Do you log food on your cheat days?

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  • Kikilicious84
    Kikilicious84 Posts: 312
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    Yeah...I log it to see how much I "cheated"
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,575 Member
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    I do...even though it's a cheat day, seeing my calories makes me cheat a lot less than normal :) Enjoy your cheat day!


    ^^this
  • itsmyvwbeetle
    itsmyvwbeetle Posts: 272 Member
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    I log mine too. Just helps me keep my "cheat" days in check. I have a couple days last week I went over on calories. One was my birthday and one was a "I wanted those nachos and cheese" days. Anyway, it helps to look back and see that those 2 days didnt kill me.
  • airbent
    airbent Posts: 150 Member
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    I've tried it both ways. But I feel like it's not really "cheating" if you log it and hold yourself accountable and make yourself pay for it later, etc...that's just torture and takes the whole fun out of it. Dieting is weird enough for me already because while I want to keep losing, I don't like feeling ashamed or bad about the things I eat. It's psychologically bad for me. I love food and I think at any size it's okay to enjoy food and not constantly punish yourself.

    Sometimes "cheating" means taking a day or a half-day off from logging because obsessing over every morsel isn't healthy for everyone. It doesn't mean you're lying to yourself or cheating yourself--it doesn't even mean you won't get a loss at the end of the week! (far from it.) There's a big difference between taking a mental health day and falling completely off the wagon.

    I stalled for a few weeks last month and once I loosened up a little, the weight started dropping steadily again. Do what works for you.
  • gldnlark
    gldnlark Posts: 53
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    Yes, I typically log my cheat days. It helps me keep track of the effects of my actions - or inaction's. It also makes me hesitate on my next cheat day and maybe eat a little less or cutback in other meals as not to completely destroy the count for the day. To me, there is no point in not being honest on our logs. We are only lying to ourselves and this can hurt our progress if we can't face the consequences of our actions.
  • jensfitpal2012
    jensfitpal2012 Posts: 145 Member
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    I log on cheat days to hold me accountable.The one thing I try to do even on a cheat day is use portion control,order the dessert,but eat 1/2.It's even more of a shocker when you see what 1/2 came too,keeps me honest when I am not cheating. Besides,they say everything in moderation is better.:)
  • konekkobaba
    konekkobaba Posts: 36
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    Cheat! BUT be honest with yourself..if you need to have the good stuff, listen to your body!! but being accountable is important for the big picture of why you are on MFP.
  • Impy84
    Impy84 Posts: 430
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    yes indeed.
    i can cheat and not be a complete greedy monkey and logging helps me remember that
  • Scorpioangel
    Scorpioangel Posts: 951 Member
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    Yes - because I log for me and just want to track things and plus, the body keeps a record of everything anyways so might as well :)
  • LethelW8
    LethelW8 Posts: 24
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    True story.
    Logged my last cheat day and found out that I was over by exactly the large chocolate chip cookie I had (my favorite food ever). The good thing is that my body was comfortable with my typical non-cheat calorie intake as I was more than full that entire day. The interesting thing is that the cookie wasn't as satisfying as it once would have been (I actually felt rather unpleasant after eating it). The better thing is that it was a cheat day so I didn't feel guilty for eating the so amazingly delicious cookie (did I mention how utterly lovely it was?). The educational thing was logging it in a day or so later and learning just how not-so-good it was to me. No guilt, but a lesson to take home the next time I'm dying for a cookie.
  • odellanna
    odellanna Posts: 2 Member
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    Yep, I do and I did--today as a matter of fact. Next time I want to schedule a cheat day---I think I would eat more wisely than just having a bad day and eating everything in sight.
  • nixism
    nixism Posts: 258 Member
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    I try not to cheat fullstop. But in saying that when I have a bit of a blow out or a "bad" choice of meal (ie take away etc), then I ALWAYS log it - it helps me look at the day and think "was that burger really worth 800 cals???" or whatever...
    Makes you accountable!
  • DexterDarko
    DexterDarko Posts: 235
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    Well, I don't cheat on purpose. I've only cheated a couple times so far.

    I'll have gone the entire day as a good, healthy day in diet, but then I'll just go and eat whatever I find tastes the best, and eat alot of it. And I'm never even hungry. I don't know why I do it, but I guess I was more addicted to food then I thought. But I haven't done that in a while.
  • HisangelG
    HisangelG Posts: 96 Member
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    I log on my cheat days because I need to know how I'm doing. I have noticed that I struggle to eat over 1200 calories (My goal is 1850 each day)...so for me, the cheat days aren't really cheating. I was desperately craving chicken wings and garlic cheese bread last week, so I had some, plus soda. I don't feel bad at all for doing it. I figure once in a blue moon isn't going to hurt me, and as long as I continue to struggle to reach my daily calorie goal, it won't hurt me either. I can afford the little extras right now.

    Have to say, it has been interesting to notice that I don't eat near as much as I thought I did. What I used to eat though was so processed and junk food. Keeping a log regardless of what I eat is helping me to see my eating patterns more clearly. (TOM came to visit last week, cravings for protein and ice-cream came last week also. Have noticed this trend for awhile now.)
  • lambchristie
    lambchristie Posts: 552 Member
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    I had one of those days...we had an event to go to and although I didn't go over board, I didn't stay on track and was almost afraid to log (at first I wasn't going to) and at the end of the day ... it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Logging does help keep you on track, even on your cheat/off days. Good luck!
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
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    I do...even though it's a cheat day, seeing my calories makes me cheat a lot less than normal :) Enjoy your cheat day!


    Same here, I log them and am shocked. Now I don't have a cheat day it on the rare occasion :smile:
  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
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    Yeah
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
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    I do refeed days, and I log them. But my refeed days may have nothing to do with going over on calories. It may be something like mcdonalds fries, or subway steak, bacon, egg flatbread footlong sandwhich, or an entire day of eating nothing but tapioca made with real cream, or whatever. And I typically make notes, so I know now, no matter how delicious I find those fries I'm going to feel miserable for days and its not worth it, but a day of full fat tapioca and I feel great and ready to go back to it with no I'll effects. And the subway I just have to moderate my sodium and try to up my potassium.

    So heck yeah I log, because thats the only way to keep track of anything to find out whether that "cheat" (and I really dislike that term, because I'm rather purposeful with mine) is actually worth it. I have a whole list.
  • mauiwalker
    mauiwalker Posts: 3
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    add every bite, good - bad- or ugly, it helps you see what you crave, any patterns and ultimately what you can and want to do without or change to a healthier version. Keep up the good job.
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
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    If you have a cheat day you should also have a 1000 cal burn day just as often I think. I would log them both.

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