cheat day?

mcgilbert223
mcgilbert223 Posts: 1
in Motivation and Support
Does anyone have a cheat day? I told myself that I wouldn't stress over my calories one day a week and today was that day. I went over my limit by like 650 calories (even though i told myself i wouldnt count) and now I feel guilty. What does everyone else do?

Replies

  • jojorocksforeva
    jojorocksforeva Posts: 303 Member
    Yes i do but its not all day I only like have One meal or something That i really want....
  • mimina578
    mimina578 Posts: 8
    I wouldnt worry about it, one day wont hurt you or even 650 calories will either, if I'm not mistaken you need like 3500 calories over to gain a lb, and versa to lose a lb, just stay on track the rest of the week you should be fine!
  • bwcrouch
    bwcrouch Posts: 105 Member
    Yes i do but its not all day I only like have One meal or something That i really want....

    I agree with jojo. Sometimes I'll only do a cheat meal every other week depending how disciplined I've been. Gotta earn it!
  • nicheven
    nicheven Posts: 77 Member
    I usually do a cheat dinner rather than the whole day, the exception being when I goto Disneyland (right down the road). Don't have the ability to count calories there, none of their stuff is online, so I just guestimate, and figure I'm walking all day. Plus its only once a month or so that we go, so its more of a little treat.
  • dkpk1965
    dkpk1965 Posts: 17
    my cheat day is sunday. i do well all week i reward myself with a little extra.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    Started having one on Saturdays myself. My wife has them too and she's continuing to lose. I track them only because I want to stay in the habit of tracking, regardless of what the numbers say.

    Don't worry about it, it's really not worth stressing over.

    Look at it this way, you're making changes that you are supposed to be able to maintain for life, well, in life there will be times you're going to be way over your calorie range, so might as well learn to live with it now.

    This isn't going to be an everyday thing, I assume you do good during the week, eat right, exercise....so a treat day is not a bad idea.

    :drinker: Enjoy it, that's the whole point!
  • MuddyEquestrian
    MuddyEquestrian Posts: 366 Member
    Personally I don't do a cheat "day" becuase I know I will overindulge too much and I'll feel very guilty after! Instead I have a cheat "meal" about once a week, but I still make sure I stay close to my calories. I find that if I add in foods I love and fit them into smaller portions and everyday things that I don't feel the need for a cheat day. Although I will have a huge cheat meal coming up that might as well count as a cheat day!
  • acmanna
    acmanna Posts: 200 Member
    I usually have a cheat meal once a week. We go to a lot of baseball and football games and I use that time to eat something that I would like. But if you really crave something eat it, just have a bite or 2 of it. Usually when I know that I'm going out and won't make the healthiest choice, I watch closely what I eat during the day so a little extra at night won't hurt.

    No need to feel guilty, keep working on your goal, you can still enjoy food! =)
  • smpgetsfit
    smpgetsfit Posts: 38 Member
    I stick to the program and stay on track for the first 2-3 weeks of a plan, then enjoy a reward meal once a week. Thinking of it as a reward instead of cheating helps keep the guilt at bay. Also, my weigh-day is Friday, so I have my reward meal on Friday or Saturday to allow several days to compensate before the next weigh-in.
  • KettydeDios
    KettydeDios Posts: 125 Member
    I wouldnt worry about it, one day wont hurt you or even 650 calories will either, if I'm not mistaken you need like 3500 calories over to gain a lb, and versa to lose a lb, just stay on track the rest of the week you should be fine!

