POLL: Cheat Days

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Do you believe in having cheat days, or just an occasional treat like a candy bar? I get alot of differing opinions on this type of thing.
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Replies

  • jellybeanmusic
    jellybeanmusic Posts: 161 Member
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    I just build treats into my day rather than have full days "off". I think it's important to be able to eat everything you fancy in moderation rather than depriving myself sometimes then going mad every now and again.
  • sharon75uk
    sharon75uk Posts: 51 Member
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    I don't have cheat days but build most things into my daily calories and have chocolate/crisps/sweets daily and have still been loosing weight.
  • adorable_aly
    adorable_aly Posts: 398 Member
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    For me cheat days led to me demonising food and generally getting into a binge mentality, and it would totally ruin my deficit for the week. Now if I want something, I have it, and make it work in my cals and macros. For me its much more psychologically beneficial.
  • SamanthaH10
    SamanthaH10 Posts: 72 Member
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    Cheat days don't work for me, either. I will eat every crappy food in sight. Instead, I build little sweets here and there into my day so I don't feel like I'm depriving myself :)
  • WaistAweigh
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    So building it into you calories is best I guess?
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    A whole day could be deadly if you have no self-control. A meal would limit your options timewise eg you go to a restaurant and order a starter, main course and dessert plus a wine which may come to a total of 2000 calories so might put you back a week but be good for your soul. A whole day could mean two fun meals plus snacks in between might top 6000 calories in a day and put you back a month making you feel really guilty and angry with yourself. Depends if you attack the day Adam Richman style or not.
  • WaistAweigh
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    So the majority of you don't have cheat days. The reason why I ask is BC it seems that people are against it and there must be a good reason why.
  • Rai007
    Rai007 Posts: 387 Member
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    someone here told me that we should look at Average calories

    so i do eat my favourite things on 10th day or so.
    good luck.

    it is not about cheating it is about average calories.
  • p4ulmiller
    p4ulmiller Posts: 588 Member
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    So the majority of you don't have cheat days. The reason why I ask is BC it seems that people are against it and there must be a good reason why.

    Because cheat days turn into cheat weekends turn into cheat weeks.

    I eat what I want, when I want. The only stipulation is that eat in a moderate calorie deficit. I had apple crumble lsat night, and will likely have it again today. That means I need to get my *kitten* into gear and go for a ride on my bike.

    It all fits within my lifestyle.

    You need to get this whole "deprivation" and "diet" mentality out of your head.
  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
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    IIFYM, I will eat anything and everything in my way.
  • Als1855
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    I don't believe in cheat days, but I do have a cheat "time." I stay on track with my diet all other times. My cheat "time" is Wednesday night at Church and I hit the desert table (very small portions of everything) and have a cup of coffee with my friends. I think that cheat "time" should be focused on other things besides the food, like being able to sit down at a table and indulge in what my girlfriends are eating. I look forward to the "cheat" AND the social thing on Wednesday night, but the food is not the focus. Also, every other month or so, I go out to lunch with my friend on MFP and that is our cheat "time" NOT cheat "day."
  • Sjenny5891
    Sjenny5891 Posts: 717 Member
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    So building it into you calories is best I guess?

    I plan for it or else I end up eating everything I can get my hands on.
  • dianeb613
    dianeb613 Posts: 121 Member
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    I don't call it cheat days. There are days, not many, where I do not watch my caloric intake as much as others. Could be a special occasion, could be something totally unexpected. Thanksgiving and Christmas are days I prefer not to log foods because I could never realistically know the exact calorie count, so I will just give it a quick add calories for the day.

    One day never really "packed" on any pounds for me because the next day I went back to eating "healthy" foods and exercising.

    PS on Thanksgiving I do a 5k walk in the morning that we call a Turkey trot with my old WW friends. It helps...LOL
  • smc864
    smc864 Posts: 570 Member
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    Once every week or two I will eat at my maintenance calories for the day, so I wouldn't consider it a cheat day. This is when I eat a meal that I probably wouldn't be able to fit into my typical calories -- like say, a Chipotle burrito bowl :bigsmile:


    It's not worth busting your *kitten* all week to create a deficit only to ruin it with one day of binging.
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
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    Cheating implies that you get something without getting caught, or that you won't pay for it in the end. The body doesn't work that way.
    You're better off eating that thing you want, being accountable and honest and not feeling guilty.
    When I want a candy bar or whatever, I just pre-log it and decide if it's worth it calorie and macro-wise, or eat it anyway and plan to work it off later.
    As long as I meet my protein and calorie goal, I pretty much eat whatever I feel like.
    Having a cheat day where you eat way over your calorie goal is so counter productive to not only weight loss but a healthy eating lifestyle it's ludicrous.
  • RECowgill
    RECowgill Posts: 881 Member
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    Yes do what works for you. If you have the willpower and can handle it structure your cheat meals however you like. I have cheat days and cheat meals, just depending on how I feel. I have the willpower to eat correctly when I need to so it works for me.
  • alechua
    alechua Posts: 224 Member
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    I make sure every calorie counts and getting the most out of it as much as possible. I avoid fried foods even on my cheat days, small treats daily works for me. :)
  • 2_blackdogs
    2_blackdogs Posts: 19 Member
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    I LOVE MY CHEAT DAYS!!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    For me it doesn't make sense to say I'm "cheating" on my way of eating.
    I eat what I want to eat within reason every day.
    What I want to eat has changed over the years though.
    But I eat what I want. I eat pizza, chocolate, drink wine...
    The type of pizza has changed a bit, the type of chocolate a bit too.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
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    NO to cheat days. There's no need, and it glorifies food into being a treat. I eat chocolate EVERY DAY, not just as an "occaisional treat", and log it in.