Cheat days?

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Replies

  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    So I just returned from the grocery store. My wife and I are going to split a Sam's Choice pizza. I missed breakfast. I don't normally do that, but I was busy with housework and kids. So my half of this pizza will be 1,000 calories. I'm allotting myself 1,800 per day. That's under the MFP recommended 2,300. So this pizza basically throws breakfast and lunch together for one greasy, fatty meal. It seems like I could be doing a lot worse. I also bought a bag of Reese's cups, the little ones. I bought some a few weeks ago and managed to eat no more than 2-3 a day. So I think I will be okay. Hopefully, this gets my energy up and my mood improves. Because the food I bought for the next few days isn't as exciting: Boca burgers, 97-percent fat free, 45-calorie hot dogs, salad fixins and fresh veggies. I had a big bag of cheesesticks in the cart. I would have been declared a hero by the wife and kids, but I realized that I was getting a little ridiculous. I tossed the cheesesticks back. It was like when a kid has to let a wild animal go on one of those sad movies where he finds it as a wee thing with a broken leg and nurses it back to health.

    If you filled out your profile correctly, and MFP allotted you 2300 calories..why would you drop it another 500 calories? You need to fuel your body...food is that fuel. You wouldn't need a "cheat day" if you ate at a healthy deficit and ate the foods you enjoy...and you would have more energy.

    Follow the system, and let the system work for you...don't make it more complicated or harder than it has to be. Eat at the proper healthy deficit...enjoy your food...exercise...eat back most, if not all your exercise calories. Track, be honest, and stick to it at least 90% of the time, also, be patient and you will see success.
  • BattleTaxi
    BattleTaxi Posts: 752 Member
    I don't have cheat days. However, after Friday weigh-in, I do have 1 meal out of my normal routine. ie on Saturday I will eat sushi with miso soup for lunch, or make a small pizza, or have a cup of ice cream etc. I never go out of my macros, though, and if it is going to exceed my calories, I do an additional work out. I don't think of this as cheating, so much as working in foods I enjoy but would otherwise not eat frequently.
  • Mariposa_Lily
    Mariposa_Lily Posts: 38 Member
    Yup, I call them treat days, and usually once a week. I don't go crazy though like I used to. It ends up about 600 calories over goal amount and it consists of chocolate, pancakes, a dessert, hot chips, etc. Things like that.

    I like this idea of calling them "treat days"; "cheat" sounds so negative, just like talking about how you were "bad" on a particular day. Life needs to be enjoyed. Sometimes that enjoyment involves food that we don't normally eat, or food in higher-than-usual amounts. And that's OK!

    If I know ahead of times I have such a time coming (a happy hour or party to attend, out of town guests, whatever), I try to plan ahead, maybe bank a few calories, eat extra healthy the other meals of that day. And, then I enjoy. I've found that, because of how healthy I eat the rest of the time, I eat less at those times than I used to, anyway. So, the "damage" isn't as great!
  • tavinsmom
    tavinsmom Posts: 101
    I don't have a "cheat day" necessarily, I still try to log everyday. However, I do allow myself extra calories 1 day a week so I can splurge a little. Typically I allow myself to eat up to 2,000 calories on my "splurge day". I actually found it is helping speed up my weight loss because I think I was stuck in a rut of 1,200 calories for to long. I will say I don't usually count on big holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas) since a break is nice once in a while.
  • yaseyuku
    yaseyuku Posts: 871 Member
    No, I work what I want to eat into my macros and daily calories.

    If I go over from time to time on certain occasions, that's fine. There are days when I'm under too. It evens out.
  • Cassierocksalot
    Cassierocksalot Posts: 266 Member
    I have goals and allow myself a treat meal upon meeting those goals.
  • kellijauch
    kellijauch Posts: 379 Member
    I don't believe in cheat days. I will have a meal once a weekend that is over on calories, but I don't consider it cheating, and I don't blow the whole day. Then I just work out hard and make up for it.
  • ellew70
    ellew70 Posts: 222 Member
    I was about to start the same thread. I have been extremely irritable and lethargic for the past few days. And I feel like my diet is causing it. I feel like I'm eating too little and being too restrictive about what I put in my body. I've been eating 1,400 to 1,800 calories for the past 45 days. MFP says I should be eating 2,300. I have eaten that many calories only twice. So I am concerned that my deficit is zapping my energy, which is causing me to be tired and cranky, which is fueling my desire to cheat on my diet.

    So that's where I'm at. The hard part is figuring out a solution. Do I go have one big meal of whatever I want? Do I run to the store and grab a little chocolate? Do I just go buy an apple and eat it with my fat-free caramel dip? If this whole thing is about making good choices, then I want to make good choices every day. But I also don't want to have a nervous breakdown and throw something across the living room or drive like a bat out of hell to Five Guys and order two burgers.

