Do you have a cheat day?

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angellakh
angellakh Posts: 21
in Food and Nutrition
I heard that having one day a week for a cheat day is a good thing, I want Saturdays to be my cheat day,

What do you eat on cheat days? Everything you wouldn't normally? I could really use a pepsi today.

Tell me about your cheat days
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Replies

  • Denjo060
    Denjo060 Posts: 1,008
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    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
  • BelindaDuvessa
    BelindaDuvessa Posts: 1,014 Member
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    I don't have cheat days. I eat whatever, but try to eat in moderation at all times. I did have a binge day the other day, not meaning to. I just, couldn't get myself to feel full. I also wasn't going to log one day, but after 2.5 months of logging diligently, I went back today and logged it. I do still drink Dr Pepper, although that's one of the things I really need to put down and not touch any more. I've realized these last 2 months just how many of my calories I waste on the stuff, and since I can't drink diet, I have no choice but to just stop drinking it all together.
  • selig0730
    selig0730 Posts: 509 Member
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    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
  • snpaxson
    snpaxson Posts: 1
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    What I do is set a specific goal for myself and if I make my goal I can have something I want. For example my goal was to lose 2 pounds by a set a date and if I made my goal I could have a bag of M&M's. I made my goal and ate 1/3 of the bag and gave the rest to my husband. Hahaha. It's ok to "cheat" every once in a while as long as you still track and see what's going in your body. That's one of the reasons I don't like cheating. I feel that my calories are better used eating something healthy. Good luck to you. :)
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    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.
  • lovelyMYlovely
    lovelyMYlovely Posts: 1,066 Member
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    My cheat days are everyday! but I eat in moderation... You will be surprised how much junk food you can eat. I have a 1200 caloire goal and when I was sticking with it I did great! But now I have been going over by a couple hundred calories or so.. its bad.. I wil start to get back on my game soon though, I once had a real cheat day where I didnt care what I ate and I went over 1000 calories!!!ah!!! so 2200 total in a day!! anyways I felt horrible after that and it actually sets you back alot... just eat a little of what you want...
    :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I HATE the phrase cheat meal...

    I have treats, but for me this is a healthy lifestyle so there is no such thing as cheating!
  • Bernadettetoo
    Bernadettetoo Posts: 97
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    I have a "Faturday" once a month. Usually pizza, hot wings, or french fries. I try to get in a little more exercise to make up for some of it.
  • Moshebelle1
    Moshebelle1 Posts: 23
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    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.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    No, I really don't. Who would I be cheating on? Myself - that's who! Why would I do that? If I want something, I fit it into my calorie budget and/or do extra exercise for it.

    However, I do take "no logging" days, mainly because I don't want to be stuck with logging for the rest of my life, also because I work on the computer most days of my life. When I don't have to work, I don't want to get near this damn thing!

    I'm actively trying to get to a point where I know how much food is appropriate. I practice eyeballing my portions, then I weigh/measure them to check myself. My eye is getting pretty good.
  • cindl24
    cindl24 Posts: 178
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    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.
  • bailey490
    bailey490 Posts: 6 Member
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    I don't plan cheat days for myself really. There will be days when I might be out with friends or something and we're going out to eat or the movies and I think to myself "This is going to be a bad calorie day"...but that doesn't stop me from enjoying myself. My doctor once said to me when I told her I was having some bad calorie days, "Just because today is a bad day, doesn't mean tomorrow can't be a good day." Which is very true.

    I also tend to let myself "cheat" a little on days I've worked out since the calorie goal changes a bit I think, "Well maybe I will get Wendy's tonight"...or whatever treat I've been craving. Otherwise I just do what it takes to stay within my calorie intake goal.
  • Subowski
    Subowski Posts: 71
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    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.....
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    I HATE the phrase cheat meal...

    I have treats, but for me this is a healthy lifestyle so there is no such thing as cheating!
    Well said!
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
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    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.
  • phyllio77
    phyllio77 Posts: 192 Member
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    I generally set aside two days a month where I can eat what ever I want. Generally at a restaurant I will order an app and maybe even have dessert.

    However the last few times I had my 'cheat' day..my app was a garden salad and my dessert was fruit.

    I believe as long as you do not over due it...you are good to go! Smart choices and you are set!
  • phyllio77
    phyllio77 Posts: 192 Member
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    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.
  • jeleclekat
    jeleclekat Posts: 124 Member
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    I don't have cheat days - I eat basically what I want - BUT I work it into my calorie goal for the day. IF it would put me over (which so far it hasn't) I think I would then look at my overall calories for the week, and see how much I was under for the week and if it fit in, then I'd be OK. This has got to be a plan of eating that you can live with the rest of your life. Are you going to give up pizzas, burgers, cake, etc, or learn how to work it in? Easier to work it in and learn moderation. I used to think that eating a fast food meal was cheating until I saw that it could fit in calorie goal, (and it does have meat, veggies and bread - your food pyramis.lol ) so it wasn't so bad.
  • HardLocker
    HardLocker Posts: 12 Member
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    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 :)
  • Casfarren
    Casfarren Posts: 26 Member
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    I don't think of it as a "cheat day" because that implies some kind of hidden action that I should feel guilty about! I have made the conscious decision that Sundays are my days off! I don't have to go to work....i don't go to the gym...I don't count calories. I spend the day enjoying my time with my friends and family at church. It is my guilt free day! I'm not saying that I go gorge myself on all the sweets I can find! Obviously I can't forget about how I am treating my body, but I just don't allow myself to feel guilty about something I make the decision to eat. I find this allows me to enjoy things that might not fit into my daily allotment during the week without feeling like I am depriving myself!

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