To cheat or not to cheat?

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  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
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    depends what you value more your goals, or short term satisfaction?
  • Trinichica
    Trinichica Posts: 18 Member
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    agreed
  • staplebug
    staplebug Posts: 189
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    80/20. I aim for 80% of my daily calories to be "good" foods and 20% to be treat foods. Every once in a while, I'll have a high calorie day, like once every 2 weeks or so.
  • Jemellc
    Jemellc Posts: 308 Member
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    I have a cheat day... I dont go to the gym and I eat what I want (In moderation) on Sundays, Everyone Ive seen lose weight allowed themselves one cheat day... THE TRICK IS to make sure that you get back on track and dont eat a whales weight in food. What I do is I eat very light for my breakfast... enough as to where I wont feel hungry, then after that for like dinner I eat what I craved for the whole week. If your working out everyday and eating right everyday, you deserve one day so you wont go insane. Therefore you wont feel like this is a chore rather than a life style change. (Even my Dr recommended this to me He lost a ton of weight as well) Good luck!:wink:

    I completely agree!
  • Chris99mu
    Chris99mu Posts: 352 Member
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    I do 2 cheat meals, fri and sat night. But I usually end up feeling physically ill from the onslaught of junk (which is really only ever 2 pieces of pizza or some fries, etc) So I regret it every time. Until the following week. Rinse. Repeat.
  • JHarr454
    JHarr454 Posts: 50 Member
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    I do cheat. And then I do penance on my treadmill :)

    Seriously, a couple times a week I'll drink a Pepsi (Throwback rocks) and then that means an extra mile on the treadmill at night. So far, it's still working. Today I ate light breakfast, moderate lunch, ran a bunch and burned 1200 calories, so I had a mushroom and swiss butter burger and fries for supper.

    And while I try not to go crazy, I don't log on Sundays.
  • cebiginalaska
    cebiginalaska Posts: 280 Member
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    I cheat occasionally :noway: I don't have a SO but even if I did, I wouldn't cheat :laugh:
    When it comes to food I let myself go and eat at or above TDEE every once and a while specially when there are treats that we don't get very often here in rural Alaska :wink:
  • xTJSx
    xTJSx Posts: 106
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    If I didn't "Cheat" when I have PMS...people would get hurt.
    Gimme chocolate!

    I lol'd as I know exactly what you mean ..... but you can have chocolate without "cheating" Like all things everything in moderation!
  • lindawheeler79
    lindawheeler79 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thinking about it logically, if you don't cheat at all, you get to the goal quicker but saying that, is it a cheat or is it a treat?
    We are welcome to have a treat now and again. Think of it as a treat!
  • skiersteve12345
    skiersteve12345 Posts: 89 Member
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    i have a cheat once a week but only if i lose weight, i weigh myself same time every Saturday, if i lose weight i have the cheat day if not i dont and have to wait til the week after, this has been working great for me
  • ashleab37
    ashleab37 Posts: 575 Member
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    I personally think that having a cheat day is important and necessary to curb your cravings. I give myself two days a month to have 'cheat days' so if there is a special occasion, I can enjoy the food around me rather than feeling required to stick to the same old same ol'.

    I don't call them cheat days tho, I think of them as reward days instead. I don't stray off my new lifestyle diet hardly EVER so when I decide to have a reward day, it really is something I treasure. I eat whatever I want and I eat the things I crave most. It allows me to enjoy it and feel satisfied. Then the next day I get right back on and stick to the normal diet.

    I don't know if this will be helpful or detrimental to weight loss, but I do know that it will boost your metabolism if it has slowed down from eating fewer calories and it will keep you sane lol. Diets shouldn't be about torture, they should be about goals and compromise. :)
    That sounds EVEN WORSE than cheat days to me. Rewarding yourself for eating healthy by not eating healthy? How odd.

    I eat 1800 - 2300 calories a day and allow myself one day a week of up to 4,000 calories. It's a spike day.
  • jenny3073
    jenny3073 Posts: 117 Member
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    I have a couple a week. I'm a university student so they are always giving out free pizza once or twice a week. I just can't resist plus its a free meal and that is one to two meals a week I don't have to buy and cook for. I'm still losing pounds and inches. It's about making the right eating and exercise choices 80% of the time and letting loose and eating delicous junk food and drinks 20% of the time.

