Cheat days?? Seriously people???

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  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
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    Cheat days! Do you really think you're going to be counting calories for the rest of your life? No. You've got to learn that this is a lifestyle change. I no longer even track my calories, I've been on MFP for 2 years. I stay on for the support...I occasionally track but I know it's not the most important thing. If I had to stress out over calories and deny myself all the 'good' things the world has to offer I would be highly stressed out. You've got to relax sometimes...and once you have the hang of the portion control and learn to eyeball portions...having a cheat meal/day will make all the difference.
    *edit- I have two weddings to attend this year...plus things like Dragon*Con, RenFest, vacation...I'm not going to track or even worry about calories on those days. Why turn a pleasurable experiance into a stressful one?

    I completely agree.

    The way I see it- My home is always stocked with healthy, fresh foods. So when I go out, I don't feel like I'm cheating. I'm just another guest having a good time. When I get home, I try to replicate whatever I liked with fresh ingredients. lol It's not cheating, I'm winning fair and square!:laugh: It's really all a matter of perception though.
  • bosanka
    bosanka Posts: 336 Member
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    a cheat day doesn't have to be neces. a " pig out day " with all junk and fast food you could think of.

    I didn't think i wanted a " cheat day " on my plan- but since my trainer explained it to me a little differently- i look at it a little diff. too

    if you have a food plan - and you are really following it certain amount of kcls/ carbs/ proteins etc.. - your body can get used to that " all the time - all same routine" .... in order to trying to avoid the platoe you " cheat " your body with a meal that it's not expecting.
    Now like i said it doesn't have to be 50 wings and a bucket of fries and gallon ice cream.- all you need to do on a " cheat meal " is maybe have a higher carb intake than what you usually would do. Or more starchy veggies- maybe the same food you always eat ( healthy ) but just bigger portion on that " cheat meal "
    And maybe yes you can " throw in a slice of pizza " once a week in that cheat meal- but no one said you should have the whole pizza - it's not like those kcls don't count just bc it's your ' cheat day " ..

    - Now people keep repeating " everything in moderation " - but i have to say , people that are addicted to food ,or have certain trigger food.. ( and they might just have that trigger food on the cheat meal ) .. they mostly don't know " what moderation " is ..
    if you are " cheating " with let's say oreo cookies- and milk- well maybe 2-3 oreo's would be a " cheat meal " but to have the whole packege is way over board.. - but in some ppl's mind it's still " moderation since they were so good for the past 6 days "
    so just to say " everything in moderation " i don't think is a right measurment- what's moderation to you.. it could be overboard for another ..

    so - my final thought on cheat meals- yes- but you don't have to pig out without any limit and till you puke .. and all the " worst " things you can think of .. you can just increase your kcls for that day by eating healthy food - and that can be a " cheat day "

    again- whatever works for you -.. i'm not saying that everyone is wrong- just

    don't wail on the scale, if you cheat when you eat " ..
  • 305muscle
    305muscle Posts: 97 Member
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    I Think 1 ''cheat day'' a week its too much if you must have one I think it should be planed and should be every 4 weeks and it would confuse your body into thinking ''diet its over'' and right the next day you get back on track and it would actually help you to get leaner BUT ''cheat day" means one meal not eat like a pig the whole day
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    My first thought is aways "Cheat WHO?"

    It is cheating me, my body, my weigtloss, my health, my mental stability (yes-it gets my mind off the healthy track!)

    I do incorporate not so good foods into my diet when needed, but mostly I try to make a healthier version of the yummy foods. Burgers can be made at home and be just as good, tacos, fried chicken, healthy wraps and pizzas are awesome with no guilt.

    And if I want to go to dinner with my friends, I go! I order 'better' but enjoy my meal and friends. I lost 36 pounds and kept it off for almost 2 yrs with this theory. (gained back some through illness and excuse making!!!)

