Cheating....

Personally I don't do 'cheat' days. Can't cheat myself when there is no good vs. bad. Its more about budgeting.

On the other hand, I do occasionally have a day where I aim to eat at maintenance (which for me is an extra 500 calories) or allow myself more leeway when it comes to guestimating on my food log. Typically I try to be very accurate, even when eating out and such. A 'treat' for me would be eating at a restaurant I enjoy that doesn't provide nutritional info, so the best I can do is estimate based on similar MFP database entries.

I used to be very strict and if I was going to a party or going out to eat I would allow myself to cheat. Lately I've been going all out and just having weekends where I just don't count at all. I guess since I've started just trying to mantain vs lose it's harder to stay disciplined. I would suggest not neccessarily waking up and saying today is a cheat day, BUT if you really want something or are going to eat then just allow that to be your cheat day, but just don't go balls to the wall

I have a cheat meal -- not that it's "clean" or "dirty" food, it's just at maintenance or even above -- at a particular restaurant every so often. Worst case, it's 1000 over maintenance, so I've set myself back a few days on a multi-month path. Wah.

I don't cheat either. I eat what I like and stay within my goals and even when I don't, I stay focused and keep moving forward. I eat what I want all the time. Maybe my body changes slower because of this, but I want lasting results and a different lifestyle, not just to have a love/hate relationship with certain foods!

I don't cheat. If I have a day where I'm going to go over my goal, I try to make sure I stay under maintenence.

I dont "cheat" but I have had a few days where a meal or two was outside of my goals. I don't ever pick a day and Free For All it- but if I am out and REALLY REALLY REALLY want that kettlecorn I don't freak out over it. I just make sure I get right back on track.

Even my cheat days I stay on course. I try to stay within a negative balance, even if it goes over my MFP daily goal. In other words, if my MFP goal is a 500 calorie daily deficit, and I go 400 calories over that, I'm still at a deficit for the day.

Some events (Lutheran Scandinavian Christmas potluck, for example), I know I'm going to go over, and I say WTH and just try to avoid getting ridiculous with it. I try to be extra diligent the days before and after.

I have been trying to lose weight for a long time now. I used to have cheat days, not anymore. Cheat days have a 25% chance of starting something really bad and getting of course.

I have bad self control, cheating cannot happen at all anymore.

I don't do cheat days. I found out the hard way that once you train your mind that its ok to "cheat" that it's something that hangs in the back of your mind as an option. Funny enough every time I stopped going to the gym/eating healthy followed a cheat/binge weekend because I would say "well I already messed up yesterday I guess messing up today couldn't hurt me any more than the weekend did." Also many times after such weekends there would be left over fast food that I just to finish because "there's no reason to let good food go to waste, what about the children in China."

I totally understand this logic. I am most likely to repeat my most recent action, so staying strict is best for me. I too tell myself, "why bother, I've already messed up" but it takes will power to get back on the wagon. I believe in a cheat meal once a week but it's not for everyone. Sometimes it helps me to log my cheat meal into MFP so I can see how bad it was and realize I didn't have to go that far with it. I just started my weight loss journey again yesterday so I can't speak for how well it will go this time. Last year I lost 12 lbs by eating clean, watching calories, gym 3 days a week and the dreaded once per week cheat meal. I gained the 12 lbs back because I stopped watching what I was eating and every meal was a free for all. :laugh:

OH, you mean cheating on your diet........ :ohwell:

Rather than a "cheat" day, I tend to have a day or two a week where I will eat higher calories than usual because of a meal out or a party or some such, but not to the extent of being above maintenance or going over my planned calories for the week. I try to have this be a day on which I've done a big workout, but if it's not I cover it with workout calories from the rest of the week and don't worry about it.

I'm not a binger and to me being really strict and then having one "cheat" day where you don't count calories seems like a possible danger situation for those who are, but I do find that having a day where I can get a restaurant dessert or have some deep dish pizza without worrying about it makes this whole thing more sustainable. Increasingly, though, as I've increased my workout calories overall, it's easier to just fit whatever into my plan without special days. Because my workouts vary, though, I still do tend to eat fewer calories on some days and more on others. (This is one reason eating back exercise calories works for me!)

I feel like I cheat almost every day because I count carbs instead of calories. I also enjoy the avocado chocolate pudding and I fold in whipped cream and make it into a "moose" I also will have a bit ( 1/2 to 1 oz. 80% dark chocolate with my coffee daily) feels like cheating but isn't LOL!