Cheat Days?

cmm7303

I'm not talking about once a week, or even once a month, but for big, family holidays where multiple people cook, and you have no idea how to log anything anyway. I mean, who knows what my mother puts in the food she cooks? I see her 2x a year...and that's about it. Not eating her food would be rude, and asking her to describe every ingredient and then weighing it all out seems pushy (especially since she's rather obese due to some severe medical trauma, and would feel hurt).

So, do I try and guess, and log as best as I can?

Do I just log my exercise and then do a quick calorie add for every net calorie (IE, I have my goal set at 1350, I do 500 cals of exercise, and then enter "Lunch- 1850 calories")?

Any suggestions?

indianalori

i have the same problem. i just guess or over inflate my calories to be safe.

MB_Positif

I just keep the portions small on holidays and estimate on my diary the best I can! Occasionally I go a little overboard, but that's ok to do when you are having a blast with family

ljd0693

Since it's only 2 or 3 times a year I don't even worry about trying to log it.

I really really really don't want to know the calories that I ate.

I just try to be really good the rest of the week.

Sidesteal

I eat with no regard for calories or macros and I do not give a single F about the consequences.

If you can execute such a plan and not have any guilt, and you can resume plan afterwards, then I'd recommend this for most people.

It's a special event/holiday. Enjoy it.

Mental health is important too.

dznyfn

I say life is too short and "food" holidays are few so go ahead and enjoy yourself and don't stress about it for a day! The key is "for a day"! No leftovers for days afterward. Alot of thought and work goes into preparing food for a holiday and some of it is food we only have during that particular occasion. Enjoy!

todietfor

Agree with keeping portions small (especially if you know it is a rich dish) and just ballpark it as best you can when you log your calories. I prefer logging as specifically as I can and not doing quick cals. So for example if my mom made meatloaf or something, though I don't know EXACTLY what she put in it, there are lots of entries with similar calorie counts that I will add and assume it is close enough.

cmm7303

i have the same problem. i just guess or over inflate my calories to be safe.

Yeah, I just feel silly trying to guess what's in her green beans. I haven't cooked near her, or watched her cook for...almost 15 years now. It's even worse with my MIL, but I hardly ever see her, thank goodness.

I mean, for Easter, I had one milk chocolate egg, half a turkey and swiss roll from our local bakery and coffee...and now I'm paranoid about how to log that PLUS dinner with my folks. Grrrrrr.

mhardest

One day of unhealthy eating is not going to set you back (unless you take it to the extreme.) If it were me personally I would not track calories for that day because I know that it is just a one day thing. I will be back to good the next day. When I am in a situation like that I also just try to use portion control and not stuff my face full. You will be fine taking a day off if you don't make it a habit of doing it very frequently! Enjoy your family gathering!

pearsy67

That is the beauty of the anonymous "quick calories', I try and track the main types of food, but I use the Food Notes field so I can remember what the meal was rather than try and track each component., I have also just put down Dinner - 1500 calories:-) I you completely blow your days target, once in a blue moon, don't worry about it, the body will absorb what it can and the rest is waste :-o, Just don't plan on doing it the day before a weigh-in :-)

In the grand scheme of things a single blow out day mean stuff all in your journey, just don't make it a habit. From experience, if you are generally good at keeping to your targets a single blow out day doesn't really matter. They are not cheat days, they are Life days, you need to be able to relax and forget about MFP once in a while and just enjoy all of life's variations, but not too many huge calorie excursions LOL
.
I managed to survive Easter Lunch, I am just planning on a bigger exercise hit today :-D

tnrunningnurse

Family get togethers and Holidays I don't worry about. I log based on a best guess estimate and add calories. I always overestimate calories as I don't know how my family members cook. It is only a few times a year....no biggie.

cmm7303

That is the beauty of the anonymous "quick calories'...

In the grand scheme of things a single blow out day mean stuff all in your journey, just don't make it a habit. From experience, if you are generally good at keeping to your targets a single blow out day doesn't really matter. They are not cheat days, they are Life days, you need to be able to relax and forget about MFP once in a while and just enjoy all of life's variations, but not too many huge calorie excursions LOL
.
I managed to survive Easter Lunch, I am just planning on a bigger exercise hit today :-D
[/quote

This makes me feel so much better. I've been below goal EVERY day since the first of the year, and I'm freaking out about one dinner!

mom2colbyj

I thought long and hard about this and decided that I was strong enough this time that I could take the major holidays off from logging in my calories. For a few days a year I just want to enjoy my family and my life without worrying about anything else.

BlessedShauna777

log the best you can.

cmm7303

I eat with no regard for calories or macros and I do not give a single F about the consequences.

If you can execute such a plan and not have any guilt, and you can resume plan afterwards, then I'd recommend this for most people.

It's a special event/holiday. Enjoy it.

Mental health is important too.

I love you. I like your plan best.

amyrobynne

I just marked 3000 calories for the day myself. I try to be reasonable while I'm eating -- if I don't love the rolls, I won't have a second. But if they're the amazing ones my uncle makes by hand, heck yeah I'll have two twice a year. I took a lot of veggies so I'd be less inclined to eat more of less healthy stuff. But I had an extra half-slice of pie and a handful of jelly beans (that I don't even like that much) and I don't care. I had a protein shake for breakfast and as a late small supper (the big Easter lunch was early afternoon) to even things out a bit and usually around holidays like this, I try to work out a lot in the days before and after. But I don't even try to count the calories. I eat a lot of my favorites and try not to go overboard with the rest.