Why "cheat"?

k2d4p

Just wondering as I often do, why people use the word "cheat"? This is my personal opinion, but I think that is it just terrible to describe eating anything with that word. I cringe every time I see it when people ask about a cheat meal or a cheat day. Why make it sound like you are doing something wrong or bad? I go into much more detail about my feelings on this in my blog in my signature, so I won't go all out here. I feel like I am entitled to eat what I want and I am not doing anything wrong when I eat some that is unhealthy as long as I keep myself in control.

I try not to let what others write on the forums get to me, but unfortunately this just bugs the crap out of me. What do you all think?

xraychick77

i hate cheat too.

i pretty much eat what i want..i dont diet..i hate the word diet too. as long as i get my cals and macros in i'm fine. i eat pizza, i drink beer, i eat choc chip cookies..

elliecolorado

I couldn't agree more I hate when people say that they are 'cheating'!!!

MyaPapaya75

I have to agree...I personlly dont use the word cheat ..I eat what I want and pay the piper when Im starved because I decided to waste my calories on junk..

HelenTheKitchen

I could have written this word for word, I feel the same way. Whenever people ask about my weight loss and what I eat now I always say, "I eat the same exact stuff, just a lot less."

taiyola

Totally agree! This isn't a game, it's your life. I go through phases of putting my diary on private for a day or two, then reversing it.

Tomorrow, I am totally eating pizza before work.

Angela4Health

While I agree with your opinion, it is different for everyone. Everyone sees this differently and I don't see the point of you making a big deal that people do things differently than you.

I think people around here would probably be doing much better if they focused more on themselves and their own journey rather than judging everyone else on things they disapprove of.

jbug100

I prefer to call it maintanance. Without the occasional treat, I would never last at this!

BobbyDaniel

I've stopped calling it "cheat" days and refer to them as reward or let go days...I don't do them on a regular basis, maybe only once every couple of weeks. It reminds me that I'm not bound by my "diet" any more than I was bound by food before trying to get healthy.

papamurphy

That is the word my friends use when they see me eating something that isn't healhty. It realy just makes me feel guilty. I have not put over 2500 calories into my body a single time in the 5 weeks I have been doing this.... for me... that is good. The last thing I want is to feel guilty for the 2 or 3 times I have gone from my normal 1500cals to 2500cals since i ate 2-3 slices of pizza.

This isnt about cheating or winning, it is about changing a lifestyle that is unhealthy. So, I agree... the word cheating is a bad way to describe cutting yourself some slack.

crystal_sapphire

i agree it's dumb

k2d4p

While I agree with your opinion, it is different for everyone. Everyone sees this differently and I don't see the point of you making a big deal that people do things differently than you.

I think people around here would probably be doing much better if they focused more on themselves and their own journey rather than judging everyone else on things they disapprove of.

Wow, this is really harsh. You talking about judging people. I think I was rather PC in my question in the OP. I was wondering why this particular word works for other people. I stated that it bugged me, not that I hated everyone that uses it.

mislove68

I soooo agree. I dont cheat or diet. I am just learning to eat healthy and smart/ i still eat what i want. Stuff i like! I just dont eat fast food or drink pop. I think i am doing great!!

calmmomw3minimeez

I hate the words diet and I definitely hate the word cheat. I call it a 'treat' day or meal, because that's actually what it is. When I have spent all week logging and trying to eat somewhat healthy and I give myself whatever I want one day out of the week(I usually still count it anyway), it literally is a treat for me. It's also my way of making up calories when I know that I'm too far under my goal. One thing that I've learned on this journey is that food is not our enemy - we need it and food didn't make me overweight. I made myself overweight by using food in the wrong way and since I've been on MFP I don't deprive myself of anything that I may want, I just have it in moderation, because the only time that I have ever been UNSUCCESSFUL is when I actually went on 'diets'...biggest mistake ever and one of the reasons that I'm here now and proud of it! Glad to know that somebody else feel this way!:happy:

malabaugh

Right on! I don't cheat, I make choices. If I choose to eat a burger or ice cream, I also choose to put in the extra exercise time so I can enjoy my treats! Almost 20lbs gone and I have enjoyed almost all of my favorite foods along the way.

LorinaLynn

I have no guilt or remorse about what I eat, ever. I might call it a "cheat day," just because it's a common accepted slang phrase for a day or meal when I don't care about calories. Like calling a photocopy a Xerox, even though the copier might not have been made by Xerox.

Saturday will be such a day for me, and I'll enjoy every minute of it.

joline1160

In that case I guess that is what I did was cheat tonight., because I was on the move and couldn't make my dinner at home.
Be even though I might have cheated on my diet my goals stay pretty much the same as it was the day before. Once a week as long as you watch what you do and take in enough water and do the exercises, then you don't even have to worry about the word cheat, Because it is really not in the vocabulary when dieting and getting it done.

Good Job to all of you who do Cheat.

Losingitin2011

I sort of think that the term "cheat" is something that was pushed onto us. Society wants to make us feel guilty for being fat, even though society encouraged it with the emphasis on fast food and go-go-go lifestyles. I don't use it, because I don't deny myself anything. I cut out things that I knew were bad for me, like HFCS and really processed food, and fast food, BUT I didn't do it to lose weight, I did it because I didn't like how they made me feel. Tonight, I am having taco pizza because I really wanted it, and I worked out hard today. I don't consider it a cheat at all.

xxx29

Devil's advocate here...For some, if it's not part of their diet plan, eating a huge meal or a pack of chocolate chip cookies or a pan of fudge is falling back into old eating patterns that got them in trouble in the first place. To call it a treat puts it squarely back into the "food as reward" category. To call it cheating at least makes it something that is not a good thing to do.

