How often do you have a cheat day?

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  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Two weekends ago I decided to eat at maintenance (my birthday/my brother's wedding, so lots of food)...and gained four pounds of water weight. This is why I've never bothered with cheat days/meals...I eat what I want within my calories/macros.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    Never had one. I eat what I want when I want.
  • Misscaroline5
    Misscaroline5 Posts: 3
    edited October 2014
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    Rarely. I like cooking for myself - it's cheap and I don't feel good if I eat too much fast food couple days in the row. But "cheat day" helps me to rise my daily calorie intake so I sometimes think, I should "cheat" more (these days I have problem with eating enough).
  • zenner22
    zenner22 Posts: 33 Member
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    When I was on Weight Watchers I would allow myself a "cheat meal" the evening of my weigh in. Slowly that became a "cheat day" and eventually I just quit Weight Watchers and gained my weight back. For me I think I feel trapped when I think I can only have one meal or one day of freedom. So, this time around (it's early on for me as I've only been logging in MFP for 25 days) I'm going to view it more as a weekly calorie goal than a daily one. For me that has meant that if I go over calories one day I simply eat less or exercise more the next day. It all really works out to be the same thing, but I just need to think about it in a certain way to avoid what I know to be my own diet traps and triggers.

    My husband is dieting with me and he is the total opposite. If we are planning to go out to dinner he will pre-calculate his calories and go to the gym and work those extra calories off before the meal. That works well for him. We are both losing weight. It's just a matter of figuring out the best way to work things out in your own mind in order to make it a long term behavior.
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
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    Twice a week I go over my daily allowed calories by eating out at restaurants or take out like Chinese / pizza. Sometimes I stay within my calories but they are higher in fat / sugar so it's not fitting for my macros. When I was cutting I would do it once a week but I was more diligent during the other days. I'm at maintenance / bulk now so I'm not stressing over my calories too much.

    When I was losing weight I always felt that cheat days kept me more in line, it was a reward that I planned ahead and the extra calories never did any damage whatsoever to my weight loss. It actually helped my metabolism since I was eating at about 1200-1400 daily calories. I think that you’ve lost a good amount of weight and if you want to add a day then you should.

    It’s hard to find a maintenance level once you’ve been losing for a while so once you reach your goal you might still lose some while attempting to find the right maintenance number. Enjoy that extra day, make it count.
  • Walter__
    Walter__ Posts: 518 Member
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    I do it once I've hit a decent weight loss goal. At this point that's every 5lbs, which is about once a month.
  • erinb419
    erinb419 Posts: 29
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    Twice a month on Friday or Saturday might
  • 13bbird13
    13bbird13 Posts: 425 Member
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    Depends on what the cafeteria serves. Today they had white chocolate chunks for dessert... HEL-LO, cheat day!
  • TFG_em
    TFG_em Posts: 174 Member
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    I am not a big supporter of the "cheat day," because if you allow yourself a cheat day, you will likely over indulge all day long. I am, however, a supporter of a "cheat meal" every now and again. I think there is a big difference.
  • icanplay3
    icanplay3 Posts: 173 Member
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    I just discovered over the weekend that "cheat days" are a slippery slope. I decided to have ONE cheat meal on Friday because I was craving some good spicy Thai food. Then that turned into me getting buttered popcorn at the movies Saturday and pizza/breadsticks for dinner Saturday night. That turned into me eating cupcakes and gelato on Sunday. It turned into a whole cheat weekend. I think I will only allow myself a cheat day maybe once every 10 lbs lost...that way I have earned it and it will only be ONE MEAL instead of a whole weekend. I was so stressed after the weekend that I had gained weight back and it is not worth the stress.
  • Killmenext
    Killmenext Posts: 95 Member
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    Only been dieting for a month or so now, but I guess it depends on what you mean by a cheat day. Once or twice a week I will have 2 spoon fulls of ice cream, or are you meaning a full on splurge? I have not done that since I started eating good. I actually have been trying a lot of new things I have never had or didn't like growing up. Never like tomatoes, or peppers or stuff like that, but tried banana peppers and cherry tomatoes, and really like them. I count them as a treat, even though they aren't.

    My sweet craving snack is usually a caramel rice cake with some crunchy peanut butter on it.
  • starznholes
    starznholes Posts: 170 Member
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    I used to have "cheat days" but then I would fall off the wagon and every day would turn into a cheat day for me. So now I have a cheat meal, or a treat about once a week and I plan it into my macros. Don't deprive yourself of the good stuff but don't go overboard either.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    kmurphy798 wrote: »
    I usually do one every other Friday. But today I'm going to eat pizza (not a lot, and it fits in my day) I'm thinking of having a weekly cheat day now that I'm almost to my final goal of 40-41 pounds down. I've lost 33. So how often is your cheat day?

    Daily, because I don't villify days due to behavior.

    Except that one day I killed two nuns and set a bar on fire.
  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
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    I have a cheat meal once a week. Usually supper on Saturdays. I try to stay under my TDEE, but this allows me a little more freedom than I allow myself during the week.
    I know that's not the way some others do it- some prefer to eat anything and everything sensibly every day as long as it's within their calorie limit, but that's not what works for me.
  • rizzla00
    rizzla00 Posts: 7 Member
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    for me its once a week,,,i love my sunday roast dinners but try and keep within my count..does not always happen lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Jesssamesssa
    Jesssamesssa Posts: 116 Member
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    I cheat 1-2x a week. I may have a pumpkin spice latte, AND a cheat meal. Or two cheat meals. Keeps me from getting off track.
  • NoelFigart1
    NoelFigart1 Posts: 1,276 Member
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    kmurphy798 wrote: »
    I usually do one every other Friday. But today I'm going to eat pizza (not a lot, and it fits in my day) I'm thinking of having a weekly cheat day now that I'm almost to my final goal of 40-41 pounds down. I've lost 33. So how often is your cheat day?

    Since I count calories rather than do a "forbidden foods" diet, no, no cheat days. I eat anything I want, but it has to be within budget.


  • liftreadphilosophize
    liftreadphilosophize Posts: 180 Member
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    Every Saturday! :-) I keep myself from going over-the-top crazy (aka, I try not to eat just for the sake of eating something delicious, but rather I eat because I am actually hungry and happen to have delicious food in front of me), but I do eat whatever I feel like without being concerned about macros or calories. Also: moar wine!!
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    What is a cheat meal?
  • RainDrops930
    RainDrops930 Posts: 46 Member
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    I have a "cheat meal" every Saturday. I eat very healthy the rest of the week, and I always make sure to exercise on those cheat days. Rather than the whole day, I usually start at around 6 or 7 at night, that way, I can't even eat too much!

    The cheat meals usually consist of me going out to eat and ordering whatever I want, and eating however much I want. After, I usually eat dessert (ice cream, oreos, chocolate, etc.). I have continued to lose weight, since I only do this once a week. Just make sure you get right back on track the next day :)

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