what do you think of having a cheat day? or a cheat meal?

I have a cheat meal once a week - once a month. For me its just a meal where I can relax and enjoy what I eat without considering the calories or macros or worry about logging it. Most of the slim people I know who like to watch what they eat have the occasional blow out and have pizza or something and dont stress over it or spend hours in the gym to compensate... That to me is just part of life so I incorporate it now.

I used to have it once a week. Definitelly helps you motivated mentally cos it gives you a time to relax and you know that you don't have to say no to bad stuff forever. When you restrict something completelly you will wear out mentally and end up binging, these type of diets don't seem to last very long.

Now I just ate what I want and make sure that it fits in my calories. No particulat cheat day or meal. I find it to be better for me than cheat meals. Mostly because you can ate crap every day, lol, while still ahving great results if it fits your calories. Only you have to log it all, what I did not do with cheat meals.

if you are new to this healthy eating stuff I definitelly suggest to have a cheat meals once or twice a week rather than eating whatever you want if it fits your calories. I think that will help you better and once you get a hang of monitoring stuff then you can switch. Otherwise you might want to just ate crap every day and not lose any weight like so many people do cos they don't have will power to limit their calories.

I don't have a specific cheat day or cheat meal, I just eat within my calories. If I fancy a chocolate bar I'll just make sure the rest of my meals are healthy and fit into my allowances.

QuotedForTruth

I would never stick to a restrictive diet, I'm looking for a long term healthy way to live not a quick fix, and I definitely don't plan on /never/ having cake or chocolate or crisps or beer again. If you know you've got a big dinner/ social occasion try to work out that morning to 'buy back' some calories for later. Or just don't sweat it, let your diet fit around your life not dictate it.

But I don't feel the need to have a cheat meal or day. I love what I'm eating, I rarely eat out or get takeaways as I have no spare money, so I'm not going to have a cheat meal/day just for the sake of it. My diet is certainly not dictating my life, I'm enjoying my life right now.

helenrosemay - sorry the QFT was in support of your statement, the rest of the comment was meant for the OP!

Ok I see what you mean now!!!

I don't have a specific cheat day or cheat meal, I just eat within my calories. If I fancy a chocolate bar I'll just make sure the rest of my meals are healthy and fit into my allowances.

This is what I do. Just work it into my calories.

edited to add: My ticker shows my new goal by the way. I've already lost 69 pounds. So this has been working for me.

I don't have cheat days purposely because it sets me back too much now I'm close to goal. I can gain 2-3lbs of water weight and it'll take me 2-3weeks to get rid of it again, despite how I eat/exercise.

I eat everything within my daily allowances unless it's a special occasion I can't avoid then I will enjoy myself but don't go crazy on the food. (Drink is a different matter.. lol :drinker: ) As I'm not a big eater anyway, I can't eat a full 3 course meal anymore and will usually just stick to a main dish if I'm eating out.

I hear you on this one!! I'm like this as well. When we go out to eat I don't order all the extras. They're all usually high fat and salt anyway, I stick with a healthier main course. At parties I go for the healthier items like the veggie tray. Never went to a party yet that didn't have veggies. Don't even look at the bowl of chips or pretzels. For me that salt means painful joints and high BP. Same problem for me with any alcohol. Just don't do it. Try to think of how that stuff makes you feel in the long run. It may tastes great now but the next few days for me are agony and not worth that couple of minutes of salty sweet in my mouth.

I have dedicated my diet to change. Change for life! I achieved my goal of 50 pound weight loss after 302 days! During that time, I focused on attempting to eat healthier. But as long as it fit within my calorie count for the day, I ate it! No cheat days/meals for me! Good luck to all! Dawn

I've found in my year of healthy living/losing weight, I have to have a meal a week where I eat something I normally wouldn't (sushi date night or a friend's birthday dinner.) Now that being said I don't treat it as a "cheat meal." I simply try to work out more to compensate a little and I always at least stay within "maintenance" meaning I don't worry about creating my normal weight loss deficit.

I just started this site today. I have been on a low carb diet for a while now and it seems to work for me. I in fact have a cheat day each Friday in the evening with a few low carb beers with my friends. This may not be recommended but it does wonders for me and gives me something to look foward to. It may cost me a lb a week but to have this night out with the wife actually motivates me to stay with it. I don't have a huge meal or anything this night. Works for me.

Here is what I think of a cheat meal, I tried strict nutrition, vegetables and really lean protein, at specific ratios in specific amounts at specific times of the day. I hate it, it is bland no fun and do you know how hard it is to eat 3 cups of mixed veggies and 6 eggs or a half of a chicken breast every three hours? The energy also left me so quick, the veggies were high in complex carbs and my body just burnt through them so easy that I almost passed out on a few calls because I was either too full to eat anymore and at the same time malnourished, and or dehydrated because I couldn't stand to drink any more water I was so full of veggies! So, I actually stopped the strict nutrition, backed off on my strength training and decided I would just cut fat first, then build more muscle. So I stay within my calorie limit, and make sure I get at least 1g of protein to 1lb of bodyweight to maintain my muscles on q hypo caloric diet. You can cut calories and lose weight lean mass and fat. If you lose 50 lbs and 40 lbs was fat but 10 lbs was muscle and bone density, then it will take most adults with a moderate strength training regimen almost a year to gain that muscle back. So make sure you ear enough, and enough of the right stuff. Finally, the cheat meal. Once or twice a week I have a scheduled cheat meal. Not a cheat day! I cut back a little through the day and save a few calories, so I have a surplus of calories to "spend" on my cheat meal. So I may eat a few Slice's of pizza and a coke for this meal, staying really close to my calorie limit and making sure I have enough protein. You can blow your calorie cap by 1000 calories, but it throws you off your groove so to speak. It will take you a day or two of strict to get back to a catabolic state. Always take your cheat meals, eating the same stuff over and over will eventually cause youto build up a craving and binge. So have a cheat meal once or twice a week. Track your progress and adjust accordingly.

Not on purpose... sometimes it just happens yah know? I never plan it... yesterday turned into a cheat day and i was not to happy about the results today :ohwell:

I try to make the majority of my days good days. Than when you do go out or have a holiday meal or a cheat day you can feel confident knowing that you won't do much damage. Just don't let the cheat days become cheat weeks and you'll be fine.

It is so easy to lose a pound so I frequently pig out with friends at buffets or cookouts.

14mph, Now Im following what you are saying lol. Alissonnj, when I say scheduled cheat meals, I know that three nights a week, I goto class out of town, and I go with friends who don't really care about their nutrition either A because they are lazy or B because they just truly don't care they are married and continent with the world like it is. So I go out and eat with them one or two of those nights, and try to stay within or just above scheduled caloric intake. By scheduled I meant per meditated, not that every Wednesday and Saturday evening is the only time I can eat anything other than grain and egg whites lol. I just mean that I don't say hey today, don't care I want pizza, and eat a whole large pizza and a two liter of Pepsi just because I think I deserved it today! I premeditate. Saturday I have a wedding, so I will probably drink a little bit, and eat some unsavory choices of food. So I prepare by saying lighter earlier in the day and making it where I can "afford" to eat junk.