The idea of Cheat Days doesn't make sense...

NikkiJanye73

This is a lifestyle change, right?

No, I just want women to get moist when I take my shirt off

oh god this made me laugh .......

aneary1980

My cheat day/days is normally when I've saved cals from the rest of the week so overall my weekly cals are under or on my allowance.

Currently I have 1200 cals saved for Sunday and I will add to that with a run tonight and the 10k race I do on sunday. The cals will be used for a huge roast dinner and ice cream but overall my weekly cals will be within my allowance.

dopeysmelly

Meh. I don't call them cheat days. I usually call them birthdays, football night, guys night out, etc.

While I am determined to lose the weight, I also have a social life. This life is often planned around food and drink with folks I enjoy being around. I'm not going to worry about my calories in those times. And you're right if you guessed I might have a few drinks, and maybe two too many. We'll prolly hit the 24hr diner for some late night bar's closed food. And honestly, I'm not going to worry too much about it.

But it is also important to remember that that's me. I have enough self control and willpower that these days don't become habits. I got fat over the course of 15 years, not because I didn't have self control, but because I just didn't care.

If having a "cheat" day would completely throw you off the wagon, then don't cheat.

This is me too. I hate the word "cheat". It implies I'm doing it secretly or guiltily, and regretting it afterwards, or I've been hoarding calories for that mini snickers bar, and generally, if I'm eating food/drink I haven't logged or fitted into my goals it's because (a) it's a social occasion where enjoying the company is a huge deal and it wouldn't be socially acceptable to me to log e.g. dinner out, vacation, or (b) it's a work conference/business trip where I don't have time to log. Either way, I still eat with moderation, smaller portions than I would have a year ago, and try to make healthy choices with an eye to getting protein and fiber overall. It's not cheating, it's living.

ThisCanadian

This is a lifestyle change, right?

No, I just want women to get moist when I take my shirt off

Such a romantic :laugh:

ShannonMpls

OK, we're not just here to lose weight, we want to keep it off, right? This is a lifestyle change, right?

Then how does the idea of a "Cheat Day" fit in?

Don't all my days eventually show up on or off my thighs?

I lost 130+ pounds. I've been maintaining for 2 years. I had "cheat" days while losing, I have "cheat" days now. What matters is an overall calorie deficit. I always had one while losing, and now my "cheat" days contribute to my eating at maintenance.

What works for me may not work for you, but your way is not the only way.

yopeeps025

This is a lifestyle change, right?

No, I just want women to get moist when I take my shirt off

I would like to cosign this.

ShannonMpls

Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

I don't think we could be friends.

I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

"People who love to eat are always the best people."
-Julia Child

AlyssaJoJo

I don't really consider them cheat days because I don't limit my self to what I do or do not eat - but for me they are special days where I don't feel like logging is benefical. A birthday, a holiday, or a special even where all I care about is being around those I love, enjoying my time, and not worry about macros/numbers/etc. This is what works for me. Counting calories is like breathing for me at this point - as in it's super easy and just part of my life - but that doesnt' mean that it isn't nice to just take a step back and just enjoy life and my surroundings. (Normally these days I'm not even online/on my phone to begin with)

NoMoreBlameGame

I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

"People who love to eat are always the best people."
-Julia Child

Awesome post...that is all.

_KitKat_

i hear ya OP!
if i dont restrict anything, then cheat days are totally unnecessary.

#IIFYM4LYFE

↑↑This↑↑

For me logging was to become aware of portions, macros and just if I felt something was worth it. I don't like the word "cheat" because I can never figure out who I would be cheating. I eat what I want and just stay aware of the balance..... an example would be " oh, I want a snack....hmm I got 250 calories and I need more protein.... Cottage cheese it is" (I like cottage chees, if I had enough protein, I would probably have ice cream). I don't like feeling denied anything, so denying myself foods I like, then having them....calling it a cheat, just seems like a vicious cycle to me. I also balance calories over time (week) not the day.

_saphyre_

OK, we're not just here to lose weight, we want to keep it off, right? This is a lifestyle change, right?

Then how does the idea of a "Cheat Day" fit in?

Don't all my days eventually show up on or off my thighs?

Cheat days are fine, Eating one bad meal a week wont make you fat just like eating one healthy meal a week wont make you skinny.

