How to not sabotage results with a cheat day
Raegold
Posts: 191 Member
How often do y'all do a cheat day, and is it a cheat meal or whole day? I don't have a ton of wiggle room with my deficit since I'm only trying to lose 5-10 lbs. BUT I won't be able to continue the deficit if I don't have ice cream to look forward to sometimes!!! Curious how you successfully fit these kinds of things in.
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Replies
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For reference, I'm doing 1350 per day, and I'd like to do one higher day per week. 1350 with one day at 1800ish puts me at 1 lb per week loss1
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On 1800 you should be able to fit in some ice cream.
With 5-10 pounds to lose, you should have your Goals set at, "Lose 1/2 pound per week," NOT one pound. That will help. "Lose one pound," is too aggressive. With higher daily calories, ice cream won't be a problem.
The other thing is that on this site it is expected that when you exercise, you add it to the Exercise tab and then you get more calories added to your day's goal. So, take an hour walk and you "earn" 100-200 extra calories.6 -
Eat the ice cream 3
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Cheat EVERYDAY. Just stay within calories. I eat ice cream EVERYDAY.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I eat a treat everyday. But I also eat a bit less during the week and bank calories for the weekend to enjoy more treats and larger portions. I also do a small deficit at 0.5lb per week so I get more calories.4
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I might need to up my calories a bit or eat back my exercise calories to fit in ice cream. I'm trying to maximize the food I can eat on 1350/1400 calories and it can be tough because it just not that much food to have wiggle room for ice cream. Also, just to be completely honest, I don't want to have a super tiny scoop of ice cream. If I'm going to have some, I'd like to have a nice portion!5
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Having ice cream is not a “cheat day” if it fits in your calories. I eat treats more days than not because I refuse to give up things I like.
What works for me is I skip breakfast, eat a light lunch (300-400 calories usually) and then my balance of calories are available for dinner and snack/dessert. Now, that being said I do measure out my ice cream and treats because I can’t be trusted, and unfortunately “a tiny little scoop” is closer to a serving than I would like but it is what it is.
With so little (relatively speaking) to lose, you should be going for a slower loss and eating back exercise calories. That should help you a bunch with having room to still eat the foods you like,6 -
What works for me is I skip breakfast, eat a light lunch (300-400 calories usually) and then my balance of calories are available for dinner and snack/dessert. Now, that being said I do measure out my ice cream and treats because I can’t be trusted, and unfortunately “a tiny little scoop” is closer to a serving than I would like but it is what it is.
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I do the exact same thing! "Cheat days" do not work for me. At one point I tried "cheat meal" and that didn't work either. It just sets me up to keep overeating. I think it is important to learn how to fit treats in normal portions into my regular day rather than "cheating." I also enjoy the food a lot more if I don't have to feel guilty/like I'm doing something wrong.
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In lieu of ice cream, a serving of fat free Greek yogurt whipped with a serving of sugar free pudding mix, then refrigerated or thrown in the freezer for a while is about 100 calories and is soooooo good. And you could have that every night........3
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I might need to up my calories a bit or eat back my exercise calories to fit in ice cream. I'm trying to maximize the food I can eat on 1350/1400 calories and it can be tough because it just not that much food to have wiggle room for ice cream. Also, just to be completely honest, I don't want to have a super tiny scoop of ice cream. If I'm going to have some, I'd like to have a nice portion!
Is 600 or less calories a "nice" portion for you? Are you happy with eating it one day a week? If so, you could just bank 100 calories per day for 6 days and enjoy it as a treat instead of as a cheat.1 -
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springlering62 wrote: »In lieu of ice cream, a serving of fat free Greek yogurt whipped with a serving of sugar free pudding mix, then refrigerated or thrown in the freezer for a while is about 100 calories and is soooooo good. And you could have that every night........
@springlering62 I'm going to have to try that!
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I might need to up my calories a bit or eat back my exercise calories to fit in ice cream. I'm trying to maximize the food I can eat on 1350/1400 calories and it can be tough because it just not that much food to have wiggle room for ice cream. Also, just to be completely honest, I don't want to have a super tiny scoop of ice cream. If I'm going to have some, I'd like to have a nice portion!
