How often do you cheat?

2»

Replies

  • ravenchick
    ravenchick Posts: 345 Member
    I just eat whatever I'm hungry for and fit it into my calories. It's all about portion control. That way I never have to cheat and feel guilty for doing so.
  • miss_ally08
    miss_ally08 Posts: 167 Member
    I highly dislike the word cheat. It just comes with too many bad connotations, therefore - there are some days I eat more than others, but I make sure on those days I plan with exercise so I get to eat what I want without guilt, if that makes sense. Other days, if I'm too lazy and ate too much, I try to get back on track the following day. I've learned the hard way, there is a balance between having too many over eating days to reward yourself for weight loss and deprivation.

    Portion control is key - you have too many days of overeating and your body has a hard time getting back to understanding what an appropriate amount of food you should eat.
  • Suziq38
    Suziq38 Posts: 13 Member
    I eat well 80% of the time. I may cheat a little 20% of the time.
    This may be a little cookie or a handful of mixed nuts.

    I may go to a party and eat some fettucine alfredo or eat a piece of pizza.

    Cheating is O.K. as long as you limit this.
    If you are truly into weight loss and becoming more healthy, cheating becomes less of a desire.

    You know that if you do that you have to exercise more to compensate for it, or you will gain weight.

    I have lost over 45 pounds during the last 13 months by only cheating occasionally, and trying to replace the calories enjoyed with the cheating by exercise.
  • amanda_ataraxia
    amanda_ataraxia Posts: 400 Member
    I don't cheat. I give myself two higher calorie days per week, but I still use those calories to eat healthy food.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I just don't believe in the concept of "cheatiing". This to me implies pulling a fast one or getting away with something. It's just not a concept that I use or appeals to me. I believe in setting a sustainable, managable plan and then staying with it. That plan may include a calorie cycling day or it may not. To me, if you have to feel like you need a cheat day, your plan is too agressive and not sustainable. If there is a food I like, I include it and stay within my overall calorie and macro goals. I also set those goals so that I can maintian them indefinitly.

    For me, it's not really about being on a "diet". It's about decisions for better nutrition and health. FTR, I also have trouble with the phrase "lifestyle change". II guess I am really being pedantic but conceptually, for me, it's just being intentional with my eating and fitness choices every day. No more or less complicated than that. YMMV
  • camisetgo
    camisetgo Posts: 27 Member
    Absolutely!! If I didn't have my one cheat day I never would have stayed on my plan and lost almost 60lbs! Saturday night is mine and my husbands "date night" ...we go out and eat a meal that we are craving and usually have a a dessert as well. It has worked for me and is the only "diet" that ever has. I don't complete deprivation very well, and if I thought I couldn't enjoy a night out once in a while of eating anything I was craving, I would have never stayed on target. Saturdays, I take a break from working out and counting calories.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I just eat whatever I'm hungry for and fit it into my calories. It's all about portion control. That way I never have to cheat and feel guilty for doing so.

    How do you manage you macronutrients this way? Or is that not that important to you? FTR, I totally agree with you about portion control.
  • TravelDog14
    TravelDog14 Posts: 317 Member
    Not a food cheater. I'm trying to change my eating habits because they suck big donkey balls.

    I wasn't a binger, just a person who consistently ate mega calories of cookies, pastries, candy, ice cream, etc. most days of the week. No fast food, just all high fat baked goods. I hate to think what my calories were on a daily basis. I've often thought I should enter those foods I would have eaten in a day here on MFP, I'm sure it would shock the hell out of me.

    My health (pre-diabetes diagnosis) forced me to stop all of that crap eating cold turkey. It's been a bit over 2 months for me, yet I've surprisingly not craved any of that stuff. When I walked by the fresh apple fritters in the bakery case the other day I didn't even need to look in that direction. It's almost like a switch flipped when I realized my poor eating habits really had caught up to me after all these years.

    So I don't cheat with what I eat, and so far I haven't suffered any cravings for any of the stuff I have stopped eating.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    i'm cheating todaaay =D

    usually once a month though.

    i try to plan them but.. lately i'm just been eating emotionally.
  • rachael52
    rachael52 Posts: 85 Member
    I've gotten a little lax about counting calories honestly. I had an incredibly boring day yesterday and ate stuff I usually don't (quite a lot of carbs) and would say "Well, that was about 125 calories," when I knew damned well it was a lot more than that. Underreporting, that's my cheating. Trying to get back on track today.
  • hazelovesfood
    hazelovesfood Posts: 454 Member
    If you ask me, one of the best weight loss tips you can give/receive is “Cheat”. It’s good for the soul. Without cheating every once in a while, you’re going to feel frustrated and deprived. That’s just going to leave you 1) cheating without properly planning it out 2) giving up because you’re not living a realistic lifestyle.

    Personally, I cheat every Tuesday night. I do weigh-ins once a week on Tuesday mornings, so Tuesday nights are my cheating time! I go with whatever I was craving over the past week so that I get it out of my system and don’t cheat later in the week, and I plan it out so that I don’t go overboard.

    So my question is, how often do you cheat, and do you plan it?
    I cheat when the cravings get out of control, I can be realy good but If something i want is on my mind, it wont go away and so I will end up eating it, trouble is one is never enough. I wanted some after 8 mints the other day, had one, then 6 more which made me go over my cals for that day. I have bad weeks and really good weeks, im not perefct i wish i didnt feel like i needed to have the cheats but god i do.

Categories