Do you pass you daily calorie limit in your cheat days?

Options
13

Replies

  • DalalMutar
    DalalMutar Posts: 97
    Options
    My take: food is food, so if it fits into my daily goals it's not cheating.

    :)
  • DalalMutar
    DalalMutar Posts: 97
    Options
    Hmmm don't have a cheat day per say but if I want to eat something (say chocolate) I work my *kitten* of that day and make it fit in the calories....now the sugar part that's a whole different scenario LOL

    Oh yea. The sugar scenario! Everyone's familiar with that haha
  • DalalMutar
    DalalMutar Posts: 97
    Options
    Yes, or it's not a cheat!

    Seems like everyone agrees with that
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Options
    Hello everyone,

    I was reading a post and this question came to my mind. In your cheat days, do you actually pass your daily calorie limit? Or not bother at all?

    I don't do cheat days honestly, instead I have one cheat meal per month but i worry a lot about my daily calorie limit. I eat less in my two other meals so that my cheat meal fits. Now some of you might think this is not cheating if you eat without forgetting your daily calories.

    So let me hear from you. Do you pass your daily calorie limit in your cheat days? How often do you cheat? And how do you make up for that (exercise? Eat less next day?)

    On my 'cheat days' I usually like to stick in my maintenance calorie range 1800-2000. I don't like to refer to them as 'cheat days' though lol.............they're spike days or fun food days :wink:
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
    Options
    I don't have cheat days. I weigh all my food decisions on a daily basis. Sometimes I eat the nachos, sometimes I don't. I look closely at my nutritional goals for they day and if they've largely been met, I eat the brownie. Life is short. And this lifestyle change is forever. Food isn't like alcohol or drugs. I can't just give up food. Or I'll die. So I eat in a way I can envision myself eating the rest of my life. Good days, so-so days, bad days. Its real life.

    Everything is permissible... but no everything is beneficial...
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
    Options
    I don't plan any cheat meals or cheat days but if I find myself wanting a pizza, I try to plan it into my day. Some days I go a little bit over but I've never gone over for the whole week. I try to make my weekly average stay where it supposed to.

    If I really want a double cheeseburger from McDonald's, I'll go get it and either fit it into the calories for that day or eat a few less calories the next days so that my weekly average is still within the range I want it to be in.
  • DalalMutar
    DalalMutar Posts: 97
    Options
    i suppose if i didnt have the cheat meal and drink i could lose more but be miserable doing it.

    I think the same. But i really consider cheating as u know eating, let's say, fast food within your calorie limit.
    Guess i'll be trying going over by 200-300 cals on my next cheat since i don't cheat a lot :p
  • StarKimmy
    StarKimmy Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    I've been looking forward to an amazing Easter dinner. I know that the calories aren't going to be the best. I've had all week to plan ahead for this dinner so I've been under my weekly goals all week so that I have plenty of calories left for Sunday to eat more than normal but it will still fit into my weekly calorie goal.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    Options
    I try to stay at my goal even on 'cheat day'. For me, the cheat is more for mental sanity than anything else. I can enjoy an indulgence or two without blowing out my progress. For example, my bain is Key Lime Pie. Do I deny myself the joy for the rest of my life? No. But when I decide to 'cheat' and have some, I account for it in my total calories for that day. Sure it may not fit in my macros, but one day of missing my macros is not going to derail me.

    Now... frozen, chocolate-dipped key lime pie on a stick? THAT is something to avoid at all costs LOL.
  • DalalMutar
    DalalMutar Posts: 97
    Options
    I don't cheat because this isn't a diet. This is my life now. I try to do my best every day and sometimes I eat super healthy and sometimes I don't. I just try to make healthy choices more often than not.

