"Cheat" days....

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  • feliciapeters
    feliciapeters Posts: 525
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    I am sorry, I must ask.

    Is being over in protein bad?
    [/quote
    From all I've heard & read the more protein the better. Especially if you work out. Protein feeds muscle & muscle burns fat. My boss is an ex professional body builder & basically said "theres no such thing as going over on protein" he sees me munching in plain grilled chix with one hand & typing with the other, and tells me all the time that the way to do it. I DO see the difference when i lower my carbs, fat & sugar & max out on protein even if I am under calories.

    As for cheat days, I "cheat" on weigh day. I eat the way I should all day and for dinner I have the one thing I could literally eat every meal for the rest of my life. PASTA!!!! Its the one thing I miss most, besides a really good loaf of french bread & butter. You can keep the sweets, I very rarely eat them, I am a carb junkie. I see it as more of a reward for being good (mostly) all week. ANd Im not saying I'm rigid about what I eat all the time, I usually have a little of anything I want and except for switching to low fat creamer I dont do low fat or fat free anything..tastes nasty.
    But pasta, ahhh I NEED some pasta every once in while. Must be all the garlic rolliing around in my Italian blood LOL
  • Hfxgal
    Hfxgal Posts: 57
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    I don't have a specific cheat day, but if I know that something is coming up that may 'sabotage' my day, I will try to plan accordingly. I don't beat myself up though for the occasional day...it happens. Life is short and sometimes you need to have a little fun!
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    I don't do cheat days, there is no need. It's not teaching habits when you cheat. I truly believe you have to work to lose weight, why try and knowingly make a stumbling block for you. If you have to cheat I wouldn't go over the calories what your body needs to burn daily + any exercise calories. I just am trying to create a new lifestyle for me, by creating habits. I'm glad I have, I ate fast food for the first time in 5.5 weeks and the food was horrid, the diet dew was even worse. Today is my off day but I made sure to go to the gym to make up for such a pitfall. I have no desire for the fastfood anymore when it used to be something I craved all the time. I know some people do well with cheat days, the problems is sometimes cheat days are also the catalyst to falling off the wagon.

    I used to use cheat days for my other times I tried to lose weight, I think part of it was I wasn't ready to fully embrace what was needed to lose the weight. I am ready for that now and that has made me realize no cheat days til I have my habits formed.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    I don't do cheat days.. I do "I eat whatever the heck my body wants as long as it's with in reason".

    If my body wants a burger.. it gets it. Fries.. totally. Shakes.. yep. Do I eat like this every day? No. Do I tend to eat like this once or twice a week? Oh yea.

    Life happens.. and food is a part of life. You can't always eat healthy or cook your meals.. and sometimes, you just don't want the healthy option! As long as you realize that, and know how to effectively deal with it, you'll be fine.
  • ahavoc
    ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
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    I said earlier I don't have cheat days, but I do go out to dinner on occasion. With MFP I find it easy to make the right choices. I'll have a salad, with goat cheese or steak in it, or whatever I can find on the menu that I know is better for me. I'll get a burger without the roll and ask how many ounces it is. I find most restaurants and kitchens very accommodating. I have food allergies, so I have to be careful anyway, and I won't eat in a restaurant that can't allow for a little change up. Most chefs enjoy the challenge.

    I also will work out extra, or bank my calories from earlier in the day if I know I'm going out.
  • 8rules
    8rules Posts: 169
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    I am sorry, I must ask.

    Is being over in protein bad?

    Lean protein - yes, you can go over.

    I know you can go over, I go over the MFP default suggested level pretty much every day.

    I am asking if its bad, and if so, why is going over on lean protein bad but being under calories classified as a negative outcome or even a cheat day?
  • fromaquasar
    fromaquasar Posts: 811 Member
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    I am sorry, I must ask.

    Is being over in protein bad?

    Lean protein - yes, you can go over.

    I know you can go over, I go over the MFP default suggested level pretty much every day.

    I am asking if its bad, and if so, why is going over on lean protein bad but being under calories classified as a negative outcome or even a cheat day?

