does anyone have a cheat day?

secrets_out

I don't know if this fits into mfp rules lol but I guess I don't keep anything off limits...I just try to keep everything in moderation. I find, personally, that I hate being told no...so if I "ban" myself from anything, that is all I am gonna want and them I am gonna go CRAZY when I do eat it. So no cheating just balancing...might not be the right way but its working for me

knelson422

I tend to self sabotage, so my plan is one day a month I can eat whatever I want. I really have a chocolate problem, and caramel, etc. But, if I tell myself, I can have that later - instead of BAD FOOD- it has helped. Good luck. I think you just do what works for you. We are doing chinese tomorrow.

kirstieamb

I really try not to but yesterday was my birthday and my husband and I went out for dinner and I cheated A LOT. I don't see a problem with it if you workout enough to make up for it. Once a week is probably too much. Once every couple of weeks is okay.

breeanreyes

i think they're necessary to keep your sanity! i don't, however, think you should look at it as being a "reward" for being good, i believe that is the thinking that got us to where we are. Maybe look at it as a treat and a way for you and your hubby to reconnect in a way you both enjoy! A reward for doing well would be to treat yourself to a mani, pedi or massage, or to buy a new pair of jeans or something that encourages your progress. I don't usually plan my cheat days, i just wait for a day where i know my body needs a little extra to keep my metabolism up, and when i have that day, the next day is really easy for me to pick up where i left off 2 days before! (i pay very close attention to my body though, and you can get there too if you're not already) And remember, "Don't reward yourself with food, you are not a dog." :P

specialk1875

I have a cheat day every saturday...i have my weekly weigh in that morning first though. I wouldnt make it long term if I didnt.

thecloud6

I am having my first one tomorrow. There is a chocolate fest fundraiser...I have always wanted to go. I sure don't want to count calories (not that I plan on going totally crazy; I will be bringing home a lot for family). I have decided one day a week is okay. I am more worried about my body thinking I am in starvation mode. Going from about 2000 calories a day to 1260 was a big shock to me this week!

breeanreyes

P.S. I also think you should still log your calories for the day, just so you can be very honest with yourself and make changes if it really starts to affect your progress! You can't change it if you don't know

daisydarling

Hi,
I was under my calories for today and I exercised this evening, so does that mean if I burned 200 calories I should eat some calories.
Thanks Daisydarling

christinalpg

I have a cheat meal once a week for lunch. I have it at lunch so that I'm not sleeping with it all night!

si_puedo

ahhhhhh, thank you for this post......this really makes me feel better. i have a cheat meal on saturdays.....i sooooooooooo look forward to it.....yayyyyyyyyyy

jaabee11

When I first started i thought I would have a cheat day once a week but I soon found that it was better for me to have what I wanted and fit it in somewhere during the week. I rarely feel the need now for a day. If I"m craving something I look up the calories and consciously decide where to put it , have it , love it and move on.

I'm guessing as I get closer to goal and I have fewer calories to play with things will probably be different and a cheat day might become a regular thing. I like the way I"m doing it atm, works well for me.

LadyCerrydwyn

My hubby and I have decided on a once a day "Free day". Its a day where i will get me a Dr. Pepper withouth feeling guilty and pretty much eat one or two things that ive been going nuts and craving all week. LOL. Without it im not sure i could turn down all that good stuff all week long. We try not to go to overboard, logging what we eat that day helps keep us aware so we dont eat a weeks worth of calories back in a day. Usually we sit and talk it out and try and decide on that one thing we are craving and go for that. So far we rarely have gone over more then a few on those days still. So i dont think its too bad of a idea if it works for you and you dont go WAY overboard.

bag4498

I was just discussing this same topic with a friend. I keep saying I want to have a cheat meal, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Tomorrow will be my 2nd weigh in, so I guess it depends on how it looks. I have no problem getting right back on track. If you feel like it will spin out of control, then don't do it just yet. You have to have the will power and mindset.

MandeeSue

Sunday's are my cheat day and rest day...If I didn't have these, this would be harder to do!

This is what I do !!

melmaus27

I think it's good to have a treat when you've earned it and when you are REALLY craving whatever it is. A whole DAY of it would really throw me off, even a meal can just start a downward spiral for me. Ironically, if I follow the 6 small meals a day and eat lots of protein I don't really crave the bad stuff - just more of the good . . . that's what works for me though.

shellyt1

Until I started doing this on Monday my weekends were a little more free then during the week but I don't think this weekend will be that way. Luckely I have to work all weekend so haveing dinner with my boyfriend who makes the cheat meals easier won't be happening and hope to see it on the scale on Monday. Pizza was the Sat. yummy meal, and so been wanting ice cream this week.

soontobeskinnysara

I don't schedule cheat meals, but I schedule beer nights! That's really the only time I stray from my diet, and man...beer has calories

Bikini27

Yep, Sunday mornings at my momma's house. She's working at becoming a personal chef/caterer and I get to play guinea pig. Plus mom time!