Your body counts those calories and when you get to goal weight accounting for that perfectly normal energy requirement is a skill you will need to learn.
More exercise / more ice cream?
(PS - not a bad nutrient profile as a recovery food!)2 -
Rid yourself of the Cheat Meal mentality. How you speak to yourself matters. I'm not married to my food so I don't need to cheat on it. Cheat Meals can easily become just another permission slip for a glorified binge mentality.
Eat the foods you like and moderate your portions every single day. Cheat meals after the deficit/weight loss cycle can go sideways and result in eating it all back. If it were not so there would be no such thing as rebound weight gain with friends
Cheat meals that start out with only one meal or one full day sliding into a weekend food lollapalooza can undo progress. So it depends on how much progress you're willing to give up. There's eating at the maintenance level which can include more of those favorite foods you enjoy.
Simply eat at your maintenance level and you won't have to cheat on yourself or your food or anyone. You can eat at your maintenance level whenever you want to and it will not affect your progress one iota.
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I agree with @ninerbuff. We just word things differently.
Learning how to eat at the maintenance level is the best practice for what's coming for you for the rest of your life. It's the main tool. Use it whenever you need to.
Practice maintenance instead of falling right back into those old eating behaviors. Think of it as Maintenance.
Maintenance is where the rubber really meets the road for long term weight stability.1 -
@WandaVaughn sugarfree lemon pudding is the best. The white choc late is pretty good, too. Hubs loves the cheesecake pudding/yogurt with frozen blueberries on top.
For an extra oomph of luxury, Rediwhip makes a 5 calorie/serving fat free whipped cream that’s pretty darn tasty, and a coconut whipped cream that’s delicious and super low cal, but crazy hard to find. Their almond milk whipped cream is so-so, imho.
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No cheat days.
Fit whatever foods I want into my calories for the day. Nothing is off limits.2 -
springlering62 wrote: »@WandaVaughn sugarfree lemon pudding is the best. The white choc late is pretty good, too. Hubs loves the cheesecake pudding/yogurt with frozen blueberries on top.
For an extra oomph of luxury, Rediwhip makes a 5 calorie/serving fat free whipped cream that’s pretty darn tasty, and a coconut whipped cream that’s delicious and super low cal, but crazy hard to find. Their almond milk whipped cream is so-so, imho.
I really enjoy the Lite Dannon Greek yogurt . Wonder how it would mix in with the pudding? I'm totally going to try this! They make a lemon meringue yogurt that I really enjoy.0 -
I just bank for my meal or ice cream by eating a smidge lighter for breakfast and lunch and very low cal healthy real food snacks. Do NOT skip meals if it will cause you to binge or feel really bad from lack of nutrients. I learned that the hard way 💩0
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I think maybe I need to think more about how I have been wording things and "cheat meals/days". I definitely appreciate what everyone said, because I can see how that isn't really a mentally healthy attitude. I DEFINITELY struggle with binge eating- not like pathologic or insane amounts of food, but for example, I want to eat the entire pint of ice cream. Like I don't want just a 1/2 cup serving, I want the whole thing. Which I don't think is that uncommon but also it's probably more than is necessary and ends up being 900-1000 calories in one sitting. So I guess the question really is, can I have one serving of ice cream, which I could fit into my calories, or will that be extremely difficult to do mentally.4
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Diatonic12 wrote: »I agree with @ninerbuff. We just word things differently.
Learning how to eat at the maintenance level is the best practice for what's coming for you for the rest of your life. It's the main tool. Use it whenever you need to.
Practice maintenance instead of falling right back into those old eating behaviors. Think of it as Maintenance.
Maintenance is where the rubber really meets the road for long term weight stability.
