Do any of you feel guilty on cheat days?

2

Replies

  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    As much as I can logically understand my indulging, and KNOW that I balance it out over the week, I do feel guilty. A friend of mine gave me some useful perspective on this - She said the guilty feeling may just be my body expressing a preference for my regular, healthier diet over the "naughty" weekend food. I really like that idea, whether it's true or not. As someone with a history of disordered eating, I find that notion quite helpful in managing the guilt.
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
    I am six weeks into my weight loss. I do cheat days and cast no judgement on other people's opinions on them. Since my CD's are always planned, I do NOT feel guilty about them. One cheat day very two weeks has minisucle effect on the entire picture, imo.
  • Salvi30
    Salvi30 Posts: 196 Member
    I am too afraid to have a cheat day, because I feel I will relapse into my old habits of unhealthy eating.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    On Saturdays I have a 'treat day' where I bake a cake, or cupcakes, or cookies. It's also a treat for my kids. I generally exercise too, so I'm usually within calories still.

    I do sometimes feel guilty, although it's never affected my weight loss.
  • angelamb1970
    angelamb1970 Posts: 123 Member
    I feel guilty everyday :-)
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    I do have a cheat meal once in a while (within reason), but no, I don't feel guilty about it at all. :)
  • Spnneil06
    Spnneil06 Posts: 18,745 Member
    I love my cheat day and don't feel guilty about my one meal I get. I just eat lighter the other two meals and it's all good!!
  • Ftw37
    Ftw37 Posts: 386 Member
    I don't cheat. I would only be cheating myself. I've spent too much of my life being fat. No more time for cheating.
  • ZBuffBod
    ZBuffBod Posts: 297 Member
    Personally, I think the concept of 'cheat days' (and the guilt that follows) just makes people have an unhealthy relationship towards food.

    THIS times 100!!
  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
    thats why i dont plan cheat days. i never know if i will REALLY feel like eating or not so i end up feeling guilty if i do.

    i just have an eat more day when i want... which is not that often, every few weeks maybe. most of the time i can make things fit.

    i also dont call them cheating. just eating. its just food.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I don't do cheat day. Cheat makes it sound like you're doing something wrong. If I want food, I eat it, track it, move on.


    :drinker:
  • JulieGirl58
    JulieGirl58 Posts: 158 Member
    Since I'm changing my lifestyle and not dieting, there really is no such thing as a cheat day. I eat as healthy as possible and if I don't make good choices one day I don't feel guilty about it. I just try to do better. By striving to change my lifestyle I will already be accustomed to eating healthy so when I reach my goal there will be no going "off" the diet. I'll continue to eat the same as I always have. I don't know if I like the word "cheat". Indulgence may be a better term.
  • AlyssaJoJo
    AlyssaJoJo Posts: 449 Member
    The most important thing for me, my health, and this new life style was to learn to not have negative feelings when it comes to food... so no, I don't feel guilty. (I shoud note anymore - I used to) I eat what I want to eat, in moderation. I eat what I want to eat here and there with out moderation cause that's how I want my life, and my eating habits, to be. (Stressing the here and there) And some days, when I have unplanned big meals there's a good chance I'll still have what are normal meals for me the rest of the day. Unless I seriously eat so much I'm just STUFFED and I know I won't be doing any more activity for the rest of the day it really doesn't make sense for me to punish my self by starving my self for the rest of the day by eating hardly anything.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    If you really can't get over the guilt, maybe try calling it something positive like a re-feed day.

    You're in control of how you talk to yourself and your own feelings. You don't have to feel guilty about eating. That's counterproductive, in my opinion.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Only when it is unplanned.
  • FrancescaWebb
    FrancescaWebb Posts: 211 Member
    I do "non logging" days, not cheat days. when I feel that "twinge" of possible guilt, I stop and ask myself if I'm eating it because I actually WANT it... or if I'm just eating it because I don't have to log it later. if I want it, I eat it guilt-free. if it's just because I'm "feeling sneaky," I make myself stop.

    ^This!!! The key for me was recognizing the difference between actually wanting something and eating it just because I could. The other night I got halfway through a cupcake and was like, "why am I eating this? Because I have 600 cals left in my journal? I don't even like it that much!" Felt like a victory :)
  • emmabanks87
    emmabanks87 Posts: 86 Member
    Nope. because I eat healthy all the time, when I have my cheat meal once a week, omg I love it!! never want it to end and cant wait for the next one! lol
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    No, I don't have cheat meals. I just eat well most of the time and don't allow food to become and emotional issue for me (part of my ED recovery).

    I don't even really know what a cheat meal is. If I hit my macros, there's no such thing as a cheat meal to me. I don't eat a lot of flour, so I guess when I do, I would maybe consider that a choice out of the ordinary, not a cheat.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
    OP - maybe take a look at your 'cheat meal' and see if there's a way you can create a healthier version of it at home?
  • LauraJeanG
    LauraJeanG Posts: 22 Member
    Instead of a 'cheat' day, I plan out how many calories I'm going to go over and put a reasonable limit to it. For example - if I was at my goal weight, I would need to be eating only about 1750 calories for maintenance (this is TDEE with it set to 'couch-potato' so obviously exercise is not accounted for). However, at the weight I am now, 1750 calories still puts me at losing weight and is still over the amount I usually eat (on a non-exercise day). So once a week, I allow myself the extra calories without feeling any guilt about it because though it's a larger number, it still puts me on the side of losing weight vs. gaining. Hope this made sense, but I find it's a great way for me to 'treat' myself once a week without having any bad feelings about it.

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