The better way is to work "bounces" into the eating plan. If it's planned, if it's not cheating, and not a treat, it's part of a healthy lifestyle that is not making you a slave to food.

My opinion only!

Tiffy11011

i hate cheat too.

i pretty much eat what i want..i dont diet..i hate the word diet too. as long as i get my cals and macros in i'm fine. i eat pizza, i drink beer, i eat choc chip cookies..

Amen! I had pizza tonight... why because I did a hell of a run felt awesome and had the calories. I don't diet. I'm not going to deprive myself of anything... especially something I love. I'm going to eat what I want, but I'm going to watch my portions and I think that's just a lifestyle issue and a health issue not a "diet"

k2d4p

Devil's advocate here...For some, if it's not part of their diet plan, eating a huge meal or a pack of chocolate chip cookies or a pan of fudge is falling back into old eating patterns that got them in trouble in the first place. To call it a treat puts it squarely back into the "food as reward" category. To call it cheating at least makes it something that is not a good thing to do.

The better way is to work "bounces" into the eating plan. If it's planned, if it's not cheating, and not a treat, it's part of a healthy lifestyle that is not making you a slave to food.

My opinion only!

Very good point. I will counter by saying that (in my opinion) eating a pan of fudge or an entire package of cookies is also not "cheating". Eating that much of that kind of food is what I would call binge eating and involves a whole host of other issues and concerns. I still wouldn't call that behavior cheating.

Losingitin2011

That is a good point. I think we really need to call things what they are, instead of making up less hurtful names for it. If you choose to eat a pan of brownies, that isn't cheating, that is binging. You need to dig deep, even if that means getting some psychological help, and find out WHY you are slipping back into those patterns. That brings in the whole mental illness issue though, which is such a "bad" thing in our world, when SO many people suffer from it. It's sad.

TS65

**Please note this is just MY opinion as I've learned from MY experiences... "Cheating" may work for you**

I can't cheat. This time around, I realize this is a lifestyle change that involves everything in moderation. I eat or drink whatever I want, whenever I want - as long as I log it and count it. There WILL be days I can't log or follow a "diet" (this weekend will be the perfect example - camping with a group of people where food is provided). I still will not consider it cheating - I will do my best to monitor my portions and do what I can. Life is about living. If you let a "diet" rule your life, you won't succeed. Your eating plan needs to blend into your life in order to be successful. (that's still not an excuse to eat crap all day, but to do what you can with the circumstances you are given.)

As stated above, cheating implies I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing. That's not the case. My opinion - as long as people treat this as a diet and not a lifestyle change, they're going to consider it "cheating." Cheating leads to guilt, which can lead to over-indulging (the mindset of "well, I've already blown it I might as well have more") which can sometimes lead to continued over-indulgence (the inability to "hop back on the wagon.") It's a slippery slide that can lead to failure.

mericksmom

Cheat is a no no word in my vocab. I say I had extras for the day.

Brandicaloriecountess

Yes, I so agree! I do not call it that. I do say "indulge" if I eat something that is no longer part of my normal eating.

The other thing that is annoying is if someone says "oowww" if I do eat something unhealthy. I'm like oh no you don't lol I still decide what I eat and I do so without guilt!

Losingitin2011

Yes, I so agree! I do not call it that. I do say "indulge" if I eat something that is no longer part of my normal eating.

The other thing that is annoying is if someone says "oowww" if I do eat something unhealthy. I'm like oh no you don't lol I still decide what I eat and I do so without guilt!

I think I would go off on someone if they did that to me. I get touchy about people judging me because I indulge myself sometimes. I figure it's better to just go with it than to binge on it later because I denied the craving.

Brandicaloriecountess

Yes, I so agree! I do not call it that. I do say "indulge" if I eat something that is no longer part of my normal eating.

The other thing that is annoying is if someone says "oowww" if I do eat something unhealthy. I'm like oh no you don't lol I still decide what I eat and I do so without guilt!

I think I would go off on someone if they did that to me. I get touchy about people judging me because I indulge myself sometimes. I figure it's better to just go with it than to binge on it later because I denied the craving.

THAT is exactly why I do it. If I were to go months without indulgances I KNOW i would not stick to my changes for a lifetime, and THAT is my goal!!!

stefraab

I don't cheat - I work my calories around some of the more unhealthy foods that I enjoy, or I eat smaller portions. I don't eat them all the time because it's not healthy, but I don't feel guilty when I have some chocolate or pizza.

wewon

I see 'cheat' as simply acknowledging that it's a day that you are eating things that are usually off limits.

I see calling it a 'free' day as just as good to get the point across.

foxxybrown

Not a cheat meal but a treat meal!

ItsCasey

Different strokes for different folks. Some people like ( maybe even NEED) to verbally acknowledge that eating pizza is a departure from the norm. This is especially true for people who are new to the weight-loss process.

I know when I first started trying to lose weight, I could not even begin to comprehend the idea of building chocolate or fast food or whatever into my normal diet. I just didn't see how I could ever be successful with that. I had to start by establishing better eating habits overall, and that meant admitting to myself that there is my "diet," and then there are exceptions to my "diet" that I'm allowed to have every now and then.

Now that I'm almost at my goal weight, I have such a dramatically different perception about it. There are some things that I will never eat again, save for unforeseen circumstances. But there are things that used to be "off-limits except on cheat days" that aren't off-limits at all anymore. I've learned to control portions. I've learned how not to let one bad day or bad meal turn into a week-long binge. I've learned how to take a day or two off my workout program to let my body recover without it turning into 5 or 6 days off and then completely falling off the wagon.

But very people, especially those with a lot of weight to lose, can start off on a weight-loss journey with that kind of perception. If they could, they wouldn't have so much weight to lose in the first place. It takes time to build up to that, and if calling a bad meal a "cheat meal" works for them, then it's really no one else's business.