Contemplating Cheat

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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    i follow IIFYM, so i dont need to 'cheat', i can eat yummy things every day.

    What's IIFYM?

    If It Fits Your Macros
  • SpikeTailTurtle
    SpikeTailTurtle Posts: 60
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    I honestly eat what I want everyday. If I want it I make it fit in my calories. If it doesn't fit and I'm not willing to do the extra exercise to make it fit I obviously didn't want it that bad anyway.

    The only days where I plan on ignoring my calories and 'cheating' are Thanksgiving, Christmas, my anniversary, my birthday and my husbands birthday. 5 days of no tracking eating a year isn't going to destroy my life and those are the big celebration days of the year for me. I plan on enjoying them.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    I do cheat days every once in awhile, usually when I hit specific weight targets. I feel like I'm starving myself for months, and then I do a cheat day and no big deal. But lately, it's been more difficult. So I went from early June to mid August before I hit my weight goal and got a cheat day. I decided I would eat like I would want to eat if I didn't care about losing weight or anything else - and that day I did not feel like I was starving, but I also ate about 8,000 calories.

    More recently, I've been eating at a deficit since that cheat day and lost some weight in August, but the past few weeks I've been gaining even though I've been eating at a deficit. I've not logged the gain yet, but I am about 5 lbs. more than what my ticker shows (I'll plan to log whatever the scale shows on Sat.). So I got really frustrated feeling like I'm starving and still gaining, and yesterday I decided to do another "cheat day" and just eat what I wanted for lunch and dinner. I logged it and was about 6,000 calories for the day.

    The part that bothers me the most is sustainability. Right now I just want to lose some weight. Eventually, though, I will be maintaining weight, and I have no idea how I'm going to do that without feeling hungry my entire life. People keep telling me that if I eat small enough amounts for long enough, my stomach will shrink and I won't be as hungry all the time. I've found that to be completely false... if doing it for more than 2 months wasn't enough time to make me satiated at a lower calorie level, then it just isn't going to happen. But for now, I'll focus on eating less even though it makes me hungry all the time.
  • MsWendyjc
    MsWendyjc Posts: 63 Member
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    I watch Extreme Weight Loss and they call it a "reset meal" because it confuses your metabolism and resets it after it gets used to the same amount of calories every day. They say it is necessary to keep your body guessing.


    I like the sound of that and may use it at some stage!

    For now i'll stick to what i'm doing and keep on track, thoroughly enjoying the changes i can feel and the food
    and know its a lifestyle change and not a diet ...
  • MsWendyjc
    MsWendyjc Posts: 63 Member
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    I have cheat meals (which unfortunately do tend to turn into cheat days) when I just NEED a day off... and I don't waste it on just about anything, but make sure I eat something I've been craving for a while and is hard to fit in my calories.


    Thats why i don't want to cheat, I'm not convinced i would control myself as i am now
    and after a hard day at work "like yesterday" i felt like a drink i'm very thankful i didn't bother!

    I like the idea of fitting it into the days calories but will wait until i've lost more to challenge myself :)
  • MsWendyjc
    MsWendyjc Posts: 63 Member
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    I think 'cheat day' is the wrong word, how does 'free meal', or 'reward' sound. I allow myself 1 chocolate bar on weigh day (Wednesdays), only if I have lost weight for that week. I find this keeps the sweet cravings at bay, as I know that I should be able to have chocolate on these days.
    I also have one treat meal on the weekend, much like the person above mentioned, eating a 'smaller' amount during the day to allow for the high calorie dinner. I really plan this meal, for example, I might get a 'craving' during the week for Thai food, so I will find the menu of my favourite Thai restaurant and order my absolute FAVOURITE dish on the Saturday night, savouring the flavours, eating slowly one bite at a time and enjoy 'guilt free'.
    This works really well for me, it means I can sustain clean eating every other meal of the week, and still feel human with no deprivation or over indulging.

    Love your positive approach!
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    I eat the foods I want and fit them into my day or my week. If I know I am going to have a big event - like my book club once a month - I try to stay under my calories by a hundred or two on the days leading up to it so that I can have more calories for the event. Then if/when I go over, I also try for the next couple of days to stay under my calories to offset the excess. I look at the weekly totals not the daily totals more anyway.

    I don't agree with the idea of "cheat meals" as a reward for being strict all the rest of the time. I would rather just make everything fit in all the time and not gorge myself because I've been doing well.
  • MsWendyjc
    MsWendyjc Posts: 63 Member
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    I eat the foods I want and fit them into my day or my week. If I know I am going to have a big event - like my book club once a month - I try to stay under my calories by a hundred or two on the days leading up to it so that I can have more calories for the event. Then if/when I go over, I also try for the next couple of days to stay under my calories to offset the excess. I look at the weekly totals not the daily totals more anyway.

    I don't agree with the idea of "cheat meals" as a reward for being strict all the rest of the time. I would rather just make everything fit in all the time and not gorge myself because I've been doing well.

    Cheat meals was a harsh way of putting it and i've learnt a lot in posting this .. I had no idea or thoughts on taking the calories over the week and making allowances if i know we are going out etc .. great knowledge there!

    Wish i'd realised last week when i did a photo shoot at a friends birthday .. so much temptation and everyone offering me drinks and food and i managed to stay strong .. Lol

    Thank you
  • MsWendyjc
    MsWendyjc Posts: 63 Member
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    [/quote]

    Alternatively you could not have any taboo foods and just allow those foods into your new lifestyle in small and/or infrequent amounts - as long as your weekly calorie level is around your goal, you will still lose weight.
    [/quote]


    Less is More! Thoroughly enjoying what i'm eating now just put it out there as part of the post ... I do have small amounts of dark chocolate and a little sugar in my coffee ... not really craving anything thats unhealthy which is a shock as i used to have asian food for lunch most days and my portions for other meals were way out there ...

