Cheat day?

I wouldn't suggest a cheat day every week. That makes it way too easy to slip and it can quickly undo an entire weeks worth of hard work...esp if it's a cheat DAY and not just a cheat MEAL. I don't see any harm in doing a cheat meal once a month maybe, just don't overdo it. I don't mean this to sound like I'm binding it on anyone...this is just how I would do it. I think, too, that you have to be careful as viewing it as a reward. I think a lot of us probably have the same problem with viewing food that way. Food should never be a reward for anything. We need to find other ways to reward ourselves. I'll bet food as a reward is what's gotten many of us in the position we're in now. That's my .02

I have even heard of people having entire cheat weekends! I feel like that would break my momentum too much. Maybe cheating a little on one meal is the answer? I don't know....I am working so hard on my willpower that I feel like I would be doing myself an injustice....what do people think?
:flowerforyou: Nicole

I think I like the idea of a cheat meal on occassion.... omg how easy it would be for me to go into a cheat week! no no no!

yup! the way I see it, giving yourself permission to "cheat" on occasion isnt a bad thing, but to declare a full day "cheating approved" knocks me off my bandwagon for sure. If I get an invite to go out to eat and I've been doing really well I wont pass it up... I WILL however try to eat better in my other meals that day and the next day and kick up my workouts to make up for it. Also If I know I'm going to be active all day, like a family cookout that lasts from noon till sundown and involves all kinds of activities, I wouldnt sweat it overmuch if I have some extra chips.

good luck!

For me, I have to work/plan for a cheat day. If I don't, then I'll rebel and sabotage all that I've accomplished. I just need to "cheat in moderation"....what a great bumper sticker that would be!!

Ok tonight my husband went and got pizza he got the lowest calorie one and I had a huge salad and a piece of pizza then 2 now 3 and I will probably go have a 4th I am still under calorie but my fat and protein are way over. Ugggg kinda wish he wouldnt have gotten it.

Kinda?

I have a cheat day every week. I did Weight Watchers back in 2000 and did one on my weigh in days for a year and any other time I've started a weight loss program (does this mean I shouldn't have one then? :ohwell: ) but they always keep me from going onto a cheat week or month. I have some rules for them though. I don't go over board and eat every meal like poop. I tend to treat myself to a weekly mocha and often get a venti (I weigh in at Weight Watchers that day and my meeting isn't over until 9 so I get very hungry, it's my breakfast). I then eat something I've been craving from home that I wouldn't normally want to eat the calories for. Then my husband and I go out to dinner (sometimes date night, sometimes with our daughter) and I order whatever I want for dinner. We don't do anything crazy, just maybe a cheese burger and fries (I don't eat fries). I've never had a problem with this and it keeps me on track for the rest of the week. However, I often wonder how much I would have lost that week if I hadn't done that. But I LOVE my cheat day and wouldn't give it up. It's kept me on track for over a year now and 40+ lbs lost.
On a side note: Back in 2000 when I was doing WW I had a leader who did a whole meeting on how almost everyone leaves their weigh in meeting and has a cheat day. She said that it will work now but as you get smaller it won't work as well. With that being said, I'm very close to getting out of the 200's so it may be easier for me to do it.

cheat day is impossible for me, i don't even do a cheat meal. i have really crappy willpower, so if i start eating whatever, it goes all down hill from there. i have however treated myself to certain goodies like i'll have a slice of cake at a birthday party etc, but that's as far as it goes.

It's not cheating......it's TREATING.

I did a cheat day for awhile. IT helped as a reward system but.....then it kind of established a habit of every saturday over-doing it (which i am trying to break). Just something to keep in mind

I save "cheat" days for holidays and that does NOT mean random get togethers or every member of my familys birthday, lol. Like, Thanksgiving and Christmas or just your B-day alone....pretty much like no more than five "cheat" days a year. The reason I look at it that way is becuase people who don't even have weight problems eat more on these days and continue to eat healthy on the rest of the days of there year...but that's just me )

I would say to try not to cheat so early on. Give yourself some months to work on your lifestyle change then consider it. And I would say a cheat should be considered only 200-300 cals over not 1000 ya know!

I don't think it's worth having cheat days, but I don't cut out every crappy food. I think everything is ok in moderation. There used to be a time where I'd eat an entire block of chocolate in one sitting, now I'm quite content to let that last a month.. I just treat myself to a few squares every couple of days. The interesting thing is that because I'm not stopping myself from eating these "forbidden" foods, I'm not getting silly cravings for them anymore.

If you spend one day gorging yourself on all the foods you love that you really should be eating, you could potentially undo an entire weeks worth of diet and exercise. It's just not worth it!

I agree with all those who suggest a cheat meal. If you have something coming up like a birthday, or a meal out with friends you havn't seen in ages, have some wine, have dessert, enjoy it and move on