CHEAT DAYS!

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  • tiggerbounce411
    tiggerbounce411 Posts: 401 Member
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    I don't do the cheat day/meal. If I want it..I eat it and adjust my calories for the rest of the day to fit in what I SHOULD be eating. It hasn't harmed my progress. I of course don't make a habit of it, but if I feel I want something, I just eat it within reason and add it on the diary. As long as my numbers stay green, I am good to go. Makes this NOT a diet and simple to do.
  • Breadoholic
    Breadoholic Posts: 75 Member
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    I allow myself a cheat meal and dessert on Fridays every week. I will usually eat a burger and fries or chicken strips and ice cream or cake for a dessert. I'm usually over about 1,000 calories on my Fridays (sometimes a little more). But I do good the rest of the week so I don't worry about it. I mantain my weight and I have been doing this for years.

    I LOVE this! I use to do this all the time when I was at my goal weight (52 kgs). I maintaining this weight easily for years and years. Although in the last year and a bit I've indulged so I'm paranoid to continue having a cheat meal once a week.
  • Biancalee76
    Biancalee76 Posts: 107
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    I don't have a cheat day/meal.


    You don't let yourself eat something naughty?





    I have little treats on a semi-regular basis, but they are within my calorie counts, so I don't consider them cheats. Like 2 days ago I had a starbucks frappucino, but it was 100 cals. I usually don't waste my cals drinking stuff like that, but I stayed in my count that day.
  • nikaface
    nikaface Posts: 3 Member
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    I agree with many other posts...It's not throwing off my loss altogether, it may slow down my loss but that is ok with me as long as the scale continues to go down even if it's not rapidly. I enjoy eating out with my friends on most weekends and what I do is eat lightly for the beginning of the day so that once dinner time rolls around I'm not so far over and I also try not to drink my calories (personal choice). For instance, I had some delicious home made baklava last night at a function at my daughter's school. I haven't beat myself up about it, because I mentally knew I was having it before hand.

    I try not to consider days when I eat something "not terribly healthy" as a reward, but instead as just me not being so controlling. But I try to do it all in moderation. Whereas last year I had a good THREE pieces of baklava, this year I had only ONE. I tend not to track on the weekends due to lack of time. So instead I make sure I eat easily calculated things during the day, so I can count it in my head and guesstimate a little better when I'm out eating in the evening.
  • hatravers
    hatravers Posts: 166 Member
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    havent had a cheat day yet, too scared to undo all the work ive put into loseing pounds
  • GymRatRaceRunner
    GymRatRaceRunner Posts: 160 Member
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    I never have cheat days...but I do treat myself as long as I have the calories to spend.
  • krystonite
    krystonite Posts: 553 Member
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    I only have a cheat day once a month, otherwise I fear for my willpower if I were to allow myself to indulge more often. Plus, being able to go an entire month makes me feel like Superwoman.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    I don't have a cheat day/meal.


    You don't let yourself eat something naughty?

    I dont have cheat days/meals, as i have nothing to cheat on! I'm not on some sort of diet y'know!

    I eat things you would call "naughty" every single day, probably 2-3 times a day too. But, i hit my macros, maintain a calorie deficit, exercise 6 times a week, and i feel great, and i could go on like this forever!
  • Salpica
    Salpica Posts: 205 Member
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  • TraceyDonna
    TraceyDonna Posts: 60
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    I admire anyone who doest have cheat days, I really do! I have them every week, usually saturday coz its the only night of the week I go out and have a drink. That said, I dont "pig out" as such, I just relax a bit and dont stress about tracking calls too closely. I do still keep it in my mind, but Im just not as strict with myself as I am during the week.

    I honestly know that if I dont "relax" with it now and again I wont stick to it. Like everyone says, this is a change for life so it has to be do-able. Everyone has nights out, meals out, celebrations, holidays, etc. I have to be realistic about it or I'll cave.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    I honestly know that if I dont "relax" with it now and again I wont stick to it.

    Instead of "relaxing" 100% once a week, try "relaxing" 10-20% every day. Makes it seem much less like a diet and more like something you could do forever.
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
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    I am FINALLY realizing that my "cheat" day was a bad idea for me. :grumble:

    For me, the cheat day is using a lot of my weekly and activity points (Weight Watchers!) on Saturday. So not really cheating, because I was still tracking, but a much higher calorie day than Sunday through Friday.

