Cheat Days

I prefer not calling it " cheat" I don't know why...but I have one meal a week that I totally enjoy, I wouldn't eat crap for a whole day ...just one meal.
But it's nice to do and it's fun to eat.

I prefer not calling it " cheat" I don't know why...but I have one meal a week that I totally enjoy, I wouldn't eat crap for a whole day ...just one meal.
But it's nice to do and it's fun to eat.

^^^^ This, my day is Saturday after my weigh in. It's only one meal and I order what I want. This Saturday im having a Bacon,Cheese burger with chips, onion rings, colesaw and splitting a Peanut Butter & Banana Milkshake with the hubby.
Last week we had chinese - Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup, Duck fried rice with Beef & Mushrooms and some prawn crackers

Keeps me on track during the week knowing I have something to look forward too

I don't have cheat days but whenever I feel like eating something I don't deprive myself and I make sure I don't over-indulge.

It depends on what your goals are and whether you're moving toward them.

If you are still losing weight week to week with cheat days, continue with them. If your weight loss slows or stops you may need to rethink.

my weightloss doesnt work with cheat days however, like others, i plan ahead and indluge in moderation. I just make sure to log everything. If I know I may be easting worse then usual i usually try to be more active that day or have smaller healthier moods around that "bad" meal

Yeah, I don't exactly "cheat" but some days I go over the calorie limit I set for myself. I always count everything anyhow. I just try to not do that too often. You know, you go out to dinner, have a few drinks sometimes, or just snack too much in the evening. I think it helps keep you sane. If you can stick to your calorie limit every day, that's great, but if you're having success otherwise, keep keeping track, count everything, and then at least when you do 'cheat' you know it's manageable.

I don't have cheat days but whenever I feel like eating something I don't deprive myself and I make sure I don't over-indulge.

This is pretty much me, too. I don't believe in specific cheat days for me because I KNOW me, I'll use it as an excuse to binge. So now if I'm craving something or really wanting it, I have it if it feels worth it to me. I've even found I no longer even want something special every week, it's totally random now. As long as I'm cooking and eating flavorful foods, I don't crave the crap I used to.

I usually am a little bit more relaxed on a Friday and Saturday night. Friday Ill cook something delicious, but still quite 'healthy' (last week it was chipotle pork skewers with pineapple brown rice and a black forest protein pudding) and have a couple of glasses of wine. Saturday evening I usually go out, and eat in a restaurant. I dont feel guilty, why should you feel guilty?

I give myself "me days" Only 1-2 a week usually it's just one meal that I don't count. But on Saturday and Sunday I don't log my calories. Altho I can't not count em in my head.

I call them reward days. Its my reward for being so good the rest of the week.
I log all the reward day calories!

I certainly wouldn't skip logging your calories, but instead of getting down about the results, treat it as a learning experience; look at what you love to eat and find ways to adapt recipes and/or orders if at restaurants to make things less calorie-intense. That's one of the things I've found that's easy and sustainable; log everything and analyze what does and doesn't fit well into your diet plan. Small changes to everyday items work really well; it might be as simple as switching condiments on a sandwich or cutting portions slightly that can make something that used to kill your counts into a healthier option. For instance, my family has always been big on Sunday breakfast, my father (also using MFP, down 30+ lbs since Jan 1) has taken to making smaller omelets, only using one egg yoke instead of two and cutting down on the volume of bacon or sausage.

In my opinion, you're more likely to succeed with your dieting goals by making many small adjustments, progressively changing the way you look at how/what you eat over time to make meaningful changes. Especially when other people (who may or may not want to share in your dieting) are involved, I've found it a much more sustainable approach to keep changes gradual.

A "cheat" day (closer to maintenance calories than target, nothing to high or absurd) every few weeks does help keep your metabolism churning and make the days you hit your target much more effective. I don't have a set schedule for mine but just pay attention to how I feel my metabolism is doing, if I feel like I'm stalling a little, I'll not pay as much attention for a day or two, still logging, and get back to my target going forward. Also, be sure to remember it's not just about the calories, even on "off" days, I try to keep to the same distribution of carbs/protein/fat, maybe even stay a little more low-carb than usual; I find the pie chart on the mobile apps are great for keeping an eye on this.

Lastly, as far as "making this a lifestyle choice", I would try and make logging habitual, that you don't eat anything without thinking about it beforehand or looking at it's impact afterward. Planning meals and logging ahead of time works well for me to plan out my day are hit my target consistently. Along the same thought as trying to adjust current eating habits, more than anything, I feel more educated about what to eat, how much to eat, and how to be healthy; making this much more than just a weight-loss tool.

I have had a "cheat day" or two just about every week since starting this weight loss thing in January. I'm down over 41 lbs. It works for me, may not work for everyone. I just tend to eat less healthy on weekends, I'm out with my family or whatever, it happens. I do also tend to be more active on weekends as we are usually outside walking around, biking, etc. instead of sitting in my office for 8 hrs. Usually dinner is what gets me and sodium. I just get right back to it during the week and drink lots of water with lemon to flush out the sodium and water weight gain.

the only person you are cheating is yourself.......out of a healthy life and puts you are farther away from were you could have been if you had not cheated

why not earn the cals and enjoy the things you like,

Exactly.

The weekends are my days, I know ill get back on
Track Monday so i don't worry too much
When I choose to have a frap or eat
Out twice in one day. I figure I'm
Loosin weight and having a day or two
Where I eat worse is still tremendously
Better then where I was three weeks ago
I also figure I eat so good during the wk
That it all pans out in the end anyway
Also I don't deprive myself, for me
This is about being accountable to not
Eating three candy bars a day etc but
More so being conscience of what goes
Into my body

I think they are fine as long as you are able to just have the day, and not have it turn into cheat week or month.