Cheat days, yes or no

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Replies

  • JG762
    JG762 Posts: 571 Member
    What's a cheat day?
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    I'm planning on having 11 cookies. It won't put me over my calories but it will be unhealthy for me.

    My kids like me to bake cookies on the weekends, so I am building cookies into my plans for now. Fewer than I used to eat at a sitting, but that's ok since I would eat until I felt sick and then some! I don't feel bummed like I am missing out because I still get to eat a few, and I don't feel bad physically or emotionally for indulging. Win/win!
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    I do not recommend a full day. With the way foods are commercially made nowadays, it's just way too easy to blow your deficit in one day, much easier than you might think. Make it a cheat MEAL, not a full day.
  • unapologeticallyemma
    unapologeticallyemma Posts: 134 Member
    Cheat meals yes
    cheat days no
  • JVClubs
    JVClubs Posts: 139 Member
    this cheat meal idea is probably something i should consider.

    personally i cheat for 36 hrs, ill eat whatever comes to mind but i wont over do, i dont count calories on my cheat days and i will go have pizza and other goodies.

    but im alot bigger, still got some weight to lose, and i always get back to my grind the next day, it all depends on the person really
  • karen_golfs
    karen_golfs Posts: 377 Member
    I take my marriage seriously so I wouldn't do it, but I don't see how that would affect weight loss.

    That's a hoot!
  • Ginahbean81
    Ginahbean81 Posts: 23
    I have so many cheat days....ugghh it's horrible. I had a cheat day today and I feel awful and always do when I cheat. Now I feel like it's going to take days to get back to normal
  • arnostbilej
    arnostbilej Posts: 56
    I guess that is up to you. I know for myself that a cheat day will send me right back to where I came from. It's been 13 months since I started my journey and any of those "cheat" items are worked into my daily food allotment. If I want it bad enough and it will put me over, then I know I will have to hop on the treadmill for as long as it takes to burn off the excess. I must be doing something right since I am wearing a size 4 for the first time in my life... don't know exact number of pounds I lost since I choose not to weigh on the scale (will some day... just not today)... but I can tell you that I started this venture at a size 18/20 (down from a one time high of size 24)

    I say rather than setting aside a day to "cheat" ... work those treats into your daily diary and enjoy every day while learning a little bit about nutrition and behavior modification..

    Congratulations! That has to be a pretty significant weight loss! Dropping 14-16 sizes definitely means you're doing something right. Kudos for staying off the scale, I would be too curious to see the numbers going down to stay away :)

    Definitely cheat meals rather than cheat days because the former is much easier to control. Once you have a cheat day, you'll start thinking that it's okay to have two cheat days, and before you know it, you will have erased all of your hard work.
  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
    I was thinking of having a cheat day once or twice a month? Would that hinder my weight loss?

    Everyone defines it differently. I don't believe in being dishonest with myself - that's what the log is, just a record tool. So if I eat 4 bowls of cereal and 5 cookies, I record it. I might or not attempt or be able to make up the superavit elsewhere.

    If you mean relaxing a very regimented diet to eat something you fancy, by all means do it. Just be honest. Then if you need to assess the reasons for plateaus, weight fluctuations, etc. you can look at your log without wondering if you actually ate the things it says you did.
  • mallorytravels
    mallorytravels Posts: 86 Member
    I went on this fat loss program through this gym I was attending where you had six days of strict rules and then one cheat day per week where you could eat what you wanted, but not "go crazy". Well, having that cheat day really messed with my head. I would eat a whole pizza, I couldn't help myself! It took me a while to realize that having a "cheat day" ultimately hinders the goal of creating a positive, healthy, balanced relationship with food. It teaches me to look at indulgent food as taboo, which heightens my desire for it. What I really needed to learn was how to have pizza now and then without binging on it and what else to do and eat that day in order to remain balanced. Indulgent food can be part of your diet in moderation and in combination with conscientiousness.
  • Raaynn
    Raaynn Posts: 47 Member
    I was havingheat meals but only after my stomach shrunk to a normal size. I used to be able to eat half a Costco size pizza easily. Now I can just barely finish one piece. I consider that a cheat meal and I can fit it into my daily calories as it is only about 700 calories. Wash it down with some water and then got run a mile and its like a normal meal. DONT cheat, just adjust your diet. you need to reduce your intake and not gorge or your stomach will never shrink and you will always be hungry. add more fat and reduce your carbs, choose veggies over fruit and then after a month or two start to add back in your favorite foods. you will be SHOCKED at how little you will be able to eat of them before you feel full. stop eating the gigantic low cal salads, stop the breads, add in the fats. a cookie never killed anyone, its eating an entire box on the couch while having no intention to do anything active in the near future that puts that weight on.

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