Anyone do cheat days?

MeganZeman

Hi there. I am gluten and dairy free 6 days out of the week. But I do so love (real) ice cream and (real) baked sweets so I give myself one day a week to sneak in some of that garbage and go over my calorie limit too. I was curious how many of you have a scheduled "cheat day" in your week? If so tell me about it.

DaveDeLange

Presumably you mean a day with a cheat meal? Some people go absolutely berzerk on a cheat and gorge themselves all day.

I lost weight before having a cheat meal once a week, usually a large pizza. It didn't seem to do any harm.

Other times I have abused it and felt like ice cream one day and thought I would make that my "cheat day." Trouble is, there would be an awful lot of "cheat days."

If you can keep it to a cheat meal once a week, it's fine imo.

caracrawford1

I do not. If I want a treat of some sort I fit it in to my calories, thus ensuring I am always at a deficit. "cheat" implies you are doing something bad or wrong. Food is not "bad" or "wrong".

kimnsc

I do not. If I want a treat of some sort I fit it in to my calories, thus ensuring I am always at a deficit. "cheat" implies you are doing something bad or wrong. Food is not "bad" or "wrong".

^^^ That!

PlantGrrrl

Same with me. I just calculate the calories of my "cheat" and throw it into my log for the day.

Chain_Ring

If that's how you define cheating then I cheat almost every single day.

SteveMoto

I read a book recently that had a snapshot of how some top level pro runners and triathletes eat. They have treats on their schedule too but it's part of their regular for that day. Are you allergic to gluten or dairy?

summer92008

I have one day every 2 weeks or so where I eat whatever I please but stay within my maintenance calories. This is usually eating what I normally eat, but having a blizzard with it. (600 calories. I know, that's a lot. But I love my blizzards). I have lost 10 lbs in 2 months and am half way to my goal! So it works as long as you don't go over your maintenance calories.

RedArizona5

I used to be really good on on giving myself cheat days but then i kinda ate 1 -3 things i shouldn't have daily and then I talked with my brother and I have decided no more cheat days.
Everything in moderation and no deprivation and eating as healthy as I can in the mean is the best life I can offer for my body so I don't one day just binge off everything that is bad and possibly not stop…yeah I don't want to binge because I didn't let myself have some of something I shouldn't be eating….

ValGogo

every day is cheat day.

harrynich

A cheat day would do me in. Just because I'm wired that way, not because there's a way to do it right and a way to cheat.

ajnb88

About once a month I have a takeaway pizza that lasts me two days, but also destroys my total calories for them :laugh:

Hey, my wife and I work hard, so payday pizza is a treat for us. Two days out of the month isn't going to derail my progress, and chances are I went to the gym/work on one of those days anyway. Oh, and yes, I log it.

BootCampLola

I have a cheat day every 1-2 weeks where I don't count calories at all and eat whatever I feel like eating, as long as I just stay in my calorie limit the all th other days.

Unknown

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SailorKnightWing

Question: Why are you dairy and gluten free if these foods don't cause you intestinal distress? I'm guessing they don't if you purposely eat them on your "cheat" days.

RipperSB

I've said it before and I'll say it again - It's only cheating if you don't log it. Eat it, log it and move on!

felblossom

I don't call them cheat days, but I have some days that are in the red, yes. I also have some days that are way under target.
I see it as a weekly goal, as long as my red days don't put me over my weekly score then I go with it :P

toughmudderMN

I used to bu then I realized the only thing that I was cheating was myself and my goals.

martinel2099

Sometimes for special occasions I'll go over my calorie goal and just have a good time. My wife's bday is this weekend so while I'm watching what I'm eating carefully up until then I'm not going to worry so much about it when we're celebrating and having a good time.

On this diet you can do it, if you fall off the horse just get back on. One day or one bad week will not offset the benefits of calorie counting for a lifetime.

Also, individual foods themselves are not restricted and you should not think of it as cheating. I have Popsicle ice cream bars in my freezer that I eat just about everyday and I'm not breaking my calorie goal or macros having them.

Snip8241

No...if I want something I make every attempt to fit it in my calories. If I go over once in awhile it's ok. Personally if I deny myself occasional treats I am not successful.

Natasha_Fit_Fab

I don't necessarily have a cheat day...but I do allow myself one day or one meal out the wk that I don't have to cook and I can go get my hoagie sandwich from my favorite deli...when I do that I am mindful that day to pay attention to my other snacks and meals for that day.

chelseascounter

I used to but not anymore. They drove me crazy. Now I just fit whatever I want to eat in my cals. Once a or twice a week I do go over my cals by a ton.

