POLL: Cheat Days

kowajenn

I don't have cheat days. I'm pretty good at planning for special meals and the treats that I occasionally want. I don't have a sweet tooth so that's really helpful for me.

The only time I really relax is when I go on vacation, but even then while I don't record my food I try to make decent choices. I've cruised and gone to Disney World this year and managed to maintain each week.

Stump_Likker

I have accidental cheat days (just had one yesterday) but I don't schedule them. And even then my cheat days are pretty much eating my normal foood, just more of it.

amandatapar

I don't have cheat days or meals. I don't eat snacks like chips, pretzels, crackers, etc or candy, cookies , ice cream. You get the picture. I have done this for 7 months and am only 9.6 pounds away from my goal weight. I just don't see the need for food like this now. I have 4 kids and a husband that haven't changed the way they eat either and it doesn't bother me to have it around and not eat it. But I guess for some they have to eat some in moderation or it would make them want it more.

dcjackson50

If you are truly changing your lifestyle....aka eating healthy then there is no need a meal of something here and there that you love but that is higher than most in calories is fine. It should work into your macros for the week. A whole day has undone my progress for the week so I don't do it anymore....lesson learned!!

MyJourney1960

So building it into you calories is best I guess?

I don't know if there is one "correct" answer. I have seen people here who say they eat whatever they want and they still lose, and there are people who gain/get stuck when they eat *one* extra cookie. and there is a whole spectrum in between.

Do what works for you. do you have self control? will one cheat meal/day remain as *one* or will it turn into a whole week/month/year. for me - I am into eating [what i preceive as] healthier foods, so i rarely eat out/junk food/candy anyway. do i never eat that stuff? no, i do every now and then. but i count the calories and make sure i stay within my goals. and i make sure (if i eat junk food /take out) to drink a lot of water. maybe i'll do a little extra exercise.

MrsBingley

When I started, I had one high intake day a week. I still logged, I just switched my cals from 1 lb loss to maintain.

It was nice to have the one day with extra food - I could definitely fit more in, and I still had a limit that kept me from going backwards.

I lost weight faster than I expected, so now I have 4 days like this a week.

GBPack93

Like others have said, I don't do cheat days just make the foods I want fit, which is easier when you maintain on over 3K a day, but I didn't use cheat days to drop the weight either. The only thing I consider a "cheat meal" Is something I have no possible way of getting nutrition info for, like non chain restaurants and meals I didn't cook/know the ingredients of.

katymartino

Sundays during football season I just don't count my calories. I work out in the morning, and then I eat/drink in moderation, but I don't actually TRACK anything. I guess you could consider those "cheat" days? We tailgate and make tons of food, so I just eat a little bit of everything. I try not to overindulge, but I know I need to just relax and have fun. As long as I still go for my run in the morning I think I'm fine.
Bottom line I guess is don't call it a "cheat day". That just implies that you are purposely trying to be unhealthy.

sloane70

I just budget everything like money. If I know I'm going out of town and will be having dinner with friends, I load in some extra exercise that morning, and decide if I want to blow my extra earned calories on the garlic bread or a piece of cheesecake or more of my entree. I feel like what I'm looking for is a sustainable way to live, not a loss of weight; if I'm sustaining in a healthy way, and making wiser choices about my food, then my weight will, over time, even out to a healthier number.

cwolfman13

Hit your calorie goals...hit your macro goals...it doesn't frackin' matter when or where you have a candy bar if you're hitting your calories and macros.

randomtai

Hit your calorie goals...hit your macro goals...it doesn't frackin' matter when or where you have a candy bar if you're hitting your calories and macros.

This. :drinker:

WaistAweigh

Hit your calorie goals...hit your macro goals...it doesn't frackin' matter when or where you have a candy bar if you're hitting your calories and macros.

This. :drinker:

^^
I agree!

Calliope610

I once read (here on MFP) that planning for cheat days in a successful weight loss effort makes as much sense as planning to cheat in a successful relationship/marriage. To follow that analogy, every day I attempt to be the best wife I can be. Some days, I accomplish that, other days, not so much. My eating is much the same. Every day I attempt to hit my macros and my caloric requirements. Some days I accomplish that, sometimes not. But I don't plan to cheat by indulging in things not good for my overall weight loss, just like I don't plan to indulge in things that aren't good for my relationship.

B_TEEN

I have more of cheat "moments/meals". I'd feel awful if my entire day was bad. I may plan for a cheat lunch on Fridays or going out to eat for a meal on the weekends. Otherwise, I try to stay clean....

christianteach

I have a cheat meal once a week, if I lost weight the previous week. For instance, my official weigh in day is Friday. If I lose for the week, I will have a treat meal on Friday or Saturday night. I eat like normal all day, but I have whatever I want for dinner, including a cocktail, wine or dessert. If I don't lose, then I wait another week. Besides that, if I want something and it fits in my calorie goal I go ahead and eat it. It works for me but I'm able to limit it to one meal and rarely do full day of eating whatever I want, even on vacation.

kdhamner

If I didn't allow myself to have a treat once in a while, I would never stick to this. I just have to be careful and make sure I stay within my calories and don't do it often. I'm doing fine so far with my weight loss journey.

777Gemma888

Do you believe in having cheat days, or just an occasional treat like a candy bar? I get alot of differing opinions on this type of thing.

I do not believe in cheat days or having days where I eat so called 'bad food.' I eat whatever I want , whenever I want ~ watching my calories and macros. No complaints to date.

ETA: smile

marissafit06

I have a cheat day once a week. It makes it easier for me to eat cleanly the rest of the week and it allows me to eat the foods I like in moderation. I don't go all out though, I will just eat things I like, frozen yogurt, soft baked pretzels, etc.

britgarn

I stuck very carefully to the Body for Life program a few years ago and dropped weight like crazy. I took a lot away from that experience and they recommended 6 days of really strictly watching what you eat -- trying to stay away from process carbohydrates, fast food, etc (clean eating basically) -- for 6 days of the week and then on the seventh just go crazy with a cheat day. There are studies that show it's helpful to your metabolism to "confuse" it. Since getting back on the eating healthy/working out steadily band-wagon, I've noticed that cheat days help. I try to limit it to one day out of every 14 . . . but I don't beat myself up if I have one in every seven. You have to do what works best for YOU.