I think this is very wise and has been very true, in my experience. Over the past 3 years I was able to maintain my weight consistently by preparing with a very slow weight loss prior to that, and then basically eating the same but slightly more and having occasional meals out that I didn't track. Things went sideways after the pandemic..... So now I'm back to weight loss mode, which I really didn't want to be back in this place, but here we are1 -
I think maybe I need to think more about how I have been wording things and "cheat meals/days". I definitely appreciate what everyone said, because I can see how that isn't really a mentally healthy attitude. I DEFINITELY struggle with binge eating- not like pathologic or insane amounts of food, but for example, I want to eat the entire pint of ice cream. Like I don't want just a 1/2 cup serving, I want the whole thing. Which I don't think is that uncommon but also it's probably more than is necessary and ends up being 900-1000 calories in one sitting. So I guess the question really is, can I have one serving of ice cream, which I could fit into my calories, or will that be extremely difficult to do mentally.
Part of the path we are all on is learning to compromise and balance our wants with our needs. This is why the cheat mentality is so dangerous. It leaves a part of you anchored in your old habits and mindset. When you are absolutely forced to stay in a calorie budget it makes you reevaluate what you REALLY want. I would never want to eat 1k of ice cream under normal conditions because it is not that much food and it is not, for me, satiating. It is a black hole of calories that I have to cover by cutting out a lot of other food and potentially being left hungry. 300ish maybe, 1k is not worth it.
Consider practicing mindful eating. This is an exercise that forces you to slow down and thoroughly appreciate each bite of food. I suck at it but it works for some people.
Awareness works better for me so you can try it too. I am aware that the pleasure and satisfaction of food is fleeting. Each bite is similar to the bite before it and about the time it is swallowed the enjoyment is already gone. I am also aware that the pleasure I get from all the new activities I can do because I have lost weight has a higher degree and much longer lasting satisfaction. The fleeting food pleasure that I am sacrificing is a small price to pay for what I am gaining. It is almost ludicrous to call it a sacrifice.
ETA: The above is where I live and work. When it is a special occasion, holiday, or vacation I have my permission to play. I still eat with some rules but I do allow myself to indulge far more than I do otherwise. This is part of my compromise.1 -
I agree with the philosophy of no cheat days- if I really want something I eat it. To make this lifestyle change I need to know that I can eat the foods I want (in moderation.) I just acknowledge that it may affect my weight loss for the week and accept it. When I deny myself certain foods is when I end up on an eating binge.0
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Diatonic12 wrote: »Rid yourself of the Cheat Meal mentality. How you speak to yourself matters. I'm not married to my food so I don't need to cheat on it. Cheat Meals can easily become just another permission slip for a glorified binge mentality.
Eat the foods you like and moderate your portions every single day. Cheat meals after the deficit/weight loss cycle can go sideways and result in eating it all back. If it were not so there would be no such thing as rebound weight gain with friends
Cheat meals that start out with only one meal or one full day sliding into a weekend food lollapalooza can undo progress. So it depends on how much progress you're willing to give up. There's eating at the maintenance level which can include more of those favorite foods you enjoy.
Simply eat at your maintenance level and you won't have to cheat on yourself or your food or anyone. You can eat at your maintenance level whenever you want to and it will not affect your progress one iota.
It depends on what you are doing. I train 6 days a week, 3 strength and 3 conditioning. I eat what I want on the weekends within reason. It does not affect my weight loss at all. It's not cheating, but re-feeding.1 -
I usually make it a “cheat meal.” I have a lot of weight to lose so I build the occasional treat into my meal plan. MFP diary keeps me in check to make sure I am meeting my caloric goals for the week!0
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@cgvet37 Understood and appreciated....the re-feed for athletes and pros. As for me, I was a wash, rinse, repeat rebounder. Rebound weight gain with friends.0
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Diatonic12 wrote: »Rid yourself of the Cheat Meal mentality. How you speak to yourself matters. I'm not married to my food so I don't need to cheat on it. Cheat Meals can easily become just another permission slip for a glorified binge mentality.
Eat the foods you like and moderate your portions every single day. Cheat meals after the deficit/weight loss cycle can go sideways and result in eating it all back. If it were not so there would be no such thing as rebound weight gain with friends
Cheat meals that start out with only one meal or one full day sliding into a weekend food lollapalooza can undo progress. So it depends on how much progress you're willing to give up. There's eating at the maintenance level which can include more of those favorite foods you enjoy.
