I need help with my Cheat Day

chellabella26

Okay, so tonight I am going to this really nice buffet for my husband and daughters' birthdays. Because of this I decided that I wouldn't worry about the calories, that I would just enjoy myself. Here is the problem, should I still be careful? Should I still log in everything I eat? Shoud I skip dessert? I want to enjoy myself, but I don't want to sabotage myself at the same time. This buffet has crab legs and steamed shrimp so there are good choices to be had. Any advice will be appreciated!! Thanks!

chevy88grl

Well... I don't do cheat meals or cheat days. I eat what I want, when I want it. We rarely go out to dinner (I just prefer to eat at home and know what I am eating) - but when we do? I enjoy myself. I don't gorge, but I do eat whatever I want to eat. I try and log it if I can, but if I can't -- I don't fret about it. It is only one day and one day won't hurt you.

Personally, I would go and enjoy yourself. Try and make smarter choices and if you decide to indulge in dessert or whatever - eat a smaller portion than you used to eat.

It'll be just fine.

1smemae94

Walk around the buffet once before you get anything so you can get what you want the most. Eat a salad first, without dressing ( tons of cals) Then take what you wanted but in smaller portions. Skep the pop, or alochol ( empty cals) and drink water to help with the sodium issue. And be prepared to sweat it out tomorrow. Good luck, and enjoy yourself. One meal wont kill you.

glenbabe

I think if this is a lifestyle change you should pick the best foods for your health but as we like to enjoy our food it also has to be foods you really enjoy,So make wise enjoyable choices then your pleasing both sides of your mindset and hopefully not do to much damage

katm427

When I have a cheat meal or a cheat day, I just remind myself to eat mindfully. Eat what you want at the buffet, but make sure you listen to your body's cues about when to start and stop eating. There's no need to be skipping dessert and going all crazy worrying about, but I would recommend logging it just for future reference so you understand where the calories and fat and the like come from.

Pristess

I take a cheat day once a week. My advice is to calculate the calories to maintain your weight, and eat that amount of calories on your cheat day so that you don't undo your hard work. Do log it. It helps you to understand just how many calories are in those treats, so that you appreciate the days that you eat healthy.

fionat29

I would say, enjoy yourself, but maybe skip carbs in the shape of bread, rolls, bread sticks etc. Fill yourself up with salad, no dressing, as previously said and stick to proteins that aren't too processed.
Above all, enjoy yourself!! It's a once a year event right? A birthday? So take a chance and eat some food, you can exercise tomorrow! Lol!

mem50

Make the best choices. Crab legs? YUMMM Try to do without the butter or at the most use very little. Portion control is my key word at the buffet. Do your best to log what you can. I know there are certain things that are almost impossible to log. How much did I have of that? is always the biggest question.

Most of all relax...as long as you are not doing this sort of thing every day don't sweat it!

raevynn

I think the best advice I've ever seen for "cheat meals" (not a whole day!), is that you should cruise the buffet, and pick out the one or two items that you really, really want.

Just eat those.

Enjoy them. A lot.

Next meal, go right back to your usual routine, and eat within your plan.

cathyAprice

If I eat not-so-healthy foods for occasions like this, I just eat smaller portions. I don't deprive myself or make the people I'm with feel uncomfortable for their choice of restaurant (not that you are). Enjoy yourself and remember, it's just one day and to gain an actual pound (not from sodium, water weight, etc) you'll have to eat 3500 MORE calories than your daily maintainance amount (not your goal) so very unlikely that you'll do any damage. Have fun!!

rileysowner

In all honesty one day, even if you are way way over, will not sabotage your weight loss efforts as long as it does not result in you eating more for the next several days which does happen to some people. Even if you gorged yourself you would have a difficult time eating enough to put on a substantial amount of weight, although you will likely put on water weight of several pounds due to the sodium on the food. When I do a cheat day or meal, I simply eat. After eating smaller meals for the past year and a half, my stomach can't hold as much as it could before, so I find physically I can't eat as much as I used to. I also find I prefer many of the healthier foods on the menu at buffet restaurants and tend to eat more of the salad and veggies than the deep fried stuff although I still eat that. Enjoy yourself, even some desert won't hurt, and get back to your normal eating after that would be my advice. In fact, it is what I have done, and will do in the future for special occasions.

wonderwomanwannaB

I don't believe in "Cheating" mostly because you can only cheat if you are on a diet... and I don't believe in diets... just creating a better lifestyle.

I went on a trip and didn't count anything. I ate what I wanted. I had some drinks. I let myself be treated. What I have found is as I work on my lifestyle, I tend to WANT the healthier options. I rarely drink, so usually one is enough to satisfy that urge. I only gained one pound the entire week, which I just worked off the next week.

Don't get too caught up on it tonight. Enjoy yourself, because celebrating and social eating IS part of a lifestyle.

Tricks that help when wanting a dessert:
Share, share, share.
If no one will share with you, don't be afraid to take leftovers home and spread the calories out over a few days (If I want cheesecake, I try to spread it into 3 days of dessert) The "3 bite rule" helps with this. 1 bite because you want it. 2 because it tastes good. 3 to make it last.

2Bgoddess

When I know I am facing a meal that is probably outside of my calorie goals, I do a bit of exercise ahead of time to offset at least SOME of those calories. i also found that when I do so, when i get to the meal, i find myself making some good choices, because I don't want to completely undo the hard work.

chellabella26

Thanks so much for all of your thoughts. I do want to enjoy myself, but I think the only way to do that is to not go crazy...because who enjoys guilt, lol? I think I will go ahead and get a plate of lettuce, tomato and chilled shrimp topped with a squeeze of lemon, then I will move on to the crab legs. After that I will peruse the rest of the buffet and maybe lightly sample some higher calorie choices. And I think I will skip the dessert, I would still feel like I was having a treat without the dessert. How does that sound for a plan?

chellabella26

Thanks for all the help...I am completely stuffed and still managed to stay inside my calorie limit, yipee!!

inlander

In those situations, I eat whatever I want, but I only eat until I'm full (not stuffed). That way I'm more motivated to eat smaller portions of everything that I *do* want to try.

OR, if there are light, healthy options like crab legs and salads, I'd go crazy on those and stay away from anything deep-fried or greasy.

philosohoe

Congrats!

pinkita

I'm on Weight Watchers and the leader at my meeting suggests the following at buffets:

1. Cruise around the buffet to see what's there.
2. Start with a plate of veggies only.
3. Next have a plate of fruits only.
4. On the next plate, go for lean proteins (he, like someone else said here, says crab legs are great), with some carbs, if desired.
5. If getting dessert, choose one and get someone to split it with you

He used to live in Las Vegas when he lost weight on WW and said buffets were everywhere, so he followed the above tips when eating out.