    :flowerforyou: You can do this!!
  • Lisa__Michelle
    Lisa__Michelle Posts: 845 Member
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    I only cheat a whole day if I have been stuck in a plateau. I was in one for over a month n took a girl's doctor's advice n did that to increase my metabolism again. It worked n the weight started coming back off immediately.
  • carolyng66
    carolyng66 Posts: 18 Member
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    Just logged in yesteday. As for cheat days. Some of us can't handle cheating. For me to cheat would be like a recovering alcoholic having a cheat day. I Can't do it. I can eat very well for months on end and be quite okay with that but the moment I let my guard down and decide to cheat a little, that little taste turns into a splurge that can last for weeks, then it's hard to get back on track again. The last time I did that I gained almost 12 lbs.
  • carolyng66
    carolyng66 Posts: 18 Member
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    That's exacly how I am. One taste and I'm done. I too feel better now that it's out of my system. I feel much younger too.
  • javamom
    javamom Posts: 309
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    To each their own, I say.
  • busub
    busub Posts: 58
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    I Think 1 ''cheat day'' a week its too much if you must have one I think it should be planed and should be every 4 weeks and it would confuse your body into thinking ''diet its over'' and right the next day you get back on track and it would actually help you to get leaner BUT ''cheat day" means one meal not eat like a pig the whole day

    Agreed. Just had my first "cheat" meal since starting my new lifestyle on January 2nd. I ended up scouring on line menus to make sure I wasn't just totally blowing it and ended up way under calories for the day. I guess that's a sign that my mentality is changing. Cheat does not mean gorge. Cheat means scratching that itch of a crave so you don't end up caving later in a food craze.
  • Mirabilis
    Mirabilis Posts: 312 Member
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    Wow.. I'm having a hard time staying over 1200 cal. per day.

    I have treats built into that... like high fibre cookies at the end of the day (93 cal/2 cookies) and no fat frozen yogurt (100 cal/ 1/2 c.) but most refined white starches are kept to a minimum, and it looks to me that this is where the most calories are, especially combined with fats.

    I guess mine works. If I were eating donuts, I'd be screwed :laugh:
  • Kkmama
    Kkmama Posts: 544 Member
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    This issue is a personal one, I guess whatever gets you through...

    For me I love pizza, and have found a thin crust one that is wonderful and makes me feel like I have indulged. I pair it with a salad, before it was all pizza and a whole one to myself. I always stay within my calories. If I know I am going to be out and don't have too much control over the food then I make sure I get in an extra workout that day and make good choices. I still log it. It can only
    For me I don't cheat because in the end I cheat myself and this is a journey of incorporating all foods that I enjoy, just making good choices.
  • Taytotot
    Taytotot Posts: 13 Member
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    I have one cheat day a week and it is the BEST thing I could ever do for myself. During the week if I am craving something it goes on my list for cheat day, then I have something to look forward to. I have lost Almost 15lbs since 1/6, my starting weight was 173. I was unable to exercise do to an injury...My cheat day has not hindered my weight loss. Your body needs a shock to the system once a week. I guarantee you, if you do not have at least one cheat meal a week or day a week, you will eventually fall off the wagon. This is not a diet for me, this is a lifestyle change...I will be eating healthy for the rest of my life. One day a week cheating, makes the rest of the week worth it.
  • modernfemme
    modernfemme Posts: 454 Member
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    #1: I eat anything I want - all staying within my calorie goal.

    #2: A whole cheat day is totally detrimental if you don't count calories and go over by 1,000+.

    #3: Going over your calorie goal by a couple hundred? Okay.

    I have seen people talk about having 1-2 cheat DAYS a week. Not a cheat meal. Not going over by a 100 calories. It's just totally detrimental to your goal and I can't personally be like yeah that is totally okay. Enjoy! We're not here to enable each other. Sometimes we have to tell people what they don't want to hear.