RET68

Every other week, I go out for fried catfish, grits with cheese and greens soaked in bacon grease. I then eat movie popcorn and sno caps with dh. I sort of feel like I'm in shock afterwards, but the mental crap, of "I can't ever have it again", messes with me worse than the calories. OP probably knows that as much as fifty percent of the population carries general inflammation from foods like gluten, dairy, soy, corn, etc, and is choosing to give her body a rest. I applaud her. :flowerforyou: If you're someone who can eat inflammatory foods and be good with it, you should appreciate it, and not cast stones. If you however, always have inflamed muscles, sinusitis, reflux, gas, constipation, or brain fog: try going off or reducing gluten and dairy. Restricting dairy to once a week can do fabulous things for about half of us.

liftnlove_

I do. I find it hilarious how people get all bent out of shape because you call it a "cheat day"... Ooohhh like it matters?!?! Call it a "refeed" day if it makes you feel better. Bunch of semantic tightwads... Lots of people do well with an occasional cheat day, lots of people do well with working small treats into their everyday lives. Do what works for you.

TLwineguzzler

I have a cheat evening once a week, either a Friday or a Saturday, when I have a takeout curry or kebab and a bottle of red, but I behave myself and eat good in the day

365andstillalive

I do cheat meals (cheat weekends when I'm camping), so long as I can stay under maintenance calories. I'm eating at about a 500 calorie deficit right now, so when I eat to my TDEE that usually gives me more than enough room to eat whatever it is I've decided is worth the splurge -- then I just don't weigh in for a few days to avoid seeing the water weight.

Tonight is actually my cheat meal; SO has been craving fried chicken all week, so we're going to grab Mary Brown's for dinner. I'll actually still be within my weight loss calories (since I got a chance to plan for it), but I'm going to be eating like three times the healthy amount of sodium haha

smarieallen85

I never plan for one! But they happen. When friends want to cook, I eat what they make. That's a cheat meal to me.

gfarretiytr

I do i find them really helpful
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GZbfZ033f74

T1DCarnivoreRunner

I think a cheat day means something different to everyone. Some eat "unhealthy" foods, sometimes even keeping a calorie deficit. Others eat at a maintenance calorie level rather than a deficit. Personally, I don't really consider either of those to be "cheat days." My idea of a cheat day is to eat whatever I want and as much as I want.

I started at 201 lbs., and have had to lose very slowly because of health issues that I experienced when losing more quickly (it's complicated, and I won't try to explain here). So I ended up taking a break from trying to lose weight for about 6 weeks. When I started up again, at the beginning of June, I told myself that I would let myself have a cheat day at 185 lbs. (which was about 7-8 lbs. away). I had hoped to eat 2 lbs. of spaghetti, 2 cakes, a pan of brownies, 2 pizzas, and 2 packages of Oreos. The cheat day was on Aug. 3. Turns out my eyes were bigger than my stomach, and I didn't get to eat that much but ended up with 8k calories anyway.

I will do another cheat day when I reach 175 lbs., and will forego the spaghetti in favor of pizzas. When I make these milestones, it is after a long time of careful dieting (2 months in the first case), so I do not feel bad pigging out. In the nearly 3 weeks since my cheat day, I've surprisingly lost all all of what I gained cheating and then some (5 lbs., which is a fast loss for me).

My cheat days are infrequent, but extreme. Some have frequent mild cheat days. Neither is necessarily wrong, so just keep doing it if it works. The point of a cheat day is to keep yourself happy mentally, right? If you need to have a small cheat every week to do that, and you are still losing weight... then by all means, keep doing it.

bfergusonii

I don't plan for them and don't really feel the need to plan them.

Unfortunately??, they seem to occasionally happen. Usually it's when traveling for business and you end up with clients and suddenly beers are being ordered, then comes the nachos, etc. etc.

I always go back and log them but it's usually more calories than I should have eaten.

I always feel physically terrible for the rest of the night and part of tomorrow, vow to never do that again because I feel like crap, then, several months later...

He1loKitty

I don't schedule cheat days because real life provides enough opportunities to indulge. Birthdays, celebrations, days when I get home too late from work and grab whatever is easiest, etc. I have to make sure that I eat healthy the rest of the time to accommodate for the expected and unexpected deviations. I do enjoy the times I cheat though.