Cheat Days?

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  • bpurc22
    bpurc22 Posts: 180 Member
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    cheating is cheating. unless you plan for it and exercise to account for it, you are just fooling yourself. who are you cheating? only yourself

    cheating is for the weak

    Not sure if you're serious or joking...
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
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    i had a burger with bacon and fries today for lunch-- no cheese though cuz im on a diet lol.. and an extra hour of cardio cuz of it so i did two hours of cardio today .. it was worth it though!!! ahhhh it was soooo good .. ill be good the remainder of the week . i allow myself such luxury once a week
  • MuseumOfAsh
    MuseumOfAsh Posts: 72
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    Don't listen to those trying to make you feel bad for "cheating". If they have such great wills of steel, good for them, but they're in the minority. Things happen. What matters is that you realize what happened and are conscious of it. Log what you ate and look at tomorrow as another day.

    I work my butt off doing 90-120 minutes of exercise 5 days a week so I allow myself a day to go over my calories, but only one day. If I want a burger on Tuesday, then I know that I can't have one on Thursday or Friday. If I'm willing to let that day be the one day I go over in calories then I do it. I'm not saying I eat thousands of calories over my daily calorie budget, but I go over. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you continue to lose and aren't sabotaging yourself.
  • itsjustpaper28686
    itsjustpaper28686 Posts: 30
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    I find that I can't let myself "cheat" because then I realize how easy it is. I try to just stay away all together or exercise extra hard to burn it off.
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
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    Not saying it is true but I somewhat believe in the psychology that Tom Venuto places in his book "The Body Fat Solution" where he says that a carb spike or just general spike once a week to keep your metabolism on it's tones. I am going to start trying ti out.
  • Going4Lean
    Going4Lean Posts: 1,077 Member
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    i had a burger with bacon and fries today for lunch-- no cheese though cuz im on a diet lol.

    LMAO
  • FoxieLadie
    FoxieLadie Posts: 1
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    Eat the foods you love in moderation. If you deny yourself, you will feel deprived. Its all about sticking to a healthy lifestyle which incorporates healthy eating and regular exercise. You will not eat "perfectly" 100% of the time.
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
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    thats right..food is to be enjoyed not abused. i lost 80lbs and if anyone thinks i didnt have any wings, pizza or subs during that two time frame then they are nuts.. i did have things like that and will continue to have things like that as a treat , in moderation and hopefully planned so i dont binge like im eating my last supper. if you are sticking with your plan and you have something off the line you are ok.. just enjoy it and do it guilt free. i swear when i lose this 47 extra lbs i am aiming for , first thing im doing is running to a dairy queen for a pecan mudslide
  • michiganderrdh
    michiganderrdh Posts: 151 Member
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    cheating is cheating. unless you plan for it and exercise to account for it, you are just fooling yourself. who are you cheating? only yourself

    cheating is for the weak

    Ditto. Think about how you feel afterwards???? LIKE TOTAL CRAP. Especially when what you at was unhealthy and left you wanting more food (because you need actual nutrition).

    Are there times I take a bite of something? or make a wrong choice? Sure but I totally don't plan that at all. It's setting yourself up for failure.

    Also, look back and think....can you think of any days you regretted that you stuck to eating clean and healthy? NOPE. But you'll always regret that you had that cheat meal which turned into a binge which then turns into a cheat day. KWIM?

    Obviously, moderation is key, too. I like pizza but I make it at home or modify things when I eat out.

    But don't think you can exercise your way out of a bad diet.
  • amy3cc
    amy3cc Posts: 16 Member
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    Heck yes, I do a cheat day! Most of the time it's pretty close to my maintenance calories, or maybe a tiny bit above so I don't damage the deficits I did for the week. I think it's important to allow yourself to cut loose here and there. Everyone's different, but as long as a cheat day is an every once in awhile thing, you're still going to lose weight. Oh, and just as a side note, I've ALWAYS had one cheat day a week and I managed to lose 60 lbs. And keep it off for over 4 years now (Ok, I'm up like 5 right now, so I'm being a bit more stringent). Yeah, a cheat day won't kill you.
  • manoahula
    manoahula Posts: 6
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    Whenever I maintain a food/calorie diary, I look the whole picture, not just what's happening on just one given day. Weight loss isn't an exact science...some days are going to be high calorie days and some days are going to be low calorie days. Personally, I don't stress out when I significantly go over for one day so long my calorie average for the week works out to what it should should be to maintain my weight loss goal.

    The best course of action is to continue logging your food (even your"cheats")...don't just give up and blow off your diary for the day because you went over your calorie max. No matter how bad and depressing it gets, keep that diary up to date! First, you don't want to get into the bad habit of not logging your food whenever you have a "bad" day. Second, that information will come in handy! Not only will you be able to determine exactly how your average daily caloric intake shakes out for the week (the situation might not be as dire as you think), but also the data you gather will come in handy for planning future food outings (if you gain weight and/or your average calories for the week goes over your max, you'll be able to adjust your intake accordingly the next time you dine out).
  • amandanzgirl
    amandanzgirl Posts: 79 Member
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    Yep, I do. Once a week. I started out with cheat "days" during the early stages of my weight loss, but now I limit myself to a cheat dinner instead. I only allow it as long as I've lost at least one pound over the previous week. The catch is, you must have the willpower to limit it because a cheat dinner can easily snowball into a cheat day, week, etc. And before you know it you're making backwards progress.

