How Do You Handle "Cheat Days"?

Amatambi

I know I'm not the only one who thinks cutting out the bad, but oh-so yummy food is a major challenge, and I'll be honest, it's kicking my butt. It's really super hard to stay on track, especially if you live with a family who is getting fast food and snacks and eating out constantly. The temptation is ALWAYS there. When you "cheat" and have a little something that you normally wouldn't, how do you handle it? Do you keep it small, itty bitty just a taste of it or do you go all out and just get your fill and be done with it?

Also, do you think it's a better strategy to eat completely healthy ALL WEEK with absolutely NO splurging on anything, but then have one day where you can just eat whatever you want and not really worry about your calorie intake for the day. Or do you prefer to keep your diet mainly constant throughout the week with smaller treats every few days, or even every day? I would like to have some opinions on this. Thank you!!

sibitalic

This is a really good question! This is what I do: If I crave something (usually sweets) that is high in calories I make sure I exercise 10-15 minutes longer. I also try not to deprive myself of any food that I like. If I feel like having some chocolate or a cookie, I go for it. What I do different from before - I don't eat a whole bar, but rather a small piece of two. I think if you deprive yourself for the whole week and then binge one day, your putting your body through the unnecessary stress (and potential weight gain).

saustin201

We rarely eat out. When we do I go for something as low calorie as possible. However, if you cut out all enjoyable foods you'll get frustrated and give up.

Just a small taste is okay. I ate a cookie yesterday, I logged it in, and it tasted good.

TheNewDodge

It all comes down to how you're going to respond to cheat days mentally. Are they going to cause you to backslide? Are they going to make it difficult to jump back on the nutrition wagon the following day? Usually, the answer to those questions is YES.

I'd wait a good 4-6 months before you incorporate anything like that.

starbucksbuzz

I find if I deny myself something for too long then I splurge and make it worse. I try to satiate myself with healthy alternatives before I go for something unhealthy though. Like say I'm craving fast food, I ask myself if going home and having a yummy egg sandwich would sound just as good? Generally I don't feel well after fast food, so I kindof associate that feeling with it now and rarely want it. I feel like that happens gradually the less of it you eat. It has at least for my husband and I. My weakness is sweets and desserts. I try to have fruit around so I can try to eat that instead. Worst case, I don't beat myself up for a minor splurge. I try to plan around "cheat items" though instead of a whole day of eating badly or whatever I want. Sorry that's kinda rambly.

fitandyoga

We rarely eat out. When we do I go for something as low calorie as possible. However, if you cut out all enjoyable foods you'll get frustrated and give up.

Just a small taste is okay. I ate a cookie yesterday, I logged it in, and it tasted good.

^ Yep I did the same! I ate a cookie, logged it, and made sure to work out!

bear73000

Everyone has what I have learned as "A Lapse". If you know it's happen, you have won half the battle. The other half is getting back to living a better healthier life style. I like to plan a head and set goals if I am going treat myself. It seems to help me focus on meeting my goals. If I meet my goal to have a treat, I usually decide to not accept it because I did work hard to reach. I find I really didn't need it because staying on track was much more rewarding than 5 minutes of scarfing down a cheese burger of a Blizzard.

I think you really have to avoid having something bad or a treat on a daily basis. Doing that makes it easier to keep falling into bad habits.

Don't be to hard on yourself if you slip here and there. You just have to accept it and move on.

Good luck

monicaroozo

I am 1 lb from my goal and I got here in a matter of 5 months. I was successful because I stuck to my calorie goals. Sometimes I'd go over here and there, but in the grand scheme of things, I was always at or below my weekly caloric goal.

How did I stay within my daily goals? I did what many of my MFP friends do. Pre-loged! If you know what foods you have in the house or are able to do your own grocery shopping this will be easier. Log what you plan to eat the night before and see if you think it will make you happy and satisfied! After doing this for a week or two you will know exactly what you will need at each point of the day to get you through!

I allowed myself one daily treat. It might be healthy, but it might not have been. For me, the treat could be a mug of hot chocolate, a brownie, a small icecream cone, a bowl or fruit or a frozen banana with PB. One item in the 100-200 calorie range that I could treat myself with each day. I planned for these calories and was able to eat them!

Like others said above... if I knew I wanted to go out and eat more with my family or friends... I worked out the morning of and made sure I could do it guilt free!!

These worked for me - but I'm sure its not something that will work for everyone. Think about what you want to get out of the proccess.

Best of luck - you can definitely do this!!

pogojr

I allow myself a cheat day each week. I don't alway take it, but its handy if I know we are going out or having something special going on. Sometimes I'm over by 200, but sometimes 2000 (darn adult beverages). I have my off day, and then I go back to my normal regemin. It's not like I eat all day in my old habits, but I don't deprive myself of the fun treats though either. If I know there is something going on, I work around it to stay with my calories. Don't punish yourself over it.

bathsheba_c

If your family is constantly getting fast food and snacks, then it might be useful for you to have an established "splurge" day. That way, you avoid the risk of it turning into an every day thing, plus you still get to enjoy it occasionally instead of feeling deprived.

gatorginger

I usually have a cheat day once a week but only when we go places that is hard for me like Pizza Hut which is my favorite so when I cheat I really cheat but the next day I get right back at it and yes I gained either a pound or half a pound but was able to get it right back off. You can experiment to see how it works for you.

