Cheat Days

Maybe other people don't have this problem, but I find that if I do a full-on 'cheat day' -- "Oh, gonna eat whatever I want today" -- I struggle for days afterward with hunger and cravings. So if I want a treat, I try to work it into the calorie count for the day, and if I do "cheat," I try not to go over my maintenance calories (500 calories over my daily allowance).

But there do seem to be folks here who find it useful to do this.

I have heard/seen people talk about that, but I try not to do it like that. There might be a random day every month or so that I knowingly/willingly go over my calories, but thats for big events. Even those days that I know I will blow my calories through the roof I still try to get in a ton of exercise.... Also, when you allow yourself to consistently cheat it makes it easier and easier each time....

good luck!

I have a cheat day every Saturday. While I dont go crazy, this is when I have foods that are difficult to track at restaurants (buffet, mexican food with nachos of course).

It does help keep me on track and gives me something to look forward to. If I completely deprive myself, I wont suceed.

With calorie counting, the cheat day, and 3 days at the gym, i am losing 1 pound a week.

Do this every Saturday following the spike diet. I eat 5,000 calories of whatever I want. Its about average caloric intake for the week, and I eat low enough the other days my spike day helps me to lose weight.

Definitely going to eat a whole pizza and box of girl scout cookies this Saturday.

Hubby and I have a "Weekly cheat" not a whole day. Last week it was potato chips, I'm not sure what it will be this week. Just one thing or one thing at one meal that we shouldn't be eating. We did the cheat day on Superbowl Sunday and it was a digestive disaster for both of us. We decided not to do that again. Nothing wrong with a deliberate cheat but I'd find it too hard to get back where I belong after a whole day of eating whatever I wanted in whatever quantities. And there would be leftovers to deal with. Nope. One cheat a week.

The over-arching theme is here is that yes, an Off Day can be beneficial if you understand why you're doing it. It's not for you to eat as much *kitten* food as you can...it's to keep you sane. If someone told me today that I could never have slice of pizza, or a medium rare NY strip, or one of my choclolate chip cookies ever again there is zero percent chance of staying with it. So, once you did have one of those, you have essentially failed, opening the door to old habits and ways (i.e. fat and lazy).

So, the Off Day gives me sanity. During my Off Day...I much prefer that over "cheat"...considering I'm not cheating, I'm doing as I planned - so no cheating involved, just a scheduled diet change. I typically take Saturday evening through Sunday lunch off. During this time, there is no way I want to ruin my progress by over indulging, but I do want to satisfy any cravings. I'll have a couple glasses of wine and a gorgeous prime NY strip...but I'll skip the bread and butter. In the morning, I'll eat some serious bacon and a bloody mary, but no waffles for me.

Does that make sense? Kill the urges with a reward not ruin your progress with gluttony. Also, this is a REWARD for me. If I have not hit the majority of my goals for the week in terms of fitness, I consider my Off Day was already used, and I bust my butt and eat clean through the weekend as well.

I think it depends on the person,I dont have a day I consider a cheat day but if I feel like a cookie I have one.Or if I know were going out to dinner I usally get what I want withen reason

My "cheat day" is a friday night. I buy a very small bottle of wine (250mls - just one glass) and have that with my dinner on a Friday night, after my daughter has gone to bed. I have given up drinking pretty much at all, so restraining myself to one glass is a week is a big thing for me!

I have a cheat meal. But more so its for me to enjoy something and not go crazy but not worry about logging it in.

I fully believe in this, because even though they say not to use food as a reward, I truly look forward to my cheat meal. That encourages me to do good the days of the week leading up to my cheat meal. This weekend for dinner one night I am going to have pizza and wings. =]

However, I believe that if you cannot control how much you eat, then cheat meals are not the best idea until you gain self control. I know this from experience. I had a cheat meal in the begining of January that turned into a cheat weekend because I ate so much at my cheat meal that for the rest of the day I thought "What the hell??" The next day I did the same thing. It was pathetic. I felt disgusted. I promised myself no more cheat meals for a month. Friday was when I had my first cheat meal and I did not go overboard. Actually it was at a birthday party and I ate till I felt full, and my friend and I before hand agreed to eat half a slice of cake and to tell you the truth we couldnt even finish that one slice between ourselves. It wasnt a big slice either. I surprised myself =] Because honestly and truthfully no food could ever make you feel the way that someone complimenting you on your weight lost feels. All the hard work would just go out the window if I lose self control.

So my advice: Learn self control and then have a cheat day or a cheat meal. You'll feel so much better by the end of your meal knowing that you controlled yourself and ate something delicious.

Good luck!