    This is not something that I really wanted to let go of, because it worked for me for such a long time to have one higher calorie day a week.

    Unfortunately, lately it's been taking longer and longer to get back on track after the weekly cheat day. Like Saturday = eat anything! And Sunday felt like torture and deprivation and I would keep on overeating a bit until finally getting back on track by Wednesday... and then it would all start over again on Saturday.

    Doing this has lead to a slow creep back up the scale over the past several weeks.

    So, I'm done with my weekly cheat day for now. :sad:
  • emtess123
    emtess123 Posts: 26
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    I probably have a cheat day once or twice a week, usually on weekends! I usually go about 500/600 cals over my 1200 allowance, sometimes more if i have done a lot of exercise that day. Im not sure if it is slowing down my weightloss or not but i do know that if i dont 'let go' every now and again and have a nice tea and some treats i will give in! Allowing myself a day off every now and again means i stay motivated for the rest of the time!
  • zippo32
    zippo32 Posts: 1,419 Member
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    .............call them spike days!
  • ADobs
    ADobs Posts: 160 Member
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    I have a "cheat" day once a week and eat whatever I crave throughout the week and double my calories. It sort of serves to "shock" my metabolism and give it a boost. This is from the "Spike Diet" theory so in other words it spikes my metabolism. The rest of the week I eat super healhty and clean with no junk whatsoever. I'm sure it does hinder my weight loss/maintenance, but it's what I can maintain for the rest of my life. If I gave up this food forever, it would be worse in the long-run. Plus when I have my one spike day, I find it so much easier to maintain my clean diet the rerst of the week as I don't find myself craving anything!
  • ADobs
    ADobs Posts: 160 Member
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    .............call them spike days!

    yay - meeeee tooo!!!
  • midnightbirch
    midnightbirch Posts: 19 Member
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    I don't like negative words like cheat. I would be cheating myself. I seldom eat all of my goal calories but always above 1200. I eat a buffalo sirloin sometimes but still keep my goals. I shop at whole foods and watch my fat,sodium,cholesterol and sugar and find I can eat some very tasty satisfying meals without the guilt. I feel alive again and don't even desire to go back to junk (non-food). I have not had carbonated soft drinks for six years! I drink water and Braggs apple cider drinks. No cheating for me!
  • ladyphoto
    ladyphoto Posts: 192 Member
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    I am FINALLY realizing that my "cheat" day was a bad idea for me. :grumble:

    For me, the cheat day is using a lot of my weekly and activity points (Weight Watchers!) on Saturday. So not really cheating, because I was still tracking, but a much higher calorie day than Sunday through Friday.

    This is not something that I really wanted to let go of, because it worked for me for such a long time to have one higher calorie day a week.

    Unfortunately, lately it's been taking longer and longer to get back on track after the weekly cheat day. Like Saturday = eat anything! And Sunday felt like torture and deprivation and I would keep on overeating a bit until finally getting back on track by Wednesday... and then it would all start over again on Saturday.

    Doing this has lead to a slow creep back up the scale over the past several weeks.

    So, I'm done with my weekly cheat day for now. :sad:

    couldn't have said it better myself! I have had teh same problem- and- my "free for all days" went from one day, to two, to three... the scale doesn't move and I get frustrated. Really silly and really simple. No more "cheat" days for me either.
  • midnightbirch
    midnightbirch Posts: 19 Member
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    I think you are making the right choice. in my opinion cheat days are a trap for addictions. You can treat yourself to healthy alternatives once in a while but eat anything mentality is what put many of us in trouble to begin with. &4 lbs is an accomplishment don 't cheat yourself!
  • missikay1970
    missikay1970 Posts: 588 Member
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    my cheat days have been the key to my losing. on a TREAT day, i will eat one meal that is out-of-control. such as, double cheese burger & fries with a soda. about 800 calories or more for one meal. the other meals i either eat light or don't eat at all. i don't feel guilty. i do it about once every 2 weeks. i've lost 11 lbs. so far in the past 2 months. :smile:

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