Cheat day?

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  • Richie2shoes
    Richie2shoes Posts: 412 Member
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    My cheat day is typically Sunday. I still log all the calories, I just don't worry about the numbers. Typically it will involve going out to breakfast, french toast or pancakes and a couple slices of pizza for dinner. Oddly enough I don't always exceed my calorie limit and if I do, I rarely use up any "surplus" from the days prior. I still find myself making better choices when I do splurge. We ordered chinese last week and I skipped the dumplings and got won-ton soup, I got the steamed seafood delight with the sauce on the side instead of something fried. Even pizza has changed - thin crust, all veggies and ham instead of a regular crust, extra cheese, pepperoni and sausage.

    This weekend will be a little tougher because we are going out to eat Saturday night and Sunday night, but I've been reviewing the menus on line and have made some good choices.
  • mamaleftwich
    mamaleftwich Posts: 256 Member
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    I personally don't do "cheat" days. I have been doing this for almost an entire year and it's a "lifestyle" change. The only things that I completely cut out of my lifestyle is deep-fried foods, very little bread, pasta, rice and potatoes and I'm a huge "cake" eater so I've cut back on that as well. Everything else, I eat but I do it with portion control. If I want chips, I don't take the entire bag, I take the allotted serving size and put them in a bowl. I log everything that I eat and if I know that I'm going out to dinner or a party or something, I will modify my eating habits during the day so that I can order a nice dinner or enjoy the food at the party. It's trial and error but you will find what works for you! Good Luck on your journey!
  • Riemersma4
    Riemersma4 Posts: 400 Member
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    I don't have cheat days but i definitely have cheat meals and events.

    It's a journey. I try not to get too bent out of shape over individual moments but I keep an eye on the 'top line/trend'.

    Make sense?

    Good luck!
  • naterar
    naterar Posts: 48 Member
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    I agree with the cheat meals more that a cheat day as well. I usually go have Chinese or pizza but even with that I try to make the best choices. I usually get a Veggie Pizza or stick to the veggie dishes at the Chinese restaurant. I think to have these cheat meals or days are important, hey we are all human and to have these as a treat is not a bad thing or something anyone should feel bad about. I used to really beat myself up about it but now I just add a little extra cardio and move on. I try to look at the big picture and as long as I am hitting my workout and diet goals everything is good.
  • 4_Lisa
    4_Lisa Posts: 362 Member
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    I don't have a cheat day, if I'm craving something I have a little bit of it and log what I eat, I find that now that my body is detoxed from sugary crap I don't crave it nearly as much. When I want a chocolate bar, I have a protein bar instead (found some at Costco that are supper awesome and not chalky). I don't think you need to deprive yourself of something just to lose weight, it's a matter of moderation not deprevation.
  • rishonb
    rishonb Posts: 232
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    you definitely should enjoy at least one day out of the week...i found that cutting out on foods u love makes dieting so difficult. as we all know eating in moderation is the key.. as far as a cheat day i never had a whole day where iam just pigging out but whatever works for you, should be fine...you just gave me a great idea...i really want to pig out for super bowl Sunday without counting damn calories so iam going to go extra hard in the gym today and tomorrow and call Sunday my CHEAT DAY!!!!.. THANKS
  • CharMarieDavis
    CharMarieDavis Posts: 43
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    Something that is more satisfying? Losing weight! I have noticed that when I have a "cheat" then I crave it more and often times I eat the "cheat meal" and I feel unsatisfied! This is because your body has adjusted to eating healthier food. And the more bad things you give your body, the more it will crave it. I know most people on here say "I don't deprive my body of anything, etc" but each person is different. If you aren't feeling satisfied with what you are eating for your cheat meal...I simply wouldn't eat it. I would just continue your normal lifestyle regimen that you follow during the week. It sounds like you are very dedicated to this new lifestyle you have adapted, so I would go with it! No reason to have a cheat if you don't "NEED" it. :-)
  • czardastx
    czardastx Posts: 127 Member
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    I have two cheat meals. Middle of the week I have hot wings. I just recently started substituting veggies for the fries that come with the wings. Weekend is going out for breakfast. But even that can be healthy. Egg white omelet, and I control what, and how much, goes into the omelet, a few slices of bacon, a steak, fruit and to top it all off a small soft serve ice cream in a cone.

