Do you have a cheat day?

Have a Pepsi if you want it will not kill you, but if you are going to have a cheat day its best to eat what you want before 2 or 3 pm and try not to go over 1000 calories that you usually eat and yes I do have cheat days and it is usually chinese food or pizza

I hate cheat days except for special occasions like couple days a year.im here to lose weight so I just eat whatever the other days and log them in

I have a cheat day once a month but it's no big deal. All it ever amounts to is takeout food for dinner and most of the time I don't even think we go over our calories.

We were ordering takeout 3 or 4 nights of the week -- it was insane -- so we had to be so strict in the beginning to break the habit. But honestly, our dinners are really delicious now and the pizza, Chinese, whatever-food just doesn't taste as good these days so once a month is still working out pretty well even if it's for a totally different reason now.

I usually do a "cheat" meal once a week, often going out for dinner once on the weekend. I try not to go off my plan unless I have to because of a family or social event. Cheating on one meal a week hasn't affected my progress but I think an entire day of eating the wrong foods would. It's a personal preference though I think.

I have been so long without eating a regular "sugar" treat now that I don't want to mess myself up by going back. That being said, I have found lots of great alternatives, like sugar-free pudding, jello, fruits, etc. (And now my new sugar-free low carb pumpkin pie) A few months ago I was eating some trail mix and popped a M&M into my mouth, thinking it was a raisin. It was so incredibly sweet that I didn't like it. I couldn't believe it! I am a confirmed sweets lover. You don't get my size tushie without eating a few sweets along the way, after all.

I also have fear driving me. My family has a history of diabetes and my uncle died from complications of the disease. He was a big burly mountain man, but by the time he passed, he had lost both his legs, was on the way to losing his arms and had been on dialysis for 7 years. All because he didn't follow a proper diet. He did everything wrong. I found out I was pre-diabetic and it scared the heck out of me. Now after being low carb, my A1C levels are normal and well below the pre-diabetic mark. When tempted by a treat, I just think of my uncle and that treat doesn't look so good to me anymore.

When I lost 30lbs on WW a few years back (have piled it back on since, sadly), every Monday night after I weighed in I would scoff about 3 of my favourite chocolate bars (anything up to about 1000 cals in one sitting)!! Gross, but satisfied my yearning for the stuff and the only real effect it had was to slow down the loss a little. And of course, it proves that I never broke the habit.

These days I try not to have "cheat days" as such, as my binge habit mean I'll probably go waaay overboard......in my 8 years of trying to lose this weight, I have previously logged EVERYTHING (even the 2000 calorie binges), but I've learned with these tracking sites that it gives me a gigantic visual mountain to climb to get back on track. Then I feel like I've failed, so I might as well forget the whole thing and feed my face until I can start a new calorie week.

This time, I am trying to keep everything in moderation - so I may eat something stupid, but I try not to turn it into a "binge" and also opt not to log it (this week, after an especially stressful day, it was angel cake) - but by not letting it interfere with my diary, I almost "forget" I've done it and get straight back to healthy choices without getting all worked-up and defeatist about it.

I'm not really cheating myself.....I'm not foolish enough to kid myself that I haven't eaten it (my oesophageal spasms and raging reflux are enough to remind me I'm an idiot), it's just a way of not letting one poor choice dictate the rest of my week.....

I don't but then I have not taken anything out of my diet. If I want it and it fits in my calories for the day I have it. I have found for me this way of thinking has broken me of the feelings of guilt over food. Now, do I drink the glass of wine I would like to every night, no. Mainly because I am trying to get all my nutrients in and I workout hard so some of things I used to love just aren't worth the extra work I would have to do to get them in. I no longer binge on the forbidden food because nothing is forbidden. Last week I had filet mignon, a baked potato with butter and sour cream, a salad, a peice of bread and a cup of French onion broth in one meal. Do I eat like that everyday? No. Was I cheating? No. I worked out that morning ate a really healthy breakfast and lunch and still stayed under my calorie goal. I am done dieting,I just want to live the best life I can.

I don't but then I have not taken anything out of my diet. If I want it and it fits in my calories for the day I have it. I have found for me this way of thinking has broken me of the feelings of guilt over food. Now, do I drink the glass of wine I would like to every night, no. Mainly because I am trying to get all my nutrients in and I workout hard so some of things I used to love just aren't worth the extra work I would have to do to get them in. I no longer binge on the forbidden food because nothing is forbidden. Last week I had filet mignon, a baked potato with butter and sour cream, a salad, a peice of bread and a cup of French onion broth in one meal. Do I eat like that everyday? No. Was I cheating? No. I worked out that morning ate a really healthy breakfast and lunch and still stayed under my calorie goal. I am done dieting,I just want to live the best life I can.

Amazing..well stated...one of the biggest lessons learned is feeling of guilt over food.

THERE IS NO CHEAT DAY . a cheat day for me is when I don't count macros and calories. I eat whatever I want everyday BUT I hit my daily macro requirements and my daily caloric intake and still lose weight because I am on a deficit.

Remember: the body doesn't know the names of the food you eat . the body knows only nutrient breakdown and calories. so THERE IS NO CHEAT DAY

No, but I occasionally have a treat here & there. I have sushi @ least twice a month.
As long as I am eating the right foods & I will once in a while have something not terribly healthy. I don't do it all the time, or go on a food bender. I work it into my day, and enjoy it. If you deprive yourself all the time that can lead to behavior that is destructive, just my opinion.
I understand the theory of cheat days, I just wonder if we are fixing our brains when we "cheat"?
You aren't going to live without your favorite foods forever, you just find a fit for them!

I really dislike the phrasing "cheat day" and "cheat meal". It implies I'm doing something bad, which I'm not. As someone else said, this is real life and sometimes a craving just has to be satisfied. I do my best to keep my indulgences to a reasonable amount, but meh... stuff happens sometimes.

I sort of have cheat days. I like to have some really good bread, wine and occasional pizza or wings as a special treat. i try not to do that more than once a week. My husband is very good and has a cheat meal every other week or so if we go out to a restaurant or if he wants a couple beers with the game. He has lost 30 lbs. I have lost 2 in a year. why is it so much easier for men?

It's not really cheating if I am following the rules I made for myself......

Which basically, as long as I don't really go over my "weekly calorie goal" it's all good.

So if I know I have a special event or am planning a higher calorie dinner or my son makes cupcakes.... I just exercise a bit more and eat a bit less the days or 2 before or after.
Once a month we have a game night with homemade pizza and friends bring snacks.
Once or twice a month my husband treats us to Steak and Shake or Panera.
Once a month my son makes a super yummy dessert.

I personally don't believe in doing cheat days, I would just go crazy and out of control and undo my hard work thinking "I really do deserve pizza and McDonalds". I practice everything in moderation.