MelodyandBarbells

The semantics in this thread, just ugh. You know what the OP meant

I watch a weekly deficit. Wednesdays and Fridays almost always work out as cheat days. I went over by 900 calories yesterday due to a catered lunch at work which I very much enjoyed and a burger and blizzard for dinner. I'll likely still end the week with my 1/2 lb deficit due to eating normal the rest of the week and my workouts. My lifestyle has changed because I didn't used to do this three years ago and I am more or less at my goal weight with any additional losses being a bonus. Can't ask for much more, really. Maybe I could have done it without eating junk food, ever, but to me , the concept is too dull to even bother finding out.

Then please explain it to me. I have IDGAF days pretty regularly and still lose. It works for me. I'm having a hard time reading the OP as anything but sanctimonious.

You only read the first two sentences of my post, didn't you? I disagree with the whole "it's not to-may-to it's to-mah-to" concept. Cheat days , eating what i want when i want, etc whatever you want to call it. To me the OP is asking why have blow out days or IDGAF days as part of a healthy diet. Both your responses indicate that you've understood this.

daydreams_of_pretty

I think that what the OP is getting at is that referring to your eating habits as "cheating," "bad," etc. implies that you are going through some type of hardship that will last your entire life, which is more miserable than cultivating new habits that result in you being flexible with what you're eating while still maintaining your desired weight/body composition.

Of course we cannot eat whatever we want in whatever our desired quantities are, but we can factor what we want into our calories/macros. We can add additional activity. We can eat more on one day and balance it out on others. The difference is that some people call it "cheating" and some people call it "living."

I think that those of us in the "living" group have a hard time understanding why people want to put negative labels on the behavior that pretty much everyone who is successful is doing. I also think that it can get frustrating to keep seeing it come up over and over again, and it really does seem like a lot of the people in the "cheat" camp have regained weight and are re-losing it. (And are super quick to point out that they've lost weight before so they know how to do it.) Yes, many of us have lost weight before and gained it back. We need to learn from those experiences.

I used to be a food "cheater," and look how that worked out for me. This time around things have been ridiculously easy. I feel like I've found the secrets of the universe, lol. I honestly don't know how I wasn't living like this always. I go out to eat with my hubby, eat when I'm hungry, make room for treats, etc. Some of the foods I eat now are better than what I had before so they don't have as many calories, but I'm enjoying what I eat. We owe it to ourselves to make this change pleasant and satisfying, even if that takes some people a little longer than others. That's what makes it sustainable over time. And this is why some people get all cray-cray when people bring up cheat meals.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

yopeeps025

Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

I don't think we could be friends.

I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

"People who love to eat are always the best people."
-Julia Child

maidentl

Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

I don't think we could be friends.

I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

"People who love to eat are always the best people."
-Julia Child

defauIt

Why does it matter to you if other people work best with cheat days? Find what works for you and do that, and mind your own damn business.

I undereat all week so I can visit a new bakery every weekend and try new desserts I've never had before. Last Saturday I ate a giant eclair, large danish, massive serving of bread pudding, rhubarb creme brulee brioche and half a dozen gourmet cookies before going out to a potluck dinner and trying some of everything. Probably ate 3500-4000 calories that day, with my normal days being 1500-1800. I've been able to maintain a healthy weight for years by following this eating plan, and my body fat % is slowly creeping towards single digit. This is what works for me, so I do it. Find what works for you and do that.

God damn, now I'm hungry again. Going to have some ice cream cake and look forward to getting some giant coconut buns on Saturday.

yo_andi

I usually just call them "days." As in, in all of my "days" I simply eat what fits my calorie and macro goals. Simple, really.

RHachicho

Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

I don't think we could be friends.

I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

"People who love to eat are always the best people."
-Julia Child

Yeah seriously wow well said. That's pretty much how I feel about it too. i don't think I could have said it better though.

Spnneil06

I have a cheat meal every week, and even then I'm not eating anything ridiculous! I always track it and plan my other meals to still fit under my calorie goal!

4HBGladu

When I did the 4 hour body to lose over 100 lbs, the cheat days are what kept me going. By cheat DAY, I mean epic 4000-6000 calorie days. Usually the cheat day bloat left after 3-4 days and still lost weight weekly. But the smaller I got, those cheat days sometimes did not come off. So like with anything you do to lose weight, you need to adust your calories/macros etc as you drop weight.

