Cheating.

savelaurie

Do you have a cheat DAY or MEAL?

Alatariel75

I calorie cycle, so eat low Mon-Friday then eat higher cals on the weekend. So I had pizza and a kebab on the weekend, some would consider that a cheat, but it's within my weekly cals.

If I wasn't doing that though, I'd go a cheat meal rather than a day. You wouldn't believe the calories I could put away in a whole day, I could easily undo my entire week's deficit.

incantarix

For me, that is a dangerous, slippery slope. I work yummy foods into my calories on days that I have exercised and have more calories to work with. There doesn't seem to be a point to cheat days, other than taking a day to live the way I lived when I ate like a cheat day every single day of my life, and gained a ton of weight.

I think that even considering a "cheat day" puts you in a place where you can't focus on the bigger picture, which is changing your habits in order to become a healthier person.

I think it's best to fit treats into daily calories.

broox80

Once a month or so I will have a meal and not log it. That way I can add in a few extras but not just eating crap all day long. I usually do this around TOM.

savelaurie

Generally I try to eat clean 85% of the time and have treats 15%.
I figure as long as I change my habits and keep on my path to health then I deserve to reward myself with the occasional pizza, chips or chocolate.
Having said that, I've heard/seen people talking about cheat meals/days and wondered what the majority do.

Kegha

During the week I am more careful since I cook all my meals and can control the calorie content. On week end it is not as strick since I have a busy social life but if going to restaurant or friends house I will be selective and try to eat without going out of control and I will note the calories. Sometime I will exceed maybe by 200 calories but I adjust in the following days by increasing my exercise or cut a few calories here and there to compensate.

I do not want to call it a cheat, I call it just normal living. I came to realise that even when I get to my goal I will have to continue eating the way I do now, maybe just a little more but never as much as before. As I am loosing weight my calorie requirement are decreasing and also I am at an age where the margin between gaining and loosing is getting smaller. I also know that if I take ghat glass of wine, which in itself is not that bad that it will lower my guards and I will eat more than intended, so I stay away from it.

OmegaAlpha007

I personally don't believe that having "delicious" food is cheating. I think people think more like "Cheating = Binging"
I drink a nice millkshake everyday,.. the thing is that i went from drinking a 24oz shake to a smaller 8oz shake..

So if you've been cheating because you ate 5 snicker bars, cut it down to 3,.. then cut it down to just 1.. you can have all the foods you want just make sure its a decent amount... within your caloric means btw..

my opinion whats yours?

glasshalffull713

For me, that is a dangerous, slippery slope. I work yummy foods into my calories on days that I have exercised and have more calories to work with. There doesn't seem to be a point to cheat days, other than taking a day to live the way I lived when I ate like a cheat day every single day of my life, and gained a ton of weight.

I think that even considering a "cheat day" puts you in a place where you can't focus on the bigger picture, which is changing your habits in order to become a healthier person.

I think it's best to fit treats into daily calories.

^^^I second that! I just have treats on days I exercise more and have found treats that aren't really that bad for me that I love, like smoothies or a square of dark dark chocolate.

kgeyser

I have neither. I just accept that some days I will probably go over (birthdays, anniversaries, events, occasional bad days). As long as I'm sticking to my goal most of time, I'm happy.

CindyMarcuzAdams

I am 24 days in so its kind of early for me to cheat yet. I am still at the stage where I am afraid of every calorie. My whole attitude has changed about dieting and food. I am trying to look at food as my friend and fuel for my body but still see it as the enemy sometimes. When the day comes when I hit goal I will start to have cheat days, but right now I am a big chicken...skinless and boneless...

Cindy

incantarix

I am 24 days in so its kind of early for me to cheat yet. I am still at the stage where I am afraid of every calorie. My whole attitude has changed about dieting and food. I am trying to look at food as my friend and fuel for my body but still see it as the enemy sometimes. When the day comes when I hit goal I will start to have cheat days, but right now I am a big chicken...skinless and boneless...

Cindy

Hah! That was funny I've only been doing this now for 52 days, but I was exactly the same at the beginning, Cindy, I was terrified to eat anything that didnt have a label that I could accurately log. After doing really well, and losing weight consistently, I went off the strict label foods only, and began eating a different variety of food, and carefully and accurately logging it (painstakingly, also; it's hard to log weird meals at other people's houses, restaraunts sometimes, etc. especially food trucks!)

