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Cheat days - ruined an entire week

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Replies

  • rklein88
    rklein88 Posts: 71 Member
    I had a double cheeseburger and a snack size blizzard the other day for dinner...some would call this a cheat day or meal, but for me it was just a treat. A few things I rarely eat, and with the rest of my day it only put me at maintenance for the day, not way over. Try this a day or so a week. If its a day you also work out, it feels like you can eat a ton that day!!

    for example, my goal for loss is 1200-1400 daily net. maintenance is around 1950. So if I work out and burn 500 cals, I can eat 2450 and not gain! This makes for a great treat day, and it doesnt set me back as long as I keep my water up to get rid of salt! This is double what I eat on days I dont have time to work out, so it really helps me stay on track, especially on weekends or nights with friends :)

    Good Luck!!
  • alevett
    alevett Posts: 79 Member
    I have the occasional higher caloric meal - but I wouldn't call it cheating (that makes it sound illegal). I do sometimes go over my calories on a given day by a couple hundred calories (100-200) but I figure I am still doing much better than I was 3 months ago. My daily calories are suppose to be 1500. Every weekend (usually Saturday), I eat well for breakfast and lunch and then we get take-out for dinner and I order whatever I want. The meal is usually between 1000-1500 calories. I think sometimes you have to give your system a boost of calories so it doesn't feel like it is being deprived. Do whatever floats your boat and you can be happy with ! Good luck !
  • starvinkevin
    starvinkevin Posts: 331
    I changed my opinion as of tonight - I think that if you're aiming for ketosis cheat meals/days that have carbs can spell disaster.... if you do low-carb right you don't even crave junk food. Like today I think I am in full blown ketosis after 2 days of feeling bad/nauseous and I am not craving anything. This morning I ate around 400 calories of chicken breast and took a 3 mile uphill walk that according to my HRM burned 1006 calories - even after that walk I wasn't hungry but forced myself to eat another 400 calories of chicken breast. I was doing really well and had a lot of energy last week before Valentines day and then stupidly ate a lot of chocolate cuz I felt pressured to haha and then I had super bad cravings all weekend and cracked on Sunday again... and still had cravings on Monday when I was restarting the low-carb plan. I went through the same symptoms I had before I entered full-blown ketosis last week - nausea, lack of energy, depression, etc over the past two days and all of that dissipated today and I no longer have any carb cravings or even hunger haha. So I guess cheat meals/days have no place in low carb :(.
  • LindsayLL30
    LindsayLL30 Posts: 154 Member
    I think of it more as an over all life style change... then to think of myself on a very rigid diet, which makes me feel naughty for not keeping up with it everyday... I do on occasion blow my calorie goal all to hell to go out and party and snack.... but I rather be slimish and fun....than a skinny b%*#@% that has no fun!!

    You still have to enjoy life othewise why would you stick with it??
  • krissy_krossy
    krissy_krossy Posts: 307 Member
    I don't have cheat days. How can you "cheat" if you'e changing your lifestyle? "Cheating" implies to me that one is dieting.

    But really, I don't do that. I have a feeling one day will turn into two, into three, etc. I have on occasion gone over by a hundred or two hundred calories, but I don't have a set day where I say "I CAN EAT THE WORLD AND IT'S OKAY BECAUSE IT'S MY "CHEAT" DAY!" That just seems silly.

    I don't have cheat days, have had no problem sticking to my goal (or pretty close on a small handful of days), and have been steadily losing weight. YMMV, though.
  • wifey103188
    wifey103188 Posts: 17
    I have gone over my calorie limit quite a few time and I found that it kept me from losing that week~I agree with what a lot of people are saying have a cheat meal I found that that helped me a lot and didn't interfere with my weight lose that week~my biggest advice really stay in your calorie amount and if you want something extra or special~ work out so you have the extra calories back~
  • nomorebingesgirl2014
    nomorebingesgirl2014 Posts: 378 Member
    Good post ????
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