Simply eat at your maintenance level and you won't have to cheat on yourself or your food or anyone. You can eat at your maintenance level whenever you want to and it will not affect your progress one iota.
It depends on what you are doing. I train 6 days a week, 3 strength and 3 conditioning. I eat what I want on the weekends within reason. It does not affect my weight loss at all. It's not cheating, but re-feeding.
This is why context is important. I have had to engage in some refeeds myself but it all has limits and it works inside a bigger overall plan.0 -
I eat a lot of ice cream. A lot
When I get it at the store I assume I'll eat it all by the end of the week. I take the total calories in the box and divide by the number of days and add it to each day (even if I don't eat any that day)*. To keep the amount in check, I put it in a bowl and put the rest back in the freezer. When the bowl is empty I'm done.
*When I count calories which isn't too often any more. Previously counting has taught me how to eat without thinking about it.
Good luck.3 -
but for example, I want to eat the entire pint of ice cream. Like I don't want just a 1/2 cup serving, I want the whole thing. Which I don't think is that uncommon but also it's probably more than is necessary and ends up being 900-1000 calories in one sitting. So I guess the question really is, can I have one serving of ice cream, which I could fit into my calories, or will that be extremely difficult to do mentally.
Yes. We can learn to moderate our portions. You're going to have to gut this out in the beginning. Measure your portion and enjoy. Throw your hands in the air because you've just stuck the landing. Then it's time to walk away and remove yourself from the scene.
Defy your brain. It's going to shake and shiver and shimmy. Your brain won't like it. The brain is a driver and it will drive, drive, drive you to go back to the scene. The brain remembers every eating excursion you've ever been on. Just like a squirrel that can remember where every nut is stored, the brain remembers everything.
This is why the All or Nothing Approach to food doesn't work. I must eat everything today and then I'm never going to have this ever again. Shock and Awe. It doesn't last.
Rebound weight gain with friends. After all of the deficit/weigh loss cycles are over the brain is just waiting and ready to pounce. When that Ol' Kid is back in biz it's showtime. Let the thrill eating begin. It's these constant cycles that you want to break.
True change begins with moderating your portions and consistency, consistency, consistency. The brain will fight against you and that can last anywhere from 2-5 years after the weight loss cycle is over. If it were not so, there would be no such thing as rebound weight gain with friends or the need for constantly starting over.
Don't start none. Won't be none.
Track your data points. Measure your portions. Let the brain pout and you may have to tell it to shut UP many times before it begins to settle down and get with your new program. You're in charge. In your innermost being you are always in charge. Don't let the brain bully you. You can eat one portion of ice cream and let the brain deal with moderation.
Somesayers say you will always be an All or Nothing person but that's only because they believe it or someone wrote a book that identifies them in a such way that makes sense only to author. I've never let anyone peg me as something that needs to fit into their narrative or convenient groupings. There are so many authors of confusion and that's why I threw all of my dieting books away.
We can choose to change on a dime. Sticking the landing every day will take focus. practice. consistency.
It's not bragging if it's true. The day I came to MFP is the day I threw all of that old dieting dogma and dieting mind warp out with the bathwater. It's been a wild and wooly ride getting to know you all.
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Diatonic12 wrote: »@cgvet37 Understood and appreciated....the re-feed for athletes and pros. As for me, I was a wash, rinse, repeat rebounder. Rebound weight gain with friends.
I'm far from being a pro or athlete. I just don't believe in food shaming or depriving yourself. If I eat strict 7 days a week, I'll go insane. Plus, it helps refuel my body for the coming week. Last Saturday I had Korean barbecue and pizza for dinner. Sunday we had Cheesecake factory. I ate within reason though. I didn't gourge. Even with that type of eating, I still lose 2+ pounds a week. If I wasn't doing any conditioning, I wouldn't eat like that, as my calorie burn would be much lower. It's all about context and what you need to be successful. Would I tell everyone to eat like that, no, as everyone had different needs.1
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