So, how far do you go on a cheat day?
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I semi-unintentionally had a cheat day today, my total (including my daily allowance) is at 3952 as of this moment :laugh:0
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As far from home as I possibly can. I wouldn't want someone to recognize me and tell my husband.
Wait your married? Is that why you took me to the middle of nowhere? Answer your phone! Yes it's me calling!!!!!0 -
As far from home as I possibly can. I wouldn't want someone to recognize me and tell my husband.
Wait your married? Is that why you took me to the middle of nowhere? Answer your phone! Yes it's me calling!!!!!
Erm..my battery is dead. I'll call you back.0 -
If I eat something that goes over my calories for the day I feel guilty and the scales always show it! So now I'm trying to find healthy options instead of craving things that are unhealthy.
Also, I try and give everything a monetary value. For instance, if I want a bar of chocolate that's say $2, I convince myself that I won't let myself be beaten by something that is only worth $2. I know it'll take me a long time to burn off something that in the long term isn't necessary and not worth sacrificing all the hard work I've put in.0 -
As far from home as I possibly can. I wouldn't want someone to recognize me and tell my husband.
Wait your married? Is that why you took me to the middle of nowhere? Answer your phone! Yes it's me calling!!!!!
Erm..my battery is dead. I'll call you back.
Lies my text has read report and you totally read all 20 texts I sent you!!!!0 -
The further from home, the better, if I'm in a snacking mood. I use distraction to fend off cheating.0
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If a day is a 'cheat day', in the sense that I can tell I need it, I don't actually record, but I keep in mind what I eat. I don't think I'm ever over 1800, so a 'cheat day' will just be neutral.
I go 2-300 over my calories limit every now and then and it's no disaster, it just means that the weight loss will be slower. I had a few of those last week, but at the end of the week, I'd still lost 1 lbs even though I though I'd lost none.
Edit: When the OP says "cheat day" I think she means just a day when you go over your allowed calories. Whether it is one cheat meal which causes it or random extra calories throughout the day, doesn't matter. She's referring to any day where you go over, say, 1300 calories, if that is your goal, regardless of how it happens. If your goal is 1300, 1600 calories can still be a 'cheat day', even though you're not gaining weight, as it is 'cheating' on your plan. So when you say "I don't have a cheat day but I sometimes go in zero" - you're having a cheat day, that's what she's referring to.0 -
I don't try to make a whole day of not so good decisions. On the weekend, I treat myself to ONE thing I couldn't stop thinking about during the week. And I make sure not to go overboard with it...just enough to have the taste of it then I make better choices.0
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I usually just incorporate my "cheat" meals into my daily calories. If i feel like having a cookie or ice cream, i log it. Simple as that. But I never do cheat day nor do I feel the need to. I assume it's because I don't deprive myself from anything. I just make sure I eat healthy at least 90 percent of the time, log what I eat, even the bad stuff, and stay under my calorie goal. I feel like entire cheat days are just plain dangerous; too much room for losing control
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I will go as far as a cheat meal, or a day that I know I will go over. For me its making a conscious choice to eat a 1,000 calorie meal (like today for example) knowing that I can't really reduce enough of my other meals to keep myself under.
todays indiscretion are related to yesterday's athletic feats... I think if you are going to be in the "extra burn" zone and you know you are doing it, it's not going to kill you to sometimes.
I don't "plan" a cheat day at any real interval, but I do know that allowing myself to go over is what will keep me sane and continue to contribute to my ongoing success (8 lbs from goal, 41 down)0 -
I don't have a cheat "day", I have a cheat "meal". I eat whatever I want, enjoy it, and don't think about the calories.0
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I don't have a cheat day, I have days when I'm really good, and days where I'm okay, i rarely have days where I'm really bad. Because usually even if I have really bad things, I am still at or under calories. Like today, I had wendys (I can't eat the bread and I don't like the burgers so I just had plain grilled chicken and fries, I love fries) but the grilled chicken is only 120 cals so even with a value size fries its not a bad meal, I also had coldstone ice cream which ended up about 340 calories but I balanced it by having oatmeal for breakfast (plain) and for dinner shrimp cocktail and crab legs, which are also delicious but i made sure to choose them over a steak or something.
