What counts as "cheating" for you?

My definition of "cheating" is when people don't honestly log what they actually eat. Otherwise it isn't cheating - it's making good or bad decisions about what you eat.

Eating between meals.
Second helpings.

As long as I stay within my planned meals and calorie range, I can eat anything if I really want it. Most of all, I want good health and vitality, and my food choices reflect that. I do, however, have small treats nearly every day.

if i counted anything unhealthy as cheating i would be "cheating" every single day. and daily cheating would mean i'd never lose weight, which is not the case.

my cheat days are when i not only go above my caloric limit but when i basically say "**** it. i'm eating whatever and not logging it."

Not logging what you actually consume, simple. Log it and it's not cheating.

:drinker:

i try to not eliminate foods i love because i believe this is a lifelong thing for me, that being said i consider it a cheat if its gonna totally throw my macros off or if it'll make me be over for the day. or if its one of those days where i only eat 2 meals and one of them is huge and disgusting and i know i should have eaten better. haha

Intercourse.


Oh wait...

My definition of "cheating" is when people don't honestly log what they actually eat. Otherwise it isn't cheating - it's making good or bad decisions about what you eat.

I agree



http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/8987-serious-diet-support-group

Cheating is not logging it, or accounting for it. Life happens and I want to enjoy life so occasionally there will be times when I go over or don't get all my exercise. This isn't a DIET (nasty 4 letter word, grr, grumble) it's about choosing a healthy lifestyle and living to feel good and sometimes that means something less physically healthy but emotionally satisfying. Most days I try to find substitues for old emotion foods, that are equally satisfying but healthy as well. But sometimes, you've just got to have that donut or fries:-P

I had a lovely chocolate ice cream today. It doesn't exactly count as 'healthy' food, but it enhanced my happiness levels. I did log it in AND the calories consumed did not even amount to half of my exercise calories and I was still very nicely within my calorie limit.

I eat very healthily most days (and always have). In my view, a small indulgence every now and then reinforces the 'this is for life' philosophy as it is quite the opposite to the short-term dieting approach of 'I cannot wait for my diet to be over so I can have my favourite indulgences'.

I'm kind of neurotic perfectionist, so anything off my plan would be cheating for me. I've made it nearly seven weeks without a single cheat:)

my cheat days are bad days where i havnt counted cals:devil: so havnt logged them i have had 6 bad days in the 34 days i been here but am trying not to have another bad day havnt had one in a whole week so far , i dont class eating something yummy as cheating if i log it and stay with in my cal allowance

Sometimes I exercise only so I can have a light vanilla frappuchino from starbucks. haha. If I'm having one of those days when all I can think about is some food that I really love that I really shouldn't eat, I just exercise and then have it, or I just have a little bite of it. Sometimes a bite of it is all it takes to kill that craving

Wow, awesome that you can actually have *just* a bite of it! ^_^

I've started calling a "free day/meal" verses cheating just because it's a lifestyle change and I don't want to feel like I'm "cheating" everytime I go over my goal.

For me, "free day/meal" is any day that I go over my calories by a significant amount and it's usually planned. Like, if I have an extra bite of something or I really need a snack that puts me over by anywhere from 0-200...that's not cheating or free...that's just me needing something else that happened to put me over. Usually that happens when I eat earlier than normal and am up later than normal. It also does not happen too much.

"Free" to me is if I go out to eat and have the appetizer, entree, and possibly desert or a latte. I don't go out to eat very much just because I live so far out of town. Or going to someone's house for dinner/family get together because you can't control what other people cook and you can't avoid social situations..

So really, as long as I am within my calories (maybe a little over), it's good for me...the "free" is if I am visiting others, or going out...something like that

In my opinion (after some extensive research as well) cheating is when you take one day/one meal (depending on what you deem appropriate, and pig out. Simple as that. I do it once a week. It's just a manifestation of that thing you were craving monday, the ice cream at that party you respectfully denied, the donuts they brought in at work, all put together into (in my case) one meal during the week where you eat what you want to get it out of your system. Log it or not, that's not really what's important. You're just saying screw it to dieting or fitness for a short period to get you through to the next one.

Not everyone needs it and some people "cheat" in little ways every day.

It's whatever works for you

Like lots of others, I don't cut out entire food groups, or lie to myself and think I'll NEVER eat cake or pizza or whatever. Cheat for me is going overboard with unhealthy food then not logging it (as if not logging it means in never happened), or being afraid to find out how many calories I just ate so I don't log it. When I am logging consistently and working out regularly I can eat pretty much what I want and stay within my calorie budget.
It's all about logging accurately and being honest with myself about what my body needs, why I am making certain choices, and choosing foods that get me closer to my goal much more often than foods that won't get me there.