Your diet is not a test, DON'T CHEAT!

I'm not emotionally involved in any of my friends' eating habits, other than worry if someone doesn't eat enough.

Same here. I find it confusing when people get angry at their friends' food intake. If having friends was causing me this kind of emotional stress, I wouldn't have friends on the site.

I think there's a big difference between a "cheat" day and BingeFest2012!!!

For me, cheat day usually means the Bengals are playing and I'm going to eat some pizza OR wings OR a burger OR something. It doesn't mean I'm going to raid the pantry like I used to. I don't want to do something that I can't maintain, and restricting myself from touching a single slice of pizza or a single bottle of beer seems downright miserable.

I see a lot of people on my friends list who have trouble with bad eating on the weekends. And it kind of aggravates me. Because they have so much potential and they could do so well with their weight loss if they just stayed on track. Sure, everyone has bad days, but the weekend is not a "get out of jail free" card! You can't just do well all week, and then say "oh it's okay to have a snack today, or it's okay to go to a chinese buffet tonight". I'm not sure what kind of diet everyone is on, but on my diet, cheating all weekend is not allowed. So I stick to the plan, and when my Tuesday weigh in comes around, I always see amazing results. Because this is a lifestyle change. This is my lifestyle change, it has become a habit. It is not something that I cheat on, and it is definitely not a test. I just don't get why you would waste a whole week of good work for one weekend of bad meals because it's what you want in the moment, but it's not doing your body any good.

It all comes down to one simple question: HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?

Idk if i took this post different then others, but there is a difference between having a cheat meal or day then being good all week and then taking those 3 days over the weekend going way over cals and stalling their progress, i definitely believe these are two different things. I took her post as meaning the latter. A cheat meal/day in moderation should not harm your weight loss effort, but i believe DAYS of binging may have you in a vicious cycle of gaining and losing the same few pounds. I dont think she meant she deprives herself of these things all the time. Just my thought lol

I agree! I can eat what I want. What I want more is not to be fat and unhealthy. For me personally a few binge days turn into a few more and soon enough I have gained back 70lbs(2006lost/2007 gained). I do have ice cream and other treats in moderation but I plan my day so that the calories, fat and carbs fit. As for what the rest of you do. That is your business and if works for you great.

Before i start, congrats on your success thus far, so awesome!!

Your right on! There is a difference having treats that fit in your "daily budget" and ones that put you about 1000 or 2 over your daily allowance. I thought that was what she meant by the post, which in the i understand, and if those friends were constantly saying they cant lose, they cant figure out why, then i would politely give my advice. I do understand some people getting frustrated by these things, but i dont judge my friends by their eating habits, im there for support, end of story. Not everyone is goingto eat the same, and it doesn mean u cant support someone the binges all the time, maybe they just need a bit of help. Sometimes it just comes down to breaking bad habits. I myself have a hard time allowing "cheat meals or days" just because i still have an issue w control and i once i get the stuff, sometimes hard to stop! Lol i have been at this a long time so i have definitely way better then i was in the past and if i do have a bad day i dont beat myself up about, just do better tomorrow or the next meal.

OP, my advice would just be to try to support those people in other ways, give them props on their work outs or any successes they have, just stay away from their diaries if they bother you. I have friends that are all doing different things, we wont all be the same ever. I think your post got miscontrude a bit but in the cases of people who binge and complain after all you can do is offer your words of wisedom and support them. We all have to walk our own journey, and mqny for different reasons, best to just support in the positive as much as you can.

Reading this thread has made me want to go eat the rest of the BBQ Chicken Pizza thats sitting my fridge.. and I think I just might!

As others have said, worry about you and you alone.

You may not think that you are being judgmental, but you are. Everyone on here is 18+(or at least should be) and knows what they need to do. They don't need you chastising them when they don't eat like perfect angels 24/7.

it's so sad to think a whole week of hard work could be ruined by one weekend meal. pout.

I pre-earn my chinese buffet, sushi binge, ben and jerry night. I plan it and go hiking that day, eat light and save up for whatever. It is good to feel that you can eat anything your heart desires if you earn it.
If it is going to be long term everyone has to figure out what works for them.

^^^ This ^^^ Although I try not to eat too unhealthy too often, because i don't want it to feel like a habit. But if I exercise a lot, and save up... I'm not going to stress about an occasional treat.

My brother and I made brownies and drank champagne yesterday as our cheat day and I thought it was fabulous. I think this was a bad thing to post on the forum because I doubt too many will agree with what you said. Everyone wants to eat brownies and drink champagne sometimes and that's ok:drinker:

The problem is that people are just too smart to loose weight. Its stupid easy to loose weight but we over think it and go "well I was good the rest of the week I DESERVE it!" or "I ran an extra mile today so I'll have an extra cookie". You arn't working out harder so you can eat more, you are doing it to be fit.

and thats why i dont call it cheating. because in my life, theres going to be all you can eat chinese buffets, and kids birthday parties and drunken binges on occasion. it is my lifestyle, im just more aware now and keep an eye on things instead of just doing stuff like that all the time.

this

The problem is that people are just too smart to loose weight. Its stupid easy to loose weight but we over think it and go "well I was good the rest of the week I DESERVE it!" or "I ran an extra mile today so I'll have an extra cookie". You arn't working out harder so you can eat more, you are doing it to be fit.

Not sure where you've been, but I workout so I can eat more... as do a lot of others.

I could easily do just cardio and not lift weights and I'd prob. have lost weight a lot faster... but that also means I would have lost lean muscle mass, and thus had to settle for eating less instead of the same amount or even more.

I love food.. and if I can stuff my face, be fit and lose weight, then I'm happy!