"cheat days" are working for me.
schparks
Posts: 74 Member
This isn't a complete success story - yet - but as of today I've lost 34 lbs since mid-June, and am 1/4 of the way to my weight loss goal. And guess what? I "cheat," quite a bit. I have ate pizza, cheesecake, cream puffs, barbeque, basically all the things I have completely abolished during my past weight loss attempts, as long as I track it. I just don't eat these things daily, like I used to. I think this is really a key to my success so far.
Do I need to lose weight? Yes. Do I need to strive for 5 pounds a week and kill myself in the gym six of seven days? No. I have been completely satisfied, whether I've lost two pounds, one pound, or one ounce. The whole middle-of-the-road moderation approach is something I've never attempted before - I've always been either reaaaally on or realllly off. I think my mindset now is much more conducive to picking myself up after a "bad" day, whereas before I would have let the effect snowball. Basically, I don't obsess about food and hate my life like I have when losing weight in the past.
This is just a report on my progress so far, along with my unsolicited two cents on this subject since I see it brought up time and again on MFP.
Do I need to lose weight? Yes. Do I need to strive for 5 pounds a week and kill myself in the gym six of seven days? No. I have been completely satisfied, whether I've lost two pounds, one pound, or one ounce. The whole middle-of-the-road moderation approach is something I've never attempted before - I've always been either reaaaally on or realllly off. I think my mindset now is much more conducive to picking myself up after a "bad" day, whereas before I would have let the effect snowball. Basically, I don't obsess about food and hate my life like I have when losing weight in the past.
This is just a report on my progress so far, along with my unsolicited two cents on this subject since I see it brought up time and again on MFP.
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Replies
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This isn't a complete success story - yet - but as of today I've lost 34 lbs since mid-June, and am 1/4 of the way to my weight loss goal. And guess what? I "cheat," quite a bit. I have ate pizza, cheesecake, cream puffs, barbeque, basically all the things I have completely abolished during my past weight loss attempts, as long as I track it. I just don't eat these things daily, like I used to. I think this is really a key to my success so far.
Do I need to lose weight? Yes. Do I need to strive for 5 pounds a week and kill myself in the gym six of seven days? No. I have been completely satisfied, whether I've lost two pounds, one pound, or one ounce. The whole middle-of-the-road moderation approach is something I've never attempted before - I've always been either reaaaally on or realllly off. I think my mindset now is much more conducive to picking myself up after a "bad" day, whereas before I would have let the effect snowball. Basically, I don't obsess about food and hate my life like I have when losing weight in the past.
This is just a report on my progress so far, along with my unsolicited two cents on this subject since I see it brought up time and again on MFP.
I couldnt agree with you more about how you're changing your lifestyle. If I don't have "cheat" days I end up ruining everything I have worked for. I too have things I want, on a semi regular basis and still am losing weight steadily. Good luck on your journey, it sounds like you're doing great!0 -
sooooooo agree:flowerforyou:0
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I totally agree with you - if I didn't have a "cheat day" here & there I would feel resentful and deprived about the whole diet0
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Good for you! I'm taking the same approach and calling it the "Keith diet" after my husband. He has always done all in moderation - and he's maintained a steady weight for 25 years, while I've tried every sort of crazy scheme and yo-yo'd up and down. This time I've decided that I won't do anything today that I'm not willing to do for the rest of my life - and it's working for me, too. I'm down 15 pounds in 3 months and feeling terrific - not like I'm on a diet at all.0
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I totally agree.
I've lost 100+ by using another site. Just recently migrated here and I do "cheat"!
I usually go out with my mom to buffets when we go shopping once a week. Contemplating weight loss, I thought I can never do this again?
I figured I would never stick to it if I could never go out to eat. That isn't reasonable or realistic? At least not to me.
so I tried it. I didn't really log my eating at the buffet, but I ate reasonable and watched my portions. Like at Hoss's I would make a healthy salad and get a bunch of veggies in. Then I would have some ice cream, maybe cookies.
