Cheat Days?

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slgthatsme
slgthatsme Posts: 79
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't plan on having a whole day of cheating but I am considering a cheat meal or a cheat treat once a week where I eat something I wouldn't normally allow myself.

Do you do cheat days?

How often?
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Replies

  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    I have cheat meals once or twice a week.
  • angie007az
    angie007az Posts: 406 Member
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    Thanksgiving will be a cheat day. I normally don't allow them because they slow down the weight loss and I am impatient!!
  • Msergoi1
    Msergoi1 Posts: 10
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    Any serious trainer has one cheat day and they eat whatever they want. Enjoy your life or you will fail.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    1-2 a week when bulking. 5k-7k calories typically. 1 every 2-3 weeks when cutting.
  • breakhearts
    breakhearts Posts: 110 Member
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    Because I simply can't control myself, I try to limit it to once or twice a month!
    Cheat days are super good for you! :)
  • nytrifisoul
    nytrifisoul Posts: 500 Member
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    Im no longer in weight loss mode but i always gave myself 1-2 splurge meals. I dont call them cheat meals because there not really a cheat. If you are daily in a deficit you are just using some of those calories at a later time in the week.
  • mundaetraversa
    mundaetraversa Posts: 21
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    I don't count anything on special occasions (weddings, birthday parties, Thanksgiving, etc,). It's frequent enough that I usually have something to look forward to, but not so frequent that it messes me up.
  • LessthanKris
    LessthanKris Posts: 607 Member
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    I usually save my cheat meals for days we eat out which is once every week or two. I still log all the food that I can but do not worry about going over. I try saving some calories other days throughout the week to keep the impact at a minimum.
  • Sedna_51
    Sedna_51 Posts: 277 Member
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    I call 'em treat days (ah, lingustics) and I usually have one every month or two. I still log everything, but I give myself free rein to kick up my heels without worrying about the final calorie count. Thanksgiving will probably be one. :D I think the anticipation of planning one and knowing it's coming up is half the fun.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    Don't see the point. I just log what I eat.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
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    When I first started on MFP I kept my diary everyday with no cheats...I learnt a lot from the forums about macros...proteins/carbs

    I also learnt a lot about the importance of exercise/weights

    Sadly, I did not take as much notice as I should have done about weights and am now playing catch up.

    I suppose what I am trying to say is if you want to take it slowly and add in treat/cheat days then that is your choice.

    Or you could just work it all around your diary and add treats/cheats to fit in with the exercise.

    BTW I was using the 1200 cals a day offered by MFP for a year. I have been maintaining for a year and now have cheats/treats
  • sirvivor007
    sirvivor007 Posts: 45 Member
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    A cheat DAY is not such a good idea. You can easily go over your TDEE by thousands (plural) of calories. However I do have a cheat meal 1-2 times a week.
  • tuulikki30
    tuulikki30 Posts: 99 Member
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    I usually have a cheat meal on date night, about twice a month. I always eat what I want within reason, but on date night, I eat meals that someone else cooks and I cannot always accurately calculate calories. This is a life style choice and not a short term diet. Enjoy your food in moderation.
  • MichMunchkin
    MichMunchkin Posts: 94 Member
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    I do cheat nights twice a week. Not entire cheat days, mind you, but on Wednesdays and Saturdays, I'll eat normally for breakfast lunch, and supper, and then later in the evening I'll have a junk food snack that I don't normally have. Some people might say that's not the "right" way to go about losing weight, but the way I look at it, it's like this: better to have it twice a week than every day of the week.

    I don't see anything at all wrong with "cheat' meals/days. For a lot of people, it keeps them from feeling deprived, and if this is truly going to be a lifestyle change, then there's no point in telling yourself that you can never eat "X" again.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    I don't plan on having a whole day of cheating but I am considering a cheat meal or a cheat treat once a week where I eat something I wouldn't normally allow myself.

    Do you do cheat days?

    How often?

    Cheat day is a phrase that suggests a pretty unhealthy attitude, it's about choices. One chooses how much one eats, and accounts for it.

    Sometimes I eat more than my target, sometimes I eat less. Both are choices.

    Or looking at it the other way, who does one "cheat"?
  • angie007az
    angie007az Posts: 406 Member
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    Any serious trainer has one cheat day and they eat whatever they want. Enjoy your life or you will fail.

    I enjoy my life. Haven't failed yet.
    Using the 5:2 plan allows me to eat what I like most days. However, like someone else said, who are you really cheating? Right?
  • DDSA52
    DDSA52 Posts: 11 Member
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    I usually have a cheat day once every week or two. Try to keep them for times I'll be eating out. I rarely if ever go over my TDEE though. Just go over calories set to lose the weight. I find, for myself, it helps me concentrate more on sticking to the plan the rest of the time. However, with winter here and double depression { I suffer from SADS and chronic depression}, I'm struggling to keep the calories down and the food healthy anyways. Still working on maintaining weight by setting plan up to lose half a pound a week and not freaking if I go over a few calories.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    oh hello old cheat day thread friend, I see you are back for the millionth time....oh what, you dont know about the search feature?

    in...for the cheating, and then the guilt...
  • CTONDO
    CTONDO Posts: 43 Member
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    I cheat every Sunday. If I don't I would indulge everyday in so many horrible things. It gives me something to look forward to. Also, I don't cheat all day. I will cheat on lunch or dinner. I have cheated on both a few times.
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
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    I don't do so well with a cheat "DAY" - it turns into a cheat 3 days....but one meal a week seems to work pretty well...

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