"Cheat" days

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Miss_Alishia
Miss_Alishia Posts: 29
in Health and Weight Loss
So Sunday is my cheat day... In the past I have utilized this day to its fullest but lately I don't feel like cheating. Weird, right? Anywho, I am going out for two meals tomorrow, breakfast at a greasy spoon and dinner at a local pub... two of my favorite places to eat!! I have planned ahead and for what I will order, although its not good for me food, it would not be over my calorie count for the day!

I am curious if other people have cheat days, what they eat, and if they work out on that day.


Thanks!!!
Alishia
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Replies

  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    I don't do cheat days. I'm eating healthy as a lifestyle, so what's there to cheat on? I eat some treats during the week and stay under my calories, so there's never a need to go out and splurge like crazy.
  • alyssa92982
    alyssa92982 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Usually my cheat day will be on a rest day which is 1 day out of the 7. I eat sweets or pizza or something like that, my other 6 days include being strict with diet and exercise
  • natalovesmusic
    natalovesmusic Posts: 49 Member
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    I do not have a cheat day unless you count cheat "meals" when my family forces me to eat out with them (e.g. Chipotle)
    I bend/find things that agree with my diet. Such as Trader Joe's spinach pizza (the BEST frozen pizza I've ever had omg) and making sugar free desserts :)
  • Miss_Alishia
    Miss_Alishia Posts: 29
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    I do not have a cheat day unless you count cheat "meals" when my family forces me to eat out with them (e.g. Chipotle)
    I bend/find things that agree with my diet. Such as Trader Joe's spinach pizza (the BEST frozen pizza I've ever had omg) and making sugar free desserts :)

    I am in love with Jello w/sliced pieces of fruit in it and fat free cool whip! OMG! perfect evening snack and my hubs loves it too! I am going to have to try that pizza now! I :heart: spinach pizza!
  • stines72
    stines72 Posts: 853 Member
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    i dont have cheat days. i actually enjoy everything in my diet right now as if it were junk food, but its not.
  • Miss_Alishia
    Miss_Alishia Posts: 29
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    i dont have cheat days. i actually enjoy everything in my diet right now as if it were junk food, but its not.

    I'm not on a diet really - I just count calories so cheat days would mean that I would either not work out, go over my calories for the day, or, both....

    What are you eating that you are enjoying so much?! I would love to add some new food to my grocery list!
  • chelovik
    chelovik Posts: 200 Member
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    For me a cheat meal cheat meal is Pizza from Romeo's Pizza. The chicken ranch pizza with extra everything on it.
  • funkyspunky872
    funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
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    Oh definitely. I just don't like calling it a cheat day. It's got a negative connotation to it. I treat myself every two weeks or so. A month ago I had a cheeseburger and fries, but was modest the rest of the day and was only 300ish over. I lost a pound the next day, so all was okay. And about two weeks ago I had a slice of pumpkin cheesecake -- once again, sticking to my healthy eating for the rest of the day and was only 100ish over. My next 'cheat day' as you put it is going to be Halloween. I don't plan on being only a measly 100-300 calories over either. I've got a whole bag of chocolate with my name on it. :)
  • jenTjenTjenT
    jenTjenTjenT Posts: 10 Member
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    When I started in August, I initially made every Saturday my cheat day, but I still made sure I filled out my diary. Then after about a month, I didn't feel like having a cheat day! So, no, I don't think it's strange to not want one anymore. You've probably just retrained your brain into minding your calories.
  • RitaSantoss
    RitaSantoss Posts: 986 Member
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    Well I try to limit my "cheat day" to Sundays. It's the day where I allow myself to eat something a little higher in calories that I restrain from eating during the week. Don't get me wrong I still eat some things during the week that some people might not consider a very good idea, but I try to limit the portions and stay within my calorie goal. But dang it, on Sunday I will allow myself to eat that darn piece of cake!
  • dadof2boyz
    dadof2boyz Posts: 156 Member
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    i try not to, because then it feels like I am doing something that is not part of my lifestyle - i.e. feels like i'm dieting instead of making a lifestyle choice. dont get me wrong, there are many days where i have a bad meal, or whatever, but that's a part of life. the goal is to make the majority of the day/week/month/etc... the healthier lifestyle and accept that were not perfect and we will have those days where we dont always do our best, etc...
  • jenfett1
    jenfett1 Posts: 157 Member
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    I am a person who loves good food. I did not get to almost 300 lbs because I didn't like food. I want the food I eat to be good. So for me I work hard everyday and will stick to healthy foods. I don't do cheat days anymore because I found it too hard to bounce back after it because it would usually be a day of not exercising and eating fatty salty foods. Once I have cleanse my system of these foods I find that I do not crave them until I eat something that is loaded with fat and salt. I will usually have what I would call my "normal" meals, meaning something that I use to eat, for dinner once or twice a week but in smaller portions and I make sure I exercise that day double time.

