Do you ever allow yourselves "cheat" days?

typeaimages
typeaimages Posts: 29 Member
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
My favorite snacks are a pretty salty variety of pretzles....and I've been denying myself my favorite snack because of the salt...and high calories.

But, today....I decided "everything in moderation" and had a bowl....and I feel TERRIBLE. I've only been on my diet for 8 days and I'm already cheating!

Replies

  • laurabavin
    laurabavin Posts: 1 Member
    once a week i have a naughty day, makes the week easier to cope with and i still lose each week
  • cdngrl81
    cdngrl81 Posts: 434 Member
    Well the upside is you put them in a bowl, so you didn't end up eating the whole bag. What I do with cheat foods (like chips and chocolate) is portion them out by the serving size on the back of the bag and at the end of the day (when I get the munchies) if I have enough calories left I will indulge myself. You need to cheat once in a while or you will end up eating the whole bag and then really feeling horrible. :) Keep up the good work.
  • Ncmel
    Ncmel Posts: 3
    That's why I love My Fitness Pal because you can incorporate "cheating" Like yesterday, I knew I wanted to go out to dinner, so I planned for lower calorie other meals and cut back on the snacks, so I would have enought calories for dinner. Also, if I eat a big lunch, then it helps me select a healthier dinner. It's about eating less of the "cheat" foods and then moderating what else you eat. You can also just exercise more to burn off more of the calories.
  • OLP76
    OLP76 Posts: 768 Member
    Cheat days are good, but in moderation...my personal coach says only a cheat meal per week...but I have stopped doin' that - cause I felt awful afterwards...
  • redefiningmyself
    redefiningmyself Posts: 476 Member
    I don't have "cheat days" but if there is something like pretzels that I really want, then I allow myself to have some (in moderation) and I budget my calories accordingly. so for example, pretzels are carbs, so perhaps for dinner I would eliminate having carbs and just have protein and veggies instead to allow for some pretzels in the evening.

    But I've found for myself, I'm most successful when I allow myself to have treats so long as I acknowledge and log everything and budget accordingly.

    Besides, I think its unrealistic to think I could ever go through life without having my favourite foods. I think I just need to not have them every single day -and to savour them instead of wolfing it down. :)
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
    Not a "cheat day" but a "cheat treat" now and then, especially if I'll still be maintaining my overall goals for the week anyway.
  • Babiedoll36
    Babiedoll36 Posts: 8 Member
    My Dr recommends the cheat but NOT FOR THE WHOLE DAY!! I have my "cheat" food on Saturdays :) My hubby is home and we usally go out so I eat heathy all day and Have a YUMMY dinner with him! :) So go right ahead with those pretzels! I also dropped 57lbs since last new year doing this! Goodluck!!!
  • saramathers22
    saramathers22 Posts: 50
    By "cheat day" do you mean you went over your calories??
    I used to have cheat days all the time and would eat much more than I said I did *When i was on WW* but since I have done MFP *and its only a week so far* I have had lots of yummy food, including wine and a chinese...and I have kept it all within calories, and if not, do the exercise in order to burn it off!

    You can do it :D
  • cclala
    cclala Posts: 190 Member
    The idea is not to look at certain foods as cheats, and others as virtuous. By assigning values to them, you give them power over your emotions.

    Instead be diligent about your food log, look at it as a numbers game. You can have all the pretzels you want, but you will have to make sacrifices in other areas to keep your numbers where they should be.

    If you go over your numbers one day, no sweat. One day in the scheme of things is nothing. I have high calorie days a couple times a month (restaurant splurges, drunken nachos, you know the deal...) and I have lost weight steadily and kept it off.