monkeymouse74

I have a free day on Saturdays, free of exercise, and calorie counting. But I still log it and to be honest, I'm VERY active on the day and I have my weigh in day on Sunday, so I dont go OTT. Knowing I have to weigh in the next morning keeps me in check,:flowerforyou:

feb06momma

I tend to cheat on Sundays as well. I weigh in first thing in the morning, and then I am a little more casual with my eating. Last week I made brownies for the family, and oh were they good!

ghost6775

I don't schedule cheat meals, but I schedule beer nights! That's really the only time I stray from my diet, and man...beer has calories

Same here...beer is my downfall :sad: so I allow myself one weekend night a week ( Friday or Saturday) so that I don't feel cheated...I also throw in good restaurant meals on top of that (typically with friends).:drinker:

meribethd

Yup. I don't track on Saturdays. I still eat normal breakfasts and lunches, but I usually have something more gluttonous for dinner and dessert and often a little wine. I don't stuff everything around me into my mouth, but I am a little more lax. It makes tracking during the week easier, and I feel better knowing I can still have some higher calorie foods occasionally.

paigemarie93

Saturday, I eat whatever I want as long as it's not over my limit, so I'll normally eat a pizza all to myself on a Saturday with no regrets :]

wifeyy

Cheat was a must for me the first time I lost weight. I found playing with metabolism helped the weight loss.

dude! WTH? in another thread you are saying you are gaining weight and cant lose no matter what you do and all that and here you are touting cheat days?

LOL.

when i cheat for a whole day i can never stop binging the following days and it last like 5 or more days so now i am very careful when it comes to cheat days!!!

kellyisloved

Cheat was a must for me the first time I lost weight. I found playing with metabolism helped the weight loss.

dude! WTH? in another thread you are saying you are gaining weight and cant lose no matter what you do and all that and here you are touting cheat days?

Actually, he said "the first time I lost weight" that playing with metabolism helped his weight loss. He didn't say he was doing it now, nor did he say it was helping him shed off pounds lately. I don't know that an attack would help either way, but that's up to you.


As for the actual question on the thread, I do the same thing, but I try to restrict it to a 'cheat meal.' I used to do cheat days, but they more commonly spread into weekends or worse, but if I just do a cheat meal or a particular splurge event or try to think of it a little more limited, then I don't go as crazy, and it feels like there is a specific end to it so that it's easier for me to get back in it.

I do think the variation helps with weight loss, though, but it's up to you to determine whether or not you can bounce back and forth without letting yourself slip too much. Good luck!

Rielyn

Yes!! Saturdays are mine, I try to stay within my "maintenance calories" but sometimes I go a bit over...I do twice as much exercise on Saturdays than I normally do throughout the week.

jamja72

Making a lifestyle change doesn't have cheat days. But it also doesn't mean you can't indulge on occasion. It's a journey and having something you don't eat regularly is part of that journey. So it's not cheating and there isn't a wagon to fall off.

The mind set of a cheat day implies your on a diet, a diet starts and stops. by the time it stops, if you haven't made lifestyle changes you can easily get back to where you were when you started the diet - overweight

That's my approach

cjcounts

I go out once a week..and I save enough calories for a coctail 2x week.

Stacyanne324

I just started incorporating a weekly cheat day in the past couple of weeks after noticing that the weeks I went way over calories on one day I actually lost more later that week than I was in weeks where I came in at or under calories every single day. I decided to give it a try as a test and it happened again so I'm trying again this week. It is SO nice to know I have one day a week where I can eat higher calorie foods and not be so strict with myself and it helps me get through the other 6 days where I really watch myself.

I still log it though. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep the cheat day forever and I want to be able to look back and see what happened if I gain from it instead of lose. And knowing I have to put it in my diary seems to help keep me at least a little in line. Last weeks cheat day I went over 1000 calories (and 600 of them were do to two very high calorie IPA beers that I very much enjoyed and would never drink on a normal day). I wound up still having my cottage cheese for breakfast and swapping a greasy burger for grilled chicken with roasted chile peppers and guacamole at lunch and still only eating half. I when I really wanted an onion bagel and cream cheese at 10pm I allowed myself to have it but only ate half and used weight watchers low cal cream cheese. So, I still keep my wits about me but I relax my rules a bit.

I really hope it works again this week. It seems there is something to be said about shaking up your metabolism.

Dave198lbs

Cheat was a must for me the first time I lost weight. I found playing with metabolism helped the weight loss.

dude! WTH? in another thread you are saying you are gaining weight and cant lose no matter what you do and all that and here you are touting cheat days?

Actually, he said "the first time I lost weight" that playing with metabolism helped his weight loss. He didn't say he was doing it now, nor did he say it was helping him shed off pounds lately. I don't know that an attack would help either way, but that's up to you.

attack? good grief...it was a question, not an attack. I guess tone...either inferred in a negative way vs. inferred in a positive way is up to the mindset you bring into the room