Do you cheat?

HellaCarriefornia

I don't call it a "cheat" but I give myself a break from logging occassionally - usually my dinner on Friday night. The longer I do this (MFP), the more aware I am of what I'm eating, so I'm not going totally crazy. I just like to once in a while enjoy a meal without pre-planning it or trying to recall each tsp of food that went in my mouth.

ponderosakaren

I don't as I know myself too well and would see that as an open door back to my lifetime of bad eating habits! On the other hand my daughter (she's not on here) started a get fit/lose weight 18 months ago and has lost 25 kgs (about 55 lbs) since then through 6 days low carbs and one cheat day a week. (she also took up running and recently completed her first marathon
Her cheat day is usually Saturday...she eats/drinks absolutely whatever she fancies throughout that day...it's been interesting to see that as time has worn on she's been less and less extreme on the cheat day as her body has adjusted to the new lifestyle, but what it does give her I guess is 'permission' to go off track and let loose a little. Good luck with your plan whatever you do!

emtjmac

If you have to "cheat," then you're not doing it right...

I can see where you're coming from but it depends on what your definition of cheat is. Is it cheating to eat yummy things that fall within your macros? No. Is it cheating to stuff yourself with 2 pounds of chinese food? I'm going to say yes. And it's fun... in moderation. Even on my chinese food orgy days, I'm only going over a little under 1,000 or so in calories. One pound of fat is 3500 calories. In fact, after I eat like that and weigh myself two days later, I often see a loss from what I weighed BEFORE the chinese food.

Kryxx

Cheated on my right hand, with my left hand

SherryTeach

The word cheat is a negative word and implies that I am willing to do bad things to myself contrary to my health goals. Why would I do that? Since this isn't a diet but a lifestyle, I plan my food and life activities together. So yes, I ate Kansas City barbecue, cake and ice cream on my dad's 80th birthday. But I planned for it, enjoyed it immensely, and did not experience guilt. Over time I have looked forward to my new food choices and not regretted for an instant the foods I mostly have chosen not to eat.

That said, I have wine with my friends, have small amounts of chocolate every day and savor every bite of the fruits, veggies, grains, meat and daily I eat. I plan for social events and stay in my calorie levels. I know myself: if I went out and bought Doritos, donuts, and a large pizza and told myself it was for the "cheat day," pretty soon my healthy eating would disappear and I would be back where I started.

stacy_1971

As for cheating, I have decided to give myself permission to modestly overeat my calories during Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. No regular or scheduled cheat meals/days, though.

TArnold2012

Nope, if I want it I plan for it.

lrcross

No, I do not cheat...I eat what I like, that includes my healthy foods, some fired foods, and dessert. I like dessert after dinner, and it fits within my calorie count. I put it on my log too...

I have to keep my cals up anyway, so I don't have to cheat. :happy:

stassi09

I do but I don't think of it as a cheat day and I never plan for it. I've found it is best for me to look at things weekly anyway. Some days I want to eat more than my allotment, a lot of days I eat under. As long as by Sunday I am under my weekly limit I don't care.

This is exactly what I do! I just focus on the weekly limit so that if I go over one day its not the end of the world.

dsjohndrow

Just playing Monopoly. I put a few $500s under the board. But never with food.

Ronngie

I don't do cheat days or meals. I prefer treat meals or items, worked in, as I feel I can and it won't hurt me. You aren't going to never have your favorite foods, you just have to do things differently.
I know for me, I would go crazy without sushi, and I have it about twice a month. In December it may be more due to friends & family coming to visit, and I am ok with that. I'll walk longer, and veggie out my other meals

SillySkittles

I don't have planned cheat days. I think it's still early days for me that I feel like any kind of cheat days or days where I get too lenient with myself will set me back since I'm just starting out. But there are days that happen - especially during family functions where I can't exactly count the calories - that I try to do my best and I'm not too hard on myself. I do also try to work just that little bit harder later that day or the next day.

amrozes

I don't. Using the word cheat makes it sound negative. Like many others who have posted, if I must have it, I just work it into my calories for the day. If it is something that is above my calorie goals for the day (give or take 100 or so calories), then I only eat half a serving. I find that I usually only want half anyway .... it really is true that nothing tastes as good as being thin feels....

stockholmhasago

Sundays I don't work out so I'm a bit more lax with what I eat. I don't go overboard and do anything nutty, but I won't turn down the offer of pizza, either. And then the rest of the week, I'm a bit more anal.
Because changing a lifestyle is still about realizing you'll still eat something unhealthy every now and then.

mikurulove10

Yes, I do...
However, I eat as healthily as I can outside of said "cheats", so I feel as if I earned it, yknow?

