Cheat Foods.. Do or Don't?

For me cookies and sweets are the hardest and our roommate brought home boxes of girl scout cookies which to me are a complete temptation. Last spring I would have thought nothing of eating all of the tagalongs. I probably would have had ice cream and a diet pepsi with them in fact. But now I realize that yes, I can have a cookie. But to moderate myself I make myself drink two glasses of water/tea before I can have a cookie. It spaces out my cookies and if I really want to have it that badly then I need to drink to be able to do it. It's working for me so far so that might be something to try if you're bad about getting enough fluids like I am.

I've lost 70lbs by practicing moderation and portion control. Nothing is off limits...I just limit things that aren't as healthy. Most of what I eat is healthy and I've learned to adapt typically unhealthy dishes into healthy recipes without sacrificing taste or enjoyment. Since you're just starting out you may want to avoid foods that you know you lose control with, but just until you've learned to control what you eat, rather than have it control you. If I want ice cream, pasta, or pizza then I eat it. But, I just have one serving instead of 2 or 3 or 4. I make sure it fits into my day and on the days it doesn't, then I make sure I compensate the next day by practicing calorie cycling. As long as you stay within your weekly calorie goal you're good. You need to find out what works for you and stick with it. Don't think of this as a temporary change, but as a lifestyle change. So find what is sustainable for you.

I think it could also depend on how patient you are. Some people, myself included, get a little impatient and discouraged if we're not seeing the results we want.

However, if you're more patient, then suppose the following:

-A caloric deficit of 350 calories per day for 6 days in the week. This is not much for me, especially if when I hit the gym, but how that 350 calorie deficit "feels" will naturally vary from person to person.

-A caloric surplus of 250 calories 1 day in the week. Again, if I'm hitting the gym, this is a decent amount of food, which could allow for some relatively satisfying "cheating."

That leaves me with a yearly caloric deficit of 83200 calories. Divided by 3500 calories (the amount of calories in lb of fat), and you get around 23 pounds lost in a year. Not a ton of weight loss in the year, but the deficit isn't large either and may be more manageable.

That's kind of an over simplification as it doesn't take into account any sort of macro nutrient requirements or plateaus, but I still think it's an interesting notion.

When nothing is off limits, there is no such thing as cheating :drinker:

It sound to me that maybe you're having a battle of willpower with unsuccessful dieting thusfar. Perhaps starting off for maybe a month or so being very strict will give you the willpower to later say, "I really can go without that" or "I really only need just one." I had to totally change my lifestyle giving up sugars/sweeteners, starches, gluten, and I found that after the first couple of months I could add things back in and not go overboard because I didn't really like them as much as I used to, or didn't feel such a big urge to. I'm not suggesting you go super strict but if you can get your will in check first, then maybe add things back in, you may have better success.

I wondered if someone who has been fairly successful in their weight loss thus far has any advice on this topic. I am only about three weeks in to my new routine/diet and wondered whether you allow yourself to cheat on occasion in order to feel less deprived of your favorite things.

I've kind of told myself I would allow myself maybe one or two meals each week that I really want.. and have also decided not to cut out alcohol entirely. But I guess I worry that allowing myself these cheats could lead me back down the wrong path. I haven't been very successful in starting my weight-loss journey and maintaining it. I have tried a few times now and usually end up going off the deep end.

Any advice you have is much appreciated!

I don't know if 30lbs in 3 months is considered fairly successful, but I do allow for cheat meals, mainly because I still want to have a social life. I DO however, limit what I can have as far as the # of cheat meals. I allow for 2 every two week period. I can have 2 in a row or 2 spread out. I also try to compensate for the cheat meal with extra exercise, but I refuse to feel any guilt over them.

I also try to do the healthiest cheat meal I can. If I'm going out with the ladies, I drink hard liquor not fruity sugar-filled drinks, I eat whole cuts of meat (not ground or processed meats), I eat a big salad before the meal, and I'll split a dessert. But...I see that as how I'll live the rest of my life, not just cheat meals. I LOVE eating out (I'm a total foodie), so I'm not going to even try to create a life that doesn't allow for that.