tell the truth

mamarazook

i have been doing MFP for 22 days now (lost 12lbs) and i am very disciplined so far (again only 22 days lol) i hope to go 60 days with no cheating then on that 60 day i would really like to have a meal of my choice..guilt free would be wonderful also! my question is do you cheat? how often? how did that impact your success ..or did it at all? ...thanks

ItsLessOfMe

I eat what I want in moderation and log it. Today is a perfect example. I feel better when I stay within my calories emotionally

emilyrenee77

I am the same, I eat what I want in moderation as well. But then once a week I allow myself something I normally wouldn't eat. Usually that is when we eat out. It has not impacted my success in a bad way at all. Although even on the days I eat out, I try to stay within my daily calorie allotment. It works for me.

Flyntiggr

Define cheating? I haven't really given up anything per se. I eat what i want, just a whole lot less of it!

llkilgore

Depends on how you define "cheat." I log everything and almost never go more than a few calories above my budget. And I eat clean most of the time. But if I want something enough to consider it worth the calories, however junky it might be, I eat it.

IMYarnCraz33

I too eat what I want and log it.
It's all in moderation.
It's my humble opinion--that if our bodies are used to unhealthy and we try to eat only healthy,
after so long we're gonna break & have a bad day or so, because we've deprived ourselves of what we're used to.
If we want to eat nothing but healthy, we should slowly wean ourselves off it so our bodies get more used to the good stuff.
I think the occasional treat is ok too.

wwhite94

i eat what i want I just log it in my calories. I try to have a day of splurging once a week usually on the weekend so i can go out to dinner and hit the gym for longer periods of time if need be.

koosdel

Define cheating? I haven't really given up anything per se. I eat what i want, just a whole lot less of it!

Me too!

And to add, my calorie requirements plus the added excersize calories allow me virtually unlimited options.

lazatin

I don't splurge, I don't cheat and i always log what I eat...if i eat to much then i exercise to make up for it. I try to buy foods with less calories that I like to eat such as pizza..i LOVE pizza and I found a pretty decent slice for 200 calories...so I still eat what i want only reduced calorie.

NikkisNewStart

There is not cheating or not cheating with me... I eat what I want, when I want... always have and always will. Cheating implies that there are restrictions... restrictions lead to resentment. I have been successful because I make the conscious choice daily to put good food in my mouth and when I don't, I still record it accurately and deal with it as I go... it all forms a lifestyle and meshing the 'two worlds' together instead of viewing them separately.

*Edit to add that what I want to eat is good food (clean, wholesome, nutrient rich food) because I know how it fuels my body and how it makes me feel great. Do I eat crap sometimes? Yes. Do I know it's crap and has no nutritional value? Yes. All in moderation and I make food adapt to me and my life... not the other way around.*

shonasteele

I generally stay under my calories 80-90% of the time with the occasional 'over' day, but I also allow myself a cheat day once every week or two. On those days, I don't log anything and don't really limit myself at all. Ironically I have occasionally had a really good loss a couple of days later, maybe it's my body's way of saying "Thanks for the treat!".

Katie3784

My weight loss began in January(I was 150lbs) and I am now down to 125lbs. Really it began in January of 2010 when my son was born, but I only lost about 15lbs in that year. Basically I don't count calories but I eat really well. I eat lost of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean meat. I guess that I get around 2000-2200 calories a day, but I work out a lot. I just joined MFP about a week ago and have thought about doing the food and exercise diary, but I feel that what I have been doing is working, so why mess with a good thing? I really like the forum, though. As far as "cheating" goes, I do tend to feel a tad guilty when I eat something "bad", but that does not last long. I work out so hard that I deserve a treat every now and then. What's the point of working hard to stay in shape if you never get a treat?

DustinReiner

I don't cheat! When it comes down to it, the only person I'm cheating.......IS ME!
So no I don't cheat.
My goal was 100 days(last Saturday) my reward.........I had three beers!

I worked out like a mad man all week long and went out Friday and had three more beers.

That was the only time I really went about my caloric limit.

Oh and I logged them. I knew their calories before I even drank them. (They were good to!)

damcool

I know that you will hear that everything in moderation is the way to go. Not for me. Don't get me wrong, I do NOT let myself crave for anything. However, the chicken wings that I used to have 3 times a week??? Ummmm, no. I don't "moderate" it, I just don't do it. I have one day a week that I eat my maintainance weight. I've been doing this for a year and I've hit every goal weight I've wanted. I say, screw moderation. If you are going to crave more? then, don't have it at all. If you know you can be satisfied? then absolutely have it. I have popcorn (loaded with butter) 3 days a week. I just make sure It fits into my calorie count...Good luck to you! Hope your journey is as fun and rewarding as mine has been and is...

TheSarahHill

If you eat often and healthily then it doesn't matter if you eat the odd thing that's high in fat on the odd occasion. Your metabolism is already on overdrive due to healthy eating and exercise that it usually burns it off easy enough anyway so don't see it as cheating. If you see it as cheating then you are more likely to cheat more often. Just eat what you normally eat and log it, most importantly always be honest to yourself if your not then you will feel like you are doing something wrong and that can cause the brain to think you should give up trying to be good when you have already been bad.
The chances are that there will be days you go over and days that you're under, so by the end of the week that should average out to a normal intake of food.

I say all this as if I am a diet guru but it finally makes sense to me now so I though I would share it! May ever write a book haha not!

Saruman_w

I did sometimes in the beginning of my diet, but 4 or so months into it, I don't anymore.

