Cheat Days?

kaylielavin

How do you guys feel about "cheat" days?? I'm on doc's diet, so I do 1300 cals a day but tomorrow after church I'm having lunch with some friends - the temptation is high lol!

coderedcoderedjkjk

Like half of my days are cheat days and I still manage to lose weight. Just don't go TOO high. Like have about the amount you would need to maintain.

sandyw127

i dont trust my slef just yet for a cheat day. knowing my luck i would go nuts. then have to work extra hard to get it off.

AAboulhosn

I think cheat days are ok as long as you don't do it everyday and you don't go way overboard. Sometimes it's impossible NOT to cheat when you are at a party or picnic or something like that, for me anyway.

01elizabeth59

You might be surprised by what you think is a cheat. Go ahead but don't go too far overboard. Then check out what you ate on the data base. Or at least try to find approximately what you ate. Better yet, if you know where you're going, think about what you can get and check it out before. Good luck!

ltoomey2

I do have days where my intake is high. I try to plan for it, exercising a little more to have a larger calorie allowance. Try to be mindful when you eat, have a big salad first! I have also read to eat before you go so you won't eat too much of the not so good for you food. If I know what my choices will be before hand I try to portion it out in my food tracking first so I have a better idea on how I can stay in range and make good choices. Going to a restaurant check their website, many post their menu and calories. On the days that I over indulge I remember that it was just one day and to get back to my dedicated intake the next day. A high cal day can really take away from the previous days hard work. Best of luck.

36jessica

Just the fact that you know you're going to 'cheat' should help you out. Taste what you like but eat slowly and do it consciously. Don't say at one point, "Oh, what the h...!" and dive in head first. Have fun!

SoonToBeNewTracey

I have learned to not call it a "cheat day", instead I call it a "reward day"... Cheating is a bad thing, but rewards are good!!!! Instead of cheating, reward yourself for all the good you have done. In doing this,
I seem to make better choices and don't go crazy. I make sure I still log everything and if I go over, try to make it up with some exercise, OR say tomorrow is a new day, and get back to it right away.
I am looking to change my lifestyle, and my way of thinking. I don't deprive myself and just try to think moderation.
Good luck to you - you can do it!!! :happy:

Janet39

See if you can get as much exercise in during the day, and allow yourself to go up to your maintenance calories plus the exercise calories.

If you have been on 1300, this could easily double the quantity of calories you can eat.

When out have all the low cal stuff you like the look of and supliment with a few naughties that catch your eye. Try to log everything as honestly as possible, no point decieving yourself.

No matter what happens start again with a clean slate tomorrow, no guilt.

One day will not make a difference to when you reach goal, a week, month or lifetime will. It is more important to stay with your plan long term. And to do this, it needs to fit your life as it is lived.

Enjoy life, you are a long time dead.

SpinChick11

I'm very much 'for' it. I 'eat out' once a week, anything I want and that I can't really document. I eat out at other places during the week where I know the calorie count and provided it fits into my 'budget' for that day [also, I do not waste my calories on what I call 'inferior food'... (Jack-in-the-Box, McDonald's, etc.) even though many of them have calorie charts]. I want to make my eat out meals to be very enjoyable & satisfying and ask myself "would I care to eat that again?" and hopefully the answer is "yes".

Also, you may want to change the name. "Cheat" sounds negative like you're doing something wrong. I happen to call mine "Eat out Day". Mostly because I couldn't come up with anything clever. HaHa!

Eating out is very social. Do not totally deprive yourself from social activities with your friends just because you can't eat out. You can. Just be smart & schedule it into your week if you can. It also make it nice to look forward to it. Like... "Yes! I get to eat Chicken Alfredo on Friday and I might even have a soda to drink with it!". )

p.s. I like to eat out after church too. Chicken kabob at the BBQ place close to our church. I can document it so it doesn't count as "Eat out Day", HaHa! I'll save that for somewhere else. )

p.s.s. Sorry this post sounds like me, me, me. I'm just stating what I do.

Encouragement to you!!

