Cheating on Diet

southpawmx
southpawmx Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
Hey guys i had my very first cheat day and all i can say is i went overboard but ive stuck to my nutritional regiment for the last two weeks and i decided i needed to reward myself so i pigged out today personally i dont feel deprived because ive made progress and today showed me the importance of nutrition. I wanted to ask you guys about cheating on your diet.
Do you have cheat meals or cheat days? How often do you have them and how do you feel after you've taken one.
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Replies

  • avir8
    avir8 Posts: 671 Member
    My cheat meals are when I don't have time to cook. Like today, I had Wendys for lunch but for dinner I had a protein shake in order to stay within my alotted calories
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
    No cheat meals, no cheat days. For me it's too easy to go back to old ways, which is what got me here in the first place. If it doesn't work into my food plan, it doesn't go into my mouth.
  • mjsunshine16
    mjsunshine16 Posts: 251 Member
    I allow myself to cheat 1 day a week
  • AShawneeF
    AShawneeF Posts: 123 Member
    i don't necessarily have cheat "days". i don't plan when i am going to pig out. however, every couple of weeks i get smacked in the face with appetite and i binge. the difference is that when i used to binge i was going way over 3000 calories for the day, but now i barely hit 2000, so i don't feel so terrible. I feel a little sick after the fact, but i make up for it by increasing my exercise the next couple of days and being really careful with my calories.

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  • suzesymon
    suzesymon Posts: 10 Member
    I have one cheat meal per week, but to a max of 500 calories, and my day still has to come in under 1200 cals.
  • Lovestoscrapbook
    Lovestoscrapbook Posts: 295 Member
    No cheat days or meals per se. If I decide to have a snack that isn't healthy, I still try to fit it in within my day's allotment of calories or else I know I have to stay up that night to "work it off". Those snacks are what got me here in the first place and I'm much happier with how I am beginning to feel and look with the weight coming off. For me, if I gave myself permission to have a "cheat day", it would be the beginning of a very slippery slope....
  • georgie_lou
    georgie_lou Posts: 225 Member
    I dont deprive myself of foods that I love, but I dont have a cheat day either. I try to fit it in with my plan. I like to reward myself with other things! In another 2kgs I get a full body massage! YUMMY!!
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    Hey guys i had my very first cheat day and all i can say is i went overboard but ive stuck to my nutritional regiment for the last two weeks and i decided i needed to reward myself so i pigged out today personally i dont feel deprived because ive made progress and today showed me the importance of nutrition. I wanted to ask you guys about cheating on your diet.
    Do you have cheat meals or cheat days? How often do you have them and how do you feel after you've taken one.

    Wait till tomorrow when you gained all the weight back you lost the last two weeks. Maybe you won't cheat again.
  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
    Cheat meals are fine, but if you do this right, eventually you won't even want to do that anymore. That'll be a great sign of commitment to this lifestyle change, it'll just become the way you eat and workout and live...

    The step after that will be that if you do indulge in a "cheat" meal, you'll actually feel pretty bad about it, not mentally, physically... I just can't eat 4k calories dinner like I used to anymore, I would just be sick.
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
    I don't have cheat days just for that reason...I wanted to lose the weight, and with cheat days it was going to take ALOT longer!! I wanted the weight off. I hit my goal in June and I am still very careful about what & how much I eat.
  • ShyFeather
    ShyFeather Posts: 138 Member
    When there is no way for me to count calories, like family events, holidays and such, they are my cheat days. It's just better to go that way than to stress over estimating things that are impossible to count. Otherwise, I don't plan them. I just live life :)
  • suzieqcookie
    suzieqcookie Posts: 314 Member
    i don't necessarily have cheat "days". i don't plan when i am going to pig out. however, every couple of weeks i get smacked in the face with appetite and i binge. the difference is that when i used to binge i was going way over 3000 calories for the day, but now i barely hit 2000, so i don't feel so terrible. I feel a little sick after the fact, but i make up for it by increasing my exercise the next couple of days and being really careful with my calories.

    25846456.png


    same here... i find it's better to "scratch the itch" as needed (no more than once every 7-10 days) than have a scheduled cheat day/meal. Much easier to get back on track the next day. I follow the guideline of eat when i am hungry, stop when full. no eating for eatings sake.
  • vintagesquirrel
    vintagesquirrel Posts: 190
    I suppose I don't see the value in a cheat day, personally. If I want something extraordinarily fatty or sugary... I just work it in to my daily calorie goals and then I have to compensate through exercise or by overall eating less for the day. With doing it that way, I am more likely to eat more healthy options than one small fattening option.

    If you're trying to create a weekly deficit in calories, why on earth would you take a whole day to "cheat" yourself out of those extra calories you lost? They all add up.

