How often do you have a cheat day?

j3nndar3lla

I've been dieting for about 2 weeks straight now and I'm starting to get a little sad that I can't eat the way I used to! So tonight I'm treating myself to a ridiculously fattening 1000lb + calorie kebab. I already feel guilty though cos I feel like I'm just throwing away all my hard work I know I can still eat the food that I love in moderation, but there's no way I can fit that kind of food into my "diet". Does anyone else have really fattening favourite foods that they treat themselves to occasionally, whether they're on a diet or not?

sweetheartscene

There is no point doing a diet where you can never ever ever have the foods that you want as ultimately you're going to fail. We all have foods that we like to eat, social gatherings to go to etc it's just about weighing up what's worth it and what's not. For example, I am terrible for wanting something sweet after dinner and last night I was sat there obsessing over the malteasers that I knew were in the cupboard but I resisted. However, Thursday is my best friends birthday and she wants to go out for burritos and there is no way I'm skipping those bad boys - I love them! So I'm just doing more exercise and trying to cut down a little leading up to it. Still having my treat but managing the effect.

That being said I am a massive foodie and love: Thai food, Burritos, Fried Chicken, Peanut butter ice cream, Steak, Roasted garlic potato mash, pizza etc. The list could go on and on.

jkwolly

There is no point doing a diet where you can never ever ever have the foods that you want as ultimately you're going to fail. We all have foods that we like to eat, social gatherings to go to etc it's just about weighing up what's worth it and what's not. For example, I am terrible for wanting something sweet after dinner and last night I was sat there obsessing over the malteasers that I knew were in the cupboard but I resisted. However, Thursday is my best friends birthday and she wants to go out for burritos and there is no way I'm skipping those bad boys - I love them! So I'm just doing more exercise and trying to cut down a little leading up to it. Still having my treat but managing the effect.

That being said I am a massive foodie and love: Thai food, Burritos, Fried Chicken, Peanut butter ice cream, Steak, Roasted garlic potato mash, pizza etc. The list could go on and on.

This!

I don't restrict myself from things I love. I make them fit into my daily targets so that I am not deprived and eat a 1200+calorie kebab. Try focusing on foods you enjoy, that are also mixed in with fitting your daily targets. It needs to be something you can do for the rest of your life, it's not a diet.

sweetheartscene

I've been dieting for about 2 weeks straight now and I'm starting to get a little sad that I can't eat the way I used to! So tonight I'm treating myself to a ridiculously fattening 1000lb + calorie kebab. I already feel guilty though cos I feel like I'm just throwing away all my hard work I know I can still eat the food that I love in moderation, but there's no way I can fit that kind of food into my "diet". Does anyone else have really fattening favourite foods that they treat themselves to occasionally, whether they're on a diet or not?

Also, try taking foods you love and make them healthier. I personally don't believe in adjusting foods to low cal and low fat if I wont enjoy eating them, I would rather just eat them less often. However, if I can take something I love, make it healthier and still taste great? Do it! What is it about the kebab you like? Is it the meat / salad / sauce / pita bread? Kebabs if cooked well can actually be pretty healthy and filling, it's just picking them up from kebab shops and them being laden with sauces and fat that give them a bad rep.

E.g Get some actual lamb pieces and pan fry them in low cal cooking spray, serve in a warm pita and stuff to the brim with salad and then get a low cal garlic/chilli sauce or splurge a little on the sauce. At least that way the meat isn't as processed and will hopefully keep you fuller longer and adding more salad will give you more nutrients.

Just a few ideas!

loconnor466

I am also trying to make this a lifestyle change and not a diet. My refrigerator has gone through a transformation, I am cooking way more than ever so I can have better control over what I am eating. But I still like to have a little ice cream once in a while and drink a few beers or cocktails over the weekends. I went out to brunch for my daughters birthday yesterday, and had eggs benedict. For me, I need to be able to do this and allow for those moments.

alhumphreys

Hubby and I cheat every Friday night !! Once a week. Whatever we want for supper. I usually get McDonald's or Pizza Delight. We have chips and dip as a snack. Then I finish it off with some wine that I don't have to measure out !! We start out the day by eating healthy and then when supper time hits just forget it all !!! It's the greatest. We set the night in stone. It is something to look forward to and it keeps me on the straight and narrow when it comes to eating healthy. Plus who wants to cook after working all week !!!!

Good luck !!

KyaniBody

I would look into a IIFYM (If it fits your macros) approach. This way you are eating foods you like, but in moderation. It helps to avoid binge eating and huge cheat meals.

JoJo__Fit

I have a cheat meal everyday

mike_ny

I don't plan cheat days since they happen all by themselves. You can't avoid social occasions or other circumstances where it's very hard if not impossible to stay within your limits. There seems to be something like that at least every other week. Those are my cheat days. I don't stress over them. I just try to make up for them in the next few days to balance them out over the week.

just_Jennie1

I've been dieting for about 2 weeks straight now and I'm starting to get a little sad that I can't eat the way I used to! So tonight I'm treating myself to a ridiculously fattening 1000lb + calorie kebab. I already feel guilty though cos I feel like I'm just throwing away all my hard work I know I can still eat the food that I love in moderation, but there's no way I can fit that kind of food into my "diet". Does anyone else have really fattening favourite foods that they treat themselves to occasionally, whether they're on a diet or not?

I just went back to implementing these and my cheat meals are on Friday and Saturday nights because those are the times that I go out to eat. Since I cut out alcohol during the week and I don't really eat sweets (cakes, cookies etc) I look forward to my weekends where I indulge a bit. My cheat meals usually consist of things that I don't normally eat like a good steak dinner, some sort of decadent macaroni and cheese or a really good pasta dish. It might also include a rich dessert as well.

While I realize not everyone has cheat meals and just eats whatever they want whenever that doesn't work for everyone. I know how I am and I know that when I have full reign over food I tend to over indulge every day. I also know that drinking wine nightly became a (bad) habit that I've since broken. Now I enjoy the booze and the food more because it's not something I have every day. I view it as a treat, an indulgence not something that's "forbidden".

tabbyxxcat

I don't plan cheat days since they happen all by themselves. You can't avoid social occasions or other circumstances where it's very hard if not impossible to stay within your limits. There seems to be something like that at least every other week. Those are my cheat days. I don't stress over them. I just try to make up for them in the next few days to balance them out over the week.

Same with me. There tends to be one day of the week, generally Friday or Saturday, when I'm sitting down with friends and family and think, seriously??? Why in the world would I pull my calorie counter out now?!? I only eat until I'm full and drink lots of water like a good girl, but the point is to really enjoy my food and the good company and such. I generally log it afterwords and find that I'm just under maintenance because I was good the rest of the day, which is perfectly fine with me.

Just don't give yourself the kind of cheat day where you say, "I'm going to pick out as much calorie filled food as I can and sit down and eat it all by myself in one sitting so that I can stay sane". Trying to be healthier should not make you go crazy like that, and can ruin all of your progress. But don't miss opportunities in life where you just need to enjoy yourself and live a little

ebayaddict0127

I'm two weeks in and cheating tonight. Still counting it all though! I felt like if I didn't do it tonight, and kept waiting, I'd go berserk. Just don't cheat every other day.

edwardkim85

Once a week or once every 8-9 days , I eat cookies, pizza, ice cream, etc . ends up being about 6kcal - 7kcal.

I still lose weight at about 4-5 kg / month.

But keep in mind my exercise intensity is a lot higher than most, since I do crossfit, strength training, and HIIT/ TABATA workouts usually all in one go(2 hour - workouts daily). If I don't work out this intensely I wouldn't lose any weigh by eating 7kcal of carb and fat once a week.

so it won't work for everyone.

Experiment and find if your body can handle cheat days given your current deficit and life style.

chezjuan

I have days where I go over my calories about once a month on average. As others have said, this relates to social occasions, going out with my wife, or work functions.

I don't think of them as cheats, rather as part of life. I don't feel guilty about it. I've been doing this for about a year and a half, and they haven't had any effect on my goals (either fitness or weight loss). I eat everything in moderation, so there is no such thing as a "cheat meal" for me either.

spikrgrl503

We went out for my husbands birthday over the weekend and he loves Mexican food. I find that yes, I did "cheat" but I still made better food choices than I would have had I not been counting. My cheat days are more in control than they were before I joined MFP. I used to just be like, "well eff this I'll eat whatever I want I'm already cheating" and now I can reign it in a little more. For example, my "cheat" meal was half of a vegetarian taco salad, two margaritas, and a sliver of cake. It put me over, but not enough to make me feel like crap about it.

kwedman488

I have a cheat meal once a month. That way, I know I've earned it, but I also have time to plan what I'd like to have (ie, where I would like to go out to eat). My first cheat meal since the new year was eating out at furr's buffet this last Wednesday when I had to drive 4.5 hrs back to school for the start of the spring semester. I planned it because I knew I wouldn't have any food yet and that I would be hungry. I found that the food wasn't nearly as good or satisfying as the food I make, so eating out isn't as much of a temptation anymore. I'm really good at healthifying foods I like but maintaining the taste haha. So for example, my next cheat meal will be to take myself out for some Greek on valentine's day since my boyfriend might not be in town.

ritan7471

My husband and I do exactly the same thing. It's our sauna night. So during the day we eat healthy, carefully within our calories, and then once work is over it's free time. I've actually found that I don't eat as much as I ever plan to eat. It juts helps keep me on track during the week knowing "I can eat that on Friday". And then, of course if there is a party or other social event, I can move my "cheat day" until then.

