How would you put in a "cheat day"?

nutmeggz
nutmeggz Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Every 9 days I allow myself a day to eat whatever foods i usually deny myself from (or whatever I KNOW i shouldn't be eating but do anyway.) When I mean cheat day, it can range from a full blown buffet day to a eat-here-and-there day, it totally depends on my mood. How would I record that on my fitness pal, especially on days I decide to pig out at parties or buffets?

Replies

  • Losingthedamnweight
    Losingthedamnweight Posts: 536 Member
    Good question! Do you really have an entire day of cheating? I'd be careful with that. An entire day could mess up your entire week's budget of calories. I have a cheat day, but it's really just a cheat meal. I had sonic the other day and i logged the calories and after all that i ate, i was over my budget but not over my tdee. So the worst i had was that i wasn't at a deficit. I'd call that good.

    But for those days when you're going to a party or don't know the calories of something, i'd just say screw it. Don't even bother logging it. Just leave that day blank. I'd go for the cheat "meal" instead of day though. If you want you could guesttimate. Look up "fried chicken x amount of oz" and whatnot and get a rough figure for your log
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    I alway have cheat MEALS...not days as it can you over quite a lot, then I log it as normal so I can see exactly what I've done.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    I have a generic cheat food I have set up that is an instant 3,000 calories with and just drop that into my day if I have no idea how to guestimate.


    As you can see I had a 4,500 calorie snack today.
  • goonas
    goonas Posts: 205
    If you don't log honestly (even these so called "cheat" days/meals) the only person you are cheating is yourself - log it honestly - does it really make you feel better to know that the numbers look good on the computer screen but you really know they are not good inside you????

    It's not that hard to estimate the food you eat, even if it buffet etc - it just takes time.
  • jdhoward_101
    jdhoward_101 Posts: 234 Member
    I don't log cheat days; they're cheat days. To me, caring enough to log it all isn't a real cheat day, especially because i'm so damn fanatical about it every non-cheat day :p
  • DalalMutar
    DalalMutar Posts: 97
    I used to have one fast food (or any restaurant) meal per week. Slowely i started to be more patient.
    One week became two weeks. Now, i have one cheat MEAL per month.

    And just like goonas said, log it honestly coz it makes you think of how to burn that cheat food.

    Try not to cheat for a whole day you don't want to overload fat or the food that are slow to digest.

    Yesterday I had 6 pieces nuggest and a small size fries from Macdonald's but did some walking after that. I also ate less for breakfast because i knew it was my cheat meal day. For dinner, after walking, I had a pinapple and kewi juice. This juice really burns some fat.

    And yes, my weight is the same.

    This way you won't feel guilty because you try not to pass your daily calorie limit which is the key to loosing or gaining weight.

    Sometimes we need to eat something we miss just so we don't miss it that often hahaha

    Best of luck
  • LaurenLouG
    LaurenLouG Posts: 65 Member
    Log it as normal.

    I used to not log my alcohol on weekends, now I most definitely do. It's a wake up call. I make sure I earn my drinks through exercise.

    Don't have "cheat days", if you're craving something then work out and earn it, or eat low calorie foods for the majority of the day so you've got cals left to "spend" on the foods you love.

    As someone said earlier, you're only cheating yourself.
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    Just log everything anyway. It makes you think hard about the choices you're making if nothing else!
  • cybersheel
    cybersheel Posts: 145 Member
    Why not do some exercise most days and keep track of the extra calories you don't use and have them for your 'cheat food'?
  • toomuchbootyindapants
    toomuchbootyindapants Posts: 811 Member
    If you don't log honestly (even these so called "cheat" days/meals) the only person you are cheating is yourself - log it honestly - does it really make you feel better to know that the numbers look good on the computer screen but you really know they are not good inside you????

    It's not that hard to estimate the food you eat, even if it buffet etc - it just takes time.

    QFT. Try to log it all - it'll make sense then when you don't see a loss the further along you get and when you get upset, come in the forums, and ask why you aren't losing. Seen this happen all too often.
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
    I don't do cheat days. There are days when I go way over my calories and days where I'm under but I always try to log it as accurately as possible (even if it means going back and adding things the next day when I remember them).

    I track my calories on a longer-term basis so if I were to just leave it all out I'd lose figures and not know how accurate my longer term logging was.
  • stefi2107
    stefi2107 Posts: 52 Member
    I do a cheat meal Friday night but I still log as best as I can.
  • tessylovessharks
    tessylovessharks Posts: 2
    I agree with those who have recommended that you just try to log it. Using estimates will at least give you an indicative reading. Every now and again I've considered not logging stuff and then the next day I get frustrated that I have inaccurate tracking. Also, if I haven't lost weight that week, at least I can look back an understand why!
  • Fatguy2Fitguy
    Fatguy2Fitguy Posts: 129 Member
    Log it as normal! It just reminds you what you're eating, useful if you ever look back as I do. A cheat meal is good for body and soul every now and again. I probably wouldn't go for a cheat day unless I was at a wedding etc.

    Personally, I don't see any meal as a cheat meal, it's just a less than healthy choice... which I consciously made therefore it's not cheating, it's only a cheat when you deceive! But my attitude stems from trying to make lifestyle choices rather than a diet and I know that during my life I'm not going to eat healthy every single meal. So it's about being sensible.

    Best of luck to you, with all your goals.

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