Cheating....

socialdchic
socialdchic Posts: 170 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
When you have cheat days, how far over calories do you go? Just a treat or 2 or do you kill it?
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Replies

  • PhotoBombed
    PhotoBombed Posts: 13
    I kill it. That is why I joined MFP...to learn to not assault my cheat days, but to just mildly bruise them.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Personally I don't do 'cheat' days. Can't cheat myself when there is no good vs. bad. Its more about budgeting.

    On the other hand, I do occasionally have a day where I aim to eat at maintenance (which for me is an extra 500 calories) or allow myself more leeway when it comes to guestimating on my food log. Typically I try to be very accurate, even when eating out and such. A 'treat' for me would be eating at a restaurant I enjoy that doesn't provide nutritional info, so the best I can do is estimate based on similar MFP database entries.
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    I don't log at all one day a week and must hit 4000+ calories, did it for 12 months like that and lost 91 lbs while staying in my calories the rest of the week.
  • Cierra887
    Cierra887 Posts: 1
    I used to be very strict and if I was going to a party or going out to eat I would allow myself to cheat. Lately I've been going all out and just having weekends where I just don't count at all. I guess since I've started just trying to mantain vs lose it's harder to stay disciplined. I would suggest not neccessarily waking up and saying today is a cheat day, BUT if you really want something or are going to eat then just allow that to be your cheat day, but just don't go balls to the wall
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    I don't do cheat days. I just plan any food I wish to eat into my calories limit then kill it.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
    I have a cheat meal -- not that it's "clean" or "dirty" food, it's just at maintenance or even above -- at a particular restaurant every so often. Worst case, it's 1000 over maintenance, so I've set myself back a few days on a multi-month path. Wah.
  • ChelseaWelseyKins
    ChelseaWelseyKins Posts: 272 Member
    On my cheat days I just give myself a treat or two and go over my calorie goal a little bit. Like if I want a Starbucks pumpkin bread that day, then I get it and don't feel bad about it. Always remind yourself that a cheat day is good for your health mentally and physically. :)
  • Chelsarrr
    Chelsarrr Posts: 65 Member
    I don't cheat either. I eat what I like and stay within my goals and even when I don't, I stay focused and keep moving forward. I eat what I want all the time. Maybe my body changes slower because of this, but I want lasting results and a different lifestyle, not just to have a love/hate relationship with certain foods!
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    My husband would be very upset if I cheated, even on special cheat days and if I had 2 "treats" that may blow his mind.....oh, you meant cheating on what I eat......I eat as I please, what I want, and when I want. I can not cheat on myself, that would be cheating myself. I stay in my deficient, some days may go slightly over but my week is never over. If I plan to keep the weight off, I have to realize that life happens and how to moderate myself. Also I am just not into self deprivation.
  • 1Cor1510
    1Cor1510 Posts: 413 Member
    I don't cheat. If I have a day where I'm going to go over my goal, I try to make sure I stay under maintenence.
  • lauranelson779
    lauranelson779 Posts: 18 Member
    I use to kill it. Since joining I've seen people "budgeting" with their calories. That's been my new way. If I plan to have a treat (today is icecream) I plan it first thing in the morning then plan the rest of my food around it. It releases me from the guilt so I truly enjoy it. not sure what will happen when we go on vacation and I loose the control I have in my house but hopefully I can make it work
  • VTRutz
    VTRutz Posts: 52 Member
    I dont "cheat" but I have had a few days where a meal or two was outside of my goals. I don't ever pick a day and Free For All it- but if I am out and REALLY REALLY REALLY want that kettlecorn I don't freak out over it. I just make sure I get right back on track.
  • focusedonfitness2015
    focusedonfitness2015 Posts: 240 Member
    I've always been told (by a reliable source) that a cheat meal was essential to weight loss because it boosts your metabolism. But, its a cheat meal...not a cheat day. I don't really understand the logic behind it but it has worked for me in the past so I didn't question it
  • fallingtrees
    fallingtrees Posts: 220 Member
    Even my cheat days I stay on course. I try to stay within a negative balance, even if it goes over my MFP daily goal. In other words, if my MFP goal is a 500 calorie daily deficit, and I go 400 calories over that, I'm still at a deficit for the day.

    Some events (Lutheran Scandinavian Christmas potluck, for example), I know I'm going to go over, and I say WTH and just try to avoid getting ridiculous with it. I try to be extra diligent the days before and after.
  • Mykaelous
    Mykaelous Posts: 231 Member
    I don't do cheat days. I found out the hard way that once you train your mind that its ok to "cheat" that it's something that hangs in the back of your mind as an option. Funny enough every time I stopped going to the gym/eating healthy followed a cheat/binge weekend because I would say "well I already messed up yesterday I guess messing up today couldn't hurt me any more than the weekend did." Also many times after such weekends there would be left over fast food that I just to finish because "there's no reason to let good food go to waste, what about the children in China."
  • thedarkwombat
    thedarkwombat Posts: 123 Member
    I have been trying to lose weight for a long time now. I used to have cheat days, not anymore. Cheat days have a 25% chance of starting something really bad and getting of course.

    I have bad self control, cheating cannot happen at all anymore.
  • GothyFaery
    GothyFaery Posts: 762 Member
    I don't count vacations as cheat days even though I don't log (esp. in Vegas). But we live in a small town that doesn't have much so when we plan to go out of town for the day we try to eat something we don't have here which is just about anything and we do plan to go over so I call that a cheat day. I also consider our AYCE sushi nights (usually 2x a month) as cheat days too.

    For those days I usually do plan to kill it so I don't bother to pre-log it but afterwards when I do log, a lot of the times I'm not over or if I am it's only by a few 100. I don't know, I guess even when I'm not trying I still am somewhat aware of what I'm eating. It's kind of weird. I just have a hard time packing away 3000 calories in a day even when I have a molten brownie sunday from Sonic.
  • focusedonfitness2015
    focusedonfitness2015 Posts: 240 Member
    I don't do cheat days. I found out the hard way that once you train your mind that its ok to "cheat" that it's something that hangs in the back of your mind as an option. Funny enough every time I stopped going to the gym/eating healthy followed a cheat/binge weekend because I would say "well I already messed up yesterday I guess messing up today couldn't hurt me any more than the weekend did." Also many times after such weekends there would be left over fast food that I just to finish because "there's no reason to let good food go to waste, what about the children in China."
    I totally understand this logic. I am most likely to repeat my most recent action, so staying strict is best for me. I too tell myself, "why bother, I've already messed up" but it takes will power to get back on the wagon. I believe in a cheat meal once a week but it's not for everyone. Sometimes it helps me to log my cheat meal into MFP so I can see how bad it was and realize I didn't have to go that far with it. I just started my weight loss journey again yesterday so I can't speak for how well it will go this time. Last year I lost 12 lbs by eating clean, watching calories, gym 3 days a week and the dreaded once per week cheat meal. I gained the 12 lbs back because I stopped watching what I was eating and every meal was a free for all. :laugh:
  • Artionis
    Artionis Posts: 105 Member
    Personally I don't do 'cheat' days. Can't cheat myself when there is no good vs. bad. Its more about budgeting.

    On the other hand, I do occasionally have a day where I aim to eat at maintenance (which for me is an extra 500 calories) or allow myself more leeway when it comes to guestimating on my food log. Typically I try to be very accurate, even when eating out and such. A 'treat' for me would be eating at a restaurant I enjoy that doesn't provide nutritional info, so the best I can do is estimate based on similar MFP database entries.

    Quoted for maturity and common sense.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,050 Member
    OH, you mean cheating on your diet........ :ohwell:

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