Since I've moved to FInland I've watched all the slim people at my work and see that they don't gorge themselves when we go out, but they also don't always choose a green salad with fat free dressing and a small glass of wine. They accommodate treats and good food for those social times, but really pay attention to what they're eating the rest of the time.

I'm never going to succeed at this if I keep beating myself up for eating too much pizza, so why not plan when and where I will allow myself more flexibility in my eating?

TavistockToad

i follow IIFYM so i dont need 'cheat' days (i hate that term!), i can fit a bit of cake into my week without too much trouble!

MissBabyJane

I go over my calories 1 time a week. It's usually saturday, when I'm all day at home and there is delicious cooking going on, sometimes I just can't avoid it. So I give myself a little break. I make up for this in the next week.

joehempel

If I have to go out and eat, I don't beat myself up over it. I'm usually in a deficit. It's not like your body is like "oh look, it's midnight, time to reset everything."

Everything in moderation. Even McDonalds!

Snow3y

1000lb kebab? Are you american?

wickedwendy6

EVERY weekend! Every Saturday I have a free day, where I eat whatever I feel like - NOT a binge day, just an 'eat not so healthily' day. And every Sunday I jump straight back on the bandwagon and carry on as usual. :bigsmile:

janetay01

I don't plan cheat days since they happen all by themselves. You can't avoid social occasions or other circumstances where it's very hard if not impossible to stay within your limits. There seems to be something like that at least every other week. Those are my cheat days. I don't stress over them. I just try to make up for them in the next few days to balance them out over the week.

This! I don't have cheat days as such (don't like the term) - and I acknowledge that I have to balance this improved health game with simply living and enjoying my life. If I know it's going to be a high day (birthdays, meals out etc) I do a bit more exercise and try to balance the meals through the rest of the day. But I don't sweat it - it doesn't happen enough to make a real significant difference.

loztandfound

once a week I'll have a non-logging day. So not a cheat day as such, I will still eat well balanced and try and drink all the liquids, but I won't log, so I'm less strict on the cals. I might be a bit over on that day, but i will enjoy it. I don't binge on that day, but one kebab a week won't kill the weightloss as long as the other days are good!! try to cut down on any sauces you have with the kebab though, and have a small one rather than a larger size, just to give you that taste. Oh yeah, and ENJOY!!

eyleene

I don't plan cheat days since they happen all by themselves. You can't avoid social occasions or other circumstances where it's very hard if not impossible to stay within your limits. There seems to be something like that at least every other week. Those are my cheat days. I don't stress over them. I just try to make up for them in the next few days to balance them out over the week.

yeah I agree , i couldnt plan a cheat day , too much temptation , i will just keep going as long as possible until a ' Who really gives a F*** " day comes along , with my family that will be at least once a fortnight , so i allow one day and then get back on the wagon again and try to adjust the next few days .

JojoEffeckt164

No cheat days for me right now. I had one on New Years Eve and that´s it. I believe that as long as I am not used to my new lifestyle I shouldn´t allow myself a cheatday, because if I start doing this, it will get out of control!!! :noway:

Everybody is different though. That´s just how I do it. And I got great results so far

arrseegee

I don't have cheat days because a) these days I eat what I want, just less of it than I used to, and b) it seems defeatest to me to diligently log your foods all week only to possibly blow it on one day when you have no idea what you are actually eating.

I understand 'cheat day' or 'cheat meal' to be a meal that is not logged on here, hence my comments above.

If you are only two weeks in and already having problems perhaps the changes you made to your diet have been too radical, too quickly? You want to eventually get to a point where eating healthy foods is totally normal and you aren't having daily cravings for the things that got you to the point where you needed to join MFP!

ETA: I have logged every single thing I have eaten on August 2013. Including days when I ate way more than I had planned.

mamadon

I have a cheat day once a month. I eat whatever I want for that day, but I do log it all.

jadetigereyes

My bf and I cheat once a week, but for one meal rather than a full day's worth of food. As long as we maintain portion sizes, it makes us feel much better about our food plans. Like other users, we try to make our regular meals as tasty as possible, and vary everything as well.

bethyv1030

It's fine to have a cheat day once in a while as long as it isn't hindering your success. If you feel guilty about how much you ate then maybe just try to do some extra exercise that week to even it out! You will hate life if you can't eat the things you love!!!

snappled

1000lb kebab? Are you american?

How dare you. You want a piece of America?