Cheating.

I calorie cycle, so eat low Mon-Friday then eat higher cals on the weekend. So I had pizza and a kebab on the weekend, some would consider that a cheat, but it's within my weekly cals.

If I wasn't doing that though, I'd go a cheat meal rather than a day. You wouldn't believe the calories I could put away in a whole day, I could easily undo my entire week's deficit.

Once a month or so I will have a meal and not log it. That way I can add in a few extras but not just eating crap all day long. I usually do this around TOM.

During the week I am more careful since I cook all my meals and can control the calorie content. On week end it is not as strick since I have a busy social life but if going to restaurant or friends house I will be selective and try to eat without going out of control and I will note the calories. Sometime I will exceed maybe by 200 calories but I adjust in the following days by increasing my exercise or cut a few calories here and there to compensate.

I do not want to call it a cheat, I call it just normal living. I came to realise that even when I get to my goal I will have to continue eating the way I do now, maybe just a little more but never as much as before. As I am loosing weight my calorie requirement are decreasing and also I am at an age where the margin between gaining and loosing is getting smaller. I also know that if I take ghat glass of wine, which in itself is not that bad that it will lower my guards and I will eat more than intended, so I stay away from it.

For me, that is a dangerous, slippery slope. I work yummy foods into my calories on days that I have exercised and have more calories to work with. There doesn't seem to be a point to cheat days, other than taking a day to live the way I lived when I ate like a cheat day every single day of my life, and gained a ton of weight.

I think that even considering a "cheat day" puts you in a place where you can't focus on the bigger picture, which is changing your habits in order to become a healthier person.

I think it's best to fit treats into daily calories.

^^^I second that! I just have treats on days I exercise more and have found treats that aren't really that bad for me that I love, like smoothies or a square of dark dark chocolate.

I am 24 days in so its kind of early for me to cheat yet. I am still at the stage where I am afraid of every calorie. My whole attitude has changed about dieting and food. I am trying to look at food as my friend and fuel for my body but still see it as the enemy sometimes. When the day comes when I hit goal I will start to have cheat days, but right now I am a big chicken...skinless and boneless...

Cindy

I cheat every day.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Nope. I figure as long as long as Im doing the right thing most of the time & that the big picture looks the way I want it to, Im not going to waste time or energy worrying about what one meal is going to do to me.

I figure if I become too militant about it, I may get to my goal a few days quicker, but would rather not be miserable in the process.

My only cheats (which for me means GOING OVER my entire weekly limit) involve alcohol. And those occasions are incredibly rare. For example, I didn't try to keep track of or log any drinks at my birthday party this week . Oh well.

Otherwise, I fit fast food and junk into my regular weeks. I love going out to eat and being social, so I make it work.

No, I just eat. Sometimes I go over my calorie goal, most of the time I don't. I eat foods that give me lots of good nutrients and foods that give me pleasure to eat. No need to push them into opposing camps, and no need (for me) to set a certain day or meal to eat particular foods that I've singled out to be "naughty" or whatever. I personally hate the terminology, BUT I know the "cheat day" thing helps some people stay on track, so do whatever works for you.

I am still at the stage where I am afraid of every calorie. My whole attitude has changed about dieting and food. I am trying to look at food as my friend and fuel for my body but still see it as the enemy sometimes.

Try and change that, as quick as you can. Food isn't the enemy, calories aren't the enemy and shouldn't be feared. Food is fuel, nutrition and on of life's simplest pleasures. You can (easily) eat more than you need, but that doesn't make it bad, and you can eat less than you need. The trick is trying to find a good balance that supports your body being a healthy weight. I know you know this, but really - try not to see it so black and white, because that kind of thinking is no friend to successful weight loss.

Try to learn to incorporate the foods that you will be eating for the rest of your life as soon as possible. In other words, learn to maintain while you're still in the weight loss phase. Don't leave it until you reach your goal weight and are still terrified to eat anything that isn't diet food, and end up spiralling out of control as soon as you "allow" yourself to eat forbidden food. Believe me, it happens, a lot. :flowerforyou: