Cheat Days or Every Day?

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  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I have mishaps of eating things I should not eat from time to time, but I do not even want to consider allowing myself to go crazy for a day, that'll just turn into two days and so on right back to old habits :)
  • damcool
    damcool Posts: 97 Member
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    I do both. Almost every day I have a little something at the end, whether it be a couple of pieces of dark chocolate or some popcorn and I just work it into my calories. My cheat day is either Saturday or Sunday. However, I usually feel too guilty to go way over my calories. I basically eat my maintenance weight on my cheat day. So, I'm still keeping myself in check, but raising the calories I can eat for that day. It's absolutely worked for me. I've not slipped up once since I started this journey last June. Everyone's different, though, and I say just stick with what works for you!
  • chubswonky
    chubswonky Posts: 195
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    I do both. Almost every day I have a little something at the end, whether it be a couple of pieces of dark chocolate or some popcorn and I just work it into my calories. My cheat day is either Saturday or Sunday. However, I usually feel too guilty to go way over my calories. I basically eat my maintenance weight on my cheat day. So, I'm still keeping myself in check, but raising the calories I can eat for that day. It's absolutely worked for me. I've not slipped up once since I started this journey last June. Everyone's different, though, and I say just stick with what works for you!

    That's a good idea- to eat within your BMR/maintenance calories!
  • tolygal
    tolygal Posts: 602 Member
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    I, personally, hate the concept of "cheat" days/meals. Why plan a day every week (or month - whatever) where you just splurge on whatever you want. Why not go about life eating healthy in general. And if a day or meal or event or just a strong craving comes along (as it will) where you want to eat something extra, you just do it, in moderation, and then make up for those extra calories by exercising/moving more to work it off?? I just don't understand the concept of planning for it on a regular basis. Like "every Friday night I have a cheat meal." I know that some people swear by it, and if it works for you (general you), okay. But for me.... it would just not work. I would think of that day all week long - I would obsess over it and think of all the things that I'm depriving myself of all week just waiting to get to that day/meal so I can cram everything I've been craving, thinking, obsessing, avoiding, and dreaming about into my mouth. Ok - perhaps I'm over-dramatizing the whole thing, but I guess I just don't understand it. Definitely not for me. My motto, however, is always to each their own - if it works them, who am I to say anything about it!! I'll just do what works for me :-)
  • jenalderman
    jenalderman Posts: 411 Member
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    Ok...for what it's worth..... here's where I am with it. You can't cheat on life and, for me, this is a true LIFEstyle change. That being said, I just know that my husband and I have "date night" every Friday night. I find myself being more strict through the day on Friday and making better choices both in restaurant selection and food selection. I do NOT add a dark cloud on my perfect weekly night with my darn near perfect hubby :heart: by stressing too much about the meal. I've found overall that I can eat something totally yummy that night and still hit pretty close to goal. Occassionally I bounce a half pound but typically that is more on sodium than fat or calories. It is usally gone within 48 hours. I get to keep one practice from my old life that I felt was worthwhile but try my best to work it into my new habits. All said and done, the scale is stilling moving in the right direction.
  • chubswonky
    chubswonky Posts: 195
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    Ok...for what it's worth..... here's where I am with it. You can't cheat on life and, for me, this is a true LIFEstyle change. That being said, I just know that my husband and I have "date night" every Friday night. I find myself being more strict through the day on Friday and making better choices both in restaurant selection and food selection. I do NOT add a dark cloud on my perfect weekly night with my darn near perfect hubby :heart: by stressing too much about the meal. I've found overall that I can eat something totally yummy that night and still hit pretty close to goal. Occassionally I bounce a half pound but typically that is more on sodium than fat or calories. It is usally gone within 48 hours. I get to keep one practice from my old life that I felt was worthwhile but try my best to work it into my new habits. All said and done, the scale is stilling moving in the right direction.

    I like the way you think! I go out to dinner with friends A LOT and I find that if I look at the menu ahead of time, I can plan my day accordingly and always leave satisfied! :)
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    I totally get what it means to have an "oops" day, but I don't understand the point of "cheat" days. I've never had an emotional thing with food so I guess I don't have an understanding of what people mean. Is it that people need to feel the thrill of doing something naughty? I guess maybe that's human nature - like breaking the rules when Mom isn't looking sort of thing. Some people may need that in their lives. For me, consistency and moderation are more important - maybe I'm boring? I eat what I want when I want, but I just make sure it's a reasonable amount. Now that MFP has taught me what proper proportions are, as well as figuring out how exercise and diet work together, I think eating healthy is pretty easy and fun. If I want to eat a big bowl of pasta (my favorite) I have to make sure I eat something lighter for the rest of the day or exercise sufficiently to earn that pasta. No cheating is necessary. If you want a chocolate cake day - don't cheat to get it. Just plan the rest of your day accordingly. I've gone over at times, but not by several hundreds or even thousands of calories (as I sometimes see on the posts) and it certainly isn't intentional. Those are times that I reflect on what went wrong and how I can do it better next time. No need to beat yourself up about it. Cheating implies that you are purposely doing bad things with food. I guess I just don't understand why anyone would purposely sabotage themselves. I think that if once in a great while you accidentally screw up for a day it's ok, maybe even good for a metabolism jump start, but to purposely plan for frequent binges is pretty counterproductive...:noway:

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