    Now, what to do when you want an alternative to something bad for you, like breads. I eat Ezekiel bread. It's supposed to be better for you, not so many bad carbs that make it hard to lose weight. I eat the 4:9. It's good, not like I thought it would be since it's not a traditional wheat or whole wheat bread. Fruits are good, in moderation, when you crave something sweet. Want something salty? Eat a pickle. Only about 10 calories. But watch the sodium, as you know they are HIGH in sodium. Almonds, whole natural, are good for you and are the 'good' type of fat. One or two ounces will satisfy that little hunger pang you get between meals.

    I'm just now getting into clean eating to help knock of the last few pounds of fat I have so I can have better definition and tone. I work out pretty much 7 days a week and I wasn't really getting anywhere, I hit a plateau. Well, starting cutting out a lot of fruit (those darn sugars and carbs) and lost a little over a pound in a week. I just had to force my body to start tapping those reserves of fat.

    Well, hope I helped. Good luck everyone with your goals.
  • SoySalva
    SoySalva Posts: 138
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    I don't have cheat days, I have learned to eat in moderation the foods I love everyday....this keeps me sane. As long as it fits in my calorie goal, I am good!
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    Have a meal of your choosing or perhaps wise a larger one of your healthy eating meals with some extra sauce or the like?
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    My personal trainer suggested I try a cheat meal once a week to give my metabolism a bit of a boost. I'm only allowed to have the cheat meal if i've had no crap at all for the rest of the week.

    This is my 2nd week trialling it. Last Sat I made a cheesecake for dessert. I think I might have a burger tomorrow (from a nice local café, not somewhere like McDo). I probably won't go over my calories, but it's something I wouldn't usually eat.

    I'm going to try this for a few weeks, and if it's not making any difference, I'll try upping my calories a bit.
  • elizcarman
    elizcarman Posts: 38
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    I get together with friends on Saturday nights and I eat whatever I want without going too crazy. I do extra exercise on Saturday mornings to help compensate in advance, but looking forward to my Saturday nights helps me get through the rest of the week.
  • Ewaldt
    Ewaldt Posts: 106 Member
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    I don't have a planned 'cheat day', but if a friend comes to town and we go out to dinner, I probably will not be counting my calories :) I also don't deny myself the foods that I am craving (within reason). For example, I am in love with ice cream, so I have some small packages of frozen yogurt in my freezer so when I really am wanting some, I can have some, and it won't destroy anything. It also helps to prevent total eating binges!
  • JessAilene86
    JessAilene86 Posts: 54 Member
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    Something that is more satisfying? Losing weight! I have noticed that when I have a "cheat" then I crave it more and often times I eat the "cheat meal" and I feel unsatisfied! This is because your body has adjusted to eating healthier food. And the more bad things you give your body, the more it will crave it. I know most people on here say "I don't deprive my body of anything, etc" but each person is different. If you aren't feeling satisfied with what you are eating for your cheat meal...I simply wouldn't eat it. I would just continue your normal lifestyle regimen that you follow during the week. It sounds like you are very dedicated to this new lifestyle you have adapted, so I would go with it! No reason to have a cheat if you don't "NEED" it. :-)

    Thank you for the positive words! I was just looking for some better food suggestions because I like to go out on Saturdays to eat and I was wondering what people chose if they decided to splurge or not. I'm definitely happy with my results so far and I feel like this is working for me. I clearly don't want to choose donuts or rolls , but trying to come up with something new or fun to try because I take going out for breakfast as my treat for the week. Like maybe a veggie omelet with cheese etc.
  • becky6m
    becky6m Posts: 108 Member
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    My doctor once told me that a cheat meal is ok. Not a day.... a MEAL one day a week. He told me drink water all day then for the one meal eat whatever you want.
  • kcrxgirl
    kcrxgirl Posts: 114 Member
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    Maybe find lower calorie options of the things you're craving? Instead of that dinner roll you've been eating, replace it with a 90 calorie Pillsbury crescent roll. Instead of the donut, try donut holes. You could eat 2 or 3 donut holes for 1/2 the calories (I'm guessing) and have it be just enough to satisfy that donut craving.

