Cheat days?

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  • schustc
    schustc Posts: 428 Member
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    Everyone is making a wonderful point about not being on a diet its a life change but having those 'cheat' days or even just a day you can have stuff that is out of the normal. But i feel like if you really want to change your life you cant do that. and yeah it is a difference between sanity and insanity but yeah its a total life change because we want a change so why have the ice cream or other stuff? i mean when i want something sweet i get a granola bar with small chocolate chips and its all good.

    You CAN change your life, without having an All or Nothing approach.

    Like some have said, I have 6 lower calorie days, and 1 maintenance or higher day per week. I have also cut out artificial sweeteners and the majority of DIET foods. I am trying to learn to eat with real foods that my family eats, in proper proportions. One of the HUGE benefits to this, is that if I am ever in a situation where I could not pre-plan, or am going to a family gathering, I know approximately how many calories are in a cup of, or tlbspn of, specific foods that are not diet. so when I choose cheese, or salad dressing, or anything, because I am more familiar with the normal food counts, I can choose accordingly, and not feel totally derailed.

    I know a slice of Kraft american cheese, is 60 calories. I do buy SOME lighter foods, such as velveeta 2%, which allows the family to all eat the same meals and keep flavor. but aside from that, we all eat the same stuff.

    I want to be NORMAL. normal means, having that day once a week where you go out with friends or family, and may not have as many good choices to pick from, but yet have enough knowledge in your arsenal to make a healthy choice. If all I did was diet 24/7 and eat diet meals, I'd never LEARN anything. Yes my life before this was 24/7 out of control eating. My goal is to learn how to eat some of the stuff I like in moderation, on occasion. Getting too strict - well- been there/done that too many times, and eventually I gave up and all the weight came back. now, i have a normal day at least once a week, so I never feel deprived, never feel like I am dieting. AND I am losing.
    good luck!

    Tina
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
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    I don't.

    In my head a cheat meal or a cheat day will derail me. Cheating (eating whatever I wanted when I wanted it) got me here. I need structure.

    If it doesn't fit into my daily planning, I don't eat it. So if I want something, I try to work it in. I'll eat chocolate and fast food, but I plan for it & around it.

    Some people can have cheat days/meals but for me they don't work.
  • Crayvn
    Crayvn Posts: 390 Member
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    I do not believe in cheat days. and in my opinion a cheat meal does not mean you can eat w/e you want necessarily. For example, at Chilis Crispy Chicken Tacos As Served 1510 cals. Thats all my calories for a day. So if i wanted to "cheat* i suppose i could have half of it for dinner and have a very very light breakfast and lunch. But then you would have to eat the rest the next day doing the same thing. You could split the meal with someone.

    A cheat meal, again in my opinion, is a term used by those that eat totally *clean*. And they stay within their net calories.For example, they would add their forbidden salad dressing instead of using vinagrette. Or have a regular brownie instead of a protein homemade brownie..or have a milkshake instead of a protein shake. Make sense? People should not sabotage themselves by thinking they can cheat because its a term that is thrown around and gives them an excuse to do what they really shouldnt be. Oh yeah, I remember these guys that were at a 24 hr gym i was going to. it was like 1am and i walked in and these young guys had pizza in there. I joked around with them and teased about how healthy it was.. they said it was their "carb up" day.. i chuckled and rolled my eyes..lol

    Be sensible and cheat like i do everyday with a 100 calorie ice cream bar for my evening snack after dinner. its low fat and i still stay within my calories :p
  • rg_0202
    rg_0202 Posts: 6
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    oh i totally have pig out days. i need them, or else i'll go nuts. haha. not the best thing to do but oh well.
  • valcladdagh
    valcladdagh Posts: 210 Member
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    Check out this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/748373-why-i-hate-the-word-cheating

    It says most of what I think on the subject.

    I think it depends on the person. For me, I am trying to eat in a way that I can sustain for years to come. I know from my experience that I can't do that if I impose rigid rules about what I can and can't eat. I am much more successful if I eat within my calories most of the time, but allow myself to relax on special occasions, or even on non-special occasions. I don't consider those "cheats" though, because I'm not on a diet.

    I get where you are coming from with the "whole life before was a cheat day" thing, but I think if you don't allow yourself flexibility you just set yourself up for the endless cycle of mindless eating/crash dieting that so many of us know so well.

    this

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