    I always aim to go over in protein. Much better for your fat loss - as ChrisDavey posted the other day you should read:
    http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-foods-rich-protein-dairy-products.html
  • SnuggieMeeko
    SnuggieMeeko Posts: 68 Member
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    It depends for me. If I have a big event I will plan for that. But as a rule I try to go about 2 weeks with no cheat day. I might plan in "small" items I like. Like I had half a thing of ice tea the other day. I love ice tea! But as for sitting down and eating a bunch of pizza, chips, ect I try to stay away from that. I did have two pieces of chicken fried steak last night but didn't go over my calories. I think it is more about being smart with your choices. I've been working hard to do that. Plus adding in the amount of working out I do to help offset it as well.
  • ltlane
    ltlane Posts: 120
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    i had a cheat day yesterday. omg totally over on everything. i did this purposely to kick my body in gear. i havent lost anything in nearly 2 weeks and i dont know whats going on. i lost 6lbs the first week and now nearly 14 days later nada. when i usually have so called cheat days i just have something like cookies, ice cream sandwich or something i know i shouldnt have, but i never go over.
  • Jess22542
    Jess22542 Posts: 66
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    I go over my calories. It's also typically the only say I drink alcohol. I do keep track of it still though. First, so I can make sure I stay under under my goal for the week. Second, because I find it keeps me from going too overboard. I recommend letting yourself go over, but try to set a higher goal. Example, maybe it's 2000 calories, instead of 1300. There is a lot of research that shows that doing this "cheat" day weekly actually helps you lose weight. It spikes your metabolism and keeps it from slowing to adjust to the low calorie intake the other 6 days. Plus, it helps me behave during the week to know if I get through the week, I can have whatever I am really craving.
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I have my "going over" days, but I don't call them cheat days. My extra calories come from nutritious food, and I go over only when I feel my body needs the extra fuel.

    As for not-so-healthy treats, I have them pretty often, as long as they fit into my daily limit!
  • Dijon360
    Dijon360 Posts: 19
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    I "cheat" only on days when I can't help it (e.g. special events or when travelling away from home). I don't give myself cheat days where I consciously decide to eat what I like without counting the calories. If I know I might go over (usually dinner out with friends) I usually try to fit in a way of earning the calories beforehand through exercise. If I can't do it on that day, then I do it the next.

    Part of being successful here relies on it being a dedicated lifestyle modification. Ideally you don't want to have 'diet days' and 'cheat days'. Every food/exercise decision needs to be about being healthy and being conscious of what you eat at all times. If want to eat a little more, then exercise a little more. It really is that simple. (Simple does not always mean easy though...)
  • amkelley
    amkelley Posts: 81
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    My husband and I have 1 cheat meal a week. I still record whatever it is that I eat. Its usually pizza on Saturday night. Sometimes I go over and sometimes I dont. Every now and then we will cheat lunch and dinner on Saturday. Either way- pizza is something we LOVE and cant get rid of forever!
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
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    I don't cheat per say, I just eat what I like whenever. For example, I eat ice cream everyday granted it's only a 100 calorie fudge popsicle but nonetheless I eat it because I want to. I never do complete cheat days where I stuff my face, instead I eat whatever I want on Friday's for lunch. This means instead of my usual lunch I will go to Five Guys or eat chinese. I don't go to the buffet and just stuff my face till I want to vomit but instead eat in moderation and I am still content.
  • k67808f
    k67808f Posts: 3
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    Oh cheat days .. How I love you .. Until I overdo it .. Yep, cheat day today and now I feel awful! But I agree, life happens and food is part of life. Loosen up a bit and have some fun, just don't do it too much. :bigsmile:
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    Honestly? I don't do cheat meals or cheat days. I eat what I want, when I want it. I make sure that I log it, have enough calories for it, eat the serving size of it and I move on. For me, having to wait for a specific day to eat what I want makes it feel too much like a "diet". This is my life and not a diet. Being able to eat whatever I want whenever I want it -- makes me feel less resentful and has curbed my urge to binge eat.
  • duckpond11
    duckpond11 Posts: 197 Member
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    I don't consider what I do cheating - but I only plan to stay within my eating plan 90% of the time. 10% of the time, I can indulge in a treat meal. That is about 3 or 4 meals a week. If I tried to go 100% I would just give up.
  • kranda01
    kranda01 Posts: 2
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    I totally have cheat days, my cheat days are right after my weigh in. Its important to have something you enjoy from time to time! You will never gain the weight that you lost in 1 bad day! It takes about 2 solid weeks of eating bad to gain your weight back. But its always important if you are going to eat something bad, make sure you drink plenty of water the next day. If your debating on a cheat day, maybe say to yourself you will exercise twice as hard that day, so you dont feel quilty! But eat away! also remember take the number of hours you are awake in a day and divide by 3, thats the amount of meals you need to have in a day, usually 5-6 healthy meals a day is about right!
  • froggy15
    froggy15 Posts: 154 Member
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    I indulge every now and then, but a cheat day would scare me. I know I would over do it!
  • angijunbug
    angijunbug Posts: 205
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    I don't do an entire cheat day or it would trigger me to eat like that too much but I do a "cheat meal" which is not even once a week. If we go out to dinner or order in then I try to make the best choice possible at that restaurant. Today I am having a cheat meal because we are having Olive Garden for dinner (I have a gift card) and I am getting a grilled chicken panini which comes with salad (I get this without dressing), & soup. My hubby & I will share a dessert like the tiramisu :wink: Yum! I went over in my sodium & fiber, but not my calories, carb, fat or protein.

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