How often do you cheat?

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_Punjab
_Punjab Posts: 67
in Food and Nutrition
If you ask me, one of the best weight loss tips you can give/receive is “Cheat”. It’s good for the soul. Without cheating every once in a while, you’re going to feel frustrated and deprived. That’s just going to leave you 1) cheating without properly planning it out 2) giving up because you’re not living a realistic lifestyle.

Personally, I cheat every Tuesday night. I do weigh-ins once a week on Tuesday mornings, so Tuesday nights are my cheating time! I go with whatever I was craving over the past week so that I get it out of my system and don’t cheat later in the week, and I plan it out so that I don’t go overboard.

So my question is, how often do you cheat, and do you plan it?
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Replies

  • feverinside
    feverinside Posts: 29 Member
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    Yes Yes Yes.

    Once a week on weigh in day... (Friday for me). And it is at night for dinner/dessert and usually planned. I like to cheat for dinner and my partner likes to cheat for dessert so we cheat together and satisfy those cravings to make it though the rest of the week.
  • Kooraloo
    Kooraloo Posts: 362 Member
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    I cheat almost every day and it's always unplanned x.x
    At least they're usually "small cheats", like 1 cookie or something.
  • _Punjab
    _Punjab Posts: 67
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    Yes Yes Yes.

    Once a week on weigh in day... (Friday for me). And it is at night for dinner/dessert and usually planned. I like to cheat for dinner and my partner likes to cheat for dessert so we cheat together and satisfy those cravings to make it though the rest of the week.

    High five!!!! I knew I wasn't alone!
  • _Punjab
    _Punjab Posts: 67
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    I cheat almost every day and it's always unplanned x.x
    At least they're usually "small cheats", like 1 cookie or something.

    haha, well at least you're not going all out =]
  • adavis59
    adavis59 Posts: 285 Member
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    I have my cheat day once a week, usually around the weekend.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Once a week for me soon, at suggestion of trainer and 6 days clean eating. Better,supposedly, to eat treat foods one day rather than constantly spiking insulin levels by having it daily.
  • nicool31
    nicool31 Posts: 6
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    Usually just once a week for me. My husband and I pick out something that we've been wanting all week and cheat just for the one meal. I know some people have a full cheat day, but I feel a sense of losing control if I give in too much. Further you fall, the harder it is to get back up. One meal works for me, and makes me appreciate those tasty treats more than just mindlessly eating them all the time.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Cheat on what? or who? Myself?
    I don't see the point.

    Some days I eat more calories and other days I eat less.
    As long as there aren't too many "more calorie" days it works out well for me.

    Maybe I'm being a bit pedantic, but I believe that words are really powerful. If I thought I was doing something for the rest of my life that was so hard that I would have to "cheat myself" all the time - I would give up right now and go back to being fat.
  • _Punjab
    _Punjab Posts: 67
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    Usually just once a week for me. My husband and I pick out something that we've been wanting all week and cheat just for the one meal. I know some people have a full cheat day, but I feel a sense of losing control if I give in too much. Further you fall, the harder it is to get back up. One meal works for me, and makes me appreciate those tasty treats more than just mindlessly eating them all the time.

    Very true about the full cheat day, losing control, and the appreciation for what you're eating. One meal really is all you need to be satisfied. Personally, I would feel gross if I cheated more than that in one day.
  • fatmom51
    fatmom51 Posts: 173 Member
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    Not sure whether I should answer this by saying Always or Never.

    I allow myself frequent indulgences, so I guess the answer could be "always," but I typically work it into my daily allowances (or try to get a bit more exercise that day) or go over by only a little bit and still stay well below my maintenance (for example, eat at what would be a half-pound deficit instead of a 2-lb. deficit for a given day), so maybe my answer is "never."

    I have a long way to go, but I also know that even after I reach my goal I'm going to have to be consistently vigilant with my intake since overeating is what made me gain so much weight in the first place. So I figure I'll practice incorporating these indulgences or facing off against daily temptations now so I'll be able to do it once I reach goal.
  • smartmom0818
    smartmom0818 Posts: 83
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    Cheat on what? or who? Myself?
    I don't see the point.

    Some days I eat more calories and other days I eat less.
    As long as there aren't too many "more calorie" days it works out well for me.

    Maybe I'm being a bit pedantic, but I believe that words are really powerful. If I thought I was doing something for the rest of my life that was so hard that I would have to "cheat myself" all the time - I would give up right now and go back to being fat.

    I really like this.
  • Nutrition1st
    Nutrition1st Posts: 216 Member
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    I have 2 cheat days a week. No matter when I cheat I make sure I exercised that day. If I don't hit the gym or play softball etc, then I lose the cheat day. Pizza and Peanut MnM's are my cheat day craves. But I still stay in small portions.
  • _Punjab
    _Punjab Posts: 67
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    Cheat on what? or who? Myself?
    I don't see the point.

    Some days I eat more calories and other days I eat less.
    As long as there aren't too many "more calorie" days it works out well for me.

    Maybe I'm being a bit pedantic, but I believe that words are really powerful. If I thought I was doing something for the rest of my life that was so hard that I would have to "cheat myself" all the time - I would give up right now and go back to being fat.

    You're not being pedantic at all. That's just the way you see it. You see it as if you're "cheating" it's because it's too hard, I see it as I cheat because it makes every other day easy! That's why I wanted to ask this question. I was interested in seeing the different philosophies that people follow. Yours is great if it works for you and you feel good about it!
  • recoiljpr
    recoiljpr Posts: 292
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    Maybe I'm being a bit pedantic, but I believe that words are really powerful. If I thought I was doing something for the rest of my life that was so hard that I would have to "cheat myself" all the time - I would give up right now and go back to being fat.

    I 100% agree.

    That being said, for me this is not a diet, this is not a phase. This is the rest of my life. I am living proof exercise alone does not make a person healthy. If that was the case, I would have been healthy for years now. For me, I have to reset my thoughts on food completely. Change it from a vice/habit into simply fuel for my body.

    That decision is my choice, and the way I feel for ME is the only way that will bring me life long success. I find nothing wrong if other folks want to cheat and it helps them along their path. Each of us is different and I will not judge someone, etc simply because they do things differently from me.
  • MumMumOfMany
    MumMumOfMany Posts: 79 Member
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    i have a 'cheat day' every weekend. usually on a sunday when im hungover and crave a carb fest lol. weigh ins is on sat mornin so i have it all burnedd off again by the follow sat lol x
  • ptak1sm
    ptak1sm Posts: 172
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    I consider a "cheat" as a day where I don't count calories at all...every Saturday. I still try to eat healthy (up until dinner), but I'll let myself have a bit more, something sweet that I don't let myself have the rest of the week...ice cream, chocolate, some food that's good for the soul. I also might order out for dinner...and I try to make it my bar night :P
  • _Punjab
    _Punjab Posts: 67
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    Oh my goodness! I've never received this many responses to anything I've posted! I'm so excited!!! I love hearing all of you opinions!

    And I definitely can agree with either way of doing it ("cheating" on a daily basis but just keeping it sane, and cheating once a week). Whatever works for you.

    This is a lifestyle change. I cannot agree with that any more. It's probably the biggest ideal that I've embraced since starting the weight loss process. That being said, I'm still a once-a-weeker. It's what works for me.

    CONGRATS to everyone on your hard work so far!!! Keep it up!
  • SpazzyMal
    SpazzyMal Posts: 276 Member
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    I don't really cheat. I allow myself to eat whatever I want, and try to make my goals met first. If I have the calories left over and feel like eating a cookie, I'm going to eat the cookie and it's not a cheat. I'm in this for the rest of my life. I don't want to have to feel like I can't eat a cookie here or there or that it's a "cheat" to do so. Seems so negative, to me.
  • heretoloseit95
    heretoloseit95 Posts: 78
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    I never allow myself a full day of cheating because i know i'd flip out and eat the whole fridge :noway: , so i allow myself a day or two a week where i eat a small bag of chips, a vanilla cone, some chocolate , etc..... :) but still in the 1200 calorie range and i try to eat clean the rest of the week.
  • HorseWithNoName27
    HorseWithNoName27 Posts: 188 Member
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    I have a "treat" (I don't see it as cheating...cheating implies moral wrongdoing in my opinion) meal once a week. Go out to a nice restaurant with a friend or family member. I exercise that day, eat light before going out, and watch my portions. I get a bit of what I want without going overboard.

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