Cheat day help please!

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UncreativeMe123
UncreativeMe123 Posts: 52 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok...first post :)

I keep reading that it's good to have a cheat day, and thought this might help me since I tend to eat everything for a long while when I get too strict. So, I told myself I will have a cheat day once a week. Well.......I just logged my food and am 875 calories over my calorie goal. A cheat day like that every week would pretty much sabotage my weight loss goals since I am only aiming to lose between .5 - 1 lbs a week right now.

My question is, those of you who incorporate cheat days into your diet, how do you manage the extent of your cheating? Do you relax and not log, and find that it doesn't ruin your efforts, or are you still mindful of what you are consuming? Any tips on how to strike a balance would be helpful.

Thank you!

Replies

  • Ilana503
    Ilana503 Posts: 8
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    For me, I don't use cheat days. However, I will say from experience with friends and other people I know, for them a cheat day is more day like sticking to their plan and eating that one thing that they love that they won't eat the rest of the week. So maybe for breakfast because it's cheat day they'll have an omelet WITH the yolks and toast and cream cheese which is healthy, but still maybe "cheating" but then for lunch they'll have a bacon cheeseburger with fries (the real cheating part) and then dinner something still relatively healthy, but maybe with a little something extra, like they'll have mashed potatoes or get chinese food or something, but won't go crazy. Like they won't be so strict all day, but the cheating part is really just one main thing they get to eat that day. Also some people do it every two weeks so it doesn't feel like you're eating unhealthy all too often.
  • UncreativeMe123
    UncreativeMe123 Posts: 52 Member
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    Hmmm... every two weeks might be a better option for me. I appreciate that you noted the variety that your friends use. I might try doing something calorie based, like, once a week I'll let myself exceed by 200 calories, or maybe eat back all of my exercise calories. I am probably just over thinking this :D
  • exoclipses
    exoclipses Posts: 3
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    hey!
    having a cheat day is a great idea, and if you're worried about eating too much, what i do is plan out what i eat for the day. making a list of foods you want to eat, and crossing out the ones you don't want as much really helps control my proportions. also, trying to only eat one meal a day will do you well (if you can handle having only one meal instead of 3-6 small ones).
    if all else fails, try burning those calories off!
  • Rmfowler1990
    Rmfowler1990 Posts: 83 Member
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    I allow a cheat meal a week, but it's not really planned on specific day. I log it if I eat it and try to keep within my daily calories with my other meals. If I was really bad and I still have say... Dinner left to eat, I'll just eat as healthy of a meal as possible and to to limit the calories I go over. I hope this helps!!!
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    That's why it's better to do a cheat MEAL rather than a cheat DAY, and only about every other week or so. It's too easy to blow your deficit on a whole day of eating whatever you want.
  • Snip8241
    Snip8241 Posts: 767 Member
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    Every two weeks or so I have a cheat meal, not a cheat day.

    I will go easy on breakfast and lunch and get a good workout in.
    Dinner last time was a grilled ribeye, potatoes, salad and a few glasses of wine.

    Another time breakfast and dinner were easy, I went out for lunch and had pizza and a glass of wine.

    I don't really consider it cheating....I am just not depriving myself once in awhile.
    I also make sure if I am going to "cheat"' whatever it is has to be the best I can find. Best steak, best pizza, best brownie.
    :bigsmile:
  • ZBuffBod
    ZBuffBod Posts: 297 Member
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    I don't have a "cheat day" (hate that concept) per se because I don't want to get into the mindset that I am cheating on my healthy eating habits. What I do is if I want to eat say an ice cream bar, I allow for it in my calories for the day. If I don't have enough calories, I just go over for that day and don't stress it.

    Keep in mind that this is a marathon and not a sprint, so eat the things you enjoy in moderation. If you choose to do a "cheat day" don't eat all of your "cheat foods" that day. Determine what you want to "cheat" on and choose that for your "cheat day".

    I have gone over my calories at least once every week or two and I still lose weight weekly. So going over one day will not be a deal breaker.

    Good luck.
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
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    I work out 5 days a week. On those days, I set my calorie goal at "1 lb/week weight loss" (500 calorie deficit). I also don't eat back my exercise calories.

    On my two rest days, I allow myself to eat at maintenance. Those extra 500 calories really do feel like a treat.

    Picking a day or two a week to allow yourself to eat at maintenance is a great way to have "cheat days" without sabotaging the work you did for the rest of the week in any way. Also, by not eating back those exercise calories on my workout days, I actually wind up *ahead* of that "1 lb/week" goal each week while also being able to treat myself 2 days out of the week.
  • Tanya949
    Tanya949 Posts: 606 Member
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    ^^^ This. Aim to eat at maintenance for your cheat day and not go above that. This ensures you will not have a gain that week. Ive done it and still lost weight that week.
  • UncreativeMe123
    UncreativeMe123 Posts: 52 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I think I like the idea of setting calories to maintenance for that day. It seems like that would keep me in the rule following mindset, and keep me from feeling like I've sabotaged my diet.

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