    Be the tortoise, not the hare:-)
  • roxanea
    roxanea Posts: 59
    Allowing yourself to eat your favorite snack when you are craving it is okay just eat what is considered a portion. I have found that if I am craving a favorite food and I put it off and do not eat it at that time I end up overing eating what I should off my favorite snack. I have come to the realization that so I may only lose 1/2 a pound this week because I ate something that was not really healthy for me but it sure tasted good than I am okay with that. I know that I will just get back on track the next day and I will make better choices the rest of the time. Keep with it and do not feel bad about eating something once in awhile that is not really good for you. This site is all about changing your eating habits not so much about sticking to a strict diet. Enjoy and with protion control, exercise and making wise food choice you will reach your ultimate goal.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    I dont have cheat days or things I consider cheating....personally I think we all feel bad enough about the weight we have gained or the bad choices we have made in past I dont want to link the word "cheat" to my food when Im eating in moderation anyhow....I guess you kinda have to determine what a "cheat" day mean to you..I know some view it as a day they can eat whatever they want and not count calories..for me that would be back tracking and a disaster...and for some it means staying within calories but eating whatever they want...i personally dont consider that cheating I just consider it indulging in something you enjoy in moderation....
  • dogdaze
    dogdaze Posts: 110 Member
    If there is something I really crave then I will have some - but I do control the portions. Since I have been eating healthier, I now find that some of the things I have thought I craved really don't seem to taste as good as I thought they would.... If that is the case, I find myself not eating the whole portion (and in some cases just a taste)!

    I went over the calorie allowance on Thanksgiving day when I was eating with my extended family but otherwise I haven't. The main thing is to be honest when charting foods and to realise that this is a long term project! So you have to make it a lifestyle you can stick with.
  • pgp_protector
    pgp_protector Posts: 207
    My favorite snacks are a pretty salty variety of pretzles....and I've been denying myself my favorite snack because of the salt...and high calories.

    But, today....I decided "everything in moderation" and had a bowl....and I feel TERRIBLE. I've only been on my diet for 8 days and I'm already cheating!

    Yes, I do allow my self snacks, but not by cheating.
    1) Budget for them in your calories.
    2) Log em & count the calories.
    3) Budget for them in your calories.

    My "cheat" snack yesterday for example was ONE Serving of habanero Doritos, Counted out the chips, and put the Bag AWAY[b/]
  • Sasssy69
    Sasssy69 Posts: 547 Member
    I have one cheat meal a week. I don't go crazy, but I allow myself more calories for this meal. Don't beat yourself up. And don't feel awful. DO drink plenty of extra water to help flush the sodium out of your system. Even people who have been eating healthy for years allow themselves treats. You're doing great!
  • marniehodges
    marniehodges Posts: 264
    Don't cut out everything you love, just eat less of it and not so often. If you deny yourself everything you are going to have a lot harder time succeeding at this. After all, say you make it to your goal weight, denying yourself all along the way of everything you love. What will happen then when you go into maintaining that weight? Are you never going to eat any of those things ever again? Doubtful. If you do this properly all along the way the possibilities of you rebounding and gaining it all back will decrease. At Christmas we always make fudge; I love fudge. I would hava A PIECE every few days instead of 6 or 7 every day. Just remember if you eat salty snacks, which I also love, make sure you're drinking lots of water to combat the sodium...that can hurt as much as the calories :noway: . Darn salt! Hang in there, you'll get this all figured out!
  • CobraBubbles
    CobraBubbles Posts: 60
    I don't have a cheat 'day', per say. I think a whole day of indulgence can do a lot of 'no-good'. I do, however, allow myself cheat meals from time to time and budget little "treats" into my day. For example, if I have a sweet tooth, it's very easy for me to work a bit of dark chocolate into any given day.

    I follow a Paleo/Primal lifestyle which prohibits grains; but of course, there's always wiggle room, especially if you're doing something infrequently. Every couple of months, my husband and I will grab a local pizza-pie and it is tasty, but is never as good as I remember when I ate that stuff all the time. Also, as I don't consume grains/eat low carb, I always pay for it the following day. *clutches gut*
  • Gizmo52
    Gizmo52 Posts: 43
    I agree with Marnie. This is a lifestyle change and if you deny yourself a food item that you enjoy - then that is where binges come into play and then guilty feelings. You can have anything you want IF you plan for it.

    Now, I'm not saying that one day a week, month, etc., you can declare it a no counting calories day and just eat what you want. I just say plan for that day and in so doing, I think you'll see you'll need fewer of the "off" days.