This way I get what I want any day, I just don't keep it around so I really have to want it and go get it, I keep around "bad things" that are lower calorie like pudding, or low fat ice cream, or instant bubble tea that way I don't feel a need to go for the real "bad things" often, but even when I do I can usually be pretty good0 -
I do not have specific cheat days. I just eat and enjoy life on occasion. If its a holiday or we pass by a place we eat rarely then I am going to treat myself and eat whatever I want. I already know 1 day of gluttony is not going to ruin everything. I have had days in which I ate 3 days worth of calories and I still have never gotten to even 130. I just weigh myself and when I start getting closer to it then I watch what I eat more carefully. If I am on the thinner side then I am going to care less.0
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5-10k0
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Yesterday i went 6500 cals over0
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So far I haven't really even wanted a cheat day, which is a surprise to me. It feels really good to know that I'm eating really balanced meals and tracking everything, so the desire to "cheat" hasn't really reared it's ugly head (yet). I started on May 1st so I haven't been at it as long as some of the others, however I have had a lifetime of "diets", with always that thought then when I reach my goal I can eat "normal" again. Eating "normal" again for me always resulted in me regaining the same weight yet again! That has all changed for me this time around, as I am approaching this as a lifestyle change and feeling a whole new attitude. I don't fell like I'm dieting, and if there is a food item that I really want I figure it into my daily macros. If we are going out to dinner I look at the menu before online and decide what I'm going to have and figure it into my daily macros. I just don't have a craving for anything heavy or greasy or even sweet. Eating healthy and balanced has really been an eyeopener to me, and so far has been relatively easy, and very satisfying. That's not to say that I'm not hungry at times, but I usually just have a handful of almonds or a piece of fruit with some water and it usually passes, the next thing you know it's time for a meal.
Your hunger cravings may just be your body getting used to a different way of eating, and in some cases thirst. Have a piece of fruit and a big glass of water, I'll bet in a few weeks you will not even be contemplating a "cheat" day. Good luck!0 -
Saturday is my eat anything day but even then, I keep it reasonable. I have a lot of cravings and so I just leave them in the back of my mind and then on Saturday I'll indulge in one or two. I also have a big breakfast every Saturday. It seems to work for me because otherwise it's too easy for me to binge on crap. The rest of the week I eat properly and the food is all made by me and all delicious which makes a world of difference in keeping things up...:)0
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Weekends I'd go over at least 2000cals I'm sure of it... I never feel guilty and usually have waited all week to enjoy my naughty foods! It is always stuff that just wouldn't fit into my daily limits like alcohol, chicken wings and meals out. Like really high cal stuff!
Ive adapted a method that works well for my lifestyle change that I can stick to where I do 1400 cals mon,tues and weds.. then 1000 thurs and fridays then don't count on weekends. Saturdays are completely guilt free while I do tend to make alot better choices Sunday but still don't count my cals because god damn it life's to short to be counting them alllll the time!!!!0 -
My "cheat" day or just high cal, have some fun day is about 2000 calories, give or take. I don't usually feel the need to go too crazy with these days because I eat food I enjoy throughout the week. I still try to hit at least 100g of protein on these days, but I don't worry too much about the other macros.0
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I use James Duigan's Clean and Lean programme, which advocates one free meal per week. Not really determined by calories, just an opportunity to thoroughly enjoy your favourite meal / treat without guilt. The main considerations are:
1. Enjoy then best....for instance if you love pasta carbonara, then don't get a ready meal version, either make a yummy version or go to a restaurant.
2. Enjoy it slowly - savour the moment. If you love chocolate - don't eat it on the go, in the car etc. Make sure you realise you are eating it and enjoy it.
3. No guilt!!
4. Don't eat anything that makes you feel ill / uncomfortable. Realise through changing your eating habits, that your tastes change and adapt the free meal accordingly.
My free meal would typically be a curry from an amazing restaurant and either an ice cream or some chocolates. It would mean that I can be up to 1000 calories over, but that said, the remainder of the time, I am between 1000 - 1300 per day.
Hope this helps0 -
I have perhaps 10 cheat days through the year, most of them for social occasions, such as Christmas and birthdays. For times like that food is such an important part of the ritual, I choose some days of discomfort afterwards in order to gain the social bonding.
Other cheat days are for instance when I travel, and we end up in a place with seriously delicious food I know I may never be in a position to taste again. Then I eat it, and ask no questions. Also, when in places with a seriously good tradition for cakes and desserts, such as Bologna or Vienna, I take one day and eat something I have really lusted for. A particularly memorable day was spent tracking down tiny bite-sized cakes in Bologna, to try as many as possible in the time I had given myself for splurging! Which meant a lot of running between cafés, so I got some cardio in as well ;-).
Anyway: This cuts down the number of cheat days, but maintains the pleasure of food, both social and cultural, which is important to me. It also brings back some of the original meaning of days like Christmas and birthdays, when eating all you wanted to your heart's content really was something special.0 -
I try not to have cheat days, cause I know i will undo so much work if I do. Instead, and because my family eats out and celebrates every single thing so often, I try to make up by still tracking, and keep my going over within a mximum of 100- 200 cals and no more. If I go over, I go over. I make up for it by going back to a normal routine the next day, and cutting out any of my treats (chocolates, milk tea etc.) for awhile.
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So a normal day for me should be around 1500. On a cheat day, I can get up to around 4000... Those are my super greedy hungry days... They also tend to be offset by a 1200-2500 cal burn (nice long road cycle), and generally only happen that badly every three months. An more frequent cheat day goes over by about 1000...0
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I try to keep 'cheat days' around maintenance, but I'd rather avoid them altogether.0
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My cheat days always used to be a result of me making a batch of cookies or cake or something and eating all of it in one day. Now, they are a result of eating too much at work (I work at Max Brenner), binging on chocolate I bought or bread night (free Baker's Delight goods!!