    I've heard that a regular, moderate increase of caloric intake can actually help boost your overall metabolism. Also, it gives me an outlet for all those cravings I had the previous week. I've not had the chance to read up on it but I average a 2.5 pound weekly loss and 109 pounds later... it seems to work. But I'm sure this approach isn't for everyone, but it worked fabulously for me. I also exercise religiously 6 times a week, though.

    I agree with all of this - try and stick to a cheat meal once a week. I know if I have a 'cheat day' it turns ugly and I seriously eat everything in sight which, for me, can undo a weeks worth of hard work!!!
  • _Kitten_Kate
    _Kitten_Kate Posts: 520 Member
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    Whenever I maintain a food/calorie diary, I look the whole picture, not just what's happening on just one given day. Weight loss isn't an exact science...some days are going to be high calorie days and some days are going to be low calorie days. Personally, I don't stress out when I significantly go over for one day so long my calorie average for the week works out to what it should should be to maintain my weight loss goal.

    The best course of action is to continue logging your food (even your"cheats")...don't just give up and blow off your diary for the day because you went over your calorie max. No matter how bad and depressing it gets, keep that diary up to date! First, you don't want to get into the bad habit of not logging your food whenever you have a "bad" day. Second, that information will come in handy! Not only will you be able to determine exactly how your average daily caloric intake shakes out for the week (the situation might not be as dire as you think), but also the data you gather will come in handy for planning future food outings (if you gain weight and/or your average calories for the week goes over your max, you'll be able to adjust your intake accordingly the next time you dine out).

    `Like` :bigsmile:
  • Thriceshy
    Thriceshy Posts: 707 Member
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    I don't "cheat" because the mindset or idea behind it doesn't work for me. In the past, I've allowed "cheat days" and it didn't take long for those days to become the norm for me. This time, I've worked hard to view every day as the NORM rather than as the thing I have to suffer through to get to a day where I can "cheat" and eat like I used to. Does that make sense?

    If I want Chinese food, I have it. However, I plan for it a day or so in advance and then make the swaps and deals I have to make to allow for it. If that means 30 minutes on the bike or an hour's walk, then that's what I do. If it means skipping my nightly hot chocolate or going with the diet drink instead of my usual, that's fine. That way, I don't find myself thinking of my diet as awful and restrictive and days I blow it as rewards, cheats, or something "earned."

    Others are different. But for me, cheat days sabotage my efforts and drag me down every time.

    Kris
  • kessalove
    kessalove Posts: 27 Member
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    Usually cheat meals, but lately I've been having cheat days and paying for it with the weight creeping back up!!! So I'm buckling down and only going to try and do cheat meals and not stress over it...
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I never plan to cheat because that would set me up for failure because I love food so much. So I just eat what I like within reason and do my best to stay close to my calorie goals!
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    cheating is cheating. unless you plan for it and exercise to account for it, you are just fooling yourself. who are you cheating? only yourself

    cheating is for the weak
    BULL!
    I call them "Free Days", and I do this weekly which allows my cravings fulfilled. It's a great day psychologically and even physiologically in that a good feeding shocks a stifled metabolism.

    For the weak...come on!
    The lady doth protest too much....:sad:
  • MelsieK
    MelsieK Posts: 72
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    Cheat days for me, might be 2 squares of dark chocolate once every couple of weeks. But don't have a specific cheat day or time. My PT and I have fine tuned my eating plan and it's going to be 100% clean eating, not worth de-railing my goals and plans for one meal that really, most times isn't giving you anything worthwhile anyway.

    Mel
  • jessicajoy87
    jessicajoy87 Posts: 905
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    I think it depends what kind of person you are. Some people have to be strict and not cheat. Some people are able to eat in moderation and others have a certain day when they can splurge, get it out of their system until the next "cheat" day. I have a cheat day every other weekend. I want to be able to go out and do whatever and not feel like a failure or weak. I don't think its weakness, I think its human. It also boost my weightloss. Yes it can sometimes turn on you and the cheat day turns into a cheat week or month. You have to be very careful with cheat days and know that you will be able to go back on track the next day.
  • triciaj66
    triciaj66 Posts: 253 Member
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    :ohwell: Why is it called cheating???
    MFP isn't a meal plan or "diet". It's a tool for tracking what you eat and setting goals for your calories and exercise.
    I haven't eliminated any of my favorite foods, but I have changed how much of it I eat and how often I eat them. I also log every carlorie and then try to exercise more to work them off.:laugh:

    There's no MFP punishment for going over your calories-- the issues is, it will take longer to reach your goals.
    If you have too many days of calorie overage, then you'll either not lose weight or possibly gain weight. :sad:
    I think most on this site will agree-- don't deprive yourself, but decide what means more-- the extra calories, or reaching your goal. :flowerforyou:
    Well said !!!!

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