Cheat/Treat Days

I think it depends on your goal. Do you want to lose weight quickly or do you want to change your lifestyle? I personally aim to live in a way that I will be able to continue for years. For this reason I do allow myself cheat days, but I try not to go overboard. I don't want to be the person who turns down birthday cake!! If you have one a week or every other week, but the rest of the time you're really good, then I don't see a problem with it! It does slow down the process, but you're more likely to be able to keep going for a long time without feeling depressed.

Keep this in mind. Some will say they work all week so they can enjoy their weekend. Well............your weekend is essentially 30% of your progress. How do you just throw that out?

Most of the trainers/nutritionists that I have talked to have all said, rather than having "cheat days", instead make 10-20% of your DAILY calories, "yummy" calories. Is that a muffin? chocolate bar? maybe a frozen yogurt with fruit? The health of that is up to you. But it's easier to spread those out when you need them, then try to take it all in a "cheat day" and then end up spending all week trying to work from behind to burn it off again.

But in the end, it still comes down to calories in/calories out. So if you make those "yummy" calories, still keep them within your allotment, just 10-20 pct of your allotment.

It all depends on the person. You have to be able to trust yourself to be able to have that cheat 'meal' on one day then turn around and continue on eating healthy afterwards for awhile.

It also depends on how many days its been and what your body can handle. You have to get to know your body and how you lose weight, what works for you and how many times a cheat meal won't effect your hard work. If i am really on a roll, i tend to have two cheat meals per month but if i'm at maintenance i cheat on weekends but eat very well off during monday through Friday. This is how i keep a balance. I've been doing this for so many years, i know my body. This is my lifestyle.

You have to find out what works for you and your body.

There is no right or wrong way to look at cheat days. Whatever helps the individual stick to there goal is what's best.

If an end of the week reward helps you that's great.

If daily mini-treats that are within your calori allowance suit you, it's just as good.

As long as neither get out of control you're golden.

Trust me, I'm a doctor.

Keep this in mind. Some will say they work all week so they can enjoy their weekend. Well............your weekend is essentially 30% of your progress. How do you just throw that out?

Most of the trainers/nutritionists that I have talked to have all said, rather than having "cheat days", instead make 10-20% of your DAILY calories, "yummy" calories. Is that a muffin? chocolate bar? maybe a frozen yogurt with fruit? The health of that is up to you. But it's easier to spread those out when you need them, then try to take it all in a "cheat day" and then end up spending all week trying to work from behind to burn it off again.

But in the end, it still comes down to calories in/calories out. So if you make those "yummy" calories, still keep them within your allotment, just 10-20 pct of your allotment.

This is also part of my thinking. It's either you will have 1-2 meals and work extra hard the next few days or you spread it out into little treats if you're not planning to go out.

If you make eating healthy a habit then eating the 'cheat foods' won't affect you enough no to go back on track.

I believe that cheating on occasion is very helpful in the long term. If you deprive yourself too long, you will fall off track. However if you allow yourself a treat once in a while you will help curb that strong desire (and we all know that desire is very strong).You do need to still be careful with your cheats though. I always still log my cheats to insure that I do not go out of control.

As others have said, I really see this as a lifestyle change, so I don't really have "cheat" days or meals. I eat anything I feel like, as long as it fits into my calorie and macro goals. So, if I want a cookie, and it fits, I have a cookie.

I also realize that life happens, and if I end up in a situation where I will go over my calorie goals and/or not meet my macros once in a while, I'll go with the flow and not worry about it. Sometimes I will plan for a big day, like Thanksgiving or my birthday. In that case, I try to stay within my weekly goals by eating lighter or exercising more before and after the event. I also do my best to log everything.

That is a great way to think of it. I do tend to have healthy treats everyday. Whether it is a protein bar, or a fruit bar. This helps keep me away from unhealthy treats. However, I do let myself have unhealthy treats on occasion.

People are commenting in two different ways.. Some people seem to consider cheat/treat days when you eat treats but still fit into your daily calories. To me, that's not a cheat/treat day. That's just a day but I'm not a clean eater so maybe that's why. To me, cheat/treat days are when you go over your daily allowance. Which, you know.. isn't the end of the world. I never plan them because I don't want to purposefully go over my calories, I am still trying to lose weight after all. I also make sure not to do it more than once a week.. but again, life happens and sometimes I do.

We had a terribly hot and humid weekend and on Sunday night I ate 2 cups of delicious Haagen Dazs Rocky Road ice cream. That's 1240 calories (and most of those calories were above my daily allowance for weightloss). And it was amazing, and I deserved it.