how to handle a cheat day

flsl

Ive just had a cheat week. Sisters wedding was recently and have gone a bit mad eating silly stuff since. Hopefully will be back on the straight and narrow next week. Need some clean living. The great thing is you adjust to healthy eating and miss it if your naughty.

Agree with the person who said have a cheat dinner. I often have one big meal a week, three courses, like. Make up for it the same or next day (or both) with extra exercise. You can still lose weight if you get the balance right.

(Have just noticed a recent post, which seems to be saying something similar to me. Occasional indulgence is no harm really.)

melpop8

Have you been eating all your calories? I wonder if you're not and that's why you feel the need for a blow out.

If you do have a blow out then so be it but just think of how motivated you probably have been up to this point, but hey, its you're choice.

I have been for a meal today but chose the healthiest options on the menu and kept to my goals.

Have you omitted something? Are you craving something specific?

But most importantly, do not get into that whole guilt thing!!!!!!

Everything in moderation, good luck

rfsatar

I handle it a few ways:
1) I look upon them as treat days not cheat days. Last Saturday it was a BBQ and summer drinking with friends from Journo school.
This weekend it was Chinese food as a treat for working like a damn Trojan and for the first time since my exams being ahead of my editorial schedule.
2) I know that tomorrow it's fresh groceries day so for about the next week and a half, I will be more motivated to cook fresh food rather than relying on chomping through whatever is left in the freezer!
3) I am a fuly grown adult, responsible for my own actions and if for one day I decide I just want to eat what I like and chill, then I will. I don't do it every day, and somehow I appreciate it more now than when it was the norm rather than a treat.

You know what feels right for you - log it accurately as it is interesting to look back at your habits ... logging maybe 2 weeks before I started here more seriously at the start of August was a real eye opener for me.

Enjoy your day of indulgence, if you choose to have it. If you choose not to, then also celebrate your choice. Don't let it be a devil on your back whichever way you choose.

thistimeismytime

so there seems to be divided opinion on this....but hey I am only human and to deprive yourself every single day cant be good :huh:

Depriving yourself ANY day isn't good. You can work small treats/indulgences in any day you want. But yeah, a cheat day isn't the "apocalyptic destruction of all your progress" that a lot of people think it is.

Everything in moderation, including moderation.

Nina2503

I think that its everything in moderation. I keep to my calories on a day to day basis and plan to do so. However if I was invited to a special one off event like a wedding or something I would try and do a bit more exercise in the week leading up to the event or even just have a day off. Life is flexible,so I wouldnt beat my self up over having the day off but it would become a worry for me if the 'days off' became too regular ...

michellekicks

so there seems to be divided opinion on this....but hey I am only human and to deprive yourself every single day cant be good :huh:

I don't think you should deprive yourself at all. I think you should just be honest with yourself. I think everyone should set their weight loss goal to doing it reasonably with a relatively small deficit, everything in moderation and plan for the occasional high-calorie day. There's nothing wrong with your journal showing you went over by 1000 calories or more in a day. You just can't pretend it didn't happen and then freak out and claim you're doing everything right but the scale won't budge.