    That being said, there are plenty of people on my friends list that do cheat days, and I'm okay with that. Not saying you're wrong or that its bad... just that in my opinion it seems counterproductive to a healthy lifestyle.
  • Fitty_Cent
    Fitty_Cent Posts: 41 Member
    Nope. No cheating.

    I used to do this, somehow thinking it would help my metabolism. All it did was make me feel like a pig and undo all of the work I was doing on other days.

    I'll have treats, but only when I have enough calories left over. Today I was way under my cals so I baked cookies.
  • patkterry
    patkterry Posts: 50
    My cheating seems to be 1 meal every other week, I don't plan on it- I just think about it until I have it. I try to work out more the following days, and still try really hard to stay within my calories for the day.. I am more conscience of what I'm eating even when I'm eating my cheat meal.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    i see nothing wrong with cheating.
  • GeorgieLove708
    GeorgieLove708 Posts: 442 Member
    I don't have "cheat days" or "cheat meals". If I go over, I go over (which has only happened once), but I don't deprive myself, if I want something I work my day so that I can fit it in. If I were to allow myself cheat days, I would easily fall back into bad habits and I want better for myself. It works for some. It doesn't work for others. Just do what works for you.
  • Secondgoround
    Secondgoround Posts: 61
    Personally, I don't consider this a "diet" that I would be "cheating" on. I am trying for a lifestyle change and life includes pizza, bagels and birthday cake. Right now I'm choosing not to have anything but clean, sugar-free food. But will I have those things one day? Sure I will when I reach my goal and can incorporate them sanely.
  • aneexer
    aneexer Posts: 29
    I wait maybe a month or more to have a cheat meal and when I do have it, its over the top like the other night I had a pepperoni pizza I also had an appetite attack so I felt I had to satsify that.

    I dont see anything wrong with having a cheat meal so long as you're prepared for the consequences that follow. :)
  • debussyschild
    debussyschild Posts: 804 Member
    Had my planned cheat MEAL last night. I can't do all day chow down marathons.... They just mess up my stomach way too much.

    I had an 8 oz sirloin steak, spinach tortellini with alfredo sauce, Malbec, and 2 of Dana's banana babies... E.P.I.C.

    One cheat meal a week is enough for me. Any more than that and a) my GI tract goes bonkers and b) I get derailed. To each his/her own, though. No need to pit out, however. I'll cheat, but I'll do my best to keep it somewhat healthy.
  • KaidaKantri
    KaidaKantri Posts: 401
    I don't ever purposefully take a cheat day. I eat healthy, and I'll treat myself to a treat as long as it's within my calories every so often. I think making yourself have a cheat day really ruins motivation. At least it does for me.
  • invictus8
    invictus8 Posts: 258 Member
    I have a cheat DAY once a week and I love it. I stuff my face with all the crap that I feel like eating. Lately I've noticed I've been eating less and less on the cheat day because it just seems disgusting. But it's still there, every Friday.

    I have zero cravings during the rest of the week as a result, and my metabolism stays "ramped" up.
  • debussyschild
    debussyschild Posts: 804 Member
    Cheat meals are fine, but if you do this right, eventually you won't even want to do that anymore. That'll be a great sign of commitment to this lifestyle change, it'll just become the way you eat and workout and live...

    The step after that will be that if you do indulge in a "cheat" meal, you'll actually feel pretty bad about it, not mentally, physically... I just can't eat 4k calories dinner like I used to anymore, I would just be sick.

    I feel exactly the same way. I use my cheat meals as a reward for eating clean all week. So far, I'm enjoying it! Helps me stay motivated to eat properly and do my work in the gym. No work = no treat. Simple as that.
  • capriciousmoon
    capriciousmoon Posts: 1,263 Member
    The only thing I have a problem with is calling it "cheating". It's better to think that you're learning how to eat properly instead of viewing it as "dieting". If you view it as something short term to lose weight, you'll probably just gain it all back.
  • F__7
    F__7 Posts: 371 Member
    I personally don't have cheat meals, nor days to go over my goals on purpose..

    I think the cheating meals is taking too overboard in the sense that it should be ok to have a few times here and there to have excesses.

    First of all moderation... and control...then once in a while.. IF HUNGRY... eat that you are wanting that may get you over.. but not just because is a "cheat" day...

    Bottom line.. eat what's right ALWAYS.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    I don't know. Is this cheating?

    Chrisdavey%27s+Food+Diary+-+MyFitnessPal.com.jpeg
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    *gasp* you had toaster pastries!! HOW DARE YOU!

    :wink:
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    You weigh yourself today?
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    I don't know. Is this cheating?

    Chrisdavey%27s+Food+Diary+-+MyFitnessPal.com.jpeg

    That is cheating. You should never settle for the off-brand pop-tarts.
  • GnochhiGnomes
    GnochhiGnomes Posts: 348 Member
    I'm trying to lose fat. Unless that food causes me to go over my calorie limit then I don't consider it "cheating".

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