I cheated today

xmradio123
xmradio123 Posts: 27
in Motivation and Support
I have been doing great for 10 days, perfect under my calorie goal. But today I had a piece of pizza and a pizza roll from pizza hut along with ranch. I was 400 calories over today. Is this bad?
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Replies

  • craignev
    craignev Posts: 1,247 Member
    Don't beat yourself up about it. Just keep it extra clean tomorrow and get right back on track.
  • Chibea
    Chibea Posts: 363 Member
    You will be fine. Progress not perfection. You are here, working hard, making progress toward your goal. This extra calorie day will be a tiny blip on your journey. The worst thing you can do is take it as a failure and sabotage your success....I know all about that reaction unfortunately. Leave it behind you and make tomorrow a great day.
  • Amber1070
    Amber1070 Posts: 106 Member
    It's ok. Just get back on track. It happens to all of us. 1 bad day won't ruin the week if you rebound right away to eating good. Consider burning off the extra calories over the following days.
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
    Could be worse, could be one over day in three.

    But it's too early to tell.

    After 100 days, see how many you went over and how much closer to your fitness/health goals you've got. If you're satisfied, great, if not, change something.
  • squirrelythegreat
    squirrelythegreat Posts: 158 Member
    I went out to the bar after work. Then ate out. 700 calories over yesterday, and today is a new day. All part of the overall plan of enjoying life along the way. Deprivation gets you nowhere. You'll be fine :)
  • xmradio123
    xmradio123 Posts: 27
    Thanks everyone. I appreciate it. Is it okay to cheat once in a while?
  • dreamer2452
    dreamer2452 Posts: 22 Member
    I have 1 cheat day a week. It helps me indulge a lil and I don't feel deprived
  • Adelaidekempf
    Adelaidekempf Posts: 8
    Of cause it is. You are only human and and you have to let go once in a blue moon but just remember not to go crazy. Don't let too many extra kcal enter you plan. Keep it up and have a lovely weekend. :smile:
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    It depends on how you did for the rest of the day, and really the rest of the week. If you went under most days throughout the week, then you really would have extra calories to splurge. I, sometimes go under by 100-200 calories, and other days eat all my calories. Also, it's ok to go over and splurge on a meal once in a while, but you really shouldn't go crazy, like 1,000 calories in a meal or something, which is not that hard to do. However....IT HAPPENS. Don't beat yourself up over it. Take it 1 week at a time. Just know that you probably won't gain anything, but you likely won't lose either. Just take it as a lesson learned, and think of how you can do better next time. For instance, you could have started the meal off with a side salad and drank a tall glass of water before your meal, so that your fuller, and won't eat as much. Also, if you're going to go fast food, and know it will be fattening, allow yourself to have the pizza, but nothing extra. Or if you want a cheeseburger from mcdonalds, that's fine, but no fries, or fries, but no cheeseburger, for like a snack. Either way, if you went overboard, don't beat yourself up, like I said. Start fresh tomorrow...it's a new day! :D
  • rustvaar
    rustvaar Posts: 11 Member
    As everyone has said before me; a lapse is a lapse, don't feel bad for it - acknowledge it and move on.
    The best way to "grant yourself a cheat" is to work for it beforehand.

    Every Friday I go to lunch with my workmates and every Friday it's guaranteed we'll be eating somewhere unhealthy. I don't rest on my laurels and accept I'll be eating bad stuff; I work harder in and longer in the gym to accommodate for it. I certainly don't restrict myself or go hungry and I'd hate to wind up becoming anti-social with my workmates so I have to work harder to enjoy what they take for granted.

    If you ever lapse and eat over your limit you need to remember that tomorrow is a new day - you do not starve yourself the next day as "punishment" - keep eating, keep working out, keep your eye on the end goal not the road-bump you just sped over!

    Best of luck :)
  • sugarlips1980
    sugarlips1980 Posts: 361 Member
    It's not bad...it's not even ok...it's GOOD! Eating clean and within cals for 10 days and then enjoying a treat is not a failure to many people on here, it's how they stick to their plan long term. If you're like me, if you deny yourself entirely you could be at risk of giving up or going on a major binge. It was actually a eureka moment for me when I realised I could lose weight, make permanent healthy changes and have treats once in a while too!
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    Thanks everyone. I appreciate it. Is it okay to cheat once in a while?

    It all depends on you! Just know, that if you have a really bad cheat day, or more than one cheat day in a week, you are not going to lose, for that week. Doesn't necessarily mean you'll gain, either, it depends on how often you cheated, and how badly. Try to use some portion control. We all need to be able to eat the foods we love sometimes, though. If we don't then we'll lose all control when we do finally get to eat them! Remember, this is for forever, not just a few months. So if it's not likely that you can go forever without eating a favorite food of yours, make sure that you include it once in a while.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    You are on 1200 calories normally right? If you had only 400 more it is putting you closer to where you should be eating for a 19 year old male.
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
    I don't understand why people call it 'cheating.' Maybe it's an American English thing. It's cheating if you eat 2000 cals but log 1500 and pretend it didn't happen, but that's not what's going on here.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    @goron59
    We call it cheating because it mean's "going out on" "outside the limits of".;...something like that. Not meaning like to cheat at poker or try to trick anyone.

