What do YOU consider a cheat day?

BeautifulKristen

That is the question lol

iwantahealthierme13

I don't have cheat days, but if I have a birthday party to go to or some other social event with lots of food, I try to eat the best I can

I wouldn't think I completely lost it unless I go way over maintenence, I've only had one REALLY BAD day so far which was the fault of 4 square slices of pizza and tons of snacking. The "if everyday was like today" motivator thingy told me I would gain 15 pounds.

jamszy

Nothing is off limits, but still abiding by calories!

PulchritudinousLady

The first day my "aunt" comes to visit. I'm going to graze like a cow anyway so I fill a bowl with celery and popcorn and go at it. I think so long as I keep chewing I'm okay.

skullshank

i guess i usually feel like i've "cheated" if i drink any alcohol.
idk why...maybe because it's just empty calories that really didnt benefit me anything but a decent nights sleep lol

*ETA*
question back to you OP...what do YOU consider a cheat day?

JesterMFP

Honestly, and this is probably going to sound really boring, but I don't call anything "cheat days", "cheat meals" or "cheat food". If I want something, I'll have it, and just work it into my daily calorie goal. If I want a meal that's going to take me well over my goal, I work it into my weekly goal instead, and compensate on other days (within reason). If I go way over and can't make it up on other days, I just move on. I'm really trying to make this a complete, permanent lifestyle change. It messes with my head if I think of it as "cheating", or if I see food as "bad" or "naughty", or if I say I've "broken my diet". Yes, I definitely have days where I could have eaten better, but it's just part of life. Sorry if that sounds preachy, but just how it works for me.

momtokgo

I've cut out quite a few foods for medical reasons, not diet reasons, so if I have anything off that list (fast food, chips, chocolate/dairy, pizza, caffiene, etc) I 100% consider it a "cheat" and I'm sure going to pay for it physically afterwards.

Before cutting stuff out for a non-diet reason, I would consider a "cheat" day when I stuffed myself with whatever I wanted and didn't worry about how many calories were in it.

ahsats

In an ideal world a cheat day would be where I over-indulge in yummy food once a week but honestly it usually ends up where I calorie spike from booze.

glenr79

taco bell

Articeluvsmemphis

Nothing is off limits, but still abiding by calories!

Awkward30

Honestly, and this is probably going to sound really boring, but I don't call anything "cheat days", "cheat meals" or "cheat food". If I want something, I'll have it, and just work it into my daily calorie goal. If I want a meal that's going to take me well over my goal, I work it into my weekly goal instead, and compensate on other days (within reason). If I go way over and can't make it up on other days, I just move on. I'm really trying to make this a complete, permanent lifestyle change. It messes with my head if I think of it as "cheating", or if I see food as "bad" or "naughty", or if I say I've "broken my diet". Yes, I definitely have days where I could have eaten better, but it's just part of life. Sorry if that sounds preachy, but just how it works for me.

I do this. I eat when I'm truly hungry, regardless of going over, and I eat free food when it is offered at lectures (often pizza or sandwiches), I'll eat out when I want to. For me it isn't sustainable to cut out these and other things for life, so there is no reason to now

Erinacarr

I work at Dunkin Donuts, and every sunday I allow myself one donut, and this keeps me going without "cheating" throughout the week

johnkernmusic

A cheat day generally means one eats whatever they want for that whole day. However, I don't do cheat days or cheat meals I just fit something yummy into my macros and calories for the day. Saying the word cheat is kind of defeating. You should say you are having a treat day

linochka1969

yesterday Lots of wine, chocolate and meat pie.Today i am feeling so very guilty and hang over

ironmom77

Honestly, and this is probably going to sound really boring, but I don't call anything "cheat days", "cheat meals" or "cheat food". If I want something, I'll have it, and just work it into my daily calorie goal. If I want a meal that's going to take me well over my goal, I work it into my weekly goal instead, and compensate on other days (within reason). If I go way over and can't make it up on other days, I just move on. I'm really trying to make this a complete, permanent lifestyle change. It messes with my head if I think of it as "cheating", or if I see food as "bad" or "naughty", or if I say I've "broken my diet". Yes, I definitely have days where I could have eaten better, but it's just part of life. Sorry if that sounds preachy, but just how it works for me.

^^^^^^ This. If I want it, I eat it. I make sure to check the correct portion size and only eat that much, but nothing is off limits. On days when I burn 2000 calories or more on exercise, I go to town, lol!

minkakross

I don't count carbs or calories on cheat days. I haven't had one in a while but it might include indulging in dessert and foods I avoid in mass like bread and potatoes. Eating out usually throws away my whole calorie count in one meal. There is a steak house my family loves and the rolls alone are over 450 calories so you can imagine what a small potato and a steak do to the total.

sunnyflower1177

When u don't log ur food for that day and u just eat whatever and don't have accountability to urself for what u ate, that is what I call a cheat day, even though no one may see u, u know urself. Trust me I know first hand,

lisapr123

To me, a "cheat day" is when I don't log. I'm still aware of what I'm eating, but I don't stress about the calories. These days usually involve me being out of town, because I refuse to spend my vacation counting calories.

This weekend, for example, I'll be in downtown Chicago for a cycling event. So today I'll be walking through the city, playing "tourist in my own town", tonight I'll be staying at the Fairmont, going out for dinner, and probably having a glass or two of wine at the top of the Hancock building. Tomorrow morning I'll cycle 45-60 miles. I'll probably go for a run too, since the lakefront path is always beautiful and inviting. So yes, I'll be eating a lot! But I'll also be very physically active. So although my food feels like "cheat" my exercise is good.

