Cheat days, yay or nay?

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  • molonlabe762
    molonlabe762 Posts: 411 Member
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    Absolutely YAY! Id lose it if I never had a day to relax. That doesnt mean you have to go crazy and way over eat though. Just eat what u want in decent moderation and dont worry about counting. I usualy have a cheat day every other week.
  • Oscarinmiami
    Oscarinmiami Posts: 326 Member
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    yes i wouldn't be able to stick to the diet without a cheat day
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I'm torn about it, honestly. I try to fit what I want within my calories, but I've had cheat days... mostly unplanned. And sometimes the gain from it doesn't seem to be worth it, when it takes you two weeks to get rid of the water weight. I guess it depends how much over you go though.
  • Mayra_121
    Mayra_121 Posts: 128 Member
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    In the past when I would try to "diet" I would not have any cheat days, which made things just frustrating because I would constantly think about all the foods I craved. Up until the point where I would give up and binge on all sorts of unhealthy foods. But ever since I have given up dieting and changed my mentality that this is a lifestyle change I have incorporated 1 cheat day a week. The important thing like most people have said is moderation! I try my best not to overdo it while having some of the things I want.
  • KimJohnsonsmile
    KimJohnsonsmile Posts: 222 Member
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    If I want ice cream, I'll have a small bowl of ice cream. Brownies? Yum! Chips? Bring 'em on. I don't have "cheat" days. I eat what I want, and I don't think of myself as dieting. Eating healthy is really a way of life for me now (thank you MFP). I tend eat very healthy, and if I want something unhealthy I'll exercise hard enough to compensate for the extra cals so I can stay within my goals
  • sburns12066
    sburns12066 Posts: 8 Member
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    For me cheat days do not work, I learned that recently. A cheat day becomes a cheat week. When I first started this diet I would allow myself a cheat meal once every two weeks. That worked a lot better for me because I would eat right the rest of the day, then really enjoy the cheat meal. When I had the whole day I would end up going overboard. Everybody is different, but I know cheat days do not work for me!
  • Nicole_gets_a_grip
    Nicole_gets_a_grip Posts: 50
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    Nay! I have no 'off button'! I can easily consume a whole days calories in 1 meal and in a day I could consume 3-4 days of calories. Cheat days are a BIG no for me!!!

    I got fat by cheating!!! If it fits in my daily calories and I want some chocolate or chips then I'll have them, but only if I can fit it in my daily count. Similarly though if I go over my calories by up to 100 calories once or twice a week I won't flog myself over it!!!
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
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    If I want ice cream, I'll have a small bowl of ice cream. Brownies? Yum! Chips? Bring 'em on. I don't have "cheat" days. I eat what I want, and I don't think of myself as dieting. Eating healthy is really a way of life for me now (thank you MFP). I tend eat very healthy, and if I want something unhealthy I'll exercise hard enough to compensate for the extra cals so I can stay within my goals

    Pretty much this.

    I don't feel like I have anything to cheat. As long as I hit my macros I indulge in all the yums!
  • Dawn810511
    Dawn810511 Posts: 98 Member
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    No, I personally don't think it's a good idea. For some people, it works, for me, no.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    sure, i cheat all weekend and stay strong all week.
  • erinbuberinxo
    erinbuberinxo Posts: 64
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    Yay! I don't have specific cheat days or meals, I just have a cheat whenever I fancy! Sometimes that's once every 2 weeks, sometimes it's twice a week :) But a lot of people don't and if that works for them I have huge respect because I couldn't go without a few cheats :p
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    - it's much easier to fit your 'cheat meals' in your calories when you have a higher goal
    - as you get to the last 10-15 lbs and your deficit is smaller, a cheat meal sucks. I undid a week's worth by going over the other day. So you really have to decide if going over is worth it.
    - bottom line, learn moderation, so you can have what you want in small quantities within your calories (I think this one will be a constant battle for me though)
    - whatever you do, log it. When you see you're 1000 in the red and 'you will gain 5 more lbs' when you click the 'done for the day' button, it will put things in perspective
    - in the end, it's a lifestyle change, and you will have cheat days in your life. Just try to limit them and move on.
  • overhaul12
    overhaul12 Posts: 20
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    Personally, I eat everything in moderation and don't have planned "cheat" days or meals. If I am going out to a restaurant or a party, I try to work it into my day as best as possible.

    I do, however, let life happen and go over my calorie goal or don't worry about my macros on occasion (birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.).

    ^^This!

    I don't plan out "cheat days" because then I feel like I can eat anything and everything. I try to stay consistent with my diet and if I want a bit of chocolate cake, I'm gonna have a bite of that damn chocolate cake. Honestly, though, I don't really crave the foods that used to be cheats for me (gave up sugar and wheat)...but when I do I try to find the healthiest version available so I'm still getting some nutritional benefit. That being said, do what works best for you! If you can fit a cheat day in once every couple of weeks and still stay on track, go for it! I probably wouldn't go for a once a week cheat day because sometimes it can get out of hand and throw off your progress.
  • LadyPacis
    LadyPacis Posts: 12 Member
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    I feel that having a cheat day on Friday helps keep me motivated during the week!

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