    That would be killing if i do it. It's absolutely the best choice you've made, but i know a person like me can't take it. I have to cheat once a month. Rarely i cheat twice a month but i always keep it within my calorie limit.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,238 Member
    Options
    It's not really a cheat day if I don't. I eat whatever I want as long as it fits my calories and my macros. Yes, that usually means lean meats like fish and chicken with lots of veggies, but it also means occasional trips out for hamburgers, pizza or a nice pasta dinner all within my calories. When I 'cheat' it means not meeting calories or macros in any way.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    Options
    The whole notion is ridiculous. What is a cheat day? What is a cheat meal? I don't really categorize food as good or bad, so I don't really have a "cheat" meal or whatever. I also find it ridiculous that people go over their calorie goal by a couple hundred calories and feel the need to go do extra BS at the gym or starve themselves the following day...so what you went over by 200 calories when you have a friggin' 800-1,000 calorie deficit built into your diet. Why does everyone act like MFP's calorie goal is maintenance? Don't people understand that goal, especially if you're doing the 1,200 calorie thing, has a MASSIVE calorie deficit built in?

    I routinely eat to maintenance...probably once a week or so...it's no biggie...overall I'm at a deficit to lose weight, so I don't consider it cheating or whatever.
  • seanezekiel
    seanezekiel Posts: 228 Member
    Options
    I have a cheat day once per week. Well a cheat meal actually. Fried chicken take out. That one meal alone breaks my calorie limit for the whole day.
  • DalalMutar
    DalalMutar Posts: 97
    Options
    I don't have "cheats" because I don't deprive myself. Instead of setting my calories super low and then going over on a regular basis, I just set my daily allowance high enough to lose weight slowly and still eat the things I like. I'd rather be happy everyday, than be miserable 6 days a week and make up for it on cheat day.

    I think i overstress myself because i set my cals lower than they should just so i can feel comfortable knowing that i have extra cals to 'play with' if i needed. The app calculated 1200 cals per day for me. I'm doing 1000. I feel full most of the day as i eat low cals food with big amounts. But i still miss those fatty stuff. I think i should just reset my daily cals on 1200!?
  • Sherae12
    Sherae12 Posts: 89 Member
    Options
    Usually I still come out under my goal but I deff don't eat as healthy as I should. Those are the days that the "Down Home" cooking really gets to me lol
  • drefaw
    drefaw Posts: 739
    Options
    I really don't have a "cheat day". But I have days when I deff don't eat as healthy as I want to. But I usually still don't go over my Cal "goal" for the day. It is usually just sugar or sodium I go over on.
  • DalalMutar
    DalalMutar Posts: 97
    Options
    I try to stay at my goal even on 'cheat day'. For me, the cheat is more for mental sanity than anything else. I can enjoy an indulgence or two without blowing out my progress.

    That's what i do too
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    Options
    I eat at or above my maintenance calories (2500'ish) about once a week. If anyone were to ask me my best weight-loss tip, that would be it.
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    Options
    I sometimes go over.. I never have "cheat days" unless we mean alcohol. That can go way over. I eat what some would call "cheat meals" almost every day, while staying within my calories.

    ^ This! I never have a cheat day for food. I always make sure I exercise every day for a minimum of 25 minutes. I try to do Zumba every day for 45-60 minutes and as of late I've been doing 30 day shred again (3rd round).

    Tomorrow is my "cheat day" if you will, because every Friday night my Husband and I go out for date night, which is happy hour. I usually go over, but I try to plan for it to balance it out.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    I don't have "cheats" because I don't deprive myself. Instead of setting my calories super low and then going over on a regular basis, I just set my daily allowance high enough to lose weight slowly and still eat the things I like. I'd rather be happy everyday, than be miserable 6 days a week and make up for it on cheat day.

    I think i overstress myself because i set my cals lower than they should just so i can feel comfortable knowing that i have extra cals to 'play with' if i needed. The app calculated 1200 cals per day for me. I'm doing 1000. I feel full most of the day as i eat low cals food with big amounts. But i still miss those fatty stuff. I think i should just reset my daily cals on 1200!?

    I think you'll find that when you're eating enough calories you don't have as much urge to "cheat." 1000 is too low. 1200 is too low for many many people, but it would be an improvement.

Categories