Allowing Cheat Days
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UnikittyRocks wrote: »I did mention I'm new at this right?! Tracking everything to fit into 1200 cal is hard right now but hopefully in another week it will be liked second nature. At least I'm gong that workouts add a bunch of calories back in!
No one is judging you. You asked!
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If you look at your calories on a weekly basis and want to have a higher calorie day, create a deficit on the other days. I tend to watch my calories very closely during the week knowing that I'll likely go over on the weekend. If you eat at maintenance and then splurge a day or two, you will gain weight. But if you leave yourself 500 extra calories, enjoy! Whatever works for you.
Ahhhhhhhh-haaaaaaa!!! And will the app show you somewhere how many extra calories you have in the bank?0 -
If weight loss is your sole goal, do whatever it takes to create a calorie deficit, whether that means allowing a cheat day or not. I personally feel that you'd fare better in the long run by working whatever foods you love into your daily calorie intake. If you categorise some foods as cheat foods and restrict your consumption of them, you may end up desiring them even more. Learning control is everything. It's not easy, but it's doable. Everything in moderation!0
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I've had success while allowing 'cheat' days. I don't plan cheat days like some people do, but I do think it's important to know when it's okay to let loose a little. For example, I go out with friends often and I generally try to pick things off the menu that will fit into my calorie goal for the day - but once in awhile I allow myself to have the burger and fries I've been craving for a month. There are some things that simply won't fit into a daily calorie limit, and it's okay to have days like that once or twice a month.
I'd also like to note that some people consider 'cheat' days to be days where they binge on mass amounts of calories, and others consider them to be days where they just allow themselves to go over their limit by a few hundred calories, and in my opinion there's a huge difference there.
Agreed0 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »I don't have cheat days, but I do once in a while eat things that aren't part of my normal diet as a treat...not a cheat. They are exceptions to my general rule. What works best for me is to do it outside the home mainly so I'm not tempted to let my exceptions become the rule again. It also makes social situations...such as being invited to someone's home where I have no control over what is served...easier to manage.
What also helps me to not feel deprived is to do a bit of calorie cycling. I'm not formal about this at all. All I mean is that if I eat 1300 calories a day on average, on some days I might eat 1150 or 1200 and on other days I might eat 1400 or 1500...or occasionally more. Sometimes I just am not very hungry, and instead of forcing myself to eat I would rather save those calories to have a little extra on another day. Maybe that would be helpful for you.
Thanks for this post, that was helpful! I'm totally going to save calories for the weekends
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I don't call it cheat days. I'm down 41lbs and I still indulge. I prelog and work them.
Like tonight I'm going to Applebee's and going to enjoy the 4 cheese honey pepper chicken Mac and cheese; all 1830 calories of it's glorious yumminess. I prelogged it and while I may be over for te day, the rest of the week will still let me be in a deficit
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UnikittyRocks wrote: »Does anyone who is having success at losing steadily allow themselves a cheat day or 2? I'm less than a week old at this and can see a huge fail in store for me if I am not able to have one or two days to enjoy. Meaning I can have a bagel and a Dunkin Donuts latte AND wine in the evening.
I appreciate the advice for this newbie!
If you're going over your calories for the day, that's an issue...having wine or a bagel or whatever isn't. I tend to look at my diet (noun) in an overall context and don't get wrapped up in labeling individual food items as "good" or "bad" and therefore don't look at having some desert at night as "cheating"...I'm hitting my calorie goals and a bowl of ice cream doesn't undo the 6-8 servings of fruit and veg I also ate...or the 144 grams of lean protein, or all of those healthy fats.
Try to look at your diet as in the context of the whole and you won't have a need to "cheat".0 -
That's true too. The little indulgences can be really satisfying, like the Skinny Cow chocolate ganache cones (I LOVE those) are 160 calories. I can fit those into my days no problem.0
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When I started with mfp, I would do the whole cheat MEAL, thinking I couldn't eat certain things so I could lose weight. But then I realized by reading the forums that I could eat whatever I wanted as long as I make it fit into my daily calories. If I want some fast food for example, I'll work my butt off with some cardio... enough to make my meal fit into my day. Or if I'm going out to eat at a restaurant, I'll eat small meals during the day and enjoy my dinner out. :flowerforyou:0
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I haven't read all of the comments.
