One cheat day a week?

Just a cheat food every now and again..Nothing to make a habit out of. I only cut for 4-6 weeks at a time. During that period I remain diligent and disciplined...after all, it's only a month and change. Off diet I still eat clean but incorporate cheat foods every now and again just to revitalize neglected pleasure receptors.

Cheat foods:

1 slice of pizza
2 beers
A cheeseburger
Lasagna

I eat that I want on the weekends within reason (meaning I dont eat just to be eating) and I work my *kitten* off and stick to a strict diet the other 5 days. This works well for me, good luck finding what works for you!

I work to my 'weekly net' cals rather than daily so don't really 'cheat' as such but I do indulge but I ALWAYS log the damage!

basically I cheat when we go places that are hard for me to resist the temptation. I eat snacks often but stay within my calories. I think it's okay to cheat as long as you can get right back on track the next day. You will have to test it out to see how it works for you cause what works for one of us might not work for you so if you feel the need go ahead and see how it works for you that is how you learn

I don't get the cheat "DAYS"...have never heard of that before...people are looking for every excuse to sabatoge their diet...how about a cheat MEAL or SNACK...why does it have to be an ENTIRE DAY?!

Nope don't plan or schedule cheat days. If an occasion comes up or we are traveling, I don't limit where I can eat or ruin the fun. I opt for healthier choices on the menu and control my portions. I still cook the same types of meals I did before, have modified most to reduce calories and fat. I have never felt I was doing without (except where chocolate is involved) so there has been no reason to have a cheat day.

I don't personally know anyone who could go the rest of their life without their one indulgence. This for me is a lifestyle change, if I feel like having a treat and I've been doing really well tracking and staying within my limits, I will allow myself a meal or snack that I wouldn't typically have. I know I couldn't go the rest of my life without ever eating my favorite "bad" foods ever again!

I don't do cheat days. Every now and then, not even once a week, I will have a "cheat item." But it's always something not extremely carb loaded and it's something I know will not make me binge onto other food items. You have to pick the right "fun" foods to eat without overdoing it. I don't do cheat days because I personally think it's harder to maintain your diet the rest of the week.

Cheat smart.

There are actual physiological reasons for adding a cheat day.
I prefer eating an entire pizza or slamming a tub of Ben and Jerrys.

PS: most of my whooshes happen after cheat days.
These are actual recorded drops in weight and body fat.
Just cheat smart.

I have always had a "Free Day":drinker:

At first it was a huge food orgy - 24 hours, but as time went on, I steadily cut back to a few cheat meals on that day.
And no, I do not count calories. LOST 70 lbs doing this.
The challenge sometimes is turning it off when the day was through. Sometimes I did not, and my results suffered.
The arguments for a free day/cheat day are both psychological and physiological.
It may be that a cheat day shocks your body and resets metabolism. Maybe, who knows?
I think it does...
And it's a mental boost knowing I never need to go more than a week before I can binge on junk if I want.
And sometimes I want.
That's why I do it.
And my results speak for itself. The fruit of anybody's philosophy is their success or lack of
Anyway, good luck to YOU!

This!!!!!! 1 year and I have always had Sunday spike day! no counting, no worries, just enjoy! and it does get me through the week. And have maintained my loss a year:-) Good luck!

I did it this past weekend with Saturday being my cheat day and it was awesome. I think it should be called TREAT day not cheat day. If you have lost some weight during the week, why not give yourself a treat day! I find I work harder durning the week to have that day!

I think it depends on your true goal. If it is simply to loose X amount of lbs then DON"T do it,; you are failing to keep your eye on the prize. On the other hand if your goal is a whole lifestyle change GO for it.!. I need to loose over 100 lbs. That requires changing how I live and eating is only a part of that.. I am loosing wt. quickly and these are my methods: 1) I set a daily calorie goal which is quite low but do-able for me. 2) I keep track of my food choices and look for ways to reduce the calories and still eat what I like. 3) I do eat special foods with my family (mostly Sunday meals when the kids and grands are here) 4) I eat a special food selection, not an entire meal (maybe a dessert or maybe a main course) This works great when eating out also. 5) Because I have elected to live low calorie daily I also consider my weekly calorie count and allow myself an extra 500-600 calories. I think of counting calories like living on a strict money budget and then saving a little beyond that.. Shopping with the "reserved" cash still keeps the budget stays intact! 6) this is the best yet and stops the idea of cheating-- I always look at how much extra exercise I need to do to counter the eating I have ejjoyed. So If I have made the choice to eat extra in that same day I have chosen to exercise extra. No need to feel guily only feeling responsible.

You have to set boundaries and stick to them. Can you keep it to one day? Its all about self-control and making the right choices.

For me, having that free day gives me something to look forward to during the week and if I really want something, I know I can have it on Saturday. But I do still count my calories and I won't go overboard.

Its more sustainable for me if I can still have the things I want sometimes. I know I am eating clean and at a deficit for the other 6 days. And on Saturdays I still make a point to drink water, eat fruits and veggies, and try to get a workout in.

I've lost weight many times this way.

I generally agree with folks who say if you're going to cheat, just do it for a meal. Cheat days where you don't count calories are counterproductive.

If you're unwilling to even count it because you've cheated so badly, you probably shouldn't be cheating that much. If you go a few hundred over your already-planned out loss, no biggy. But if it's so bad that you don't even want to look at it, probably too much.

I agree with this. I had been cheating with takeout on weekends and not logging it (and having trouble losing!) until one Sunday I finally logged in what I'd been eating from Dominos. It was like 3,000 calories for the whole day! First of all, I stopped ordering such awful take out so often. I also decided to log everything, even "cheats". If you make yourself look at the damage, you'll be less inclined to do it again.

We are actually trying to eat out less but I when I do, I do not worry about going over. I try to save up a few hundred calories for the weekend. I was at a bit of a stall before the Super Bowl, then I enjoyed some Super Bowl food for dinner and it finally kicked everything back into gear. When I lost the 20 lbs at the end of the year we ate out once a week and I usually did not log so I know one meal is not going to kill my goal.

During the week though, I have what I want with portion control. My husband and I constantly like trying new recipes and he does not concern himself with calories. I have only once not eaten something he makes, I have just watched my portions and I can say now I am amazed how what would have been such a small portion for me is completely satisfying.