    Thank you
  • dhaemon
    dhaemon Posts: 110 Member
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    Me and my wife do a cheat DAY every Saturday.
    We intentionally go over our calorie limit. I have lost 67 lbs in 2 months and my wife has lost 16 lbs in 2 months.
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
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    Contemplating allowing a Cheat Day once a month or once a fortnight
    and wanted to get some your opinions or thoughts ...
    You'll get 50% yes's and 50% no's on this popular topic, no doubt.
    I vote yes. PS Just what is a fortnight anyway? :embarassed:
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    Contemplating allowing a Cheat Day once a month or once a fortnight
    and wanted to get some your opinions or thoughts ...


    Lost 11.9 Ibs (5.4 kilo) in several weeks and know its good to take a day every now and then to
    appreciate foods etc that might otherwise be taboo for your new life style ...

    Alternatively you could not have any taboo foods and just allow those foods into your new lifestyle in small and/or infrequent amounts - as long as your weekly calorie level is around your goal, you will still lose weight.

    Exactly. I tried to do cheat days but it didn't help me with my relationship with food, at all. Today's menu was chocolate, pizza and tacos...all without cheating on anything.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
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    I can remember crossing paths with a person i considered to look extremely fit and healthy
    and after chatting a while learnt that they are very strict 6 days a week and 1 day a week eat what they feel like as a reward etc ...
    The body doesn't have cheat days, so you're cheating on your log, not your body. Instead, just log accurately.

    Don't be strict any days. Just log what you eat, read your logs, listen to your body and your wants and your schedule, and adjust.

    If you want more pizza, add some pizza. If you go over on a Friday night, go a bit under on the next two nights. Your body doesn't reset at dawn.

    It is no worse for your metabolism if you go over 300 one day, be on target the next, go under the next two, over the next one, etc. Just average out to your target and you'll lose weight at about the predicted rate.
  • MsWendyjc
    MsWendyjc Posts: 63 Member
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    I can remember crossing paths with a person i considered to look extremely fit and healthy
    and after chatting a while learnt that they are very strict 6 days a week and 1 day a week eat what they feel like as a reward etc ...
    The body doesn't have cheat days, so you're cheating on your log, not your body. Instead, just log accurately.

    Don't be strict any days. Just log what you eat, read your logs, listen to your body and your wants and your schedule, and adjust.

    If you want more pizza, add some pizza. If you go over on a Friday night, go a bit under on the next two nights. Your body doesn't reset at dawn.

    It is no worse for your metabolism if you go over 300 one day, be on target the next, go under the next two, over the next one, etc. Just average out to your target and you'll lose weight at about the predicted rate.

    Actually i'm not cheating anything .. it was merely a curious post for opinions on others and a passing thought ..My progress has me wanting to stick to what i am doing and i am logging everything ..

    My body feels good and its inspiring to keep on the right track :)

    Its good to have the opinions of others all the same and to know that calories can be adjusted over the week if need be ....

    thank you
  • MsWendyjc
    MsWendyjc Posts: 63 Member
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    Contemplating allowing a Cheat Day once a month or once a fortnight
    and wanted to get some your opinions or thoughts ...


    Lost 11.9 Ibs (5.4 kilo) in several weeks and know its good to take a day every now and then to
    appreciate foods etc that might otherwise be taboo for your new life style ...

    Alternatively you could not have any taboo foods and just allow those foods into your new lifestyle in small and/or infrequent amounts - as long as your weekly calorie level is around your goal, you will still lose weight.

    Exactly. I tried to do cheat days but it didn't help me with my relationship with food, at all. Today's menu was chocolate, pizza and tacos...all without cheating on anything.

    Friday here and i would normally enjoy a drink but haven't for just over 2 weeks ... your menu sounds divine but i'll stick to whats working for now and adjust other foods in as i go :)

    Thanx
  • MsWendyjc
    MsWendyjc Posts: 63 Member
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    Contemplating allowing a Cheat Day once a month or once a fortnight
    and wanted to get some your opinions or thoughts ...
    You'll get 50% yes's and 50% no's on this popular topic, no doubt.
    I vote yes. PS Just what is a fortnight anyway? :embarassed:

    A fortnight is 2 weeks :)

    And your right its split 50% / 50% :happy:
  • MsWendyjc
    MsWendyjc Posts: 63 Member
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    Me and my wife do a cheat DAY every Saturday.
    We intentionally go over our calorie limit. I have lost 67 lbs in 2 months and my wife has lost 16 lbs in 2 months.

    Thats an awesome loss!! well done to you both:flowerforyou:
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    Hell, I have cheat meals/snacks all the time. I just love food way too much, can't justify torturing myself by not being able to eat the things I love (in moderation of course). Just make it fit into your day.

    I've lost 60 lbs and am now at maintenance and it's worked for me.
  • SlimJanette
    SlimJanette Posts: 597 Member
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    Don't restrict yourself or else you will binge. I would bank so many calories burning the week so on sunday I could have a DQ Blizzard.
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    I don't agree with the concept of cheat days as a reward. A cheat MEAL, at times, is fine. There is actually a pretty good scientific reason for cheat meals or cheat days .... increasing Leptin levels. Leptin is important in the fat burning process and eating gets the Leptin hopping. In fact, you want to know what works really well....Having a cheat day (not a crazy day, but one where you indulge some) to jump up your Leptin levels...and then do a 24ish hour fast (drinking only water...lots and lots of water). That's how you become a fat burning machine :)

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