Do you have a cheat day or cheat meal every week?

I cheat 2 meals a week & lose 2lbs a week

I think cheat days or cheat meals are a great idea, helps keep you from driving youself crazy and allows you to enjoy life more, why not splurge on a date or a fun night out or whatever. I also have cheat foods, I am one of those cannot survive without chocolate kind of people so I figured out if I just eat a strait up chocolate bar that is the lowest calorie way for me to get my chocolate fix I need. I just eat it when I can't stop thinking about chocolate and move on, dont worry about it. For me this really keeps me from spurging on cake or something else with way more calories later. You have to figure out ways to diet while still keeping yourself happy because in the end that is what we are all looking for despite a number on the scale or dress size. Just figure out what will work for you to cheat without cheating too badly

Saturday is my cheat day every week. However, since I am not sitting at my desk at work, I also tend to be much more active. When all is said and done at the end of the day, yeah I "cheated", but with all the extra activity, it ends up not being too much over and generally still within my weekly allowance.

I try and stay within my calories but eat what I want within them (to an extend, I don't want to be starving either so most of what I eat is filling and healthy, but I have some sort of treat most days).

Personally, I think that a cheat meal every week would be too much, but I'd probably go 1000 calories over or something if I was to really cheat, and it would slow down my weight loss too much. I've had a couple cheat meals since I started and only went over my calories once, but I had to guesstimate how many calories it was (I had saved my calories for dinner and still picked the healthiest entree, I just cheated on appetizer and dessert).

So overall I think cheat meals are fine, you have to keep living, but once a week is probably too much, IMO. I'd make it a once in a while thing... and eat what you want within your calories otherwise. Of course it all depends on what you call 'cheating', for me two slices of pizza isn't cheating, for example, I make room for them.

Make it fit your macros and you can 'cheat' whenever you want.

I've said it before, I'll say it again - it's not cheating if you log it. Eat it, log it and live your life.

I've said it before, I'll say it again - it's not cheating if you log it. Eat it, log it and live your life.

Great Answer!!!

I have a cheat day or two every week. Nothing CRAZY.. but I don't restrict myself. I am very strict with my eating all week and working out also. Sat and Sun are the two days I am more relaxed.

I've said it before, I'll say it again - it's not cheating if you log it. Eat it, log it and live your life.

Well said... I started out with a cheat meal a week and a cheat meal a month. I noticed after three months of that that I would eat healthy and then when i had my cheat times I would get migraine headahes and stomache issues. I decided to start eating like i was already at maintaince weight only with a deficit. Now, if I want a treat, I eat it, because I want to get used to eating how i will once i get to my goal weight and not suddenly change the way I eat and put it all back on. Its working so far, I'm happier, I stress about 'bad' foods less and I am still losing pounds and issues. Its all up to you, OP. :flowerforyou:

I definitely have a cheat day and depending on the week, I may have two in one week, but its all good.

I have one of two meals a week ^_^ It's the best and keeps me sane, I budget for it by not eating back some of my exercise calories so I have an extra 500-700 to spend on my cheat meals

I use to have a cheat meal each week on Sundays. That did help to know on Sunday I could have something I really enjoy. I've changed that now that I can have that burger or tacos as long as it fits in my intake that day. Obviously you don't want to use all your calories in one meal so you learn moderation, you learn to plan and you'll soon realize that you can be happy with that. I have one chosen food that I stay away from which is any fried foods. I really try not to have them. One thing I realized it that saying those things were completely off limits did not work for me. I felt deprived all the time. Good luck!

This content has been removed.

Every Saturday my friends and I go out to eat, mind you I try my best to fit it into my calories for the day (maybe skipping lunch and some snacks along the way). I purposely go over calories maybe once a month.

I've said it before, I'll say it again - it's not cheating if you log it.

this!!^^ i have meals that break my cal limit for the day but they are not planned 'cheat' days or 'cheat' meals. I have on occasion gone over my daily cals by up to 1000, but that's been about twice in 2 months. I don't think you should plan to 'cheat'. Who are you really cheating, only yourself. If you go over your cals log it all - ALL - and move on. Don't try to exercise it off, or reduce your cals the next day to balance it out. That is just frustrating and will only make you annoyed at yourself. But I personally don't agree with planning a cheat.