ClearNotCloudyMind

I'm seeing this as a long-term lifestyle not a diet. That's not going to work if I ban some of the foods I like the best. So... I've decided that NOTHING is forbidden, but I have to be really sure I want it. The number of times I've had something delicious in my hand and put it down because I want to lose the weight more than I want to eat that thing *right this second*.

If its something i want enough to eat it even after that thought I am bloody well going to enjoy it and not ruin it with guilt. Then I log it and go back to consciously choosing every thing I put into my body. Works for me do far.

waldenlev

From a weight loss point of view obviously "no cheat" would be the ideal, but it's clearly not realistic for anyone, nor fun! :-) If I'm in a situation where I'd like something, I'll have some. But I try to keep it small, and I always log it. However, I'm not at all a fan of the "cheat day' as I think the "cheat" then becomes something you do because you can, not because you want to. You start to plan poor choices for Saturday (or whatever cheat day is) simply _because_ it's cheat day, and that's not good. There are no "cheat days", but there are no "cheats" either. If you have something from Mr. Softie (ice cream truck for those that don't know), fine. Just enjoy it, log it, and move on.

runfatmanrun

I eat what I want and change my daily/weekly expectations. Eating deliciously unhealthy food just means that I need to run harder to not have it negatively affect me. But as long as I don't make a habit of eating poorly, like I used to, I won't have to run everyday for miles at a time to enjoy food.

Duck_Puddle

I've never set out from the standpoint of eliminating any particular food or restricting myself to certain things. If I want something, I eat it (although maybe less of it and certainly less often for a lot of things). 99% of the time, I will work it into my calorie allowance (for the day/week depending on how sinful it is), or I'll run a few extra miles to "earn" some more calories. The other 1% of the time, I say *kitten* it-eat it, log it and move on. I guess this 1% is as close as I get to a "cheat" day-but I'm in this for the long haul. Restrictions don't work for me. I had to find a way to incorporate things I really like-even if they are not good food choices. I've found a lifestyle I can maintain-that allows me to have some candy or fast food when I want it. For me, a lifestyle is not sustainable if I need to incorporate a way to "cheat". But that's me and my psyche and my lifestyle. What works for you or for others is up to you.

josephinabonetto

Here's what I do.

- I pre log, sometimes over 3 or 4 days, or just the day before, it can be changed if life happens.

- I calorie cycle so normally one day is higher calorie than the others. It is a cheat day without actually cheating.

- If I want that chocolate bar it is 15 minutes walk to the shop and 15 minutes walk back, I have to get off my bottom to go get it therefore I can probably have something treat sized like a Cadbury's Curly Wurly.

- If I want something on an ordinary calorie day, like cake, something else gets sacrificed, but I try not to ban any kind of food.

- I weigh everything, 165 g of french fries is significantly less food volume than say bulgar wheat, it is an eye opener, although some days you just want the french fries.

Bumdrahp

I usually try to stay on track all week, Saturdays, I don't cook dinner, We do a cheat meal, maybe a dessert too... but never a whole day of cheating. I do that for myself so I don't feel overwhelmed with eaters guilt, and feel like a total failure. Im SUPER hard on myself. Even on cheat days i try to stay within my calorie goals, though I know I don't have to.

SmartAlec03211988

I designate Saturday as my day where I don't count calories and just eat whatever I want, but if in the middle of the week I want a little treat here or there I'll try to fit it in or just simply go over my calories and move on.

This is a lifestyle change and everyday will not be perfect, so I don't pretend they'll be. I eat within my calories most of the time, having one splurge day, and another where I'm modestly over has worked wonders for me. I am maintaining just fine. I figure if I exercise regularly, eat properly a majority of the time, a little splurge won't hurt. And it hasn't.

mjbrenner

I find that I do best if I eat as healthy as possible six days a week and save up some extra calories each of those days. I then spend all of those calories on one fantastic "cheat" day on the weekend. The thing is that it's not really cheating, since it fits within my weekly allowance. Having planned "cheat" days means that I can eat like everyone else at family holidays and big parties, and I do not need to feel the least bit guilty about it.

Have some extra calories saved up is also nice so that I am not in trouble if something comes up mid week. Unexpected birthday cake at a friend's house? I don't need to be the odd duck who declines it. My brother shows up with a few beers and wants to chat? I can have a couple without breaking the caloric bank. I plan for cheats, because it lets me have the social life of someone who is not counting calories.

Reecebullet

I personally can't have a set day for "cheating", as if I do, I'll start to slowly slide downward into bad eating habits again. What I've been doing, is simply eating healthy within my calorie goal each day, and at the end of each day, if I have a large amount of calories left, I'll then decide if I want something that satisfies my sweet tooth.

Mostly this only happen 1-2 times a week, and I don't work to having a certain amount left each day so I can have it. I just simply do 'treat' myself if I do have large gaps in my calorie goal. And as it isn't a constant, I don't also think about having it, which means I don't go overkill when it comes.