How do you feel about a once a week "cheat day" ?
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Don't let other discourage you. If you are making an effort to lose ofcourse you deserve to lose weight. Don't even agree that you don't . Some people like to put others down when they can still lose without having to be as strict as themselves to lose. If you are losing and doing this that's fantastic. I know what you mean about keeping your sanity. My family goes for ice cream together and if I don't go or if I don't order I feel like I'm missing out on that experience with them. Losing weight is a lifestyle and you have to find a way to incorporate it into your life in a way that gets results and makes you happy! Or it isn't worth losing! If you are happy with one pound a week then keep it up. If you want to lose more then I agree with the post about eating stuff such as pizza or whatever but only eat an amount that fits into your daily calories. That's what I do to lose two pounds a week. Once I get closer to goal I'm gonna switch to one pound a week. But your dong great keep it up!0
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There are to many comments and I didn't take time to read them all, but I can say this: You're only cheating yourself. You're only slowing down the process and making the whole thing take longer. It's not that hard to not eat bad, there will be plenty of time for eating things you'd really like to have in moderation once your weight loss is over and you switch to weight maintenance.0
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I dont believe in cheat days. If you need a cheat day to feel "sane", then you dont deserve to be in shape.
Even the name of it ("cheat" day) implies that its wrong to do. You know the foods you usually eat on your cheat day are bad for you and your body, yet you still choose to eat it.
Like I said, with that mindset, you dont deserve to be in shape.
This is bull. Everyone deserves to be in shape. This place is supposed to be to support each other not tear people down. This is absolutely something mean spirited and ridiculous to say.
If you took what I said as "tearing people down", then thats your own fault. All I said was eating foods that you know arent good for your body (which many people do on their "cheat day") is counter productive to living a healthy lifestyle that all of us are striving to have. And if you feel insane because you cant eat said foods, then why do you believe you deserve a nice figure or good health?
Thats like someone who wants to have nice hair but chooses not to take care of it consistently. You are what you eat, so why put terrible stuff into your body, then expect it to remain healthy and functional.
Apparantely suggesting that people eat healthy and not "cheat" is considered "mean spirited". Who would have thought that was possible on a website that encourages healthy eating.0 -
I dont believe in cheat days. If you need a cheat day to feel "sane", then you dont deserve to be in shape.
Even the name of it ("cheat" day) implies that its wrong to do. You know the foods you usually eat on your cheat day are bad for you and your body, yet you still choose to eat it.
Like I said, with that mindset, you dont deserve to be in shape.
that's a little harsh, but true. lets try and educate and lift up members instead of degrading them. lets stay positive and all get healthy together.
Since when is telling someone the truth (as you yourself stated) considered degrading them?
So if I tell a student with a 1.0 GPA that he/she is failing school, I am degrading that person?
Because occasionally treating yourself to something outside of your calories isn't failing at anything.
I hope no one gives you a cake on your birthday.0 -
I personally don't subscribe to cheat days/meals...esp not logging them.
If I want KFC I eat it...and make sure it fits in my goals...
If I want a drink I have one...
On those days where it's a "surprise" we are going out...I eat to maintenance but always log it.
^This.0 -
I'd use the word "Treat" day instead of "Cheat day". You can't ruin a lifestyle by treating yourself once in a while. Just don't let "treating" become the norm.
I personally will just gorge myself from time to time, and I find that I have my best weight loss after I do. I think, for me, it boosts my metabolism.
Love this! I will now have Treat meals/days. No guilty feelings associated
That's how I do it. And it makes it easy for me to stay disciplined in the days after my treat days.
Yesterday I ate oatmeal for breakfast, then went to the Thai buffet at lunch and ate two servings of ginger chicken, two servings of green bean stir fry, and two servings of vegetable stir fry. I went home last night and ate 3/4 of a pepperoni pizza and two ice cream bars. I was a total pig.
But I know from my previous experiences that within three days of going back to my normal diet I will be back at the weight I was at yesterday morning and still losing.
Note - I do walk 4 to 8 miles most days....but I didn't do any exercise yesterday lol.0 -
I dont believe in cheat days. If you need a cheat day to feel "sane", then you dont deserve to be in shape.
Even the name of it ("cheat" day) implies that its wrong to do. You know the foods you usually eat on your cheat day are bad for you and your body, yet you still choose to eat it.