)

keschuh79

I think cheat days are fine as long as they are sporadic and infrequent. It's good to keep your body guessing. And in my personal opinion, if you want your new healthy eating habits to be a way of life rather than a diet, it's important to be real and let yourself make bad food decisions every once in a while. Ice cream is my favorite! I just try and find the tastiest lowest calorie and low sugar kind I can find that won't ruin my progress when I do choose to cheat. Not so good food is out there (and yes it's tasty), but so long as it's once in a while rather than a daily trend, you should be okay. Just make sure it's something REALLY worth it. And you'll appreciate it more when you do have it.

As an aside, if you don't want to feel too bad about it... make sure you do some cardio that day so that you can tack on more calories to your 1300 calorie day. Then at the end of the day you may not feel the hit too terribly

kaylielavin

You might be surprised by what you think is a cheat. Go ahead but don't go too far overboard. Then check out what you ate on the data base. Or at least try to find approximately what you ate. Better yet, if you know where you're going, think about what you can get and check it out before. Good luck!

GREAT idea!!!

mamagooskie

I have a "treat" day every week. Usually its dinner and snacks so more like half a day. They keep me sane.

waterbabeAD

For me, it is important not to deny myself a "little bit of what I fancy". I don't have cheat days though - I have a weekly amnsty day. It isn't a licence to gorge what I want, but if during the week if I fancy anything "naughty", I'll just tell myself to wait until Friday (my amnesty day). Over time I have desired less and less naughtiness, but still enjoyed the odd Buffet Brunch, Baskin Robins and crispy creme donut etc. BUT on my food amnsety days I do 30 mins EXTRA exercise.

I have only just discovered this site, but over the last 6 months I have been on approx 1200 nett calories, training a minimum of 60 mins a day (I have taken up sprint triathlons). I have lost 14lbs and dropped two dress sizes. I have another16lbs to go.

Basically, cheatting is fine as long as you do extra exercise, IMHO.

elliecolorado

I posted this on another board about "cheat days" earlier today:

I'm not on a 'diet' I am changing my lifestyle to be more healthy and active. This is my life, it isn't cheating for me to eat cake or cookies, it isn't cheating if I go out to dinner and order my favorite meal even if it is high in calories, it isn't cheating if I go out drinking. I don't do those things as often as I once did, but I still do all of them. It isn't realistic to think that I will never do any of those things again. I try to fit them into my daily calorie goals, but I don't beat myself up if I go over. If I know ahead of time that I am going to be going out I try and make time to exercise a little more. Cheating has a negative connotation. If you are really making a lifestyle change you can't expect to never eat things you want ever again, so IMO there is no such thing as "cheating."

Sara7Taylor

I personally do not do cheat days. I exercise almost everyday and work hard for extra calories when eating out. For me when I have cheated ( mainly cause of TOM) In the past it has not gone well for me. Since starting MFP I have gotten used to eating less, and choosing healthier meals and cheating makes me feel really sick. So my main thing is just planning. I mean, I can go on a 90 minute hike and burn 1600 calories which allows for me to go out with friends and still be under my goal. Also, I eat lots of veggies and fruits, but I don't cut myself off from the things I like. If I want a cookie or brownie after dinner, I'm gonna have one. It's all about planning and moderation.

scarlettesong

Definitely reward days! I went from a normal 1800-2000 calorie intake to 1200 calories just in the last few weeks. This was to control my weight since I can't do the cardio I used to do. I was starving all the time! 3 days in I was so lightheaded I couldn't do the 1 workout I planned for the week. So at least twice a week I have a reward day. I try to time them with days I'm also planning more exercise so it balances out in the end!

I also say listen to your body. If you've been doing well so far and 1 day isn't going to hurt your doctor's recommendation, then go for it!

Noctuary

Thursdays are my special day. I work a weekend shift Fri through Mon and I eat according to my Diabetic meal plan and stick to it. Tuesday is a day off and I follow it. Wed is a work day and I follow it! By Thursday I just need a day of not planing my entire menu for the day.