Save calories for cheat or just cheat?

jfan175

To me, cheating is eating above your calorie allotment or outside of other goals you've set. If you account for them by banking, how can that be cheating?

AndOne8675

I don't call it cheating. I fit it into my budget or if I go over (maintenance) my goal I adjust the difference over the next few days. If I fail to do that, I don't beat myself up, I move on. I weigh once a week no matter my choices and take the average for the month.

Ebony_Kitty

I do my long runs on Friday to have the extra calories. Usually don’t eat them all on Friday but starving on Saturday. I try to look at the bigger picture of “weekly” calories bs daily.

hoops1888

Thanks for all your responses, very enlightening. It feels like huge task starting out at the moment as I’ve tried and failed at SW. It’s that temptation of should I go for the diet that gives me couple of lb’s a week weight loss or the one I feel better on, and is more sustainable. It’s a hard one but my heart is telling me the exercise and calorie counting is the way forward re getting that slim figure I crave

MelanieCN77

If you plan calories out for it, is it even cheating?

whodeany1

It's okay to cheat, but you still have to count it. If you have a car accident the dent doesn't disappear. We are humans and so I would suggest that you plan to have things that you do not want to give up. You don't have to feel guilty about being human. If you have a goal, stick to your goal and include the things that you just don't want to walk away from. In my world, I find it easier to just walk away from most of the things I like, but I still have some fries and I still have a bite of a hamburger. Once you make this stuff a habit...goals and things get easier, and you get on with more fun things like running on the beach or taking a long hike!

Gilgamesh

I totally throw the calorie-counting out the window when I go on vacation or visit my Mom (she lives 1000km away so I usually only visit her two times a year). I love food and trying and enjoying local cuisine. I did the Pizza Bus Tour in Chicago (highly recommend this!); ate a lot of pizza in Italy; schnitzel and wurst and pretzels in Germany; tacos, tlyaudas and tortas in Oaxaca.... and when I’m in Spain next month I plan on enjoying tapas every single night. And nothing beats Mom’s home-cooked meals: Saturday night baked beans and potato salad mmm mmm mmm.

Once I’m back home the calorie counting resumes. I know I’ll never be a model, but I have so many wonderful food adventure memories and look forward to future ones. After all, it’s only for a few weeks each year.

estherdragonbat

I make it fit my calories. A treat is not a cheat. It's a choice. And if it fits within my calorie allotment and lets me enjoy myself in a social gathering instead of 'virtuously' nibbling on raw veggies while looking longingly at the frosted cupcakes, it's a good choice even if I don't hit a particular macro or micro goal on that specific day.

Misskcm

I try to balance. Usually my goal is 2 pound loss per week. If I lose 3 I allow myself an extra 500 cal a day the next week. So I still average 2/week.
For the most part I just eat what I want in strict moderation./portions. I had half a cookie today. And will probably have some dark chocolate later... but just a little.

WinoGelato

hoops1888 wrote: »

Thanks for all your responses, very enlightening. It feels like huge task starting out at the moment as I’ve tried and failed at SW. It’s that temptation of should I go for the diet that gives me couple of lb’s a week weight loss or the one I feel better on, and is more sustainable. It’s a hard one but my heart is telling me the exercise and calorie counting is the way forward re getting that slim figure I crave

So your options are to lose weight quickly, which you know is unsustainable and will likely lead to gaining the weight back and having to do it all again in the future; or to lose a little more slowly and teach yourself more desireable habits that will carry you into maintenance?

I know which I would choose.

disney_addict_1028

Every Saturday night is my weekly cheat meal I never gain weight from it because you're only cheating once a week and it's good to change up your metabolism I wouldn't save any calories I would just cheat.

malibu927

disney_addict_1028 wrote: »

Every Saturday night is my weekly cheat meal I never gain weight from it because you're only cheating once a week and it's good to change up your metabolism I wouldn't save any calories I would just cheat.

Your metabolism doesn't get changed up. You don't gain weight from your cheat meal because you're still in a calorie deficit...some people can undo that deficit in one cheat meal/day.

h1udd

I dont cheat .... I eat less during the week so I can eat more at the weekend and stay in my weekly allowance .... the food I eat at the weekend inevitably includes, alcohol, desserts, treats etc etc ... but thats planned for because I like them.

If you dont cheat, you cant feel guilty or blame anything ... just make allowances in your weekly calorie goal for what ever you like to eat

yirara

I don't cheat during weekends but do things I enjoy. If I just sat at home being bored I would probably do that. So why not find something you enjoy doing? It doesn't need to cost money.

if I do feel like eating a lot of candy (did that last week) then I just accept it. It was the first time this year. No problem.

DEBOO7

Cheat... such a negative word. I prefer to think of things as 'treats' for my hard work.. a reward that I've earned, that I savour.