Like I said, with that mindset, you dont deserve to be in shape.
Woah now, I think everyone 'deserves' to be in shape. That's placing a high level of judgement and morality on this, is that really what you meant to say? Having a special meal or day may make it slower to drop weight, but being fit is not reserved for the Chosen Ones devoted to extreme rituals. Maybe this person needs to take a different approach.
Everyone is taking what I said in the wrong way. My point was do not expect to have a healthy and good looking body if you feel the need to spoil it with bad foods in order to "keep your sanity".
For example, if I want a healthy and well functioning car, I wouldnt put sugar, soap, soda pop, or other damaging substances into it that would harm my car. I would make sure I put high grade gasoline and give consistent maintenance on it in order for it to remain healthy and functional.
If I refuse to do that, and instead put things in my car that would damage it, wouldnt you say I dont deserve a nice car? Especially since I am obviously taking delibrate steps to harm it? Same goes for your body.0 -
If I have a specific day where I go crazy and eat 5,000 calories, it's going to adversely affect my progress, so I don't incorporate them into my lifestyle (for the most part). As others have mentioned, I will just try and fit what I like to eat within my calorie limits for the day.0
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I dont believe in cheat days. If you need a cheat day to feel "sane", then you dont deserve to be in shape.
Even the name of it ("cheat" day) implies that its wrong to do. You know the foods you usually eat on your cheat day are bad for you and your body, yet you still choose to eat it.
Like I said, with that mindset, you dont deserve to be in shape.
Someone ring the buttface alarm .-.
She can eat a cupcake if she wants to eat a cupcake.
Even though an apple is a better choice, as long as she doesnt complain about how it is not good for her body and slows her fitness gains, then yes, she can eat the cupcake.0 -
Everyone is taking what I said in the wrong way. My point was do not expect to have a healthy and good looking body if you feel the need to spoil it with bad foods in order to "keep your sanity".
For example, if I want a healthy and well functioning car, I wouldnt put sugar, soap, soda pop, or other damaging substances into it that would harm my car. I would make sure I put high grade gasoline and give consistent maintenance on it in order for it to remain healthy and functional.
If I refuse to do that, and instead put things in my car that would damage it, wouldnt you say I dont deserve a nice car? Especially since I am obviously taking delibrate steps to harm it? Same goes for your body.
Lol, comparing the human body to a car using fuel only a human body can utilize...0 -
I have a love/hate relationship with it. I feel entitled after working my butt off all week, but after I eat my cheat I tend to feel sluggish and bogged down. My biggest still is staying away from drive thru "fast foods", even on cheats I won't touch it. I also try to stick to just a "cheat meal", but to each their own.0
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Tora, we all get your point. I think where people objected is when you kind of appointed yourself as the arbiter of what people deserve. I would just be a little more careful with your wording...unless you like working people up. In that case carry on.0
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I dont believe in cheat days. If you need a cheat day to feel "sane", then you dont deserve to be in shape.
Even the name of it ("cheat" day) implies that its wrong to do. You know the foods you usually eat on your cheat day are bad for you and your body, yet you still choose to eat it.
Like I said, with that mindset, you dont deserve to be in shape.
that's a little harsh, but true. lets try and educate and lift up members instead of degrading them. lets stay positive and all get healthy together.
Since when is telling someone the truth (as you yourself stated) considered degrading them?
So if I tell a student with a 1.0 GPA that he/she is failing school, I am degrading that person?
Because occasionally treating yourself to something outside of your calories isn't failing at anything.
I hope no one gives you a cake on your birthday.
They dont, because I ask for healthy options (since I want a healthy body). There are many healthy and better alternatives to cake for any occasion.0 -
If I have a cheat day and then go back and track everything at the end of the day out of curiosity, I'll usually have taken in 5,000+, which is all my acquired weekly deficit eradicated and then some. So I don't do them. But I generally subscribe to IIFYM anyway, so if I want a 'cheat' meal I just eat it and balance it out somewhere else.0
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There is nothing wrong with losing a pound a week. It's still a loss. Restricting diet may be easy for you but for me it sucks. It all foods i hate and makes me miserable. Each persons journey is different. So none of us really have the right answers for anyone else!0
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This is bull. Everyone deserves to be in shape. This place is supposed to be to support each other not tear people down. This is absolutely something mean spirited and ridiculous to say.
