Do you believe in "Cheat Days"?

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angelams1019
angelams1019 Posts: 1,102 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Just saw this on FB and thought it was an interesting view on "Cheat Days"

Enjoy! :drinker:
Do You Cheat...

So this morning....

I overheard one of our clients say.

"today I get to cheat"

Of course I knew exactly what she was talking about.

But chose to play it dumb.

I asked "Cheat on what"

She said "cheat on my diet"

I then replied "oh wow, do you also get a cheat day"

She said "Cheat day???"

Well yeah "cheat on your wife/husband day"

(I wanted to get a reaction out of her. I know I'm evil ;)

She then looked at me like I was nuts.

She replied "of course not".

That's what I thought.

We wouldn't dare think about cheating on our spouses.

Because we are committed to our RELATIONSHIP with our spouse.

Commitment = Relationship

Now....

When we commit ourselves to a healthy lifestyle

It simply means we are building a relationship with exercise and nutrition.

I guess the best way I can describe it is this.....

Your diet is alot like your relationship with your spouse.

YOU CAN'T CHEAT ON IT AND EXPECT IT TO WORK.

Having said that.....

What about variety.

Oh yes...

That.

We do need variety don't we?

There are millions of ways to spice up your diet

without adding unnecessary calories.

(I highly recommend the book Eating For Life by Bill Phillips)

I guess the same thing can be said about spicing up your marriage.

(I recommend Dr. Ruth or Dr. Phil and NOT Jerry Springer)

Side note: I just shave my beard off once in a while and my wife thinks

she has a new boy friend.

OK, too much information.

So let's make a deal.....

Next time you think about that muffin, menudo, etc....

Ask yourself....

Am I willing to break up my family over this...

The answer is of course no.

Just something to think about.

Ok, I'm done preaching for today...
--- Sam Bakhtiar
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Replies

  • dandandee
    dandandee Posts: 301 Member
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    very interesting way to look at it actually.

    I'm still going to go have a snack soon (possibly some fro-yo) but it was interesting. lol
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
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    I'm not on a diet, so I don't really see the need for cheat days.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
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    I'm not on a diet, so I don't really see the need for cheat days.

    ^boom
  • TravelDog14
    TravelDog14 Posts: 317 Member
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    I don't have cheat days because I'm trying to make the changes in my diet be a way of eating that I can live with and not feel I have to "cheat" in order to be successful.

    For me, I need to make my eating style work for me everyday, not just six days a week.
  • twodogs12
    twodogs12 Posts: 2
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    change the word cheat to treat
  • lmh923ny
    lmh923ny Posts: 2
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    The way I see it, I've spent the past 20+ years "cheating" myself out of good health, so at this point I think it's time to stop what clearly has not been working for me, and get my act together. I absolutely agree with your analysis, it makes perfect sense!
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
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    No. I'm not on a diet so a "cheat day" isn't even in my vocabulary.
  • angelams1019
    angelams1019 Posts: 1,102 Member
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    I don't have cheat days because I'm trying to make the changes in my diet be a way of eating that I can live with and not feel I have to "cheat" in order to be successful.

    For me, I need to make my eating style work for me everyday, not just six days a week.

    I agree 100%. I don't have "cheat days" either.

    I don't believe in/ nor do I have the desire to designate a day out of the week to fuel my body with the very things that got me to 324 pounds in the first place. Like a good friend of mine said, we've cheated ourselves our entire lives to get to where we're at (For me it was 324 pounds)
  • beverlyann1726
    beverlyann1726 Posts: 31 Member
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    That is a good way of looking at it. I have been using the weekends as my "cheat days". I guess I should quit that.
  • niknokd
    niknokd Posts: 127 Member
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    I don't know. You have to live once in a while...I wouldn't miss out on Thanksgiving food, for example, just because of a diet. I don't have "cheat days" just for the sake of having one, but only if the situation calls for it. For example: Thanksgiving, Christmas, a family member's birthday party, my birthday, whatever. My days of healthy eating wayyyyy outnumber my cheat days, and that's what really matters.
  • Aesop101
    Aesop101 Posts: 758 Member
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    Nope! I believe in exercising and then enjoying what you like to a limit. One cheat day begats many more.
  • elfraser
    elfraser Posts: 1
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    I don't believe in a "cheat day" per se, but I do find that allowing myself a higher-than-average calorie day once in a while can shake up a plateau.
  • justicekenny
    justicekenny Posts: 80
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    lol ..
  • charelg
    charelg Posts: 599 Member
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    Does Cheat days involve eating Over calories or eating Within calories, but foods that aren't the best? I say if you are gong to cheat just try and eat within your calories, than its not really cheating.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    i never committed to only eating healthy and under/at my maintenance level calories every single day for ever and ever. that's pretty much a recipe for failure in my book. no one can give up everything forever, so instead of holding out as long as I can until I go crazy and eat too much, i just eat the things I like, in moderation.
    tonight for dinner I had Chinese food, not the low-cal home made kind. there was a fried spring roll in that bag, hell yeah.
    last week I treated myself to gourmet chocolate truffles. and I don't mean just 1 or 2.
    the week before, 3 slices of pizza.

    logged it all. average daily calories those weeks? still under goal, and lost pounds every week.
  • kachochan
    kachochan Posts: 73
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    Cheat day? No.
    Incorporating snacks and not-so-healthy-foods into my calorie budget and eating it in moderation? yes.
  • angelams1019
    angelams1019 Posts: 1,102 Member
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    I don't know. You have to live once in a while...I wouldn't miss out on Thanksgiving food, for example, just because of a diet. I don't have "cheat days" just for the sake of having one, but only if the situation calls for it. For example: Thanksgiving, Christmas, a family member's birthday party, my birthday, whatever. My days of healthy eating wayyyyy outnumber my cheat days, and that's what really matters.

    I'm definitely not going to sit up on a high horse and say that everything I eat for the rest of my life is going to be healthy....Because I know it wont. While I don't believe in having a cheat day once a week, or even on a regular basis, there is a time and a place for everything. I just think it should be kept at a bare minimum :smile:
  • justicekenny
    justicekenny Posts: 80
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    amen ...
  • angelams1019
    angelams1019 Posts: 1,102 Member
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    What a load of crap.

    I cheated my way to a 163lbs loss. Tell the trainer that.

    lol Calm down hun...Its not that serious. If you don't agree it, that is completely fine.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
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    Cheat day -no
    Cheat meal-no
    Days where I don't log what I bite -no

    I just work my food to fit my goals, if I'm over and I don't work it off, I'll do better tomorrow. Most of the time I'm under (so I don't give myself grief if I go a few calories/carbs over once in a blue moon)

    With me its all or nothing. I have to stick to my rules or forget it. Everyone is different. Some manage fine with these cheat events, if it works for them great. For me, at least at this point in my weight loss journey, I need some set rules.

    Today my single container of ice cream didn't fit in so I have it planned already for tomorrow, and I'll work my meals in around the treat. Today popcorn worked. Eating obviously was, still is, an issue with me, portion control and eating for the wrong reasons, cheating isn't going to help me. Just my opinion & two cents.

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