But I do sometimes allow myself days where I don't log calories, just sort of as a mental break. And I might go over calories on those days, or not meet some of my other goals. Since I don't really restrict anything in my normal diet, other than maintaining a calorie deficit, I don't necessarily "cheat" on my non-logging days. But I might splurge a little extra. It has not affected my weight loss at all. In fact, if I'm ever in a plateau, sometimes having a day or two of increased caloric intake will kick start me again. 0 -
Lasmartchika wrote: »When I started with mfp, I would do the whole cheat MEAL, thinking I couldn't eat certain things so I could lose weight. But then I realized by reading the forums that I could eat whatever I wanted as long as I make it fit into my daily calories. If I want some fast food for example, I'll work my butt off with some cardio... enough to make my meal fit into my day. Or if I'm going out to eat at a restaurant, I'll eat small meals during the day and enjoy my dinner out. :flowerforyou:
This, this, this! I had the same experience with MFP.
If I know I'm going to go eat something outrageous in calories, I go running. Gives me that extra 500 calories easy. If you don't like running, you could do a lot of other things that would give you said deficit for the day. Work hard, eat delicious food. 0 -
Lasmartchika wrote: »When I started with mfp, I would do the whole cheat MEAL, thinking I couldn't eat certain things so I could lose weight. But then I realized by reading the forums that I could eat whatever I wanted as long as I make it fit into my daily calories. If I want some fast food for example, I'll work my butt off with some cardio... enough to make my meal fit into my day. Or if I'm going out to eat at a restaurant, I'll eat small meals during the day and enjoy my dinner out. :flowerforyou:
I've just burned over 500 cal at the gym which now I have 848 cal left for the whole day! That is really motivating to get more calories to work with during the day. I'm 5'7 and on 1200 cal per day with 20 lbs to lose. Goal is 1300 -
I don't have cheat days -- I don't even like that concept. I do include things like chocolate and wine in my diet, but I record them and plan for them when possible. If I know that I want to indulge in something particularly high cal/fat/carb I try to exercise more than usual to bank some extra calories.0
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You mentioned you are new, so please don't take offense to a little additional helpful information.
First, you should confirm that 1200 calories is the appropriate daily goal for you. Most people can lose significantly on more calories. You may feel less deprived, and in less need of a cheat day if you have more to budget every day. It is all about budgeting, and having a bigger purse is always going to be helpful.
Second, you could consider a daily or weekly target of xxx calories burned to 'pay' for additional treats without having to wait for a 'cheat' time. The only caution here is to be careful in your estimation of calories burned.
Finally, I think its perfectly normal to want a more relaxed day from time to time. Its how relaxed that day is, and how you are able to get back on track that matter. For some, its no big deal. For others, one significant surplus day can turn into many more. I've only been counting calories 9 months. But in that time, I've given myself holidays to be more free, go over budget. They are sporadic enough to not do major damage, but frequent enough to not feel like they'll never come. I'm pretty sure I ate enough chocolate on Halloween to make Wonka proud, and there wasn't a Christmas cookie I met that I didn't like. Still down 50+ lbs overall.0 -
UnikittyRocks wrote: »Lasmartchika wrote: »When I started with mfp, I would do the whole cheat MEAL, thinking I couldn't eat certain things so I could lose weight. But then I realized by reading the forums that I could eat whatever I wanted as long as I make it fit into my daily calories. If I want some fast food for example, I'll work my butt off with some cardio... enough to make my meal fit into my day. Or if I'm going out to eat at a restaurant, I'll eat small meals during the day and enjoy my dinner out. :flowerforyou:
I've just burned over 500 cal at the gym which now I have 848 cal left for the whole day! That is really motivating to get more calories to work with during the day. I'm 5'7 and on 1200 cal per day with 20 lbs to lose. Goal is 130
You only have 20 pounds to lose, IMO your goal is too aggressive. I'd change your weight loss goal per week to .5 or 1 pounds. You need more calories every day 0 -
Thanbrightsideofpink wrote: »You mentioned you are new, so please don't take offense to a little additional helpful information.
First, you should confirm that 1200 calories is the appropriate daily goal for you. Most people can lose significantly on more calories. You may feel less deprived, and in less need of a cheat day if you have more to budget every day. It is all about budgeting, and having a bigger purse is always going to be helpful.
Second, you could consider a daily or weekly target of xxx calories burned to 'pay' for additional treats without having to wait for a 'cheat' time. The only caution here is to be careful in your estimation of calories burned.
