Cheat Days?

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Samanthatrees
Samanthatrees Posts: 11 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I need everyone's take on cheat days! Thanks
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  • MaryinBflo
    MaryinBflo Posts: 437 Member
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    me too but I know when I don't log them I go crazy and don't get back on track. Trying to limit mine, not 1 a week that's too much!
  • domgirl85
    domgirl85 Posts: 295 Member
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    I don't do an entire day. Usually it's a piece of meal. FOr the most part if I'm eating something high in sugar or fat, I just don't eat that much of it. Nothing wrong with having the things you love. I think planning for it helps you not to go overboard. And no matter how much you go over, log it! :)
  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
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    i TRY not to have them
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    I don't do cheat days because a cheat would imply that I am on some sort of restriction. I eat what I want, when I want. I just make better choices than I used to the majority of the time.
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
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    Personally I don't take cheat "days." Instead I make about 20% of my calories "treats" and the other 80% is "good." Or at least that's my general goal. The weekend I go a little easier on myself, but I still try to stay under my limit on calories. Just find whatever works for you--my best friend does one cheat meal all week, and that works for her. That would stress me out way too much; I'd end up feeling deprived and backslide. I love food! :love:
  • jklemsen
    jklemsen Posts: 6
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    My take on cheat days is not even once. BUT THATS JUST ME! Hear me out. I have ADD ADHD OCD ODD all the medical crap you can get diagnosed as a kid. I found that if I allow myself to cheat once that it makes it so much more simple for me to cheat the second time around. Some people don't have this problem. If you can take one day randomly and set it aside and allow yourself to enjoy foods and not care and get your mindset right back into a strict routine then go for it. My thought on it though is to only allow rewards. For example I did an 8 hour 21 mile hike with 6800ft of elevation gain on saturday that burned almost 5,000 calories. I allowed myself a burger and fries afterwards that I more than earned. I was still well in the negative for the day since most my calories besides the burger came from lean turkey breast and jerky. But I try to never allow myself a single day where my net calories go above my goal.

    NOT EVEN ONCE!
  • LivingInPuglia
    LivingInPuglia Posts: 122 Member
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    Don't cheat .... factor in treats .... use exercise calories to cover the extra calorie cost. It's unrealistic to expect never to eat your own particular favourites/cravings.

    And log everything.... you are only fooling yourself if you don't. Easy to say, hard to do but long term it will work.
  • 2012asv
    2012asv Posts: 702 Member
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    I don't have a cheat day. But when it happens, it happens- I don't stress over it. I went way over last Sat. but because I don't do it often it didn't affect my weight- infact i still lost.

    Also I think a whole day is too much, maybe just a cheat "meal"...
  • LivingInPuglia
    LivingInPuglia Posts: 122 Member
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    Personally I don't take cheat "days." Instead I make about 20% of my calories "treats" and the other 80% is "good." Or at least that's my general goal. The weekend I go a little easier on myself, but I still try to stay under my limit on calories. Just find whatever works for you--my best friend does one cheat meal all week, and that works for her. That would stress me out way too much; I'd end up feeling deprived and backslide. I love food! :love:

    That's the way to do it!
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,862 Member
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    I don't have a cheat day. But when it happens, it happens- I don't stress over it. I went way over last Sat. but because I don't do it often it didn't affect my weight- infact i still lost.

    Also I think a whole day is too much, maybe just a cheat "meal"...

    ^^^^^^ What she said.
  • Jul158
    Jul158 Posts: 481 Member
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    I agree with the percentage idea! A whole day makes it too likely for me to go completely off track. I have a little something sweet every night..sometime just fruit but others it's fro yo or chocolate raisins. I definitely have less strict days on the weekend but I'm working to change that!
  • CourtneyDanger
    CourtneyDanger Posts: 16
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    my cheat day is sunday. and then i *used to and will get back to it when im no longer nursing* do a liquid fast on monday. and then stick the the strict cal threw the week
    and by cheat day i mean i allow my self a brownie and extra pasta with dinner or regular bacon instead of turkey. not like a pig out day.
    my theory is, if you are so strict like 'i cant i cant i cant' you will ultimately get so frustrated and give up. you are retraining your thoughts on food and life style. and untill its not a temptation. you have to let go if the 'its the end of the world if i eat one bite of that brownie'
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Once you've built good habits and can trust yourself to follow them most of the time, you tend to stop using phrases like "cheat meals".
  • WCSU1987
    WCSU1987 Posts: 15
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    I have cheat days and sick days. Going to limit my cheat days to once every other weekend. However, today was a sick day and through everything out the window. Just have to jump back into tomorrow.
  • rubix08
    rubix08 Posts: 33 Member
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    I don't think I could do a full "cheat day" where I just ate whatever without counting calories or anything, I do usually have a "cheat meal" about once a week though but even then I plan for it. At the same time I have never considered fully cutting out all the bad food from my diet, I still have 1/2 a cup of ice cream for dessert and I may have some less than healthy food throughout the day. The trick is to learn to be able to balance it and have enough of the good food on the side. Just find that balance that works for you.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    I need everyone's take on cheat days! Thanks

    I would recommend against cheat days and cheat meals as I think that you in the end are only cheating your progress. I think that one meal, eaten out, not taken home on an occasion is okay. For instance, I had my anniversary and ate a meal out. I didn't restrict, but you can only so much down at one meal and you aren't going to be able to go crazy in a restaurant and it keeps it out of the house where the long term battle is won or lost. Also, I prepared that day by only eating 1000 calories outside of that meal and had a killer workout.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
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    If I want it I eat it but I count it and still stay within my caloires. Sometimes I may go over but you don't see it often. I hate relosing lbs so yeah not gonna go there. I can make wise decisions at restaurants when I go and I have no problem telling them exactly what I want or don't want on my food, if they can't do it for me then, I'll just have water and a salad with no dressing, thanks : ) I actually have the dressing on the side so I can decide how much of it I want on my salad.
  • MandyAnnV
    MandyAnnV Posts: 68 Member
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    I do not do cheat days. If anything I do a "splurge" meal. This doesn't mean that I am going to go have a pizza or run through fast food. It may even an extra serving of something that is healthy, but that I love.
    It has worked for me so far, in 3 months I am down 50. I do not even really have a craving for all the things that were my downfall.
    I look at it like this, you wouldn't tell a recovering alcoholic, take one day, and drink all day, then hop back on the wagon.

    Everybody is different, and what works for one person, will not work for another.
  • Crayvn
    Crayvn Posts: 390 Member
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    I dont believe in cheat days or cheat meals exactly. If you have a cheat day or meal you still must stay within your daily calorie amount. For instance, the1/2 rack of dry ribs at Chili's is 1080 calories. If I wanted to cheat for the day,That would pretty much be it. A cheat day or meal means you are adding a small portion of food or condiment into a meal or meals for the day that you would not normally eat because they are high in fat and/or calories.


    Just be sensible and always take a moment and ask *Is it worth it* :)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I don't do cheat days because a cheat would imply that I am on some sort of restriction. I eat what I want, when I want. I just make better choices than I used to the majority of the time.

    ^^^ THIS

    To me, it's only cheating if you don't log it, or if you lie on your food or exercise diary.

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