Do you log your cheat days?!

jfaure23

I need to feel that I am in control of this process. This means, I do go ahead and eat things I shouldn't. It reminds me that this is all about me, and the only person who can change me is myself! It forces me to take responsibility and reminds me that I am human. Plus, I never need to feel guilty since I know that I AM IN CONTROL.

thriftycupl

Sometimes if I want to know the calories that I've taken in. Usually I just note that it's a cheat day, log one item and enjoy the day!

sarahc001

Yes. I like to look back and be realistic about what I am doing and how I eat. However on my "cheat days" or nights out, I typically can't keep track or accurately approximate what I am eating, so I just do my best.

You should do what is best for you, and what will be most likely to keep you on track long-term. If logging everything on a "cheat day" makes you depressed and want to quit being healthy overall, I wouldn't do it.

The important thing is to think of this as a long time lifestyle change, not as a situation where you are "bad" if you indulge every once in a while. For me it helps to log the cheat days, simply because I used to eat worse EVERY day and it gives me some perspective.

mysticheart24

Well I never consider a cheat day....I usually plan what I eat before I eat it and I log all that I eat....I usually try to keep it within my calorie limits....now when I went on vacation to Vegas I didn't log anything....so maybe that can be considered my cheat days....but with all the walking I still did good....I am so determined to get this weight off....but I don't obsess about it!!!!!

skeslack

First of all, I don't believe in cheat days. Those will only set you back. Second, yes, log in everything. Don't try to fool yourself into thinking that you're losing weight. You might not be recording those calories, but your body definitely is.

Girlfriend, you might want to have some cheat days yourself. I am sorry, but a weight loss goal to be 88 lbs. is ridiculous.

LOL! Yeah to be honest, I'm a little concerned too about the 88 lb goal you set for yourself.

I'm pretty short so I find it acceptable. You might think it's a too small goal weight, but that's your opinion, not mine.

Unless you're like 4'9" or shorter, that's seriously not healthy.

My five year-old is 55 lbs. You want to weigh 33 lbs more than a healthy five year-old? You are aware that 9 year-olds aren't allowed on this site, yes?


It is your choice, but I fear for you. That's my choice. Please see a professional. :flowerforyou:

I agree with the rest of those who responded to your reply to this thread. I also looked at your blog that you posted on your profile. What can we do as a community to help you? I would urge you to get professional help as soon as possible. I know it is a very complex situation, but you are worth so much more than this. You are not your body. You are a beautiful human with potential to use your strengths of dedication, determination, and perfectionism for things so much more positive in your life and others. Take care of yourself and know that there are people who care.

maggiepz

I usually do. It helps me determine what I can eat the next day unless I REALLY don't want to know. Last weekend I had a Garbage Burger from Max and Ermas. I usually don't get that out of control. Eventhough I only ate half the bread but I really don't want to know how many calories it was! Thank goodness I'd eaten little previously. I already knew that the next day would be slim for calories.

bradXdale

When logging on my cheat days I try to generalize as possible, because honestly on my cheat days sometimes I don't know how many servings or how much I actually ate.

gracieabem

I have decided that whenever I am home (which is 98% of the time) I am going to log. Even if it is a special occasion and I know I'm going to perhaps overeat. I logged over Easter which was a bit of a blowout. However, I am going to not bother logging when I am away (for uni, holidays etc) I figure that I don't want to be bogged down by doing this all the time and I don't want to be obsessing about every last morsel. Hopefully not a ticket for me to eat everything within arms length, but I doubt it. I feel that I have, for the most part, my eating under control (without deprivation... yay!)

Eventually when I'm on maintenance I'd like to stop logging the weekends.

Jesusgirl1984

Sometimes I log my cheat days but a lot of days I struggle with my eating habits so i would have to say half and half. it depends on a lot of diffrent factors. other days i do not log my cheat days

fitnotfluffy

I log everything. There hasn't been a day where I didn't log since I started using MFP except for Easter because I didn't know how to log the home cooked stuff my family made. I always hold myself accountable, even on 'cheat' days.

Pebble321

I log every day (459 days and counting)... some days I eat the calories that MFP recommends, some days I eat more, some days less. Some days the logging is really accurate, others it's a wild guess or I resort to quick add cals, but I don't stop logging.
Maybe I'm obsessed but it helps to keep me focussed on my goal (which is to work toward good eating and exercise habits that I can keep up for the long term).

(And I don't do "cheat days" - who would I be cheating on, myself?)

Pebble321

I am going to have a cheat day on Monday because it is my birthday. I plan to go to the restaurant and not preplan and analyze the menu. I plan to enjoy my birthday. BUT I will log everything when I get home. I want to see exactly how much difference there will be.

That's not a cheat day, that's life - who are you cheating?
Happy Birthday and enjoy your dinner.

sunnie326

I do. I mean... I totally blew it the other day. But it was very interesting to me because that day would have been any typical day for me before I started watching my calories. It showed me how far I'd come and made me really see where I'd been going wrong.

YES!!! That is exactly me! l log everything. I was like 1100 calories over for the day and before I started, I never would have thought twice about what I ate that day. I don't get mad at myself. I just count it as a lesson learned and use it to make better choices the next time. I love these posts on MFP because it shows me that many others have the same struggles that I do. I'm not alone in my battle!

mogletdeluxe

I do log my 'cheat days', although I don't perceive them that way - I eat sensibly Monday - Friday, and then am relaxed at weekends. I don't have a negative perception of my weekends, and I have no problem with the concept of 'rewarding' myself with food - I'll have a Chinese takeaway and a couple of glasses of wine on a Saturday night, and feel like I've 'earned' it. I know some feel that's an unhealthy attitude, but it's worked for me

And if I get the odd weekday blowout (usually a period pain-fuelled rage around the biscuit tin), I'll log it. Keeps me in line.

TheFunBun

I definitely log every calorie to check trends and make sure I'm getting the right numbers... Certain deficits should mean certain loss, so if it's not going the way it should the numbers should be adjusted one way or the other.

I also like to weigh my food, though, so perhaps a bit too meticulous?

flisafakto

I have almost weekly cheat days and I log everything I eat that day, but I don't feel guilty about it.

I do it for a few different reasons. On the one hand, it's to see how much I'm really eating on a day like that. It's interesting to me to see how bad those delicious, crappy foods really are.

Also, the thing that keeps me from feeling too guilty is when I click "complete this entry" and it tells me that even if I like that every single day for 5 weeks, I would only gain 1-2 kilos. Now, I always see a gain on the scale right away after a cheat day, but it's usually temporary because of all the sodium. It's nice to know that just the one day will NOT ruin everything I've worked for. I would have to eat like for WEEKS to have a real gain.

I'm all for cheat days, they keep me sane

paruls86

yes though i feel like s*** after looking at the count i still do

twoboys2012

I log my cheats ... 1- because i am curious as to how bad it really was and 2- because i don't want to take days like that with a grain of salt and I want to learn from it and stay focused. I find that i can undo everything and a habit in one or two days and so i need to get myself motivated and on track ... but thats just me ...

MrsSWW

Yes, I log everything! You might find that if you do there will be foods that you don't even want to eat on your cheat days -- I see it as educating yourself about how bad some foods are calorie wise as well as how good they can be. For instance, I'd never have considered avocado as something of a treat before I realised how many cals are in it!

jackieboast

I have stopped logging on on my cheat days, i used to log everything but am now having more and more cheat days. not good at all as my weigh-in today shows. Back to the drawing board and logging every morsel I think