Cheat Day Dilemma

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  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
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    I have cheat days I guess, but I still log everything, and that way I am still aware and I don't completely stuff myself and feel sick and feel disgusted with myself.
    What I do to not feel a need to completely derail on special occasions, is that I log every thing and I'm almost always under calorie, and so I have something yummy, I make room in it, for me it's usually chocolate something.
    But yeah just have fun, and get back on track the next day, just make sure you go into it with that mindset, this is a treat, not a lifestyle
  • SharonaSunshine
    SharonaSunshine Posts: 4
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    I don't have a cheat day, I have a cheat meal. One meal. I eat whatever I want, and I don't feel guilty either, cause it was part of the plan. My tummy is usually not happy with what I've eaten, and I tend to remember that the next time. I do this once a week for the past year now. Between MFP and Weight Watchers, I lost 62 lbs last year.
  • blu_meanie_ca
    blu_meanie_ca Posts: 352 Member
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    Don't think of it as a "cheat" or a treat. There will be special occasions (and happy birthday btw), and we all need to know how to survive them without a binge or starve attitude.
    Pre-plan your meal before you go, play around with the food calculator, and figure out what the cals and carbs for your original meal are. Then, scale it back and adapt until you find number that you are happy wtih. Sure, they will be above your new norm, but, they will probably far below your old norm.
    If you do want to stay low carb, and still want some alfredo sause, see if you can get some mushroom caps with alfredo instead of garlic butter. Same sausy flavor, very few carbs.
  • username_misso
    username_misso Posts: 50 Member
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    I try to work the 'cheat meal' into my caloric budget for the day. also if i know i'll be 'bad' i'll make sure to get a work out in that day and eat under the day before also. I try to look more at the week progress instead of the daily progress. So long as i do well for the week, one bad day is not so horrible. As far as the meal goes, maybe forgo the rolls, and just have the pasta and beer, but maybe ask for a box as soon as you get it, and halve the meal to put some of it away so you don't just sit and munch on the food in front of you. As far as the beer goes...well i can't help you there cause when i go out drinking, i am not gonna NOT drink :)
    I have started alternating a bud select 55 with my normal beer to ofset the calories, but i like that crappy light beer :)
    I'd absolutely echo what others are saying. Enjoy, but work it in. Be sure to exercise, and consider choosing one thing to indulge in rather than having it all (alfredo/rolls/beer). Perhaps have a salad with your meal, and cut the alfredo in half. Drink plenty of water. Choose a light beer. There are all sorts of things you can do to make good choices, even when treating yourself.

    these are great suggestions. those who do "indulge" occasionally are generally better at sticking to "diets" long term, you dont feel deprived, the extra increase in cals can help avoid your body going in to "starvation mode" and you want to make changes you can sustain. you could not eat pasta now, diet for however long, and then go straight back to eating the pasta and beer you will put the weight back on. thats not good, but you also dont have to promise to never eat pasta, beer, etc again. somewwere in the middle is ideal.

    to echo the great suggestions:
    - see if you can exercise in the morning
    - i would try to cut cals from my earlier meals, my new favorite manta is "weekly average!"
    - depending on when you eat, possibly even eat a small snack or heaps of water a little bit before you go to the restaurant so if you have to wait for your meals to come out youre not starving and tempted to hook into the bread
    - see if you can sub healthier options or reduce quantities/servings

    i can see how some people struggle with "cheat" meals, but you are already thinking about it and making plan, so im hoping you wont be tempted to turn a cheat "meal" into a challenge to see how much you can eat over the course of the evening. the next day, get straight back into your regular eating :)
  • krissy_krossy
    krissy_krossy Posts: 307 Member
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    I don't have cheat days. It results in days of bingeing. If I have any sort of "cheating" it's more "I'll let myself have a little extra sugar today" or similar and I fit it into my daily calories. Example, Earlier this week I split a salted caramel cake pop from Starbucks with my husband and had a skinny vanilla latte, then I ate a bit lighter for dinner. That's as much cheating as I do because "just one day" turns into a weekend.
  • Topher1978
    Topher1978 Posts: 975 Member
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    This is one of the reasons I despise diets. I eat as I wish, and keep to my macro nutrients as well as I can while eating in deficit. I do usually have more carbs and less protein than I am supposed to, but my fat is always below. I am consistently losing weight at a good pace right now. But there will be das I eat pizza, drink beer, wine or spirits, have cookies or cake and none of it is cheating. I just stay under my calories. It is discipline to keep portions in sizes that they always should have been in...
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
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    This is one of the reasons I despise diets. I eat as I wish, and keep to my macro nutrients as well as I can while eating in deficit. I do usually have more carbs and less protein than I am supposed to, but my fat is always below. I am consistently losing weight at a good pace right now. But there will be das I eat pizza, drink beer, wine or spirits, have cookies or cake and none of it is cheating. I just stay under my calories. It is discipline to keep portions in sizes that they always should have been in...


    ^ This!

    Work your food into your calorie goals.
  • belizsera
    belizsera Posts: 82 Member
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    I just started losing weight starting last wednesday and I am doing well so far...10.8 pounds down. I am following a low carb diet that my brother in law is doing as well. It is working well for me so far because my weaknesses tend to by high carb foods like Pizza, Lasagna, Bread, Beer, and Soda.

    Now for the dilemma. Next Saturday (day 18) I will be going out for dinner for my birthday with my family. Should I try to keep to the program or should I cut loose and have Seafood Alfredo, rolls, a beer or two and considerate it a cheat day. I know once I hit maintenance I am going to want to have a meal like this on a special occasion.

    What have others done? Are you able to have a cheat day and get right back on track the next day and beyond? or was it devastating to your diet? And if you do use cheat days, how often do you do them?

    Thanks.

    Here's the thing about cheat days. You can eat whatever but keep fat low. Super low. You will be living in the bathroom because all that new food is gonna make your stomach a mess. I am doing a cyclic ketogenic program which is High protein, low carb with a one day carb load after 14 days. I have read and read and the key to the "cheat" day is exercise and low fat. After my first carb load this Saturday, I can do one carb load a week. ( if i am lifting weights)
  • fIashforward
    fIashforward Posts: 66 Member
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    FFS, its your birthday - enjoy yourself.

    So it might take a few days longer to get to your ideal weight - I say, eat away :)
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    On my free days I eat whatever I want, but I still log it. Try pre-logging your meal and see how you feel about your decisions before you ever get to the restaurant.

    I think you will also find that switching back to your old eating habits will be...how shall I say this politely...not socially acceptable due to your stomach protesting.

    Be prepared for some very uncomfortable stomach pains and gas. :noway:
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    FFS, its your birthday - enjoy yourself.

    So it might take a few days longer to get to your ideal weight - I say, eat away :)
    Exactly! One occasional meal does not a lifestyle make.

    If you try to adopt a lifestyle you do not enjoy, even if you 'succeed' at sticking to it, what have you actually won? The point is to find a way to be happy and healthy in the long term.

    If you are someone who cannot do it without spiraling out of control then that's a different story, but you know yourself best.
  • efirkey
    efirkey Posts: 298 Member
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    Thank you everyone for all the advice. I am amazed how split everyone tends to be about the idea of cheat meals. Some say go for it, others protest.

    The good thing is I know already where we will be eating out and I can access their menu online. This way I can plan out exactly how I want to attack this problem.

    My second thought is why don't I just eat exactly what my brother in law eats. He is always cautious of his weight and eating healthy....might be a good experiment. His weight is normal and he is about my age plus he always seems to eat less at social gatherings. Example I would have a big piece of cake and he always seems to just have a small amount.

    At least I have time to plan.

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