ShannonMpls

Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

I don't think we could be friends.

I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

"People who love to eat are always the best people."
-Julia Child

Yeah seriously wow well said. That's pretty much how I feel about it too. i don't think I could have said it better though.

Why thank you.

threnjen

I think that what the OP is getting at is that referring to your eating habits as "cheating," "bad," etc. implies that you are going through some type of hardship that will last your entire life, which is more miserable than cultivating new habits that result in you being flexible with what you're eating while still maintaining your desired weight/body composition.

Of course we cannot eat whatever we want in whatever our desired quantities are, but we can factor what we want into our calories/macros. We can add additional activity. We can eat more on one day and balance it out on others. The difference is that some people call it "cheating" and some people call it "living."

I think that those of us in the "living" group have a hard time understanding why people want to put negative labels on the behavior that pretty much everyone who is successful is doing. I also think that it can get frustrating to keep seeing it come up over and over again, and it really does seem like a lot of the people in the "cheat" camp have regained weight and are re-losing it. (And are super quick to point out that they've lost weight before so they know how to do it.) Yes, many of us have lost weight before and gained it back. We need to learn from those experiences.

I used to be a food "cheater," and look how that worked out for me. This time around things have been ridiculously easy. I feel like I've found the secrets of the universe, lol. I honestly don't know how I wasn't living like this always. I go out to eat with my hubby, eat when I'm hungry, make room for treats, etc. Some of the foods I eat now are better than what I had before so they don't have as many calories, but I'm enjoying what I eat. We owe it to ourselves to make this change pleasant and satisfying, even if that takes some people a little longer than others. That's what makes it sustainable over time. And this is why some people get all cray-cray when people bring up cheat meals.

I am with you 100%. This is how I feel about everything.

To each their own though, everyone seems to have a different feeling

JenSD6

I always want to ask when I see threads about cheat days, "who are you cheating?".

Not to say my diet is perfect, far from it. But I'm not cheating myself or cheating on my diet. Indulgences are just a part of the balance I strive to create on my path towards a healthy and happy life.

funchords

For me, I'll have a cheat meal, typically an event, and plan ahead with some extra exercise and/or greater deficit. Then I enjoy, largely guilt free.

That sounds like being mindful and planning ahead. You're not cheating, you're working within sensible guidelines.

nvpixie

I don't ever feel like I'm technically "cheating." There are meals or days where I go over, but I don't consider it bad. I have those days when I'm hungrier than usual, and I take it as a sign that I should eat more. It doesn't happen often, and I'm not usually over by much. That said, I'd never actually plan a day to cheat (as in all Saturdays I eat whatever I want without restraint).

funchords

Hi everyone, O.P. here...

Thanks for contributing to a great discussion.

I think I've learned that the idea of a "Cheat Day" or a "Cheat Meal" is largely a psychology tool that adds some humanity to a system that sometimes can seem austere and strict. Some are "cheating" to plan ahead for a special meal or day, others to forgive an unplanned excursion from their plan, and others to justify an otherwise guilty pleasure.

All of this makes sense to me.

Thanks for the input!

chad_phillips1123

Depends on how you define cheat day (eat to BMR, eat anything you want, eat out of banked weekly calories, etc). For most a cheat day is something to "boost" metabolism (I don't entirely believe that), enjoy some day or event (birthday, fair, game, etc), or a psychological outlet to vent any foodie desires that would ruin their work if they did it everyday.

I don't always have a "cheat day" (what I do for diet and exercise changes through the year), but currently it's college football time so I usually eat more on Saturday. But I exercise through the week and on Saturday to minimize the damage and build up a bank of calories, so that I'm still usually ~2500 calories under my weekly goal.

In the end it's all calories and one day it isn't going to make or break you. That's why I focus on my daily calorie goals as part of my weekly goal.

ChildrenCryinNCoffee

Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

I don't think we could be friends.

I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

"People who love to eat are always the best people."
-Julia Child

Word to your mother. :flowerforyou: :drinker:

JVClubs

honestly if i didnt cheat twice a month i would have gone crazy. sadly im still the 560lb+ guy at heart, but im much lighter now 360+ guy and im more aware.