    Have you tried tweeking some of your meals before you go for the pizza and Five Guys? For example, nuts have lots of healthy fat and will up you calories with a relatively small serving. Have whole eggs instead of egg whites? Have full fat milk instead of 2%? Add avocado to a sandwich, or granola to yogurt. These are relatively healthy options that will increase your calorie intake without going the full processed food route. It seems to me that this will get you a larger amount of food and more energy, then one big calorie laden meal.

    Now, some folks here on MFP will say it doesn't matter if you eat the pizza as long as you are within your calorie goals. My personal experience has varied - I've had more success trying to stay away from processed foods and going this route. But that's not to say the "eat it all if its in your macros" might work for you.

    I'd try both ways for a few weeks and see what works for you!
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
    Do you ever have cheat days where you eat what you want?


    I guess every day is a cheat day going by your post. I always eat what I want, just at my calorie goal.
  • HeinekenMan
    HeinekenMan Posts: 80 Member
    I was about to start the same thread. I have been extremely irritable and lethargic for the past few days. And I feel like my diet is causing it. I feel like I'm eating too little and being too restrictive about what I put in my body. I've been eating 1,400 to 1,800 calories for the past 45 days. MFP says I should be eating 2,300. I have eaten that many calories only twice. So I am concerned that my deficit is zapping my energy, which is causing me to be tired and cranky, which is fueling my desire to cheat on my diet.

    So that's where I'm at. The hard part is figuring out a solution. Do I go have one big meal of whatever I want? Do I run to the store and grab a little chocolate? Do I just go buy an apple and eat it with my fat-free caramel dip? If this whole thing is about making good choices, then I want to make good choices every day. But I also don't want to have a nervous breakdown and throw something across the living room or drive like a bat out of hell to Five Guys and order two burgers.

    Have you tried tweeking some of your meals before you go for the pizza and Five Guys? For example, nuts have lots of healthy fat and will up you calories with a relatively small serving. Have whole eggs instead of egg whites? Have full fat milk instead of 2%? Add avocado to a sandwich, or granola to yogurt. These are relatively healthy options that will increase your calorie intake without going the full processed food route. It seems to me that this will get you a larger amount of food and more energy, then one big calorie laden meal.

    Now, some folks here on MFP will say it doesn't matter if you eat the pizza as long as you are within your calorie goals. My personal experience has varied - I've had more success trying to stay away from processed foods and going this route. But that's not to say the "eat it all if its in your macros" might work for you.

    I'd try both ways for a few weeks and see what works for you!

    Yes. I usually keep nuts around, and they help, I think. I'm out right now. I'm also out of fruit, which is another snack food I've been enjoying between meals. I'm sure I ought to be getting those snacks to curb the hunger. I was literally shaking today before lunch. That can't be good for eating healthy. I am going to try eating more healthy snacks to push my calories closer to 2,000 a day. And I'll just keep inching higher until my body and mind start to feel better.
  • HeinekenMan
    HeinekenMan Posts: 80 Member
    So I just returned from the grocery store. My wife and I are going to split a Sam's Choice pizza. I missed breakfast. I don't normally do that, but I was busy with housework and kids. So my half of this pizza will be 1,000 calories. I'm allotting myself 1,800 per day. That's under the MFP recommended 2,300. So this pizza basically throws breakfast and lunch together for one greasy, fatty meal. It seems like I could be doing a lot worse. I also bought a bag of Reese's cups, the little ones. I bought some a few weeks ago and managed to eat no more than 2-3 a day. So I think I will be okay. Hopefully, this gets my energy up and my mood improves. Because the food I bought for the next few days isn't as exciting: Boca burgers, 97-percent fat free, 45-calorie hot dogs, salad fixins and fresh veggies. I had a big bag of cheesesticks in the cart. I would have been declared a hero by the wife and kids, but I realized that I was getting a little ridiculous. I tossed the cheesesticks back. It was like when a kid has to let a wild animal go on one of those sad movies where he finds it as a wee thing with a broken leg and nurses it back to health.

    If you filled out your profile correctly, and MFP allotted you 2300 calories..why would you drop it another 500 calories? You need to fuel your body...food is that fuel. You wouldn't need a "cheat day" if you ate at a healthy deficit and ate the foods you enjoy...and you would have more energy.

    Follow the system, and let the system work for you...don't make it more complicated or harder than it has to be. Eat at the proper healthy deficit...enjoy your food...exercise...eat back most, if not all your exercise calories. Track, be honest, and stick to it at least 90% of the time, also, be patient and you will see success.

    This is probably what I needed to hear. I think I'm trying to squeeze one more pound of weight loss out of each week. And it seems like this is contributing to my mood issues and lack of energy.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    So I just returned from the grocery store. My wife and I are going to split a Sam's Choice pizza. I missed breakfast. I don't normally do that, but I was busy with housework and kids. So my half of this pizza will be 1,000 calories. I'm allotting myself 1,800 per day. That's under the MFP recommended 2,300. So this pizza basically throws breakfast and lunch together for one greasy, fatty meal. It seems like I could be doing a lot worse. I also bought a bag of Reese's cups, the little ones. I bought some a few weeks ago and managed to eat no more than 2-3 a day. So I think I will be okay. Hopefully, this gets my energy up and my mood improves. Because the food I bought for the next few days isn't as exciting: Boca burgers, 97-percent fat free, 45-calorie hot dogs, salad fixins and fresh veggies. I had a big bag of cheesesticks in the cart. I would have been declared a hero by the wife and kids, but I realized that I was getting a little ridiculous. I tossed the cheesesticks back. It was like when a kid has to let a wild animal go on one of those sad movies where he finds it as a wee thing with a broken leg and nurses it back to health.

