"cheating"

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  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
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    [. i've been in maintenance mode for a while due to not being able to afford a whole new wardrobe.
    Awww...poor thing! Go to the thrift stores on the rich side of town and get your wardrobe on girl! Thats what I do. It takes some extra time to shop and check in several times for new arrivals, but its worth it and cheaper than retail. :flowerforyou:
  • dac60
    dac60 Posts: 22
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    i feel the same way since i joined MFP i dont want to cheat....it helps us to sat on top of it.. i f i have something that i know is high in calories i come to MFP and log it and start fresh.with the calories i can still have....i love it....i find ive only went over 1 time in a month...
  • dac60
    dac60 Posts: 22
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    what size do u need now...
  • dac60
    dac60 Posts: 22
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    [. i've been in maintenance mode for a while due to not being able to afford a whole new wardrobe.
    Awww...poor thing! Go to the thrift stores on the rich side of town and get your wardrobe on girl! Thats what I do. It takes some extra time to shop and check in several times for new arrivals, but its worth it and cheaper than retail. :flowerforyou:
    what size do u need now..
  • superstarcassie
    superstarcassie Posts: 296 Member
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    Don't worry about having a day to "cheat." I don't even call it that. Remember, we are here to make a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. If you don't allow yourself to enjoy the things you like to eat then it will be harder to stick to the lower calorie diet. I try and not make a habit of eating poorly everyday. Once in a while, when company are over or there is a reason to have more calories, I let myself. It also helps your metabolism to have a surge in calories once in a while. The body likes to adapt and get comfortable. If we eat the same everyday, it will slow down. Best of luck in your health, and try to enjoy food still!
  • rcatr
    rcatr Posts: 374 Member
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    i think cheat is the wrong word as well. i have one meal a week where i allow myself to have something special within limits and portion moderation, of course. I think it's healthy and it's a good way (for me, at least) to make this whole thing a way of life.
  • MattySparky
    MattySparky Posts: 771
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    dont do it, cheat days are for the weak IMO and anyone I know that has these entire days of cheating never lose any fat.

    from the looks of things i've lost exactly the same amount as you but i went the "weak" route. oh and if you're concerned with the time issue? i did it in 6 months. i've been in maintenance mode for a while due to not being able to afford a whole new wardrobe.

    I lost all of my weight in the first six months and I haven't been losing any weight since because I honestly haven't been trying for about a year. Whats your point? and by the way Im not concerned with the time issue... didn't know there was an issue. What are you even talking about?
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    I prefer to think of them as "high calorie days" and I have them and I have been doing juuuuuust fine losing the fat. I don't think this means I am weak at all, but I like to have pancakes for breakfast on Sundays and go out with my boyfriend for a delicious Kobe beef burger and cupcake from one of my favorite bars in town. I don't go out of control or mindlessly eat. I plan it and I decide what I really want. I skip the alcohol and the french fries because they don't do much for me and I enjoy the calorie-rich foods that I do love tremendously. (I also have desserts and things that some might think of as "cheats" most every day of the week and try to build them into my calorie plan.)

    I think that if you find that you are someone who cannot stop at just one "cheat" -- be it a bite, a meal, a day, whatever, then maybe it isn't for you. But I think that is less about the particular food and more about a person's relationship the food.
  • c2mr5721
    c2mr5721 Posts: 29
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    My problem is that once I start I can't start. I actually think I have some sort of binge thing going once I start. I eat and eat until I hurt. it's awful, I am trying really hard not to eat anything that isn't healthy.
  • chgudnitz
    chgudnitz Posts: 4,079
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    Just a few questions. I have read on here several times before where people have a "cheat" day or meal. I have NO self-control...one bite turns into the whole thing that turns into a bad meal that might as well be a "bad" day and so on. Anyway I was just wondering what you guys do and how it works for you? Do have a "cheat" day or meal? How close do you have it to your weigh-in day and how often do you have it? How has it made an impact on your weight loss? Just wondering these things so I thought I would ask. :flowerforyou: Thanks in advance for any helpful information.
    I didn't take a cheat day for about the first 5 or 6 months. I too had very very little self control, so I didn't tempt myself. Once I started mixing the old foods back in my weight loss slowed dramatically. Just my opinion though. I think cheat days are bad initially.
  • volks80
    volks80 Posts: 56
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    dont do it, cheat days are for the weak IMO and anyone I know that has these entire days of cheating never lose any fat.

    I induldge the entire weekend. That is not to say that I pig out all weekend though.

    I am in no way weak and yes I have lost plenty of fat thank you very much.
  • BlueEyedMomma88
    BlueEyedMomma88 Posts: 558 Member
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    dont do it, cheat days are for the weak IMO and anyone I know that has these entire days of cheating never lose any fat.

    I induldge the entire weekend. That is not to say that I pig out all weekend though.

