Cheat days??? do you have one or not?

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  • amandat_79
    amandat_79 Posts: 221 Member
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    I don't do a cheat day/meal - I have a TREAT meal once a week. I'm not on a diet, this is the way I will live my life from now on, but I deserve a treat once and a while. I pick something I don't typically have but that I've been craving - tonight is a Tim Hortons coffee and a wrap. I work it in to my calories for the day but if I go over a bit I just work out harder the next day. I make this meal on Friday nights because I weigh in Friday mornings and I have the rest of the week to eat like a champ :)
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
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    NO, I find it sets me up to cheat even more.

    If I go out for dinner I will allow myself to have whatever I like without going overboard then the next meal I'm back to counting. I only allow myself a cheat meal very occassionally.

    All other little treats like chocolate etc, have to fit into my daily cal allowance
  • ddesc036
    ddesc036 Posts: 3 Member
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    1 planned 'guilt-free' meal per week. if you don't have the willpower to get back on track after that one meal, i would say don't do it until you are at the point you do have the willpower.

    I see it this way too. It's not cheating, it's guilt-free. I decided that I will not diet. I will be as active as possible and eat what I would like to eat in moderation (every day). Instead of committing to a diet, I am committing to a lifestyle change. That said, every weekend we have bacon and eggs. I don't eat toast (we rarely have bread in the house anyway), and I limit myself to how many pieces of bacon I have (usually 3 or 4 halves, so 2 whole pieces maximum). I never feel guilty for eating a breakfast that is higher in calories.
  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
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    Cheat is not a helpful word. Think of it as a maintenance day, eating enough calories to maintain your weight only, practice for how you are going to eat when you are done losing weight.
  • KAR1959
    KAR1959 Posts: 4,276 Member
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    In order to continue on a successful weight loss journey, my goal is moderation. If I want something I usually eat it but within my daily calorie goal. I'm not "dieting" this is a lifestyle change.
  • LisaGirlfriend
    LisaGirlfriend Posts: 493 Member
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    Nope, don’t do cheat days. If I did, it would throw me off entirely. Don’t even do cheat meals. I eat enough calories in my day to allow for what I want more or less. If I’m eating out, I’ll ensure a bigger workout that day. For example, Saturday night I’m going to my favourite steak restaurant. I know I’m going to eat probably close to 1000 calories in that one meal, so I will work out during the day, harder and longer than I usually would. Plus I’m going dancing after dinner so the sky’s the limit. Some would consider that meal a ‘cheat meal’. I consider it planning accordingly!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    cheating tells my brain im breaking a rule and doing something wrong

    but i make my own rules
  • dschassie
    dschassie Posts: 192 Member
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    I don't consider what I am doing to be a diet. Those have never worked for me in the past. So, I don't have a cheat day per say, but I did not eliminate anything from what I eat, just don't eat some things as much as I used to. I may eat fast food (no fries) once a week, or something, but I don't go over my cal limit. When I eliminated anything from my diet, my cheat days would be gross over indulgences of those things which I eliminated, normally making me feel sick.

    This is true for me as well. I have not eliminated carbs and sugar for example, I just eat it in moderation. I am a sucker for ice cream and I eat it 2-3 times a week. On those days, I just make sure to balance the other meals and make sure to get a good work out in. I just recently celebrated my half way point with a dinner out with friends and although I had fun eating a larger quantity of food than what I usually do, I had a tummy ache pretty fast and felt horrible about it the next day. No more "diversions" for me!!!!!
  • RipperSB
    RipperSB Posts: 315 Member
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    Said it before and I'll say it again:

    I do not believe in the concept of "cheat days". If you bite it, you write it. If you want to eat something, eat it, log it and move on with no regrets! IMHO, it's only cheating if you do not log it.
  • schicksa
    schicksa Posts: 123 Member
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    Most of the programs I've been on while training have allowed for one cheat day here and there. When first starting, one day every 2 weeks. When further into it, 1 day every two weeks and one CHEAT meal twice within that two weeks (preferable spread out). Helps to reward yourself and break things up, stay mentally focused, etc. Hope that helps!
  • claritarejoice
    claritarejoice Posts: 461 Member
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    No.

    Most of the responses in this thread do not sound like cheating. Calling a cookie, piece of chocolate, small fries or a piece of pizza cheating does not seem helpful. I believe I eat very healthy which can include all of the above food. I almost always fit it into my calories and macros. I am a foodie and I eat quality things that I enjoy. For example I wouldn't eat McDonald's because I don't enjoy it. But I received a box of Sees truffles for Christmas and I plan to enjoy them, and its not cheating if it fits in my daily cals or even goes over cals but is still a deficit below maintenance cals. I don't crave things and I don't feel deprived. I eat appropriate portions so for instance 4 ounces of steak at a restaurant only instead of the whole piece, or a half cup of rice at home instead of 2 cups.
  • OnMyWeigh464
    OnMyWeigh464 Posts: 447 Member
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    Yes I do. And while I don't pig out the whole day (I use to) I will allow myself one "indulgence" so whether it's a meal or just a snack, I eat it, enjoy it, then move on...
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
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    theres no cheat days in my life. I eat it if it fits within my limits that I have set for myself. If I know Im going out with friends or dinner & drink etc - i'll work extra hard during my workout.

    I don't restrict myself or I find myself craving and being unhappy and miserable and that's not what this is about :)
  • Kelley528
    Kelley528 Posts: 319 Member
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    I dont do cheat days. I just plan out my days really well on special occasions.

    Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years---all those occasions revolved around one main meal. I just planned my other two meals really well, still ate my cake, cookies, or whatever other treats I wanted, I just didnt eat them in excess or ridiculous portions.

    I have recently upped my calories. I am pretty sure on Thanksgiving i was still set for 1200 calories. If thats the case, I probably gave myself a little freedom---not more than 1500. I dont know if you call that a cheat day. I didnt look at it like one. I still didnt gain any weight that week and if I were in maintenance I'd be eating 1760. In my head that balanced out.
  • essaryswife73
    essaryswife73 Posts: 81 Member
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    My husband andI have a standing "date night" when he has a weekend day off. Tomorrow will be our first date night since starting our healthy eating/weight loss journey. I'm not sure how it's going to go, but I know I'm going to NOT order as big a meal as I did before. I know I do way better sticking to a healthy eating plan if I don't deprive myself of things I really want, I just eat a small amount of them.
  • IslandRider
    IslandRider Posts: 244
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    Nope. If I want something I pretty much eat it, I just eat the amount of it that fits into my goals for that day.
  • sblake204
    sblake204 Posts: 458 Member
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    Yes!! I definitely have a day of the week where i will do a cheat meal.
    Every now and then i might cheat during the week, but I try really hard not to make it an entire day, regardless of it fitting into my calorie goal or not!
  • Scottish_charlene_84
    Scottish_charlene_84 Posts: 986 Member
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    Yip, I have every sat off and i stuff my face on all the things ive craved during the week:happy:
  • cloza12
    cloza12 Posts: 68 Member
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    I have a cheat meal. For me the hardest is the weekend when hubby is home all day but I allow myself mostly Saturday dinner to have a meal of whatever I want. If I crave something during the week I have a little. It works for me.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    I don't have cheat days, I have double workout days.

    It's not any given day of the week but if we decide to go out or I decide to make ice cream or knock back a few, then I make sure I'm still at a deficit.

    Most of the time when I have a bunch of calories its a whole lot of food and not a whole lot of junk food.

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