    Agrees with the 80/20 theory, I heard about this from a certified nutritionist. She was teaching a class on weight management and said as long as you eat healthy and move 80% of the time you can still lose. I am still trying to find my balance, I think one or two meals off my general course is okay, but depends on what time of day I cheat. If I cheat at breakfast, I tend to want to cheat at dinner the same day so I'm trying to keep it dinner only so the vibe doesn't stay with me all day. I also have been slipping in not so great choices in several times during the week, so that is not working for me, I just need to find my balance, and see what works and what doesn't.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I personally think that having a cheat day is important and necessary to curb your cravings. I give myself two days a month to have 'cheat days' so if there is a special occasion, I can enjoy the food around me rather than feeling required to stick to the same old same ol'.

    I don't call them cheat days tho, I think of them as reward days instead. I don't stray off my new lifestyle diet hardly EVER so when I decide to have a reward day, it really is something I treasure. I eat whatever I want and I eat the things I crave most. It allows me to enjoy it and feel satisfied. Then the next day I get right back on and stick to the normal diet.

    I don't know if this will be helpful or detrimental to weight loss, but I do know that it will boost your metabolism if it has slowed down from eating fewer calories and it will keep you sane lol. Diets shouldn't be about torture, they should be about goals and compromise. :)
    That sounds EVEN WORSE than cheat days to me. Rewarding yourself for eating healthy by not eating healthy? How odd.

    I eat 1800 - 2300 calories a day and allow myself one day a week of up to 4,000 calories. It's a spike day.

    Yeah, that is a bizarre way of thinking about food.

    Do what works for you. I just eat what I want and what makes me feel good. I'm unable to eat lots of things due to intolerances, etc. but I don't think restricting is a healthy or good practice for those who don't need to restrict and ESPECIALLY if one feels the way they are eating is restrictive. For example--If you don't eat grains because you simply don't like them, or they make you feel bad, fine. If you don't eat grains because you think you must do that to lose weight, but you really miss your bread, rice, etc. you're setting yourself up for failure and disappointment.

    Eat in a way that is sustainable (you can and will continue it even after you've reached your goal), makes you feel your best, and will support your activity levels.
  • ThatCatholicGirl
    ThatCatholicGirl Posts: 209 Member
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    I don't have a cheat day (as such) because I do not think I would be able to get myself back on track very well the next day. Maybe I could for the first few times of doing it, but I have personally found cheat days to be my undoing. Instead I will have a "treat day" where if I fancy a hot stodgy fatty sausage roll then I'll have one, or I'll have a chocolate bar if I really want a bit of chocolate and can't make the craving disappear - but I don't have both. I remind myself that I've already had a treat and not to let a temporary desire overwhelm the permanent desire of wanting a lean body. As many other noters have already expressed, it really is a personal thing.
  • IWantToo
    IWantToo Posts: 162
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    I've eaten clean and exercised daily and I only lost 5 pound a month... my doctor flat out told me she doesnt want me eating like that and she wants me to have pizza and a candy bar etc within reason.. meaning eating boneless skinless low sodium unprocessed natural chicken breast measured to 3 oz with 1/2 cup of brocolli and a 1/2 cup of wheat germ is not a sustainable way to lose weight...

    Now I eat basically whatever I want within my calorie goal.. i figure if doing everything by the healthy book only got me 5lbs a month lets see what eating "normal" foods can get me....i have 12 days before weigh-in so we shall see....
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I don't cheat but I incorporate things I like in my diet.
  • ohenry78
    ohenry78 Posts: 228
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    Cheat days are absolutely necessary. If I didn't have a day once a month or so where I could enjoy a large fish fry, or eat half a pizza, or some other awesome-but-horrible thing, I'd die from food boredom. Or from obesity-related health problems when I fail to lose the weight again because I tried to give up all my favorite things cold turkey. :)
  • CLFrancois
    CLFrancois Posts: 472 Member
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    I don't consider it a cheat day, but I allow myself 300 extra calories on Saturday's. I still do cardio and weights if I have the strength. I know it's coming and prepare for it, I guess.

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