). Therefore, I try to avoid doing baking or even having enough flour, butter and sugar to make dough. I also avoid bread night by not being at my hall on Wednesday nights! And when I do volunteering or go to events at uni, there's often lots of food I'm tempted by (I once had 800 cals worth of tim tams cause I like them so much). So I don't go to too many events. And as for work... Well. I only have the skim milk drinks and try not to have too much... :ohwell: But IF I do, I go for long runs and log calories into the next day, then go to bed extremely late so that I skip breakfast and wake up at lunchtime. 0 -
I don't really consider it a 'cheat day', but a more relaxed one. My partner doesn't do a 9-5 like me, so we get one day a week together on Sundays and that tends to mean something nice for breakfast, a couple of beers or a glass of wine, and something nice for dinner. That doesn't mean I eat everything in sight, or go out of my way to eat junk, but if it happens, it happens. Usually end up eating 1,500 - 1,800 when we're being 'good' or 3,000 when we're being really naughty.0
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I don't have cheat days. I find ways to have the food I want while staying under my calorie goal. When I am having starving days, I try to opt for high protein foods. I also will have a little more for breakfast if I am feeling extra hungry to help me from over eating throughout the day.
I don't like the idea of cheat days. I want to be able to be healthy forever, so for me it means finding ways to enjoy food without going overboard.0 -
A little history. I maintained a 120 lb weight loss for 8 years. I deprived myself a lot, trust me. Didn't eat my own birthday cake, etc... Anyways, 1.5 years ago, I started "splurging" but then it became really binging. It was only 2 days a week but I ended up gaining 30 ish lbs. I did continue a lot of healthy habits that I had learned which explains why I didn't gain more. I was not exercising much at the time as I had to give up running due to bad knees and didn't replace it with anything. Anyways, next thing I know I find myself going form a size 10/12 to a size 16/18. I was not happy. Found mfp and Zumba
January 2nd and have been losing. For the month of april and may, I tried a cheat meal. Although I did limit myself and I didn't binge, it was very very borderline. By the end of the May, my body had reached a point where I was undoing my clean eating and hard work during the week. And, I was not journaling on that day. My current plan, is to save those "meals" for once a month with my 1st one starting when I lose these last 10 lbs. I do not plan on going back to not eating a Birthday meal, Christmas, or Thanksgiving. But, on the other hand, I'm not going to eat myself sick just because its the weekend. Its a gray area. Everybody is different and you have to find what works for you.
Edited to add that I currently eat 1700 or so calories. I exercise A LOT so am considering bumping that up. I find that if I eat too little, I don't have energy to fuel my workouts and my willpower tanks.
Instead of my typical treat meal at a restaurant this weekend which is a gourmet cheeseburger and onion rings from a restaurant(not McDonalds type), my husband grilled a lean beef patty, I used a 80 calorie bun, and I had some sweet potato fries baked in the oven. It took care of my craving and was under 400 calories including the ketchup! Yum. I eat low carb so having the fries and bun were a treat.0 -
Hi there,
You know everytime I hear or read anything related to the "diet" word I know something is fundamentally wrong. The whole idea behind getting healthier is to "find" a sustainable way of living and that includes drinking, eating and exercising. I've been overweight my whole live (almost 40 years) and trust me, I have been able to lose weight significantly (20 kilos or more or 45 pounds or more) at least 3 times before finding MFP. Once depriving myself from eating, then I used dieting pills (the worst) and last by having a gastric ballon. In all three I gained back what I lost + more. Last December I was at my biggest (130 Kilos) and I was really dissapointed at myself knowing I gained back all the weight I lost no more than 3 years ago. I knew I had to do something different, some "sustainable". I found MFP and it sounded right to me what was all about. Then I started reading and doing my own research, understand (or kind of) of what TDEE is and that every body is different. Long story short, I have lost more than 30 kilos (around 70+ pounds) since January 7 and I feel that this time I'm not coming back to "fat". I know how my body reacts and what I need to do to keep the weight off. In my case I need to fuel my body and by fuel I need to eat, I love working out but I also love to drink (I'm not an alcoholic tho). So, I don't have cheat days, I just sometimes go above my allowance and sometimes I just go under. The thing here, at least you have a medical condition, is to get a life style that suits your needs but also allows you to be healthy. If you deprive yourself from eating you definetely are going to lose weight but unfortunately you are going to get it back once you stop. Fuel your body but also work out. That will increase your metabolism which bottomline regulates how you burn your calories.
I log everything, if it is complicated because too many things I just add quick calories (between 2000-3000) depending on the amount of alcohol and food. Sometimes even more (4500 cal). I just like to record everything because that way I understand my body. Remember, the trick for most of the guys that have managed to shredd the weight and keep it off is "EAT and WORK OUT" If one day you are above, is ok just get back to track. One step at at time
Hope it helps
Cheerrs0
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