    We are here to change our mentality towards food. If we go out to dinner to celebrate a birthday or something and go over - fine. Indulge a little. But plan a cheat day a few times a week is self sabotage.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    agree with you:glasses:

    I agree with you too!! :glasses:
  • RLeighP
    RLeighP Posts: 232 Member
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    You know, everyone has their own ways to live this lifestyle, and a blanket comment like "Cheat days are horrible" isn't helpful. I weigh in on Saturdays, and that's my off day. I make the healthiest choices I can for most meals, but if I want chips, if I want fries, if I want ice cream, I'm gonna eat it. The other 6 days of the week I'm careful to be at my calorie goal. The way I see it, it wasn't one day a week of eating what I want that made me as big as I was. It was years of eating that way every day. And now, instead of eating a whole bag of cookies, I may eat one or two, and call that my splurge. Your mindset changed in regards to portions and things, and after a while your body tells you that it can't handle the "bad" foods anymore. But that doesn't mean you can't eat them if you want!
  • Taytotot
    Taytotot Posts: 13 Member
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    I'm referring to people who think they can just pig out for a day. I just feel that is self-defeating. We can eat whatever we want if we allot for it and don't overdo it. That's what I mean. Everyone does things their own way. I just find it interesting that people are looking for approval to do it. I am absolutely not depriving myself of ever having goodies, it's just that you can plan for them that's all I'm saying. But I think it's self-defeating if you work your butt off all week just to go overboard !!!

    I think you all should read "4 HOUR BODY" It is a very informative book about maximizing your body's potential and it also explains the benefits of cheat day. My little brother went from a 38 waist to a 32 in a month and his cheat day, Saturdays, are epic. Entire pizzas, cookies, ice cream, bear claws, you name it. Cheat days can be whatever you decide them to be, but there is a certain way to do it to continue getting the results you want. My cheat days are on Fridays. It's also exciting for my partner and the kids because we get to have something like ice cream or pizza.
  • Caper88
    Caper88 Posts: 418 Member
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    No I do not agree with "cheat days" but I do believe in "cheat meals". A meal allows you to give into a craving with out destroying your hard work all week. You could easily gain back all the lbs you lost during the week in one day if your going back to your bad eating habits. I just go with a chat meal. I have one once a week but I do have terms around it. I must make the meal count with in my daily calorie goal. I am not allowed to ignore the fact the meal does have calories in it. The meal might be something simple like a slice of take out pizza or a kids happy meal. Something I wouldn't want as a habit again but not so big a portion it will make me go over my calories for the day.

    I don't always have a cheat meal every week. I don't force my self to have it if I do not feel like I need it. I haven't had one in three weeks but I did have one this week. But if I do feel like I need it for a little change and to satisfy my craving I will.
  • modernfemme
    modernfemme Posts: 454 Member
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    I drink wine, eat cheese, pizza, whatever, all within my calorie goal. People are still treating this like a diet where they deprive themselves of the food they love so they have to have "cheat days" to make it. If you do that - this won't stick. All you have to do is just stay within your calorie goal. Cheating should be going over by a couple hundred calories, or that day once a month you pig out at dinner.
  • darrielirwin
    darrielirwin Posts: 32
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    I believe that if you don't allow yourself the things that you like, then you will you reach your goal weight, you will likely gain all the weight back! 5 years ago I lost 30lbs while working out with a trainer for 6 months, and eating really good for those 6 months. I didn't drink, eat bad, and the weight came off easily. Then I started sliding back to normal, and gained it all back PLUS 5 lbs.

    I saw a picture of me and realized how horrible I look, and I got motivated to loose the weight again. I can't afford a gym membership, so I am doing work outs on my own (thank-you wii fit). The weight is coming off slowly, and I am doing it mostly by my diet.

    I have one can of Coke a week (as it is one of my FAVORITES), today I am having Sushi for lunch. I know that I am going to have a lot of calories at lunch, so my breakfast was less and my dinner will be a salad. I want to know that I can eat the things I like, and still be healthy and loose weight!

    Everything in moderation is fine!

    Keep up the good work everyone! :)
  • getfitdiva
    getfitdiva Posts: 1,148 Member
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    I agree with a lot of the responses. It's a lifestyle change. Since I started cutting back on my sodium and sugar (work in progress) I am starting to get more sensitive to foods that have too much sodium and sugar in them and my body wants to reject them. I love that my body is starting to embrace a healthier lifestyle. Only YOU can train your body to start craving the right foods. It's hard at first but it gets easier with practice just like any sport or hobby.

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