    Someone posted that there isn't an end date to this journey. We're here for the long haul, for the rest of our lives, we just have to be realistic with portion sizes and what we choose to eat and when we eat them as well as incorporate "movement/exercise" into our daily routine. We learn by trial and error - don't beat yourself up for "slip ups" just dust yourself off, and get back up and start planning your next snack/meal/exercise.

    Good luck - you can do this!
  • darrenw74
    darrenw74 Posts: 86 Member
    The idea is not to look at certain foods as cheats, and others as virtuous. By assigning values to them, you give them power over your emotions.

    Instead be diligent about your food log, look at it as a numbers game. You can have all the pretzels you want, but you will have to make sacrifices in other areas to keep your numbers where they should be.

    If you go over your numbers one day, no sweat. One day in the scheme of things is nothing. I have high calorie days a couple times a month (restaurant splurges, drunken nachos, you know the deal...) and I have lost weight steadily and kept it off.

    Be the tortoise, not the hare:-)

    This is partially true. You want the numbers to add up sure, but there are definitely good calories and bad calories. For example, I had 700 calories left over the other night, but that doesn't mean I should pig out on an ice cream sundae.
    I'm in the camp that "cheat snacks" are ok (I like popcorn), but those extra calories, if budgeted for, should be spread out throughout the day. You want to avoid a large calorie impact in one sitting. Like others have said on this thread, keep the portion reasonable.
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
    Cheat days No. I think a day is excessive. If I feel I "need" a piece of chocolate I have individual wrapped rollos in the back of my kitchen cabinet. Each one is 26 calories. I only allow myself one if I "need" one. I haven't needed one yet and I bought them 3 weeks ago. I wanted one about a week ago, but that was a late night want and since it wasn't a "need" I just went to bed. :smile:

    I'm trying to change my way of thinking. I'm trying to learn how to view food as a source of fuel only. Cheats are desires, not needs so I'm trying to take that need of cheating out my thoughts. Being that this is a lifestyle change for me I have to recreate the way I view food and the choice of words I use to refer to some items.

    So when I start to view sugary snacks and white carbs as allowances I can control, I think I will indulge once and a while until then I think I will leave all that alone and keep focus on my goal.

    *fingers crossed* :smile:
  • BethanyMasters
    BethanyMasters Posts: 519 Member
    Cheat meals maybe but not cheat days and I always try to earn that cheat meal with hard work at the gym.

    So far I've been on MFP for a little over two weeks and I haven't had an overwhelming urge to cheat yet though I did have a dream about binging on cookies and donuts last night. Maybe it's time for a special treat :D.
  • clewliss
    clewliss Posts: 640 Member
    Oh, I'm sitting here wanting to have PIZZA so bad tonight! I've only been doing this for two weeks and I'm just beating myself up over the thought of eating some pizza. I know I can't portion it out right now because I'm too new to the changes I'm trying to make and I know myself well enough that I would binge on it- So, for now no cheating, but I think the time will come when I can make better decisions on portion and may allow myself the piece then. (notice I said piece, not all of it) haha Only you know if you can control that or not and I can't right now! Good luck to you and this is an awesome sight to come to when you feel tempted to splurge!
  • pgp_protector
    pgp_protector Posts: 207
    Oh, I'm sitting here wanting to have PIZZA so bad tonight! I've only been doing this for two weeks and I'm just beating myself up over the thought of eating some pizza. I know I can't portion it out right now because I'm too new to the changes I'm trying to make and I know myself well enough that I would binge on it- So, for now no cheating, but I think the time will come when I can make better decisions on portion and may allow myself the piece then. (notice I said piece, not all of it) haha Only you know if you can control that or not and I can't right now! Good luck to you and this is an awesome sight to come to when you feel tempted to splurge!

    You could try one of the personal pizzas, example the Red Baron Deep Dish Personal Pizza is 420 Cals for the serving(one pizza)
    nf-dd-supreme.jpg
  • mariamxo
    mariamxo Posts: 21
    I try to avoid "cheat day" because I know I always feel really guilty after and I feel like I've ruined my effort for the whole day which usually makes me do bad for the rest of the day. It's really bad but I'm hoping to develop a better relationship with food so I can be able to eat certain things without feeling so guilty.
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