Do people really have "cheat days"?

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  • meganhertz
    meganhertz Posts: 8 Member
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    I cheat on Saturdays. It makes sure I stay in line during the week, and I'm more likely to stay on track if I know there's going to be a day I can eat my favorites and not worry about calories.
  • IslandDreamer64
    IslandDreamer64 Posts: 258 Member
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    I occasionally have a day where I will sort of purposefully go over my calories, usually for a special occasion, but I always track it. I'm generally able to get right back on track and the "hog wild" eating day gets my cravings out of the way for a while.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,862 Member
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    So I have a goal of losing 40 pounds. I am not on a diet, I have a lifestlye change. I have heard people say they have "cheat days".
    It started out as a cheat meal. Then cheat days caught on. I'm half-expecting cheat weeks to become popular.

    I don't cheat. Sometimes I do mess up though.
  • naturesfempower
    naturesfempower Posts: 107 Member
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    Yes. I do "cheat days". I save them for dates with my husband and "Sunday dinner" once a month with the extended family. I don't go crazy and pig out on fatty meats, fried foods, and desserts though. On dates we split an appetizer, I get a salad with chicken and reasonable dressing, and we split a dessert. At family dinner, I go heavy on the veggies that have not been cooked in butter or bacon, have the leanest serving of meat I can find, and do a baby size dessert with coffee (oh, Sunday in the South.)
  • DantiaX
    DantiaX Posts: 23 Member
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    I don't do cheat days anymore, although I used to. It turns out that, for me, it was really hard to get back on track the next day. Instead, I allow myself to have foods if they ft into my calories. If I want a slice of pizza, that's perfectly okay as long as I have the calories to spend on it. It's like a budget for me, if I don't have the "money" (calories) I don't "buy" it (eat it). =)
  • mikeyboy
    mikeyboy Posts: 1,057 Member
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    I don't have cheat days. I had a lot of "cheat years" I am trying to make up for!
  • lukewind
    lukewind Posts: 177 Member
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    You don't have to do a cheat day but some people find that it helps keep the overall cravings at bay if you allow yourself to have a treat every now and then. I used to give myself a treat every week, but now I do it once a month at most. Even though its a cheat day I almost always stay within my calorie limit. So maybe its not really cheating, but eating unhealthy for a day. You can still lose weight even if you eat nothing but fast food, so long as you stay under your caloric intake limits. I lost my first 30 pounds eating pretty much anything I wanted.
  • wonderwoman234
    wonderwoman234 Posts: 551 Member
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    I don't have cheat days but I do pause my weight loss efforts from time to time and go into maintenance.

    This. I log every day, without exception. I am within my calorie goal almost all the time. On the days I go over because there is a social function, I just log it and understand that I might not lose weight that week. But if I'm doing this for a lifetime, which is the plan, then pausing for a day to allow for birthdays, holidays, etc. seems like no big deal. It's normal.

    I think learning to trust yourself with food is important to making it a true lifestyle change versus a "diet". I trust that if I have a day where I eat more that I will resume my more modest eating the following day. So far so good!
  • lorrennon
    lorrennon Posts: 43
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    don't call it a cheat day or cheat anything. If you want something, eat it, just know its caloric content and be aware of how it fits in to your diet. Then ask yourself, "is it worth it?" Its amazing how often you'll say no, so the occasional yes fits right in.
    While I do enjoy going out occasionally and indulging, I still keep track of it. If I go a little over, then so be it. The real key is to look at it up front and decide whether or not it is worth it to you or not. My biggie is I gave up fast food as it just isn't worth it. When I go out to eat I now do sirloin instead of rib eye, but I still enjoy the occasional ice cream, especially when I'm out with my daughter. I have only once thrown out the book ( I did record the first 1/2 dozen drinks).
    If you think of it as cheating then it is not a lifestyle choice, but still a diet. In the end, as we have learned or we wouldn't be here, all things in moderation.
  • douglasedward
    douglasedward Posts: 20 Member
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    Of course it's okay to eat too much food from time to time. Just as having an big caloric deficit for one day will not get you to your goal, having a big caloric surplus for one day won't completely derail you, either.

    You just have to be ready for the consequences--if you go over by 2000 calories one day, it will take four days at a 500 calorie deficit to get back to "where you were." (Not that it's really that simple, but it's roughly right.)
  • ekahnicole
    ekahnicole Posts: 216 Member
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    I don't do cheat days or meals.

    I log it all and stay as close to goal as possible.

    If I want pizza I fit it in, if I want a beer I fit it in.

    This is what I do as well. So I have days I eat less healthy, but I also stick to my calorie goal.

