How often do you have a cheat day?

Options
245

Replies

  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
    Options
    Never.....don't need one (a day, a meal, a cheat anything):noway:

    I work what I want into my diary (I pre plan/pre log) and plan meals around what I want to have. If by some screw up I end up over, I burn it off.

    I don't feel deprived as I'm having the cake, or ice cream, pizza or whatever. It's just planned out very carefully.:bigsmile:

    YMMV & best to you if "cheating" works for you.
  • pleasurelittletreasure
    pleasurelittletreasure Posts: 236 Member
    Options
    I cheated on my body every day for so many years that I don't think I have earned one yet. That being said, I do have treats that I work into my calories and will at some time in the future indulge at a fine restaurant of my choosing. I did bank calories for a nice anniversary dinner at a Mexican restaurant, but didn't spend as many calories as I initially thought I would. Success is a hard habit to break.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Options
    I don't "cheat", I have an "open" relationship with my diet.

    Food isn't a bad thing, its excessive eating that is out of control that is the problem for most I would hazard.

    **Off to the store...I'm out of ice cream.
  • WVprankster
    WVprankster Posts: 430 Member
    Options
    I schedule a cheat day and a week off every six weeks. It keeps me sane.
  • pamcris
    pamcris Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    In theory once a week (every Tuesday) but I try to burn a couple of extra hundred of calories that day as well. I don't cheat if I don't go to the gym beforehand and get those calories burned. For example: I had McDonalds last Tuesday and I knew the full meal was going to be 1000 calories with condiments, so I made sure to burn close to 1000 calories at the gym, maybe a little less. The rest of the day I ate like I normally do at home :)
  • 30PoundsToDonate
    30PoundsToDonate Posts: 12
    Options
    Rarely ever these days. I am an all or nothing person, so cheat days/meals kind of just ruin me. I'll give up for the rest of the week, and binge every day. I don't think that's very healthy...
  • CdnRower
    CdnRower Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    Once a week for me as well. On Friday nights after I have done my rowing training in the morning, weight lifting session in the afternoon and 60 minutes of hockey at night, I wolf down 2 lbs of chicken wings with some hot sauce on the side. My exercise alone that day totals 2000-2400 calories burned on top of my BMR. So, not only do I need the extra calories, I can do it guilt free since i've deserved them and i'm still at a deficit :)
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    Options
    hearthwood wrote: »
    As long as pizza fits into your daily calorie goal, you're not cheating.

    only when I get under goal by five or six pounds. then it's a free for all for three days. Lotsa lifting and unclean eating:)
  • scorpiophoenix
    scorpiophoenix Posts: 222 Member
    Options
    I could say "never" or "always" depending on how you look at it. I eat what I want, when I want. Just smaller portions to stay under my calorie goal. If I go over I do more cardio. I've already lost the weight once by drastically changing my diet and gained it all back. This time I'm learning how much I can eat of the foods I'm going to be eating anyway.
  • vegasgyrl79971
    vegasgyrl79971 Posts: 56
    Options
    I dont know if mine quantifies as a cheat day, but every 30 days I eat what I want but I still log it. I just had one on Monday and I didn't even go over my calories lol and on my off days Im a bit more lenient on if I go over by a 100 calories or so. (thats my wine budget lol)
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    Options
    I've had a few "bad" days in the last week, but I logged it and I moved on. If I averaged out my over and under days I'm sure I just about break even.

    Last night I had chicken strips, fries, BBQ sauce, and blue cheese dressing at Buffalo Wild Wings. Then I came home and had a beer. Today will just be a lighter eating day, and I'll get off my duff and move my body more than normal. Problem solved, and I enjoyed the hell out of my dinner.
  • LeslieTSUK
    LeslieTSUK Posts: 215 Member
    Options
    I'm trying to loose weight slowly, then can have all the foods i love so never need a cheat day.
  • umachanxo
    umachanxo Posts: 926 Member
    Options
    Usually I will fit things into my cals. I am trying to have days where I don't worry about logging about once or twice a month. I save these for holidays or birthdays. (One day only, though. Not an entire weekend)
  • KristieLynn828
    KristieLynn828 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    I eat Nutrisystem (Or a meal comparable to a Nutrisystem meal) Monday through Friday. On the weekends, I loosen my requirements but I still try to take it easy. I don't think I have any "cheat" days. If I called it a cheat day, I would eat an entire bucket of ice cream and cheat myself out of a healthy body LOL So, I don't "cheat" but I am not as strict on the weekends. It's more lax. Does that make sense? I'll have a cookie or two and not beat myself up, whereas I expect a bit more willpower during the week. (unless I have enough calories to "pay" for the treat)
  • TMM211073
    TMM211073 Posts: 153 Member
    Options
    I'm not taking an exam, so I don't have cheat days.... I eat what I want, when I want it and it generally fits in with my numbers - not always, but oh well one higher calorie day here and there is not going to cause me to put 164lb back on.

    If people are looking at this as on or off thing, then they are setting themselves up for failure; I'm not on a diet, I am living my life and some days that involves eating higher caloried food, purely because I want to, or because I can't find the calories for every single morsal that passes my lips and food is a sociable thing, we all enjoy eating out and sharing a nice meal from time to time, don't we....

    I've lost 164lb by not dieting, not cheating and not worrying about the numbers - if I do have a few days where my calories end up in the red, then I might increase my exercise accordingly, but not always.

    If you want to succeed at losing/managing your weight stop looking at it like some sort of test or conquest - it is food and we all need to eat to live, so start living and enjoy long term weight management.

    xXx

  • NaomiNoel21
    NaomiNoel21 Posts: 30 Member
    Options
    I've gotten to the point where I'm super used to eating a couple hundred calories below my goal so that I can have a "cheat" day with out it actually being a cheat. Every once and a while I'll go over by a couple hundred.... but maybe only once or twice a month, and it's usually planned for, like if I know I'm going out drinking on this coming Saturday, I'll make sure I'm eating right before then.
  • Swiftlet66
    Swiftlet66 Posts: 729 Member
    Options
    I have cheat meals and snacks whenever I feel like it.
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,525 Member
    Options
    Depends on what you mean by cheat day. If you mean uncontrolled binging, then never. If you mean stepping away from my deficit calorie goal and eating at maintenance levels, then I do that when I am travelling, as well as for special occaisions (holidays, celebrations, etc). If I go for awhile without either of these,then I will throw in a maintenance day every week or two.
  • sentaruu
    sentaruu Posts: 2,206 Member
    Options
    I do what I want.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    Options
    Never. Cheating implies assigning moral connotation to food. I eat what I want within reason. Sometimes it's "over" for the day, sometimes "under" goal (but outside of illness, never "too" low so to speak).

Categories