Cheat day..

jamiep926

Ok, so I had my once a month week last week and been very bloated since. Even then, I did my usual diet and exercise but my weight just didn't come down.. So due to my frustration, I decided to take a break and have a cheat day. Which turned out to be a cheat week.... I've been eating all the chips and sweets, I've been craving since LAST year and couldn't resist them during my "CHEAT WEEK." Now I have gained 2 pounds back... The 2 pounds I worked so hard to get rid of is back in my tummy.... :,(

So now, I declare!! " No more CHEAT WEEK! Someone recommended cheat meal once a week, which sounds like a better plan than of my own.

benol1

You can never cheat and get away with it!
Better luck in the future.

TavistockToad

You can never cheat and get away with it!

this

instead of calling it a 'cheat' - i hate that term with a passion, think of moderation. a few chips or sweets that fit into your macros each week will stop you craving them so much, thereby preventing you from wanting a cheat week again.

wendywoo49

At the weekends we are allowed treats if we have been good all week, we still eat healthily but i allow my self to have wine and my hubby has cheesecake, it just makes the weekends a little special and the weight is still coming off, (even if i've had more wine than i should). You can do it this is the best i've ever done so far.

amyosullivan124

I eat healthy the majority of the week and pretty much what I want at the weekend (albeit a bit more healthy than I used to) but I have been having a takeaway every Saturday night and lost half a stone in 6 weeks so going well. They say that that's the best diet - 5 days 'fasting' and 2 days not.

So don't feel bad about treating yourself, life's too short to worry about whether you've eaten some chips or treated yourself to a chocolate bar. Anything in moderation is acceptable!

Don't let it ruin your positive attitude because your doing great!

tomg33

The idea of a cheat day made sense before it was possible to track your macros so accurately. You can (and will) lose weight eating the foods you love, but just not as *much* as you want. If you've had plenty of the good stuff all day then there's no harm with a bit of chocolate or ice cream or a glass of wine or whatever tickles your fancy -- as long as you flex the willpower to stop when you've had your allotment!

I've never liked the idea of a cheat meal or day, it just seems like controlled binging to me and seems like it's just setting you up for more unhealthy eating practices.

ChristinaR720

This lifestyle change will NOT be sustainable if you completely deprive yourself of the foods you love. I have the "if it fits your macros" mentality and it has worked very well for me thus far. I eat pizza, ice cream, burgers, etc., but do so in moderation and not on a regular basis. I also balance those foods out with lots of veggies and fruits.

Allowing yourself to eat the foods you love (in moderation and on occasion) is not cheating, it's allowing yourself to live your life. Don't allow yourself to feel guilt over chips or pizza or chocolate. That guilt will impede your progress, and no one needs that. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on keepin' on!

sassafrascas

You can never cheat and get away with it!

this

instead of calling it a 'cheat' - i hate that term with a passion, think of moderation. a few chips or sweets that fit into your macros each week will stop you craving them so much, thereby preventing you from wanting a cheat week again.

I agree, I Do not use the word cheat, and since this is a life long thing as long as I fit it into my plan then I am fine. Next time you want a "cheat" meal log it. I think seeing the calories will help prevent you from making bad choices the rest of the day or week. It does for me cause pringles are good but for 10 calories a chip its not worth it everyday.

lambchoplewis

Every now and then I do "binge" and feel like crap for 2 days or so. But, I get right back to eating right and exercising. I realize this might happen all the time during my life. I am in maintenance now and realize that I am human. Saw this quote and it helps:


If you're heading somewhere in the car and wanted to get there by 5, but realized you were going to be a few minutes late, would you just give up and swerve into a bridge abutment?

susyw_2003

Instead of a 'cheat' week, why not have 1 treat meal a week where you don't keep an eye on calories, fats etc. in too much detail? One bad meal wont make you put on weight, in the same way one good meal wont make you loose weight.

I tend to do this once a week, i think of it in this way;

'If i don't have it everyday, or often, then its a treat'.

I believe that if you don't give in to your cravings, it'll play on your mind and even the most motivated and determined of us can slip up because we are craving something that we dont allow ourselves to have. Use this reward meal to stay on track but enjoy it at the same time.

And dont focus too much on the cheat week, learn from it

sarah3333

I save the calories that I don't eat every day (usually 500 calories a week) and then eat them or not depending on my hunger. It's been working for me.

KD0224

Last year when I first started eating better, I decided to have a cheat day each month.... Horrible idea! Eating healthy isn't a temporary thing, and so cheating doesn't help the overall goal.

I don't think that everything should be given up forever, but only eaten in moderation, and on occasion. I still eat chips, candy, cake, etc, but I choose healthier options than sitting down and eating an entire bag of chips, or whole chocolate bar! It's not realistic to give up everything you enjoy, because honestly, who is going to give up all chocolate for the rest of their life. There may be a few that would, but realistically most are not going too!

You will get your weight back down, just give it a little time. Seems like your body just wasn't used to eating all those things, and it's unsure of how to deal with them! ;-)

Maris_Swan

No "cheat day"----maybe a treat meal or something like that. If you look at it as cheating, it makes it seem wrong. Everything in moderation is ok, but a day of cheating and bad choices sets you up for the backslide.

heronfolder

I find that often it's not that I want a whole slice of cheesecake, more just a taste of it. So I'll cut a very thin slice instead. Same goes for chocolate. I recently switched to good quality dark chocolate as you seem to want to eat less, as the flavour is more intense. One square is usually enough for me to get that 'hit'.

If you try and build in these 'tasters' to your dailycalorie limits, you'll find you don't get the mad cravings and have blow-outs so often.

jamiep926

At the weekends we are allowed treats if we have been good all week, we still eat healthily but i allow my self to have wine and my hubby has cheesecake, it just makes the weekends a little special and the weight is still coming off, (even if i've had more wine than i should). You can do it this is the best i've ever done so far.

I couldn't agree more!! Yaay~~ But, sometimes I lose control and the consequence is, I've gained back a pound or two.. I guess I can set a limit..? LOL

jamiep926

I eat healthy the majority of the week and pretty much what I want at the weekend (albeit a bit more healthy than I used to) but I have been having a takeaway every Saturday night and lost half a stone in 6 weeks so going well. They say that that's the best diet - 5 days 'fasting' and 2 days not.

So don't feel bad about treating yourself, life's too short to worry about whether you've eaten some chips or treated yourself to a chocolate bar. Anything in moderation is acceptable!

Don't let it ruin your positive attitude because your doing great!

Thank you! Thank you!! You cheered me up!! :laugh:

jamiep926

Every now and then I do "binge" and feel like crap for 2 days or so. But, I get right back to eating right and exercising. I realize this might happen all the time during my life. I am in maintenance now and realize that I am human. Saw this quote and it helps:


If you're heading somewhere in the car and wanted to get there by 5, but realized you were going to be a few minutes late, would you just give up and swerve into a bridge abutment?

Make sense!! Thank you~ Everyone's post is so hopeful!! Making my day!!

triciab79

You are only cheating yourself. Why would you want one more day on this side of your goal? Save that cheat day for the other side of your goal so you can eat what you want and look hotter while you do it. No cheat days while I was dieting but now that I am maintaining I have meals where I eat what I want. I just balance those with the rest of my week.