    But different things work for different people as far as making their new life style sustainable. Some people need a day here or there where they can eat anything they want and not feel guilty. Do what works for you.
  • meluhneekay
    meluhneekay Posts: 82
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    Like many others have said, I just work whatever it is that I want into my calories for the day.

    Another thing I do is, for special occasions like birthdays or holidays, I'll eat at my maintenance allowance. That way I'll be able to have some extra leeway calorie wise, but I won't have to worry myself about whether I'm going to eff up my progress.
  • TheOtherSideOfFood
    TheOtherSideOfFood Posts: 6 Member
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    So I have a goal of losing 40 pounds. I am not on a diet, I have a lifestlye change. I have heard people say they have "cheat days". I do not exactly understand this tactic. I get that people use it so they dont eat bad on all week. I am struggling to stay on my allotted calories per day but I feel that a cheat day would completely derail me from my lifestyle change.

    Opinions?

    Hello,

    I have always found cheat days to keep me paced for long term results. Keep in mind that any changes in your diet will force you to change your behaviors as well.

    For example, if you dont eat breakfast and you plan on eatting someonething healthy in the morning, you really have to learn about 5 new behaviors (getting up early, food knowledge, cooking, eating in the morning, getting ready quicker)

    CHEAT DAYS ARE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!

    What diet are you thinking about?

    -Chris
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Sometimes I go over my calories and I'm ok with that (I'm on maintenance). Sometimes (once or twice a year) I go on vacation for a week or two and don't log, but probably I generally stay within my basic eating pattern anyway (with days going over). Most of the time I log and stay within. I don't really know what it means to stay within my goal, as I'm sure my TDEE varies a bit from day to day. If you are at this for years, you will sometimes take breaks and go over and not worry about it.
  • morgiecorgi84
    morgiecorgi84 Posts: 3
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    I can't do cheat days. Too much guilt. I did have about 11 days when my uncle was visiting. We live in Las Vegas and we were taking him to buffets, etch. Plenty of drinking too. I didn't log a single day, however, I managed to maintain my weight. The first few days once he left were scary cas I thought I had gained but it was just water weight.

    Point is, if you are making it a lifestyle change instead of a diet, cheat days really shouldn't cross your mind. Life doesn't have cheats. You have the right idea.
  • mgleason01
    mgleason01 Posts: 78 Member
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    I don't plan cheat days but I go out for dinner and/or drinks every now and then and it hasn't derailed me. I've found that if I eat as clean as possible, stick close to my macros, and exercise regularly the times that I "cheat" are okay. Since mid-April, I've had a few birthday celebrations, a few business trips, a night out with sister and I've lost 10 lbs plus some inches. Could I have lost more had I not had those days? Sure. But I am still on track to hit my end of summer goals and I feel good about weight loss.

    All this to say, do what works for you but don't deprive yourself!
  • spikrgrl503
    spikrgrl503 Posts: 247 Member
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    Today I went to Cook Out (a local fast food place here in NC) and got a 1400 cal meal (milkshake included). I ran 6.5km this morning, had a protein bar, and ate my meal at 3pm. It fit in my cals for today. I eat what I want, but I plan for it beforehand. I dont want to go through life depriving myself of what I want, I just work harder for it :)
  • candidcastaway
    candidcastaway Posts: 11 Member
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    I used to do the whole "cheat day" thing, but I don't anymore. If I want a serving of ice cream (or two, if I can fit it into my calories/macros for the day), then I do it. Same goes with most other foods. 90% of my diet is pretty healthy, though, and I weigh everything out. The only food I really stay away from is pizza. I try to make a less fat/less calorie version at home with some bagel thins. It curbs the craving and I'm not using all of my carbs/fats/sodium in one sitting. That's just what's worked for me.
  • ankershner
    ankershner Posts: 6
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    My version of "cheat days" are days when I simply don't log everything I eat. It's a day when I can relax from the number-counting and eat what I like without worrying about remembering exactly what and how much i ate when I get home (no smartphone here!). Usually, it's for schedule reasons: if I have to go in to work early and cant/don't pack a lunch, I don't worry about how many calories might have been in that deli sandwich. I still work out in the morning, eat a healthy breakfast and a normal dinner, but lunch is no-holds-barred.
  • calypsocoin
    calypsocoin Posts: 8
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    I've recently been experimenting with a weekly cheat day only concerning my sugar, which is something I try to watch pretty closely during the week. So for example, I may have a dessert completely within my calorie limit but a bit beyond my daily sugar allowance. But I only allow myself a cheat if I'm under my sugar for the week. Since I have a huge sweet tooth, I miss things like ice cream and cupcakes more than pizza and bacon so it works pretty well. Except french fries...my true weakness

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