    If you filled out your profile correctly, and MFP allotted you 2300 calories..why would you drop it another 500 calories? You need to fuel your body...food is that fuel. You wouldn't need a "cheat day" if you ate at a healthy deficit and ate the foods you enjoy...and you would have more energy.

    Follow the system, and let the system work for you...don't make it more complicated or harder than it has to be. Eat at the proper healthy deficit...enjoy your food...exercise...eat back most, if not all your exercise calories. Track, be honest, and stick to it at least 90% of the time, also, be patient and you will see success.

    This is probably what I needed to hear. I think I'm trying to squeeze one more pound of weight loss out of each week. And it seems like this is contributing to my mood issues and lack of energy.

    This is going to take patience...seriously. A year will go by quicker than you think and if you treat yourself right, you'll be down a lot of weight and you might actually have fun doing it.

    This doesn't have to be hard, and when you drop weight and update your profile...you'll be stripped away of those calories and you will want them back! LOL

    Seriously, if you don't have the patience for 2 lbs a week...then you need to come back and try again when you're ready. Rushing it will do nothing but make you cranky, bitter, hungry, and you will binge, then feel guilty, say this is too hard, and give up...then come back and say that you tried this calorie counting thing and it just didn't work for you.
  • hunterman95
    hunterman95 Posts: 49 Member
    So I just returned from the grocery store. My wife and I are going to split a Sam's Choice pizza. I missed breakfast. I don't normally do that, but I was busy with housework and kids. So my half of this pizza will be 1,000 calories. I'm allotting myself 1,800 per day. That's under the MFP recommended 2,300. So this pizza basically throws breakfast and lunch together for one greasy, fatty meal. It seems like I could be doing a lot worse. I also bought a bag of Reese's cups, the little ones. I bought some a few weeks ago and managed to eat no more than 2-3 a day. So I think I will be okay. Hopefully, this gets my energy up and my mood improves. Because the food I bought for the next few days isn't as exciting: Boca burgers, 97-percent fat free, 45-calorie hot dogs, salad fixins and fresh veggies. I had a big bag of cheesesticks in the cart. I would have been declared a hero by the wife and kids, but I realized that I was getting a little ridiculous. I tossed the cheesesticks back. It was like when a kid has to let a wild animal go on one of those sad movies where he finds it as a wee thing with a broken leg and nurses it back to health.

    If you filled out your profile correctly, and MFP allotted you 2300 calories..why would you drop it another 500 calories? You need to fuel your body...food is that fuel. You wouldn't need a "cheat day" if you ate at a healthy deficit and ate the foods you enjoy...and you would have more energy.

    Follow the system, and let the system work for you...don't make it more complicated or harder than it has to be. Eat at the proper healthy deficit...enjoy your food...exercise...eat back most, if not all your exercise calories. Track, be honest, and stick to it at least 90% of the time, also, be patient and you will see success.

    This is probably what I needed to hear. I think I'm trying to squeeze one more pound of weight loss out of each week. And it seems like this is contributing to my mood issues and lack of energy.

    This is going to take patience...seriously. A year will go by quicker than you think and if you treat yourself right, you'll be down a lot of weight and you might actually have fun doing it.

    This doesn't have to be hard, and when you drop weight and update your profile...you'll be stripped away of those calories and you will want them back! LOL

    Seriously, if you don't have the patience for 2 lbs a week...then you need to come back and try again when you're ready. Rushing it will do nothing but make you cranky, bitter, hungry, and you will binge, then feel guilty, say this is too hard, and give up...then come back and say that you tried this calorie counting thing and it just didn't work for you.

    This^^^ don't rush it. As someone who just passed one year, and lost about what you are trying to lose, I can tell you it will be here quicker than you think. Eat your 2300 calories, and enjoy it while you can! Lol

    I had nothing but cheat days for some 35+ years, I'd say I've used them all up! Lol. That said, I do have days that I allow myself to go over, but not without a reason (holiday, birthday, vacation, etc.). Those days I eat whatever I want, just not however much I want. This past thanksgiving for example, I figured out how many calories I had eaten in past years, then allowed myself to eat half that much. Half was still way over my calorie goal, but still much better than what i used to do. I could still eat everything I always had on thanksgiving, just not the huge quantities I always did.
  • jaggerhawks
    jaggerhawks Posts: 187 Member
    Everyday is a cheat day for me :laugh:
  • red_road
    red_road Posts: 761 Member
    does this mean you are eating more then your weekly calories or are you still within them?

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