants to go to Paris to get fat? To answer your question. No, eating your way through paris to regain 10 pounds is very American for sure. I've just dropped 17.5 pounds and headed to Rome in March.. i'm focusing on what i'm going to learn and see and for once not let food rule my life. I'm coming b back with a fabulous Italian leather jacket to sport on my new thin body. I"m thinking on how i might even bring a scale in my luggage so i can weigh daily to make sure I don't regain. For once, I want a trip to be about the place..not stuffing my face.

kgb6days

I'd enjoy the food with appropriate portion sizes. My husband and I went to WDW for a week, enjoyed all the food but split most of the meals as their sized are huge. We came away without gaining and enjoyed ourselves.

deputy_randolph

I went to Germany for a week. I stayed with my friend, so I was able to cook my normal b'fast everyday. We did go out for lunch and dinner everday...I also drank a litre of beer everyday. I didn't gain a pound. We walked or rode bikes everywhere.

How mamy times are you going to spend a week in Paris? I would eat all of the pastries.

otterinamfp

Why not try intermittent fasting/omad while you are on the trip? You could do one luxurious meal a day while still staying on track. One day you could eat a rich dinner and a lovely dessert and another you could do breakfast. You could still eat the delicious food of Paris without going overboard and by doing one meal a day you'll feel like you're splurging on a feast when in fact you're keeping to your goal while enjoying your trip. A diet is a lifestyle change, not just a temporary means to an end.

Tacklewasher

Cheat week, no. But how about a diet break week? If you've been at it for 2 months it would make sense you are in line for a diet break.

There is a thread explaining the idea, but it is quite long.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks

melissa6771

Enjoy yourself. It's Paris! You'll find that you're going to do a ton of walking. I was there for 10 days and didn't restrict my eating at all, walked all day nearly every day. Chances are you won't eat as much as you think. You'll get full faster than you think. The meals weren't huge there. Lots of breads and pastries but regular meals as well. Eat intuitively, don't eat just to eat, and not to the point where you make yourself sick. Decide before hand that you'll get right back on when you get home. I think you'll be fine. By the way, one of my favorite areas was Bastille. I just loved it there. I also sat through a service at Notre Dame which was amazing and very intense. Just beautiful. Have a blast!

Blooperss

elisa123gal wrote: »

Paris? There are countless amazing beautiful things to see, walk to.. it is chalk full of fresh new experiences. The people are thin...there is fashion galore. who wants to go to Paris to get fat? To answer your question. No, eating your way through paris to regain 10 pounds is very American for sure. I've just dropped 17.5 pounds and headed to Rome in March.. i'm focusing on what i'm going to learn and see and for once not let food rule my life. I'm coming b back with a fabulous Italian leather jacket to sport on my new thin body. I"m thinking on how i might even bring a scale in my luggage so i can weigh daily to make sure I don't regain. For once, I want a trip to be about the place..not stuffing my face.

I won't lie, half of the reason why I travel is to taste and experience different types of foods out there. I mean, I plan on doing a lot of other things too, but I will always be a foodie no matter what weight I'm at.

kgb6days wrote: »

I'd enjoy the food with appropriate portion sizes. My husband and I went to WDW for a week, enjoyed all the food but split most of the meals as their sized are huge. We came away without gaining and enjoyed ourselves.

Congrats on not gaining while on vacation, its definitely a challenge!! I have an annual Disney pass since I live 30 mins away and always try to eat before I spend my day at the park so that I only indulge in one meal. All the walking makes me feel no guilt at all!

deputy_randolph wrote: »

I went to Germany for a week. I stayed with my friend, so I was able to cook my normal b'fast everyday. We did go out for lunch and dinner everday...I also drank a litre of beer everyday. I didn't gain a pound. We walked or rode bikes everywhere.

How mamy times are you going to spend a week in Paris? I would eat all of the pastries.