    I am in no way weak and yes I have lost plenty of fat thank you very much.

    Ha LOVE this post back to the guy who said its for the "weak", U GO GIRL!! :-)
  • MattySparky
    MattySparky Posts: 771
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    hey dont take what I said personally, if you can cheat and lose fat good for you. The people I know who cheat dont lose fat. So yeah, you go girl is right!

    Personally I define cheating as eating unhealthy foods, and personally I dont schedule a cheat day or meal. That's where I was coming from. Maybe I should have said, you're a stronger person if you have the willpower not to cheat or have a weekly cheat day.
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    I had a cheat meal every week throughout this process and yes I lost fat. I lost lots of fat. It depends on how you can handle it. My cheat meal was something I was craving that week. Usually it was mexican food or pasta or chinese food. Having the cheat meal to look forward to kept me good all week. This worked for me. It depends on how much willpower you have to go back to doing all of the right things once your cheat is over. I couldn't have lost this weight without my cheat meals to look forward to. I love food and I can't tell myself that I have to do without the foods I love forever and ever. That would never work for me.
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
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    i try to have one at least once a month, and usually on the day when i know i'll have the least control over what i eat. DH and i are incredibly busy people so i choose Saturdays since that day usually turns into "catch-up, visit friends, shop, errands, events, etc" day. anddddd... therefore my weigh-in day is Friday morning, the day before.
    pros: any time i experience cravings or temptations during the week, i can just plan to treat myself to whatever it is that i'm "craving" on my cheat day. it's easier for me to say no when i know that i can have it in just a few days. you develop healthy habits that you can carry on when you're no longer trying to LOSE but to maintain instead.
    cons: it does lead to cravings, progress can be a bit slower, but it's also more steady.

    edit - just to clarify - i usually have a cheat MEAL. not day. and i don't worry about staying with in my calories for that day... because heck. if i can stay within my MFP guidelines, why not have it every day of the week if i want to? healthy living isn't punishment. but i do log it - i think that's very important.

    great advice!
  • ntsmomma1
    ntsmomma1 Posts: 35 Member
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    I dont have a cheat day....if i want a cookie i will have one and then have someone hide them so i dont eat the rest....i am to scared to have a cheat day because since i have made my lifestyle change i have lost weight and i am scared if i have a cheat day i will fall back into old habits...so i cheat with like one thing every once in a while but i still make my calories......

    everyone has their own way of doing it...i personally don't care if and when or how you cheat as long as you are happy and get the results you want!
  • jdavis193
    jdavis193 Posts: 972 Member
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    dont do it, cheat days are for the weak IMO and anyone I know that has these entire days of cheating never lose any fat.

    I read in an oxygen magazine that it is good to have a cheat meal once a week. Not the whole day.
  • Michellerw1
    Michellerw1 Posts: 367
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    The key for "cheating" for me, whether WW or here, has been that I track EVERYTHING. I don't set aside a specific day for cheat, because I found doing so would make me feel obligated to eat unhealthy, even if I was not craving anything, because it I could. But, anyways, if I indulge or splurge I track it. No matter how far over my calories it takes me. It makes me feel less guilty because i am accountable. AND if I am contemplating a chocolate bar, I can tell myself NO I splurged 2 days ago, or GO AHEAD it has been 2 weeks.
  • tex43
    tex43 Posts: 229
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    The key for "cheating" for me, whether WW or here, has been that I track EVERYTHING. I don't set aside a specific day for cheat, because I found doing so would make me feel obligated to eat unhealthy, even if I was not craving anything, because it I could. But, anyways, if I indulge or splurge I track it. No matter how far over my calories it takes me. It makes me feel less guilty because i am accountable. AND if I am contemplating a chocolate bar, I can tell myself NO I splurged 2 days ago, or GO AHEAD it has been 2 weeks.

    Same here:I have a "Cheat Weekend" every week,I know that sounds terrible,but it's within reason.I still watch my calories even on the weekends but on ocassion depending on the social calender I may go over a little both days or a lot one day and pull it back the rest of the weekend.The problem that got me over weight was not being aware that I was going way over both days,and sometimes even during the week.Now that I watch my cal count and see that I'm going over I know to pull it back.Also I try to keep even my cheat meals as healthy as possible,again within reason.Sometimes it's just not possible,so when it's truly going to be cheat food I try to really limit my portions and make up for it the next day with diet and exercise.I have been consistently loosing 2 to 3 lbs. per week for 6 weeks now,so it's working for me.I think the shock/trick to the body is good,not to mention what it does for my sanity.
  • Michellerw1
    Michellerw1 Posts: 367
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    Well I should clarify, I cannot have a cheat day because I have zero willpower. Hehe. It really is all about what works for you. Life stinks if you can't have Reese's and wine once in a while. :drinker:

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