Jibberish. No-one is morally entitled to anything. If you are lazy, overweight and cant be bothered to change things, you do not deserve to be in shape.0 -
I dont like cheat days since I feel that I dont need to get used to eating all crazy. I do have what could be considered cheat meals on occassion but still try to stick to my calorie goal and log everything.
Over this last weekend with family we had pizza which I had a couple slices. Still stuck to my calorie goal but enjoyed the deliciousness. We will do the same if we crave something that is normally outside of our daily meals like a cheeseburger or some good mexican food. I try to keep the eating of what I consider junk food down but know that if it fits into my calorie goals I can have a little indulgence on occassion.
Plus I think for anyone you have to occassionally have things that you crave or you will go crazy.0 -
I dont believe in cheat days. If you need a cheat day to feel "sane", then you dont deserve to be in shape.
Even the name of it ("cheat" day) implies that its wrong to do. You know the foods you usually eat on your cheat day are bad for you and your body, yet you still choose to eat it.
Like I said, with that mindset, you dont deserve to be in shape.
Seriously? If you're going to be NASTY at least have the nuts to have a photo of YOUR perfect body. MPF is for motivation not for people to take their frustrations out on perfect strangers.
On that note; I often do a cheat day, but I plan it in advance so that I can look forward too it. I also dont go bananas with it and intake 5000 calories for breakfast alone. You'll find that when you get accustomed to eating healty even on a 'cheat' day you wont crave the garbage that you think you will. I also know of a lot of people who use their cheat days for boys/girls night out where the load up on the beer/coctail carbs.
If you're ok with a cheat day and what comes along with it....GO FOR IT AND HAVE FUN!0 -
Next week I'll have been on MFP for a year...and I've never done that, I've never had a day where I just ate "whatever" and didn't log. Not on birthdays, Christmas, or even my wedding trip. BUT I do "allow" splurges regularly. I only go over on my calories maybe 2X per month, and not by much...but I eat everything. It is extremely common for me to get some extra exercise on Saturdays for example and have Thai or Chinese food (including the rice or noodles) and a mini Blizzard at DQ all in one go.
I'm kind of a black/white, all or nothing type of person in a lot of ways. In the past that was disastrous for me with healthier eating habits because I felt like a single Oreo cookie ruined everything. But now I've channeled that into my logging and I'm just obsessive about logging even when some of my food choices are questionable or cause me to go over (like eating 9 pieces of peanut butter fudge at Christmas).
This is just what's working for me, though. I know a lot of people do full fledged cheat meals and/or cheat days with great success.0 -
Tora, we all get your point. I think where people objected is when you kind of appointed yourself as the arbiter of what people deserve. I would just be a little more careful with your wording...unless you like working people up. In that case carry on.
I understand, but I honestly feel that way.
When I look in the mirror at my body, I dont like what I see. Thats why I've made changes to improve that image. When I see foods such as fries, burgers, ice cream, and others, I stay away from them because those same foods are what got me in this position of not liking what I see and not being as healthy as possible.
Now that I have stopped eating those and started eating the right things, why should I go back to what I used to eat which hurt my body in the first place?
A recovering drug addict or someone who stops smoking dont have "cheat days" where they go back to what they used to do, and I view junk food in the same way.0 -
Whatever works for you
who cares what other people do... everyone is different.
Personally, I don't call it a "cheat", I call it a "treat" because I feel like the word cheat is a diet mentality and I am not on a diet.
I allow myself a treat once a week when I go out to dinner. Most of the time... and within reason... and I always make sure it can fit into my range for the day, planning is everything.0 -
Here is one thing I would say about "cheat" days or "treat" days as I call them - if they are going to make you more miserable on the other days, don't do them. I think that will lead to failure.0
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In for food alarmism.
OP: I prefer to just work things into my daily goals. I had an off day yesterday that probably fit into the definition of "cheat" day, and I frankly found it stressful. But if it works for you in terms of weight loss and doesn't completely blow your calorie average for the week, there's no reason not to eat in a way that fits into your lifestyle.0 -
I dont normally plan my cheat days, they just kind of happen, but they tend to be about one every 2-3 weeks. And when I do have one I usually just workout hella hard in the morning to make up for it.