    More in the sense of cheating on a relationship, like going outside the allowed parameters of what we are allowed to indulge in or make part of our routine.
  • shirleycooke35
    shirleycooke35 Posts: 26
    We all slip occasionally - log it and carry on!
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    Don't beat yourself up about it. Just keep it extra clean tomorrow and get right back on track.

    Get your sweat on tomorrow!!!!
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    You are on 1200 calories normally right? If you had only 400 more it is putting you closer to where you should be eating for a 19 year old male.

    This ^^
  • xmradio123
    xmradio123 Posts: 27
    Yes, you're right. A "cheat" day was needed to cure my cravings. I call it cheat because you really are cheating yourself from your diet. Not sure why people have to critic me on how I use my words.. oh well
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    You ate more because your body needed more. Up your calories so you can lose weight the healthy way my friend :)
  • dee_bee
    dee_bee Posts: 36
    Firstly, well done on taking the first step.

    I don't have cheat days.

    I don't diet.

    I'd rather make CHOICES than cheat. I CHOOSE to have that chocolate mudcake with strawberries and cream or I CHOOSE to have that slice of pizza. And you know what, tonight I had both. Homemade pizza (496 cals) and that delicious dessert (300 cals.) It's just all about moderation and learning to control your portion sizes.

    I 100% admit that I have days where I don't make the best choices food-wise, but that's all part of the journey. It helps you keep your sanity.

    I am never going to give up all of life's luxuries so why would I do it now? I am making sustainable changes to my lifestyle that I can, and will, be able to continue for the rest of my life.
  • roguex_1979
    roguex_1979 Posts: 247 Member
    HAHAHA! 400 cals over 1200? That's not a cheat! That's sensible, unless it was pure fatty stuff.

    As some others have said, don't beat yourself up. I have found that I've been eating more and still losing weight because my body couldn't handle 1200 cals a day and so I would not lose anything.

    And as others have said, a planned 'cheat day' can be good. I have one a week, and I don't intentionally over indulge, but I do have something that I've been craving, like KFC or Burger King. It helps me to feel that I'm not depriving myself because this isn't a diet, this is a lifestyle change, and having 'cheat days' will always happen!

    And well done so far!
  • briznik
    briznik Posts: 32 Member
    I've started treating my calorie goals as a weekly thing, rather than a daily thing. Makes life so much easier and from a pure mathematical (in-out) point of view works just as well.

    By all means go over every once in a while, especially if you enjoy it :-)
  • choncho007
    choncho007 Posts: 20 Member
    What I do is I have one "Bad Day" a week. I personally don't plan a specific day it just usually happens. I am always over on that day but you know what:? I love it!! It helps me stay good and on track the rest of the week and I just usually add another 30 min workout somewhere in my week. I would not be able to diet well without this and I still hit my 2 pounds lost a week.
  • lambchoplewis
    lambchoplewis Posts: 797
    Happens to most of us!!! Happens to me about once per month. I usually end up in a full blown binge - sorry to say. Yesterday for the first time, I almost started a binge but stopped - a VICTORY!! I was bored and hungry and had a protein bar (love them), veggies and one scoop of p'butter. Sat down and thought about how I would feed tomorrow - like crap. I went and took a long bath in middle of day, sat in the bed and relaxed. Time passed and so did mood to eat.

    Nothing tastes as good as being thin.
  • CherishQuick
    CherishQuick Posts: 145
    Wow! I feel the same way. Thanks for this.
  • f1ctional
    f1ctional Posts: 235
    It was good to read this. I feel somewhat better about my pizza hut overdose last night :/
  • metacognition
    metacognition Posts: 626 Member
    Don't worry about a mere 400 calories if it happens once.

    If you are losing a pound a week then you are creating a deficit of 3,500 calories. 400 isn't so much in that context.

    You can add in an extra exercise day to your schedule and burn off that number, if you want.

    (feeling less guilty about that Chik Fil A sandwich from yesterday...)
  • wickedbrunette
    wickedbrunette Posts: 12
    I have a "cheat dinner" once a week, usually on the weekend. Last night I had 4 slices of pizza from pizza hut. I was very satisfied. I try not to have entire cheat days because then I feel gross. Now for the next 6 days I will be at or under my calorie goals.
  • themrs3
    themrs3 Posts: 1 Member
    you need a cheat day -to help keep your cravings at bay and as motivation to do well the rest of the week. However, soon, I think you'll see that you won't even want to have a "cheat day" because you'll want to make good choices because they make you feel good.

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