What is with these cheat days?

I don't believe in 'cheat days'. I believe in eating whatever you want in moderation.

Cheat meals tend to turn into cheat days. Neither has to be a gluttonous feast though. But a lot of people have the mentality that "uh oh, I had some "bad" food the WHOLE day is fcked, might as well keep shoveling in EVERYTHING that I want to eat before I go to sleep, clean start tomorrow!"

People don't understand moderation... probably why they're here in the first place. I used to eat ice cream three times a week and never feel like I was "cheating". Hit your macros, stay at a deficit for the week and enjoy your food, people! You don't have to CHEAT at anything when you start viewing food in a healthy manner... none of this bad food good food BS.

QFT

I believe in eating whatever I want in moderation. This isn't all about good and healthy food, but about enjoying life too. So if I go to a concert or something like that and I know I'm gonna drink alcohol and have some 'bad' food, it doesn't bother me. There are way too many delicious foods out there to not enjoy them.

For me, eating enough of food I shouldn't can send me over my calorie goal every once in a while. I don't consider it a cheat day though. I consider it "yesterday," and work on getting back on track today.

I actually have a cheat meal every now and then. So far, when it happens, it seems to be with pizza - AND on Fridays. Now that I'm on month 4 of watching my feelings and diet with a microscope, the urge to stress eat has greatly gone down. I record everything, including that Krispy Kreme doughnut that I ate at breakfast last week (which was totally not worth it) and the three slices of deep dish pizza and two beers I had when I really blew my diet a few weeks ago on a Friday.

I keep seeing posts of how guilty ppl feel during and after their "cheat" days. I understand the totally ridiculous justification that it prevents ppl from failing in their diet (as does self control) but seriously do you really need an entire DAY to cheat? Why cant it be just a meal? Do you miss your unhealthy lifestyle and it is like an affair you are meeting at the motel once a week? Why cant you just have one junky thing everyday as long as it fits into your macros? I am starting to think cheat days are just an excuse to binge and be able to talk about it because somehow it is so damn acceptable :huh:

Maybe I am wayyyyy of base which is not abnormal for me but I am seeing a very clear pattern and I have only been here 2 weeks tomorrow :ohwell:

what if someone is able to maintain a steady, long term loss while incorporating these cheat days? then how in the world is it detrimental, and why should it bother you?

and while I don't do huge cheat days that send me way past maintenance, I do have a day once every week or two where i eat a whole pizza with soda, or an entire bag or cookies, a full box of gourmet chocolates. I'm not justifying anything, its fact: knowing that every once in a while i can completely indulge in a large quantity of something high calorie and delicious absolutely makes it easier to stay under my goal on all the other days. Considering my very significant weight loss so far, I'd say that, for me at least, this strategy is more than adequate.

Regarding self control... PLANNING to indulge in something for a specific amount of time, and then getting right back on track with healthy eating... that is the very definition of self-control. (Obviously, this isn't a good strategy for those who find this would lead full on binge, but not everyone falls into that category)

Maybe you could try being a little less judgmental of other people's strategies; unless of course what they are doing isn't working and they ask for your help.

I lost 50 pounds and have been maintaining that for at least a year and a half now and I still have a "cheat" day every weekend. ALL DAY!

"Cheat" means different things to different people.
For me, I exercise more that day and still try to keep my calories within a reasonable range of my normal goal. "Cheating" *usually* means restaurants, simple carbs or some candy I've been craving (today it was a bagel, a donut and a mexican restaurant!)

I think you should worry about what you want to do for you and let others worry about themselves. That way, everyone is happy!


For me, if I went with the "everything in moderation" model, I would start justifying eating "dirtier" than I want to. Having a scheduled day makes me really pick and choose what calories are important enough for me to spend on that cheat day.

I don't believe in 'cheat days'. I believe in eating whatever you want in moderation.

I agree with this. I try to make sure I stay under my calorie goal, and try and eat a good amount of healthy foods as well under that limit.

Why cant it be just a meal?....Why cant you just have one junky thing everyday as long as it fits into your macros?

idk about it being "junky," but i try to throw in something special every day. sometimes it is chocolate, sometimes it's protein-loaded cake-pops.

i totally agree, though. going on a binge day is more damaging than helpful.

Having a scheduled day makes me really pick and choose what calories are important enough for me to spend on that cheat day.

yeah that too!

For me, calling something a "cheat" implies that what I'm choosing to eat is a "bad" thing.

One of the most important things I've learned along the way is that labelling foods "good" and "bad" is tightly linked to my former unhealthy eating habits, which also included eating in secret, binging, and generally feeling guilty about eating.

Food is not "bad". Sure, some foods are nutritionally superior than others, and it's probably a good idea to make an effort to eat mostly those kinds of foods. But, in my opinion and experience, there is no harm in enjoying a very wide variety of foods as long as they fit your macro and caloric goals.

Now, rather than obsessing over "bad" foods that I "can't" or "shouldn't" have, I simply decide what I want to eat and make it fit my day. Simple. Sometimes I even make the decision to go over (sometimes well over) my daily intake. But you know what? No biggie. In the great scheme of things it won't have an effect on my progress, as long as I'm consistent. So now? No guilt, no secret eating, no obsessing, no restrictions, no elimination of foods - and great results that are sustainable. :drinker:

I will share why I have cheat days. However please understand I know it is counterproductive and it is something I want to end. I HATE logging my calorie consumption because I obsess about it. I have to measure or weigh everything. And it is SO difficult for me to guesstimate when I don't have my scale with me - like when I am at work or eat out somewhere or when someone cooks me a food dish that contains multiple ingredients. Also it is difficult to find the proper amount of calories in the database. If you look something up there is a WIDE range of varying figures for pretty much the same item. The only thing I have found that is pretty consistent in the database are processed foods.

So I currently have one day a week where I do not worry about logging what I eat. It allows me to reboot my aggravation levels and start fresh again the next day. I do not purposely splurge on these days. I just don't obsessively measure and log. But like I said I want to stop this habit of needing to have cheat days. I am happy to hear any constructive suggestions.

I can understand "cheat days'... But not if they are often/HUGE/guilt inducing/keeping one from reaching their goals.

I occasionally have a day or even two of not logging or measuring or worrying about calories. But I stick to my food goals in between non-logging days, have no guilt, don't binge, and am still reaching my fitness goals.

If someone is having huge binging cheat days and not reaching their goals, then "cheat days" aren't something they can afford.i guess those are the people with binge eating disorders and it's harder for them to just walk away from chips and cookies.

(I don't think of my non logging days as cheating though, I make my own rules and occasional non-recording is part of my rules, therefore not cheating)