Gemini_1980

I am pretty much the same as everyone else here with that I eat what I want in moderation:bigsmile: I stay within my calories and I workout so I am comfortable within my caloric intake everyday. If I go out and eat I find that my calories are still good-it's the sodium that may turn hectic and even with knowing that this happens on occassion I drink lots of water. Restriction in the past is what has made me unsuccessful with weight loss prior to me joining MFP. Since I have been on this site I have found great support, great food ideas from being able to browse my friend's diaries, and I am actually having a great time with my weightloss journey:happy:

TheSarahHill

I am pretty much the same as everyone else here with that I eat what I want in moderation:bigsmile: I stay within my calories and I workout so I am comfortable within my caloric intake everyday. If I go out and eat I find that my calories are still good-it's the sodium that may turn hectic and even with knowing that this happens on occassion I drink lots of water. Restriction in the past is what has made me unsuccessful with weight loss prior to me joining MFP. Since I have been on this site I have found great support, great food ideas from being able to browse my friend's diaries, and I am actually having a great time with my weightloss journey:happy:

Touché honey me too!

TheSarahHill

I am pretty much the same as everyone else here with that I eat what I want in moderation:bigsmile: I stay within my calories and I workout so I am comfortable within my caloric intake everyday. If I go out and eat I find that my calories are still good-it's the sodium that may turn hectic and even with knowing that this happens on occassion I drink lots of water. Restriction in the past is what has made me unsuccessful with weight loss prior to me joining MFP. Since I have been on this site I have found great support, great food ideas from being able to browse my friend's diaries, and I am actually having a great time with my weightloss journey:happy:

Touché honey me too!

fudgebudget

I cheat once a week to keep my metabolism up - it's worked really well in the past. Cheating is still usually less than 2200 calories for me, though.

LorinaLynn

Absolutely nothing is off limits for me, so there's no such thing as cheating or failing. If I want pizza, I'm going to work for it. If I want southwest eggrolls, I'm going to work for it.

I'm a little in limbo at the moment, undecided whether I should go into maintenance or continue to lose a little more, so I'm not as strict about staying under calories as I was before reaching goal. I'm still under my maintenance calories, so I'm cool with that.

icerose137

I work in whatever I want to eat. Say if I want pizza that day (no small task not being able to have gluten or dairy!) then I make sure I order my other meals accordingly or go on my bigger walk or whatever. Deprivation equals fail. This isn't a temporary or quick fix. The reason why people gain back the weight they lose is they don't form habits for life. That definition of a diet ends up being a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Whatever you do with your lifestyle change, make sure you can do it for life or you'll find yourself always slipping back.

LeahBeah12

I am usually pretty strict during the week and try to stay under my calories. During the weekend if we have a lot going on and I know I'm going to go over I don't bother tracking and just try to get some exercise in that day. Then on Monday I'm back to being strict again.

I think you need to allow yourself days to eat what you want within reason. I work hard all week so if I want to eat out on the weekend or have a piece of cake I'm going to do it.

kiki75243

I pretty much eat what i want but eat it in moderation. I felt that if I completely give up something I'll have a craving for it and go over board soooo I just stay within my calorie range. If I eat something really bad I workout really hard but I try not to that to often.

zeeeb

i have a "treat" (i don't call it a cheat) every single weekend.

i try to eat well and exercise every day of the week, and at the weekend, i have my dark chocolate bar, and home made pizza, or if it's a birthday, i'll have cake, if i go out, i allow myself a few drinks or whatever.

so far, i've been going nearly 7 months, and have lost 16kg to date, only just in the last month have i hit a point where i'm plateauing a bit, and will need to start being a bit more disciplined to keep getting results.

BProudOfU

I eat what I want. I know myself and know that if I am deprived of something that I want, I will eventually give up all together. Today, for example, I had ice cream. Now I know that is a lot of empty calories, but it's my choice to eat it or not. If I eat it, I have to log it...likewise, if I choose not to eat it I have saved calories for something else. The end result is I stay within my calories and don't deprive myself of anything I want. I just don't eat a 1/2 gallon of ice cream...but guess I could if I really wanted to log all those calories LOL.

wonnder1

I'm the same, I eat pretty much the same as always. Just smaller amounts. There are things I had to cut out completely because I am incapable of moderating it. I used to LOVE going to Olive Garden, but I could never have a meal I wanted for under 3500 calories. I didn't do all this work to blow it on that, no matter how much I love it.

So, there are times I just CAN'T control what I eat, family days...weddings...life stuff. And I don't sweat it. But I'm on the horse the next day.

So, when thinking of rewards for yourself...did you really just lose weight to eat it back as a "reward?" I just don't see that system working.

Pebble321

I don't cheat. Somedays I make healthy choices all day, sometimes I eat stuff that I know isn't good for me.
That isn't cheating to me, it's life. I just make sure that what goes in my mouth is made up of majority healthy choices.
Seems to be working so far (5 1/2 months and 40 pounds down).

Cdcaldwe

For me it would end up being the snowball effect. One thing would lead to another and i would be back to where i was in a month. I have moved all of my unhealthy habits towards healthy ones. My biggest was eating crap all the time. I have become very aware of everything i consume. I was in a vehicle this morning with someone eating a sausage mcmuffin from mcdonalds. I felt ill from the smell of it. I eat subway occasionaly especially if i am traveling. But i know if i cheat at Taco Bell once a week it will become twice a week and so on. If you can cheat once a week good for you. I can't, I have to stay the course because i can finally see what is ahead.


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