So this is a weird one.......

jadeyq1
jadeyq1 Posts: 178 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
....I think.

So this week I've been craving craving craving crappy food basically. Anything and everything that for the past 5 months I have been quite happily avoiding. I've been giving in to my cravings here and there with a few sneaky biscuits, the odd Peanut Butter Mini Reeses Cup etc.

Don't get me wrong, I always eat what I want anyway but since I started using MFP and making an effort again in January of this year, if I've wanted fast food I've made allowances for it with my daily cals or I've chosen to eat something healthier, as long as I haven't felt like I was depriving myself with that option.

So today I've eaten fine all day but tonight I decided that I would do something that I am prone to doing once every few months or so. I thought "screw it", I'm going to eat what I want which so far has turned out to be a KFC. There is also a big bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk sitting on the side waiting for me too and I will probably eat some of that later.

But this is the weird bit.....I kind of do this on purpose!!! I don't mindlessly eat and then feel awful afterwards. I'm well aware of what I'm doing. I know that I will feel guilty after I eat whatever I'm going to eat and probably a bit sick and full up too but in a weird way I like to remind myself every now and again how it makes me feel to eat the crappy food because it then puts me off until I have those full on cravings again a few months later. It's kind of like I'd rather ruin one day with a bit of a binge than ruin a whole week of days with extra snacking everyday!

I do enjoy the food that I eat when I'm eating it though, I'm not just eating it for the sake of it or to teach myself a lesson! Lol

What I'd like to know is if anybody else does this or anything similar?

And is what I'm doing the same thing as, what I often see referred to as, a cheat day?

I'm not after advice or a way to stop doing this. I'm just intrigued as to whether I'm the only one who thinks in this way.

I'm not after criticism either because I'm not going to fret over one bad day of eating or one week of gaining because I've given in to a rare craving. I can handle this being one of my habits if it's only a quarterly habit! Lol

Replies

  • geekman
    geekman Posts: 22 Member
    Hi Jadey, I know exactly what you mean. I've only started back on the chuckwagon this week but already I've started craving all of the "bad" foods that I really love. So far I haven't given in to temptation but it's only a matter of time. I suspect that I will eventually give in and eat some junk and this will, I hope, remind me what I'm doing and keep me on the straight and narrow.
    Nobody can call you on eating some junk, once in a while. it's when we eat nothing but that the problems set in. Enjoy your KFC and chocolate and carry on with the fitness tomorrow. if we can't treat ourselves, once in a while, whats the point?
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    I usually find that if I'm craving something, it's better to eat the thing I'm craving, and move on. Otherwise I keep eating things that aren't the thing I really want.
  • PlayerHatinDogooder
    PlayerHatinDogooder Posts: 1,018 Member
    Yes. What you're essentially doing would be considered a cheat day.

    Congratulations.
  • jadeyq1
    jadeyq1 Posts: 178 Member
    I usually find that if I'm craving something, it's better to eat the thing I'm craving, and move on. Otherwise I keep eating things that aren't the thing I really want.

    Yes absolutely! I totally do this too :)
  • jadeyq1
    jadeyq1 Posts: 178 Member
    if we can't treat ourselves, once in a while, whats the point?

    I absolutely agree :)
  • lj8576
    lj8576 Posts: 156
    I do it when those Cadbury creme eggs are around (anything Cadbury is awesome). Those are my downfall lol.
  • Gizziemoto
    Gizziemoto Posts: 430 Member
    Not weird. I do not deny myself anything. I tried that and three weeks later went on nachos binge. Was not pretty. Eat what you want, stay in your targets and all is well. To me it is not about denial but learning to moderate myself. I had a caramel frappuccino yesterday and still was in my numbers.
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    Nope, I can't eat that stuff. I am a Junk Food Queen of the First Magnitude. There's nothing like 7-11 glazed donuts, Krispy Kremes, Ben & Jerry, Cadbury, Dove bars, etc. etc. etc. I have no control. You may be different, but if I start tasting any of that stuff, I'm like a heroin addict. All I have to do is look at my body in the mirror. No, I don't want to look like this, end of story. I own a pair of jeans I want to fit into and nothing is going to stop me from that mission. :bigsmile:
  • jadeyq1
    jadeyq1 Posts: 178 Member
    Nope, I can't eat that stuff. I am a Junk Food Queen of the First Magnitude. There's nothing like 7-11 glazed donuts, Krispy Kremes, Ben & Jerry, Cadbury, Dove bars, etc. etc. etc. I have no control. You may be different, but if I start tasting any of that stuff, I'm like a heroin addict. All I have to do is look at my body in the mirror. No, I don't want to look like this, end of story. I own a pair of jeans I want to fit into and nothing is going to stop me from that mission. :bigsmile:

    That is some amazing willpower right there! :)
  • sexymuffintop
    sexymuffintop Posts: 636
    Sorry I failed to take much in after I saw Cadburys and Dairy Milk.....holy crap I love Cadbury's. What I would do to eat a family sized bar of that bad boy right now....:sad:
  • sexymuffintop
    sexymuffintop Posts: 636
    Nope, I can't eat that stuff. I am a Junk Food Queen of the First Magnitude. There's nothing like 7-11 glazed donuts, Krispy Kremes, Ben & Jerry, Cadbury, Dove bars, etc. etc. etc. I have no control. You may be different, but if I start tasting any of that stuff, I'm like a heroin addict. All I have to do is look at my body in the mirror. No, I don't want to look like this, end of story. I own a pair of jeans I want to fit into and nothing is going to stop me from that mission. :bigsmile:

    That is some amazing willpower right there! :)

    Sames. It's like a drug to me. The more sugar I have the more I crave so I have to bypass it completely. Sucks but that's life I guess...
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Uh ok... i kind of get it but i noticed i feel very sick if i eat fast food anymore. I would rather just avoid it

    I will treat myself with chocolate though love it
  • GeminiDelight
    GeminiDelight Posts: 45 Member
    i do this but i am working on cutting it out. i am addicted to sugar. the more i eat, the more i crave.
  • bethwindisch
    bethwindisch Posts: 6 Member
    I can relate SOOOOOOOOOOO much to this! I've been doing fairly well since January, keeping track, staying within limits, staying away from certain foods. But every once in a while, I just cave and eat things like fritos or fudge stripe cookies or doritos or cupcakes (yesterday's major slip) and like you said, it's not mindless. I'm very aware of what I'm doing and that I should try to do something else. But the difference now is I stop sooner than I used to. Instead of eating half the container of cookies, I eat 3 or 4 cookies. Instead of eating half the bag of corn chips, I eat a couple servings. I'm able to stop before getting completely out of control. I've lost almost 30 pounds and have another 30 to go. It's been hard work, it's been slow going, but at least I'm heading in the right direction. So I try not to beat myself up too much and get back on track the next day.
  • davidkhorsand
    davidkhorsand Posts: 7
    Nope, I can't eat that stuff. I am a Junk Food Queen of the First Magnitude. There's nothing like 7-11 glazed donuts, Krispy Kremes, Ben & Jerry, Cadbury, Dove bars, etc. etc. etc. I have no control. You may be different, but if I start tasting any of that stuff, I'm like a heroin addict. All I have to do is look at my body in the mirror. No, I don't want to look like this, end of story. I own a pair of jeans I want to fit into and nothing is going to stop me from that mission. :bigsmile:
    It's the same way for me
  • FATJAKE5
    FATJAKE5 Posts: 162
    God! I wish I hadn't read this thread! I am having visions of a chocolate shop in Gimmert, Holland from 1965!:sad:
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    Hey, if you can balance your cravings for junk with your calorie goals, go for it. I think doing so is the only way to stay on this long term.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    God! I wish I hadn't read this thread! I am having visions of a chocolate shop in Gimmert, Holland from 1965!:sad:

    I liked Holland too.
  • jadeyq1
    jadeyq1 Posts: 178 Member
    Thanks for all the encouragement guys :) It's nice to know I'm not the only one who gives in to my cravings :)
  • pseudomuffin
    pseudomuffin Posts: 1,058 Member
    The last few times I've had fast food I've been so incredibly sick afterwords that I haven't needed a reminder yet. I have to keep myself from ordering Jimmy John's sandwiches sometimes, though, because they don't make me sick but they're loaded with mayo and tasty, tasty bread and I usually can't afford the extra calories anyway haha :) I let myself eat chocolate sometimes, but more often than not if I start with the unhealthy snacks my willpower breaks down at hyperspeed so I reeeeally try to avoid it. (Still not so good at this but I'm getting there lol)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Yeah, I do that. Sometimes, if I've been good for a while, I just feel like pigging out, so I do. I feel a little guilty, but that's what keeps me from doing it often.

Categories