Most of our getaways or vacations involve something physically challenging or active, so I don't fret over the calories consumed. But I still try to make responsible choices.

Drizap

Weekend drinking, birthday parties, parent visits all usually result in going over calories a bit. But I try to make decent food choices. It is the drinking that gets me though

tpittsley77

Honestly, and this is probably going to sound really boring, but I don't call anything "cheat days", "cheat meals" or "cheat food". If I want something, I'll have it, and just work it into my daily calorie goal. If I want a meal that's going to take me well over my goal, I work it into my weekly goal instead, and compensate on other days (within reason). If I go way over and can't make it up on other days, I just move on. I'm really trying to make this a complete, permanent lifestyle change. It messes with my head if I think of it as "cheating", or if I see food as "bad" or "naughty", or if I say I've "broken my diet". Yes, I definitely have days where I could have eaten better, but it's just part of life. Sorry if that sounds preachy, but just how it works for me.

This is exactly how I feel! Every DIET I have ever done has failed. This is a permanent lifestyle change, not a diet. I need to learn to stay within my limits regularly to acheive and then stay at my goals.

Franmagick

My friends go out to eat a lot, and focus a lot of social events around eating and alcohol (picnics, bbq, going out etc.) I've stopped getting snacks at the cinema, started asking for water and diet cokes rather than cocktails and vodkas a lot more in bars, take my own healthy lunch and loads of fruit and veg to picnics, but now and again I'll allow myself to order or eat something that I wouldn't usually eat whilst trying to healthy and that's my cheat day. Its technically only a cheat meal because I would still drinks lots of water and eat well the rest of the day.

tmauck4472

Like many others if I want something I eat it and just have it in my count for the day...even a candy bar. The only thing I haven't had is ice cream which is my fav. but I'm not craving it as of yet so I'm good. If I decide to go out to eat somewhere and I know I'm going to go way over for that day, I'm honest and still track it so that I know what I did and can compensate for it...now if I do that I'd just go to the gym after the dinner and work off what I can. I really don't crave to much of my old foods anymore. I haven't had fast food since January, I haven't touched ice cream or cheesecake, both of which are my true weaknesses. I grab an apple or a grapefruit when I want something to snack on. I just can't see the cheating anymore cause I hate losing the same lbs over and over. Going to be interesting with the summer picnics happening. But I'm sure I'll be fine, and so will you.

bm99

Because I have such a large deficit each day, I have one day a week that is a non counting day. That's when I allow myself all the things that wont fit in my daily calories. This serves to 1) keep me motivated and 2) keep my body from running efficiently on the calories I give it the rest of the week.

And... it IS a diet as long as the goal is weightloss, just a smart, healthy one. When you're maintaining its a "lifestyle ".

Christine1110

A cheat day is a treat once in a great while, special treat. If you have one every week.....it's very hard to hit your goal! The more junk you eat....the more your going to crave!!

81Katz

I never actually wake up and set out to have cheat meals or cheat days. But I guess I would classify my most recent 'cheat' about 2 weekends ago where I went balls to wall eating all kinds of crap. Ice cream, bakery stuff, sweets. Another episode prior to that one (different weekend) was me VS. donuts ... the donuts won. :blushing:

DPernet

I don't do cheat days. Any day I go over my allowance is a bad day for me. If I want something special, I make sure I have the calories for it, or work out until I do have them.

fatmom51

I would have to say last night was the first time I went WAY OVER my goals, but probably within 100-200 of my maintenance (TDEE, or whatever). My daughter's high school theater club did a "dinner theater" play and the meal with salad, lasagne, garlic bread, iced tea or pink lemonade, and a piece of cake. That WAS the meal. I could have saved a bit by not having the cake or bread, but I'm going to have to live with this new eating plan for the rest of my life, so I'm not going to completely eliminate foods I enjoy. The key is making them "once-in-a-while" treats and not daily habits.
According to MFP, if I ate like this every day, I'd gain about 2 lbs. over the next 5 weeks, so obviously I don't want to do that. But to do it one time just means that for this one day I won't lose the 2/7 pounds (on average) that I would lose every day by sticking exactly to my calorie goals.

velsbree

totally agree once I eats sweets it takes about a week for that craving to go away

JesterMFP

And... it IS a diet as long as the goal is weightloss, just a smart, healthy one. When you're maintaining its a "lifestyle ".

Technically, it's always a diet, as long as you still eat food. The point is, the lifestyle I have now is exactly the same as the one I will have when I am maintaining. I will be able to consume a couple of hundred more calories a day, but the types of food I eat will be exactly the same, and the mindset is exactly the same whether I am eating at maintenance or at a deficit. :flowerforyou:

juliebmomof3

I actually do plan my cheat days. It's usually on the weekend and I pick one thing I have been really wanting to have that I just know is really bad for me. It helps me during the week when I have a craving I remind myself that I will get it eventually. I don't make the whole day a cheat day, like if we go out fo dinner and that is where I splurge, then I make sure I eat super healthy for everything else and try to work out a little harder to make up for ir. Also if I do slip up and eat crappy on a givin day I don't call the whole day a wash, I still try to eat healthy the rest of the day and try to work harder to burn off the calories.

Ravenesque_

everything in moderation.

including moderation.