I don't fear the calorie anymore, I just really, carefully respect it. I know that something that says it's100 calories is 100 calories, I can't change it, and have to work it into the daily food, along with everything else. Being honest about what you're eating is the best way, in my opinion, to make calorie counting result in great success!

ninerbuff

I cheat every day.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

SLLRunner

Do you have a cheat DAY or MEAL?

Nope. Every day i eat whatever, just in moderation.

Feel free to take a look at my diary.

Fsunami

Nope. I figure as long as long as Im doing the right thing most of the time & that the big picture looks the way I want it to, Im not going to waste time or energy worrying about what one meal is going to do to me.

I figure if I become too militant about it, I may get to my goal a few days quicker, but would rather not be miserable in the process.

karmasays

I fit treats in every other day or so if my goals permit me to do so. Like tonight, I felt like having some ice cream and I had more then enough room to have some - so I did!

This process is about learning moderation...not "eat well 90% of the time then go crazy for a whole day/meal to treat myself"

nixxthirteen

My only cheats (which for me means GOING OVER my entire weekly limit) involve alcohol. And those occasions are incredibly rare. For example, I didn't try to keep track of or log any drinks at my birthday party this week . Oh well.

Otherwise, I fit fast food and junk into my regular weeks. I love going out to eat and being social, so I make it work.

marvybells

nope. there is no cheat meal or day in my eyes.

My goal is to stay at or under my calorie goal while hitting my macros on most days. Then on Holidays, Birthdays or other special events i loosen the reigns a little and might go over my goal or be off on macros. if so, not a big deal....

and I always allow myself to enjoy any/all foods in moderation. It just seems more realistic to me to take this approach. If i tried to cut out certain foods completely and obsess about being perfectly spot on my goal every day then i am pretty sure that i would be downright miserable.

JesterMFP

No, I just eat. Sometimes I go over my calorie goal, most of the time I don't. I eat foods that give me lots of good nutrients and foods that give me pleasure to eat. No need to push them into opposing camps, and no need (for me) to set a certain day or meal to eat particular foods that I've singled out to be "naughty" or whatever. I personally hate the terminology, BUT I know the "cheat day" thing helps some people stay on track, so do whatever works for you.

daw0518

Cheat meals/days are what you make of them. I think how you go about having them [or not having them] just depends on how well you know yourself and your habits. If you're unrealistic about eating and losing weight in general, you're probably going to be unrealistic about cheating as well. I personally love cheat meals, days, or sometimes even weekends because I enjoy food, I enjoy socializing, & I enjoy being able to let go once in awhile - but I know that there are consequences for that & I'm willing to deal with them, while some people aren't & that's okay.

Life is short and I don't want to look back & regret missing out on things because I was being too uptight about food. I also think that 'cheating' can be an important tool in teaching yourself that one or two or three bad days is NOT going to annihilate your diet or all the progress you've made.

JesterMFP

I am still at the stage where I am afraid of every calorie. My whole attitude has changed about dieting and food. I am trying to look at food as my friend and fuel for my body but still see it as the enemy sometimes.

Try and change that, as quick as you can. Food isn't the enemy, calories aren't the enemy and shouldn't be feared. Food is fuel, nutrition and on of life's simplest pleasures. You can (easily) eat more than you need, but that doesn't make it bad, and you can eat less than you need. The trick is trying to find a good balance that supports your body being a healthy weight. I know you know this, but really - try not to see it so black and white, because that kind of thinking is no friend to successful weight loss.

Try to learn to incorporate the foods that you will be eating for the rest of your life as soon as possible. In other words, learn to maintain while you're still in the weight loss phase. Don't leave it until you reach your goal weight and are still terrified to eat anything that isn't diet food, and end up spiralling out of control as soon as you "allow" yourself to eat forbidden food. Believe me, it happens, a lot. :flowerforyou:

CDogg17

I have neither. I just accept that some days I will probably go over (birthdays, anniversaries, events, occasional bad days). As long as I'm sticking to my goal most of time, I'm happy.

100% this!