Haha, those are my exact thoughts!! I think I'll try to have light breakfasts and bigger lunches/dinners. We do plan on walking a ton, so hopefully it won't get too bad! I'm ok with gaining back 5 lbs (and fully expect to), but I can lose that easy

Blooperss

melissa6771 wrote: »

Enjoy yourself. It's Paris! You'll find that you're going to do a ton of walking. I was there for 10 days and didn't restrict my eating at all, walked all day nearly every day. Chances are you won't eat as much as you think. You'll get full faster than you think. The meals weren't huge there. Lots of breads and pastries but regular meals as well. Eat intuitively, don't eat just to eat, and not to the point where you make yourself sick. Decide before hand that you'll get right back on when you get home. I think you'll be fine. By the way, one of my favorite areas was Bastille. I just loved it there. I also sat through a service at Notre Dame which was amazing and very intense. Just beautiful. Have a blast!

I have so many questions! Is it ok if I shoot you a message later today to solicit some tips/advice for Paris?

And thank you everyone else, I'll definitely look into fasting and the "diet break" Any other suggestions are highly appreciated!

melissa6771

Blooperss wrote: »

melissa6771 wrote: »

Enjoy yourself. It's Paris! You'll find that you're going to do a ton of walking. I was there for 10 days and didn't restrict my eating at all, walked all day nearly every day. Chances are you won't eat as much as you think. You'll get full faster than you think. The meals weren't huge there. Lots of breads and pastries but regular meals as well. Eat intuitively, don't eat just to eat, and not to the point where you make yourself sick. Decide before hand that you'll get right back on when you get home. I think you'll be fine. By the way, one of my favorite areas was Bastille. I just loved it there. I also sat through a service at Notre Dame which was amazing and very intense. Just beautiful. Have a blast!

I have so many questions! Is it ok if I shoot you a message later today to solicit some tips/advice for Paris?

And thank you everyone else, I'll definitely look into fasting and the "diet break" Any other suggestions are highly appreciated!

Sure. Feel free to message me!

TavistockToad

Why not just eat at maintenance for a week and enjoy your holiday?

Why do you have to cheat? Why not practice eating normally and not in a drficit?

bbell1985

Oh god. Cheat week? No? Set yourself up at maintenance for the week and enjoy.

ladyhusker39

You're at too aggressive a deficit right now for your stats. If you have what you're defining in your mind as a "cheat week" you're going to end up going off the rails big time. I do not believe you'll gain back 15 lbs once the water weight gain levels off, but I do think you'd be at serious risk of falling off your weight loss plan once you come back.

FWIW, here's what I would do:

1) lower my deficit little by little as I get closer to trip time so I can learn to eat at a more reasonable level.

2) Eat at maintenance while on vacation and enjoy what I want to eat within reason.

3) Walk, walk, walk while in Paris. It's a walking city.

4) DO NOT freak out when the scale shows a gain when I get home. Understand that it will be almost all water weight.

5) Eat at a much smaller deficit once I get back home and work slowly on losing the last 20 lbs in way that will allow me to actually make this a lifetime change, not a diet.

But this is just me. I've traveled 3 times while I've been losing weight and not gained a pound that didn't turn out to be water weight.

mlinci

It sounds to me like going from one extreme to another, and neither of the extremes is necessary. 2 pounds per week where you only have about 20 to lose is quite extreme. A whole week of overindulgence is another extreme. Why not find a happy medium somewhere in between?

getnickripped

You have to make a lifestyle commitment or you will struggle. Eat what you like just weigh your food and count your calories. Think of your calories on a weekly basis vs daily. Like today I may go over my daily limit by 500 cals. So tomorrow or over the next 6 days I'll cut that 500 back either in a day or a few days. But I'll be eating bacon and eggs, pizza, brownies ice cream. Im not doing steamed rice and broccoli. Rather the extra work in the gym. Where im going now✌

Lounmoun

Just have reasonable portions of food and drinks and don't weigh yourself for a week after you get home.
I think you'd have to really work at gaining 15 lbs of fat in a week just like you didn't lose it in one week. You might have some water retention though.