    thank you for saying this... I normally don't have a cheat day, but today I feel I have eaten a lot.... and was planning to do to hours on the treadmill...I am doing so welll that I really don't want to see my scale go up....However, I am pretty sure I have not eaten 3500 calories, but still just the thought of it makes me uggghhhh:grumble:
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    yeah man...I'm pigging out today...3500 calories, and Can't wait to have dinner. It works as long as it's only one day...I'm pretty disciplined about my diet during the week.
  • brideson85
    brideson85 Posts: 31
    I feel like everyday I cheat b/c cleaning my house give me more calories I am allowed to consume. So when I want a little more to eat I scrub down my bathroom, clean vacuum, do laundry, play with my infant what have you and I get to eat more. lol. Plus a happy baby, hubby and clean house! LOL
  • aliric
    aliric Posts: 69
    Yes, I pick one day on the weekend and eat whatever I want. Yesterday was mine and I had Chinese..I get right back on track the next day and drink a lot of water. Although I'm usually up a pound or two in the morn. I am usually right back down by Wed. Just sodium is all it is. I do find that if I'm gonna take a day then I have to be really good all week. :))
  • WhatAgirl_
    WhatAgirl_ Posts: 151 Member
    cheat meal!!
  • heytherestephy
    heytherestephy Posts: 356 Member
    I basically just have one when it is impractical to eat the way i normally do. Today the boyfriend and i biked 33km, halfway we decided to stop at a pub for some eats, i stuck to a diet pepsi and water and a chicken wrap. we also had ice cream after. but i worked for that meal, and while it was a "cheat meal" for me, i'm okay with that because it was a once in a while and we worked to get there.
  • RetroSnowflake
    RetroSnowflake Posts: 168
    I don't like to have cheat days, I prefer to have cheat meals.
  • liftingheavy
    liftingheavy Posts: 551 Member
    I have a couple of cheat days a week, and lately it's turned into a few a week so I'm going to have to cut them out for a bit. If you do not have the discipline to keep it to a couple meals or a day, I wouldn't go down that slippery slope.

    A cheat day can actually be good for you, in my opinion, as long as you keep it clean throughout the week.
  • Teriakin
    Teriakin Posts: 3
    Saturday is Cheat day (usually) or Friday....ocassionally both days IF I've been working out real intensely.
  • fishermanmatt
    fishermanmatt Posts: 308 Member
    I don't have a scheduled cheat day or cheat meal. If there's a food I'm wanting that would take me outside my daily goals, I try to plan ahead. Maybe have a lighted that normal breakfast and lunch and a longer workout so that my desired food still fits in my daily goal.

    Maybe instead of thinking of it as a cheat day or cheat meal, make it a reward day or reward meal. Put in the extra work AHEAD OF TIME to earn the reward.
  • ricebarbiee
    ricebarbiee Posts: 58
    I don't have a cheat day or cheat meals.
    I'm trying to make healthy lifestyle changes and I feel if I cheat, I'm only cheating myself.
  • tship74
    tship74 Posts: 48
    I do one meal a week. Or I will share a popcorn with the wifey at a movie.
  • sgall123
    sgall123 Posts: 133 Member
    On weds I had an enexpected night out then to a Chinese buffet!!.. I consumed about 3200 over my daily allowance however when I finished logging today I was still under my weekly allowance by 638 calories so the way I see it is if you have a day like that don't worry aslong as your still under your weekly goal it should be ok..
  • LarStar
    LarStar Posts: 102 Member
    There are some weeks that I "cheat" every day and others where I will only have 1 treat in a week. If I am going to have something that might put me over my calories, I make sure that I have a big enough deficit in advance to offset however many calories a treat might have. I have found that when I limit it to 1 day/meal, it is really hard for me to stay on track, where if I allow myself to have treats whenever I want as long as I can work them off, it isn't at the front of my mind and I am more likely to eat less than to eat too much of it. My suggestions would be to try each practice on for size and see what works best for you because there is no one right answer that fits everyone :)
  • Christi6604
    Christi6604 Posts: 247 Member
    Yes i do but its not all day I only like have One meal or something That i really want....

    Ditto that.
  • jen10st
    jen10st Posts: 325 Member
    Today is my weigh in day, as I had lost weight this week I allowed myself a cheat meal and one naughty snack. The rest of what I ate today was healthy. I only have cheat meals if I've lost weight so it motivates me to stay on track the rest of the week and look forward to another treat on the next weigh day.

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