    I don't go out of my way to make "healthy" options of these meals because honestly they never taste as good as the real thing. If I made healthy desserts and things like that then I would eat them all the time, instead of just once in a while as a treat. Everyone is different. I think that because this is a lifestyle change that is for more than just a few months, I have to learn to live with the foods that I love and learn to eat them in moderation and workout everyday. I look at every calorie before I put it in my mouth and this has completely changed how I look at food and it has changed my life for the better. I still enjoy the foods I once loved, but I am no longer living to eat...I eat to live.
  • Miss_Alishia
    Miss_Alishia Posts: 29
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    I don't plan on being only a measly 100-300 calories over either. I've got a whole bag of chocolate with my name on it. :)

    This cracked me up! I am not much of a candy eater, I would rather eat a loaded baked potato but I get what you are saying! Enjoy!!!
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
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    No I don't do a cheat day....I wanted to get the weight off, and a cheat day just slows it down. Now that I have hit my goal every once in a while I have a little something. I really like making my own food at home. I used to eat out all the time....doesn't take so good anymore.

    Good luck
  • jekissa729
    jekissa729 Posts: 65
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    I usually eat foods that I really love (high cal) on days that I work out. But...I treat myself to snacks (like a krackel miniature...not a whole bag!) all throughout the week.
  • Crayvn
    Crayvn Posts: 390 Member
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    I have planned ahead and for what I will order, although its not good for me food, it would not be over my calorie count for the day!

    technically your not cheating cause your staying in your net calories.. :) your only cheating your macros(fat,carbs,etc).in a sense i guess.

    i would have to say everyone has a cheat in some way, shape or form. they just might not call it that... and what one might constitute as a cheat meal, another may not.. was my trip to the hibachi buffet along with my kit kat mini bar a cheat day?
    I stayed in my calories..was it *clean*.. no :p I think the word is overly used and many have different perceptions .. enjoy!
  • AnnMombourquette
    AnnMombourquette Posts: 66
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    I don`t really have cheat days. Some days I may eat a high calorie food, such as pizza the other night, but it came around my calories and I adjusted the day around it. I enjoy the food I am eating and get creative with it. When I first started I didn`t track on the weekends and did eat not so great. But I have made the commitment to track my food and since then, have no problems at all.
  • sburde2
    sburde2 Posts: 178 Member
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    I have a cheat day once a week on my rest day. When I first started on mfp I would go totally crazy on my cheat day and eat fast food or wings and a ton of beer with cheese fries. Now I can't even think about eating fast food without wanting to puke! I do still love my beer and wings though, but no more cheese fries and not as much beer. So my cheat days are much healthier than they used to be. For example, yesterday I went about 300 cals over by having a beer with dinner and fro-yo for dessert.
  • ladyark
    ladyark Posts: 1,101 Member
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    I dont believe in " cheat DAYS" . I think that is not productive to what you are trying to achieve. However , i think a meal or snack or two once a week isisnt too bad and i will usually try to make it still semi healthy. If i want a burger i wont get fries or dessert etc. To me its not worth it to waste the calories on crap nutrition when i know its no good for me and probably going to make me feel like crap also.

    I have my days though where a cupcake just calls my name and i answer that call ( usually regret it later though). So its totally up to you what you want to put into your body and what your goals are.
  • citygirl04
    citygirl04 Posts: 286 Member
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    Mine is Friday but sometimes depending on my stress level I may have more than one. I'm going to try to stick to Fridays from now on though. I just have to get a little more pro-active about it.

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