Cheat Day?

i totally do this only because i won't make healthy changes long term if i think i have to live the rest of my life w/o certain foods. that said, props to those of you that don't ever cheat. i just don't know how you do it! :blushing:

I incorporate treats into my regular eating plan - I'm not talking about a piece of cheesecake every day, but rather a no-sugar-added hot cocoa regularly, or a bowl of frozen yogurt once a week, and a piece of dark chocolate one a week or stuff like that. I find I'm much more likely to stay on track if I plan the treats in a structured manner as part of an overall healthy day rather than having one whole cheat day - that's just likely to knock me off track. But... everyone's different, so you have to figure out what works for you.

Try it out and see if it works for you. I personally don't really have much need for a cheat day- I log everything and if I want seconds, I get them and log it, even if it puts me over. But I'm pretty laid back about my diet- not everyone can be like that. So if what you need is a day to not count calories to destress and learn how to control your portions with out the red line numbers stabbing you in the eye like you did something wrong, then I say go for it.

I think it's a good thing to throw you metablosim a shock or two once in a while. Nothing wrong with that!

I think your idea of a cheat day is completely fine and a good idea. Where people get in trouble with cheat days as when they use it to scarf down Wendy's Triple Quarter Pounders or all you can eat wings. Cheating like that will undo a lot of good work you do over the week. But if you want to have your favorite meal or an extra desert that puts you a couple of hundred calories over for the day, I think that's completely healthy.

I've heard it's very good to have a cheat day. Not only to keep from feeling deprived but to keep you metabolism 'guessing'. (not good with words).

I have always allowed myself a cheat day or cheat meal and I still lose regularly. Like the other poster, I can't imagine going my entire life without some of my favorite foods. If I know that on the weekend, I'm doing something special and I can eat whatever I want, I feel 100% better and it motivates me the rest of the week.

It is a lifestyle change but who wants to live life without an occassional fattening meal at Olive Garden or Krispy Kreme Donut. That is no way to live. :-)

When I have my cheat meal or day I eat whatever will satisfy me and if I stick to my goals the rest of the week, I don't see any weight gain at all. However, I will say that I weigh on Friday mornings before the weekend (weekends are harder for me and I usually have my cheat meal then) so by the time I weigh again, it's been almost a week. I have never had my cheat meal Sunday night and then gotten up to weigh Monday morning.

I think it's a good thing to throw you metablosim a shock or two once in a while. Nothing wrong with that!

Yes, our ancestors have done this for aeons.

I use the method of a healthy lifestyle. Don't cut anything out, just eat in moderation. Instead of not having candy bar will instead eat only half,this way body still will get the cravings[which is all about low blood sugar levels] satisfied.
Everyone has there there own method,just to me having a cheat day signals to the body not to keep even blood sugar levels and have swings of up & down which in turn makes you crave and eat more!
Body doesn't know that its a cheat day,just knows its getting a different food supply. The key to a weight loss control is keeping even blood sugar level day to day.
Suggestion, Google "Glycemic foods" Blood sugar levels body interaction with foods will be amazed at what you learn.

Ive read in several books/magazines that its ok to allow yourself a "cheat day" or a break from your diet one day a week. I've been considering doing this but I wanted to see if anyone else does this and if they think its a good idea first.
Now when I say cheat i dont mean that I will go to Baskin Robbins and eat myself silly lol. I just mean maybe at the family dinner on Sundays I'll get seconds or have ice cream for dessert. Your thoughts?

Of course it's okay to allow yourself a "cheat day" or a break, for psychological reasons if nothing else. It certainly won't hinder your goals to any significant degree!

That said, your body doesn't NEED a cheat day. It sounds like what you're doing is having more of a cheat "meal", which is much better. Having a little bit extra dessert on Saturday evenings is a safe way to go... but the real danger of cheating at all is the fact that high-fat/high-carb stress to your body will make it more difficult to resist additional cheating. I'm sure most of us have dealt with it in the past -- how just one trip to the dessert table suddenly becomes two, then three, then a cheat week...

Be aware of that and avoid the pitfalls.

i think the hardest part of dieting is giving up the foods you really love. that said, why give them up? incorporate them into your daily calories, and you're not giving up anything! an extra helping, or going out to eat once every couple of weeks won't hurt, as long as you stay reasonable close to your daily limit. good luck!

My husband started The Abs Diet a few years back, and they totally encourage a cheat day once a week. He skipped the first month of cheat days, then started with a cheat meal once a week. Then a whole cheat day every couple of weeks. Now he has one day a week where it's a free-for-all for him. He eats what he wants that day, but he is VERY disciplined the rest of the week, and has had 4 years of success.

Me, on the other hand, I'm not so disciplined. But it's really important for me not to feel deprived of something I want. My night-time fix is popcorn, and I enjoy it. I've built those extra night-time calories into my diet a few nights a week. Is it great to have all those carbs at night so often? Nah, but if I'm not going over, I'm okay with that. I could never not "cheat" but I'm not ready for anything more than a cheat meal every couple of weeks right now. I need to lose weight first, feel secure in my routine, and then I will be ready to indulge (in moderation) without feeling like I'm sabotaging myself.

I definitely do it. I give myself two days off from exercise and staying strict to my calorie goal. I need to feel free, you know? At first I was doing it simply because I needed it to stay sane, but now I've realized that if I'm planning on eating foods like pizza, ice cream, a soda now and then, once I've lost the weight (which I do), there's no reason why I shouldn't eat them while I'm losing the weight. If it will be part of my diet later, it's part of my diet now.

That said, I am always trying to find healthier alternatives to my favorite foods. I get take and bake pizza instead of pizza from Papa John's or Dominos because it has way less fat and fewer calories. And their DeLite thin crust pizzas are really yummy! Instead of soda we now drink Izze sparkling juice. I want to be as healthy as possible, but I still indulge.

I do, but don't really think of it as a cheat day, just part of the process. It's not every week...sometimes it's more than once a week, especially around the recent party season.

I do try to look at my net calorie intake averages over a week though and will try to make amends on days after an excessive day.

Although as Yoda said: "do or do not, there is no try."

I do not like the expression 'cheat', cheat who?

If I want a burger and fries, I take the time to make a healthier version of these things.

If I want a cupcake, I exercise extra hard that day to earn the 250 calories.

After awhile, it is not worth the effort to cheat on myself.

I also feel if you can control it, and it helps you the rest of the month, then 1 day a month out with friends eating junk aint gonna kill ya. The problem is I cannot stop once I start:laugh: