cheat days

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KimLovesDon
KimLovesDon Posts: 152 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Pro or con?
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  • salu1975
    salu1975 Posts: 26
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    PRO! as long as you dont go overboard...
  • lanapoo
    lanapoo Posts: 57
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    I try not to have cheat days. If I crave something, I'll just keep it under my calories.
  • lmdenn33
    lmdenn33 Posts: 34
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    Great topic! This is something that has been weighing heavily on my mind this week. I just think I would feel too guilty. Not sure what to do...not go overboard? I KNOW I would lol The weekends are particularly tough for me
  • momslastdiet
    momslastdiet Posts: 29 Member
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    Weekends are tough for me too, with the whole family around and out of my Mon-Fri routine. I don't have cheat days, I just keep it in my daily cal. and eat anything in moderation, but mostly healthy choices.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Cheat meals, yes. Days, no. For me, too much damage can be done in a day as opposed to a meal. I lost weight by doing cheat meals once in a while and am maintaining with the occasional cheat meal. It works for me.
  • Angmu7
    Angmu7 Posts: 23 Member
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    I think it depends on you. For me they are a con and a slippery slope.
  • ryblueeyes
    ryblueeyes Posts: 257 Member
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    Based on my BMR/TDEE, my daily goal is pretty high which allows me to eat enough that I don't feel deprived. That said, the occasional cheat meal is okay, I just plan the rest of my day accordingly.
  • Lisah8969
    Lisah8969 Posts: 1,247 Member
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    I try not to have cheat days. If I crave something, I'll just keep it under my calories.

    ^^^This. If you think of cheating, then you aren't thinking of what you are doing as something you will need to do forever. You are in the mindset that this is temporary until you lose the weight and then you can go back to what you were doing before. If you make cravings and indulgences work into your calories and macros, then there is no cheating and you aren't being deprived and this will make you more successful in the long run. :smile:
  • jme6976
    jme6976 Posts: 49 Member
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    I do cheat meals also. It helps me not feel deprived and I think it keeps my body from getting in a rut expecting the same thing all the time. I have about 1 cheat per week. I try to exercise more on that day too.
  • JenRun1
    JenRun1 Posts: 212
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    Cheat meals, yes. Days, no. For me, too much damage can be done in a day as opposed to a meal. I lost weight by doing cheat meals once in a while and am maintaining with the occasional cheat meal. It works for me.


    Exactly
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    HELL YEAH!!! WEEKENDS! YEAH!!!!!!
  • CarrieBombria
    CarrieBombria Posts: 8 Member
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    I just started allowing myself one meal where I might a little bit extra, but since I'm on Weight Watchers anyways, I just save my extra weekly points for that splurge so it's allowed anyways!!
  • langsyne
    langsyne Posts: 106 Member
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    I think it depends on you. For me they are a con and a slippery slope.

    Me too. If I give in, I get the cravings back full force. If I don't cheat, I don't get the cravings.
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
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    I have no reason to cheat because I haven't cut anything out of my lifestyle :)
  • pamwhite712
    pamwhite712 Posts: 193 Member
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    I exercise more to eat more food. The other night I was on the treadmill, and I kept thinking "garlic bread". We were having spaghetti for supper and I love the New York style Texas toast garlic bread. Sometimes I think I should make sign that says "Will exercise for food".
  • whatjesseats
    whatjesseats Posts: 228 Member
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    Cheat meals, yes. Days, no. For me, too much damage can be done in a day as opposed to a meal. I lost weight by doing cheat meals once in a while and am maintaining with the occasional cheat meal. It works for me.

    I generally have one cheat meal per week, usually on the same day as my long run.
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
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    I have no reason to cheat because I haven't cut anything out of my lifestyle :)
    This


    I'd rather spread my calories out, like eat 100 more per day than eat an extra 700 in one meal. once a week. If I know I'm going to eat something big for supper then I eat very little else that day. It comes down to what works for you. No matter what you do honestly log it. If your not losing like you want/expect you won't know why or what to change if your not logging it.
  • jennmodugno
    jennmodugno Posts: 363 Member
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    I will never, EVER "plan" a cheat day. HOWEVER! That being said, if one day my husband is home at 9pm from a 13-hour work day, and I've had a bad day with my 3-year-old and am tired, I am not opposed to throwing my healthy dinner plans out the window and grabbing fast food. Assuming, that is, we haven't done it recently. But generally if I want bad food, I work out more to fit it into my calories. I got a milkshake the other day after a particularly grueling karate class! I don't feel guilty about it the next day that way, and just about every single day I can have a cookie, or chocolate milk. :)
  • DAMETRE
    DAMETRE Posts: 24 Member
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    I exercise more to eat more food. The other night I was on the treadmill, and I kept thinking "garlic bread". We were having spaghetti for supper and I love the New York style Texas toast garlic bread. Sometimes I think I should make sign that says "Will exercise for food".


    ^^^this
    This is also true for me. LOL.
  • KevinS62
    KevinS62 Posts: 239 Member
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    PRO! as long as you dont go overboard...

    Good answer. The last time I dieted, I had my weekly weigh in on Friday mornings and basically took weekends off. And as time went on, my weekends turned into an Anything-Goes thing. Like now, I was on a ~1,500 calorie/day diet, but I bet I was having a few days hitting 3,000-3,500.

    A big difference to what I do now. I just guessed at my calorie intake back then and now I'm counting calories with my MFP app. And while I let myself have an extra beer or two on the weekends, I've been using the ap and being concious of how much I'm taking in. I've gone over a few times, but I try to keep it close.

    I'm only just about to start third weekend, so I'm still working out the kinks in my process/plan. But I think I may allow myself 2,000 calories Sat/Sun this week and see how it goes.

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