This really helped alot. I never brought special junk foods that I liked into the house. I would eat that only outside the house, as a treat. Now that I bring it in the house more and I am maintaining it is much harder. I liked the only eating something like that out...0 -
I pretty much do something similar in my routine. My main thought process when I started was "I want to make a change and be healthier, eat healthier and work out more but still enjoy food". Now I do eat a lot healthier than I did a year ago when I started and I work out more but it's not to an extreme. My meals consist more of fruits and veggies and whole grains but I still enjoy a little ice cream every night, or every once in a while go out and eat whatever I'm in the mood for at a restaurant. My exercise is not a super crazy workout routine that I have to really strive for to complete each day, I take a walk/jog after dinner and maybe throw in a workout video here and there. But its now my new lifestyle: work out a bit each day with some rest days in between, eat healthier but don't completely avoid all "bad" foods, and make my calorie goal. Been working for me and I'm glad I'm not alone in my though process about this whole journey. Best of luck to you down the road! :drinker:0
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Great points! It needs to be a way of life. One day of eating too much is not what put my weight on. I'm trying to focus on tracking my eating...and it's helping me make better choices!0
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Great post!0
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Great job on your weight loss so far! That's great!
As for cheat days, I'm just getting started so I haven't experimented with them yet but I had a roommate my sophomore year in college who was a super fit female body builder. Not the uber jacked kind, more like a great fitness pro! And she had cheat days every Sunday. She ate and worked out perfectly Monday - Saturday then on Sunday would always eat 1/2 a large pizza and 1/2 pack of Oreos. (Not that I'm suggesting this! It's just what she did) this girl had the best body I've ever seen, and she didn't completely eliminate her junk food faves. Cheat meals can work well to your advantage when you figure out the balance that works for you.0 -
I pretty much do something similar in my routine. My main thought process when I started was "I want to make a change and be healthier, eat healthier and work out more but still enjoy food". Now I do eat a lot healthier than I did a year ago when I started and I work out more but it's not to an extreme. My meals consist more of fruits and veggies and whole grains but I still enjoy a little ice cream every night, or every once in a while go out and eat whatever I'm in the mood for at a restaurant. My exercise is not a super crazy workout routine that I have to really strive for to complete each day, I take a walk/jog after dinner and maybe throw in a workout video here and there. But its now my new lifestyle: work out a bit each day with some rest days in between, eat healthier but don't completely avoid all "bad" foods, and make my calorie goal. Been working for me and I'm glad I'm not alone in my though process about this whole journey. Best of luck to you down the road! :drinker:
Congrats on your progress so far! I'm glad to know that it's worked so well for you. I also indulge in a serving of ice cream almost every night (130ish worthwhile calories), and it does miracles for keeping me sane!
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Yep this works for me too, I call it the week day diet, I can be really good during the week at work because I only have access to the food I bring in during the day and leave enough cals for a satisfying 600 cal plus dinner (I try to eat 1400-1500 cals a day and don't eat back any exercise cals I burn), then at the weekend I don't restirct myself half as much, I try to be as good as I can but usually I'm in the 2000-3000 net range a day Sat and Sunday, I lose slow but it all adds up and I don't feel like I'm going to crack and give up.
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So nice to read a sensible, sane and well put post.......some of the condescending twaddle on alot of the forums puts me right off.....it also results in my losing hope for the human race.....you've just restored a little!!!0
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works for me too-if i know i CAN eat yummy stuff i don't feel deprived. i used to be all-or-nothing type of person but now i learned how to eat and live with moderation, i feel happy and look better than ever. AND my social life doesn't suffer, if all of my friends are drinking tequila-i drink tequila, if all of my friends eat i eat, i just make sure i eat as healthy as i can the following day.0
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I totally agree with you - if you deprive yourself something, then you crave it even more! Well done on your weight loss!
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I have treats every day, and also have regular out and out cheat days. I do flog my guts out in the gym every day but this is because I enjoy working out. I reckon treats and cheat days are good for the soul, and mean that those of us who need to lose a lot of weight can keep chugging along.0
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That is excellent. Just excellent! Very good approach to weightloss. This is the way to go people.
It's doable. Maintainable. And it works. 0 -
one more thing.. just dont call it cheat days it is a negative way of describing it and so it comes with guilty thoughts and all.
Just enjoy life in a sensible way and you will be succesfull.0 -
I agree with Smikkepige, but other than that good work. I too have days where I push my calorie intake higher than usual.0
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