Cheat Day?

meanbmc

i think the hardest part of dieting is giving up the foods you really love. that said, why give them up? incorporate them into your daily calories, and you're not giving up anything! an extra helping, or going out to eat once every couple of weeks won't hurt, as long as you stay reasonable close to your daily limit. good luck!

ciaobella47

I never really could do a cheat day. I had a hard time going "free" without going "crazy". I do however have a cheat MEAL- Sunday dinner. It's a family dinner and I have no control over what is cooked, but I don't worry about it. Whatever it is, I enjoy it. And then I enjoy the dessert that follows. I still limit myself to one serving of dinner, one of dessert. No seconds. I feel like I've gotten to enjoy something I normally wouldn't eat without feeling guilt.

That's what works for me anyway!

Shamrock40

My husband started The Abs Diet a few years back, and they totally encourage a cheat day once a week. He skipped the first month of cheat days, then started with a cheat meal once a week. Then a whole cheat day every couple of weeks. Now he has one day a week where it's a free-for-all for him. He eats what he wants that day, but he is VERY disciplined the rest of the week, and has had 4 years of success.

Me, on the other hand, I'm not so disciplined. But it's really important for me not to feel deprived of something I want. My night-time fix is popcorn, and I enjoy it. I've built those extra night-time calories into my diet a few nights a week. Is it great to have all those carbs at night so often? Nah, but if I'm not going over, I'm okay with that. I could never not "cheat" but I'm not ready for anything more than a cheat meal every couple of weeks right now. I need to lose weight first, feel secure in my routine, and then I will be ready to indulge (in moderation) without feeling like I'm sabotaging myself.

naturalbeauty47

I always have a cheat day which is usually on Saturday. I don't cheat the whole day, just for one meal and maybe a snack. Come Monday, I'm back on track again. But honestly I cheat a little everyday; nothing drastic but enough to satisfy my taste buds:)

NoAdditives

I definitely do it. I give myself two days off from exercise and staying strict to my calorie goal. I need to feel free, you know? At first I was doing it simply because I needed it to stay sane, but now I've realized that if I'm planning on eating foods like pizza, ice cream, a soda now and then, once I've lost the weight (which I do), there's no reason why I shouldn't eat them while I'm losing the weight. If it will be part of my diet later, it's part of my diet now.

That said, I am always trying to find healthier alternatives to my favorite foods. I get take and bake pizza instead of pizza from Papa John's or Dominos because it has way less fat and fewer calories. And their DeLite thin crust pizzas are really yummy! Instead of soda we now drink Izze sparkling juice. I want to be as healthy as possible, but I still indulge.

pkd1

By all means have a cheat day, if your working out 5 or 6 days a week like i am on the 7th day you should be able to enjoy it!, i usually make homemade pizza, banana splits with low fat frozen yogart yummy, so go for t we all deserve a treat for out hard work

goron59

I do, but don't really think of it as a cheat day, just part of the process. It's not every week...sometimes it's more than once a week, especially around the recent party season.

I do try to look at my net calorie intake averages over a week though and will try to make amends on days after an excessive day.

Although as Yoda said: "do or do not, there is no try."

lucielu2

yes cheat days are good

arewethereyet

I do not like the expression 'cheat', cheat who?

If I want a burger and fries, I take the time to make a healthier version of these things.

If I want a cupcake, I exercise extra hard that day to earn the 250 calories.

After awhile, it is not worth the effort to cheat on myself.

I also feel if you can control it, and it helps you the rest of the month, then 1 day a month out with friends eating junk aint gonna kill ya. The problem is I cannot stop once I start:laugh:

Fit4Penny

I don't call it a cheat day/meal either, but I do allow myself to have whatever I want for dinner and dessert on Saturday nights as long as I stuck to my goals during the week. When I was younger it was an entire day, but that does not work for me now

You will probably have to try it out for yourself and see if it works for you.

buibear88

Thanks so much for all your input everyone! All the tips have given me great ideas and been very encouraging!