    I generally allow myself an extra 100-200 calories on Saturdays and Sundays. It's hard to meet the goals on the weekends when you're running around doing errands or activities with the family (or napping :wink:)
  • JessAilene86
    JessAilene86 Posts: 54 Member
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    I have two cheat meals. Middle of the week I have hot wings. I just recently started substituting veggies for the fries that come with the wings. Weekend is going out for breakfast. But even that can be healthy. Egg white omelet, and I control what, and how much, goes into the omelet, a few slices of bacon, a steak, fruit and to top it all off a small soft serve ice cream in a cone.

    Now, what to do when you want an alternative to something bad for you, like breads. I eat Ezekiel bread. It's supposed to be better for you, not so many bad carbs that make it hard to lose weight. I eat the 4:9. It's good, not like I thought it would be since it's not a traditional wheat or whole wheat bread. Fruits are good, in moderation, when you crave something sweet. Want something salty? Eat a pickle. Only about 10 calories. But watch the sodium, as you know they are HIGH in sodium. Almonds, whole natural, are good for you and are the 'good' type of fat. One or two ounces will satisfy that little hunger pang you get between meals.

    I'm just now getting into clean eating to help knock of the last few pounds of fat I have so I can have better definition and tone. I work out pretty much 7 days a week and I wasn't really getting anywhere, I hit a plateau. Well, starting cutting out a lot of fruit (those darn sugars and carbs) and lost a little over a pound in a week. I just had to force my body to start tapping those reserves of fat.

    Well, hope I helped. Good luck everyone with your goals.

    Awesome! Thank you for the suggestions!! I will definitely look into the Ezekiel bread. I appreciate your response in that you actually answered my question rather than criticizing me on how I choose to lose weight.
  • kcrxgirl
    kcrxgirl Posts: 114 Member
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    Also, have you read "Eat this, not that?" My husband and I think it's really helpful when going out to eat.
  • 712chris
    712chris Posts: 7
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    Okay, correction folks, when I said cheat day, I meant cheat meal. And also, no one is suggesting anything or answering my questions..

    The best answer is stop scheduling to cheat and stop eliminating specific foods. Eat healthy and stay in caloric deficit.
    If you slip or have a high calorie craving excercise to stay under your goal. If you can't and have a bad day jump back on the wagon and move on. Skinny Cow, Special K, Smart Ones and some other brands make sweets/ice cream/junk that is lower in fat/calories. It is processed but a better alternative then a 3000+ calorie day IMO. Skinny cow Mint Ice cream sandwhiches are my crutch...lol
  • angbecks
    angbecks Posts: 12
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    i am a huge bread person myself, so i'm with you as far as my cravings. Our pasta is whole wheat now and all my breads are super healthy grainy whole wheat kinds. I'm working on cutting out just the "white flour". I'm thinking about trying to make my own yeast rolls, with whole wheat flour. obviously won't be as light as fluffy, but won't hurt to try and see if it works for me. :) I have switched to making my own granola and putting it on vanilla greek yogurt as a substitute for ice cream in the evenings. now, calorie wise, the granola is a hit, but there's less sugar and it's much healthier than ice cream. i don't plan a cheat "day" but do allow myself treats on occasion (it's been birthday month here so yes, i've had small pieces of cake) portion control on the treats has worked for me. If you only allow yourself access to small amounts of treats, then portion control is easy. i give away treats if i make them at home, or don't bring home leftovers from meals out. it goes against my frugal nature, but reinforces that treats are expensive and not something to do every day. Good luck, this whole lifestyle switch is a huge undertaking that goes in baby steps and takes forever. I keep reminding myself of that. i don't have to have this down by next week.... :)

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