Last saturday my friend invited me to olive garden, so I went to the gym early on and got my workout in. Then later on I looked up the menu and planned out what i was going to have before I got there, so I wouldnt go too crazy. Turned out to be 1180 cals for salad, a breadstick, pasta and dessert. It was so worth it. And I still technically finished my day "under" my goal
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ToraChan - you're jumping to conclusions without knowing the person you're talking to. The person who started this post is my sis, we're on a journey to loose a few lbs together. (Yay!)
When she's talking about a "cheat day" or "treat day" or whatever you want to call it, it's not about gorging herself with soda, cake, processed cheese, cheetos etc. We grew up in a culinary family (and still are!) and perhaps we still want to enjoy rich delicious cheese, yummy red wine, dark chocolate panna cotta, prosciutto and figs, neapolitan pizza, local restaurants and wineries etc. Having a meal that would be a "treat" one day a week and going over our calorie goal, does NOT mean we're stuffing ourselves to the brim with cake and chemicals.
Additionally, peytony is right. There are many studies that show having one day where you go slightly over your calorie-restricted days (without totally BINGING) is great for your metabolism!
So please don't jump to conclusions - but rather, jump DOWN from your high-and-mighty horse!
Thank you to all the positive responses from everyone. I've gotten some great ideas! 0 -
They weren't cheats because they were part of my plan. I took 2-3 days off a month from logging while losing weight. Now I don't log most Saturdays, sometimes both weekend days. It worked beautifully for me, but YMMV. I was DILIGENT during the week, still worked out on my "off days" often, lifting weights regularly, and didn't freak out if I saw the scale jump afterward.
There is a reason I've logged onto MFP 1008 days in a row, lost as much as weight as I did as quickly as I did (15 months), and have kept it off for a year and a half and counting: I wasn't miserable.
For me, taking days off from logging was key to preserving my mental health and therefore meant I have kept at this for ages. and as I've said over and over again, the main thing that separates successful people from unsuccessful is perseverance. I wouldn't be surprised if these high/spike days kept my metabolism strong, too; I never once plateaued.
Just my two cents. What worked (works) for me may not work for everyone.0 -
Additionally, peytony is right. There are many studies that show having one day where you go slightly over your calorie-restricted days (without totally BINGING) is great for your metabolism!
Uh oh lol.0 -
Look I have seen bodybuilder and bikini competitors eat a fricking burger and fries every now and again. We are all human and unfortunately we've been brought up in a society involving bad foods, which taste amazing. I follow the 80% 20% rule. I'm good 80% of the time but the other 20% i indulge in what I'd like to eat IF IM CRAVING IT. You make your lifestyle how you want it. if you have a piece of chocolate cake one day don't bully yourself over it. Fitness and a healthy lifestyle is a lifelong journey it won't ever stop so dont deprive yourself. If you do eat something unhealthy and you feel a little guilty why not take a 30 minute walk or something. even if you don't STILL DONT BULLY YOURSELF OVER IT!!!....I've done my fair share of research including talking to a licensed nutritionist and even he said you can have the piece of cake I just don't want you to eat the whole thing! Maybe do some research on your own. Figure out what works for your body. What works for me or someone else might not work for you. If having a indulgence once a week works for you then do it. To lose weight and get whatever body your aspiring to get its 80% your diet and 20% exercise....you can do it girl! keep your head up! and don't bully yourself for having a treat every once in awhile.0
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I'm probably being redundant here (I didn't read the whole thread).
I have a one meal where I tend to go out with some friends, grab a couple beers, 6 wings, etc. I *absolutely* log it and I try to eat and drink in moderation. Earlier in the day, I know I'm going to have a bad night for eating, I go super healthy and low calorie and make sure I exercise that day (I exercise 6 days a week, but if I go out that day I will do a good exercise earlier).
If you take a whole day and eat "whatever" and don't log, you could end up doubling or tripling your caloric goals and thus offsetting all the work you put into eating well and logging that week.
So in short, yes I believe in a cheat meal (not day), but I also believe in logging it and not getting crazy with that meal. Even when I go out on my cheat meal days, I tend to be at or near my daily goal because of the moderation, exercise, and healthy eating earlier.0 -
I strongly advocate it. It keeps me sane. 0
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