Heyyleigh

NOPE. Cheat on what? This is a lifestyle change. Not a diet. There is nothing to cheat on. You know (or should learn) what is good and bad and make your choices from that.

What she said. Diet and exercise.

tpayne0453

Anyone that says they don't "cheat" is probably taking it out of context....Like for me, I go wayyyyy over for either lunch or dinner at least twice a week because of my lack of will power. But I always try and make up as many calories as I can to reduce to the overage...I also try not to eat my gained exercise calories on a regular basis.

Feel free to add me

Gwen_B

If I do, I workout even harder so I never go over my calories!!

TheCaren

My eating plan motto is this. Everything is permisible, not everything is beneficial. So I don't have to have a "cheat" day becuse nothing is off limits. However, I am informing myself about nutrition information on everything I eat, BEFORE I eat it. Then I am deciding if it's worth what it costs me. And if it has no real nutritional value, I'm thinking long and hard before I eat it. I eat what makes sense to me. And I work to stay within my calorie goals, but more importantly I'm focusing on what has nutritional benefit for me before I just think "yummy, I'm gonna eat this".

MaryBOP

I think most of yall are not getting the point, I'm doing pretty well with my diet, but I miss the food i love food. When I say cheat that means I will be going over my 1200cal a day limit, as in I will by a pizza hut stuffed crust pizza, whole cakes, wings, and eat it all, of course in moderations, yall are taking it too serious. Have fun with your diet.

Ronngie

I think most of yall are not getting the point, I'm doing pretty well with my diet, but I miss the food i love food. When I say cheat that means I will be going over my 1200cal a day limit, as in I will by a pizza hut stuffed crust pizza, whole cakes, wings, and eat it all, of course in moderations, yall are taking it too serious. Have fun with your diet.

Taking what too seriously?? Your question, or our personal choices that you asked for?

larncy

First of I'd like to say I don't like to call it a "cheat day" , I used to call it a "Treat Day". This was generally my weigh in day or the day after. And I did this mainly becuz I was such a junk food addict....So I went from eating it every day to just treating myself once a week. And I lost 30 lbs doing that. I used to eat alot of pop, choc, potato chips, take out, etc. And I craved it so much I allowed myself to pick one day to "treat" myself to it and let me tell you it was the best I ever ate on those days!! LOL I savored every mouthful of whatever it was. However, after awhile of eating healthier and seeing results I started following this site and I don't really have do it anymore. I have learned you can eat what you want as long as you log in. The thing is now I am finding myself questioning do I wanna waste my calories on that and then I'm screwed for the day. So now on days when I know I am gonna have treats I still have a healthy lunch or whatever and still plan around my calories. Theres gonna be days harder than others...thats life!! But again as someone else said its a lifestyle change...one day or one week isn't gonna mess up the big picture..if your on vaca and wanna splurge or go out one night and just not care..do it sometimes, enjoy it and jump back on again tomorrow..its life!! But you will find the longer you are on your journey....these cravings for treats become less and your idea of takeout could be subway or your choc fix could be a granola bar!! Do what makes you happy and what works for YOU!!

megsmom2

I don't cheat because I'm not on a diet. Diets are temporary. I am making conscious choices about what I am eating. Sometimes I choose to eat less healthily than others, but it is not cheating. Its living. Normally.

postrockandcats

I think most of yall are not getting the point, I'm doing pretty well with my diet, but I miss the food i love food. When I say cheat that means I will be going over my 1200cal a day limit, as in I will by a pizza hut stuffed crust pizza, whole cakes, wings, and eat it all, of course in moderations, yall are taking it too serious. Have fun with your diet.

No, I understood perfectly; I always stay within my goals. Since July, I've gone over maybe four and it wasn't to splurge- it was just the situation at the time. I take in between 1400-1800 depending on the day and don't crave anything enough to go over. I eat healthy but I also eat rubbish foods too. I have cinnamon rolls in the pantry and ice cream in the freezer. I had pizza last night. I drank with friends last weekend. I take my desire to be happy and healthy seriously, but I sure don't deprive myself.

blakejohn

no we just share H*r

kmshred

yep, every sunday without fail.