Finally, I think its perfectly normal to want a more relaxed day from time to time. Its how relaxed that day is, and how you are able to get back on track that matter. For some, its no big deal. For others, one significant surplus day can turn into many more. I've only been counting calories 9 months. But in that time, I've given myself holidays to be more free, go over budget. They are sporadic enough to not do major damage, but frequent enough to not feel like they'll never come. I'm pretty sure I ate enough chocolate on Halloween to make Wonka proud, and there wasn't a Christmas cookie I met that I didn't like. Still down 50+ lbs overall.
Wow, that's wonderful! I'm sure you've worked very hard at that loss and it's inspiring! Thank you for your post and I do really appreciate the help and advice! Yep, I'm new and so far this week is a bust. I wasn't logging properly and I've just learned some new things. This is a training week so I'll mean business starting Friday!0 -
There is absolutely nothing wrong with allowing an entire day, every week, where you don't restrict yourself, diet-wise. It's still a good idea to track what you consume on those days, but you may want to restrict yourself from certain things over a period of time, usually a week for the average person, then on one weekend day, have some beer, wine, chocolate, cookies, or whatever you feel like, in whatever amount. Fitness professionals do this all the time when they are cutting. It does a couple things: 1. it replenishes stored glycogen if necessary, and prevents hormonal stasis, and 2. prevents binge eating, burnout, and other mental/emotional problems associated with prolonged deprivation. There's also another very positive side effect from practicing the weekly "cheat" day: it eventually leads to habitual moderation, which is the behavioral change you need to develop. I've done it, and I know LOTS of people who have, and it works. If you're struggling with compulsive eating, you need to reign it in. If you were already able to practice moderation, then you wouldn't have a problem. You need to develop that discipline. You need to train that behavior. The practice of restricting your dietary choices for periods at a time is a great way to train that behavior. You will become deeply conscious of your diet choices and the effects they have on your body and your mental state. It's a good idea. Do it0
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I've just burned over 500 cal at the gym which now I have 848 cal left for the whole day! That is really motivating to get more calories to work with during the day. I'm 5'7 and on 1200 cal per day with 20 lbs to lose. Goal is 130[/quote]
You only have 20 pounds to lose, IMO your goal is too aggressive. I'd change your weight loss goal per week to .5 or 1 pounds. You need more calories every day[/quote]
I'd like to see some pounds gone. I'm so motivated right now and I'm afraid if I am not aggressive then I won't see results and then I'll cry...! I'll see how my week logging everything goes and then reevaluate.
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Losing weight is accomplished by being on the negative side of the energy equation over time. However, that "time" isn't 24 hours, or 7 days or even 1 month. It is OVER TIME. I take a very long look at calories, like a week instead of a day, this helps me stay on track. If I am "over" one day, so be it, as long as my weekly numbers are good. If a have a bad weekly number, so be it as long as my monthly numbers are good. Its a trend, there will be ups and downs. If I couldn't have half an Apple Dumpling at Cracker Barrel( half is 1600 cals) every once in a while,well, life just aint worth living.0
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I'm not into the "cheat" days or meals either. If eat something that is high calorie (e.g. donut or chili cheese fries), me calling it a cheat meal doesn't change the fact that I ate it and my body will process it the same. For me, calling it "cheating" is only kidding myself. If I'm going to do this for life (and losing a lot of weight and aiming to keep it off is a lifetime commitment, not just a diet), I have to find a way to make this liveable for myself.
Don't get me wrong, I still eat those things, but it's on occasion, and when I do, I log them and move on. If I go over that day, it is what it is. It's about the deficit over time. If I find that I am at maintenance or gaining for a given week or two, my tracking will generally give away the reason why and then I tighten up my eating practices or look to make better decisions the next week.
I don't think anyone's judging you, OP. It's just that IMO you're making it harder than it has to be.0 -
prattiger65 wrote: »Losing weight is accomplished by being on the negative side of the energy equation over time. However, that "time" isn't 24 hours, or 7 days or even 1 month. It is OVER TIME. I take a very long look at calories, like a week instead of a day, this helps me stay on track. If I am "over" one day, so be it, as long as my weekly numbers are good. If a have a bad weekly number, so be it as long as my monthly numbers are good. Its a trend, there will be ups and downs. If I couldn't have half an Apple Dumpling at Cracker Barrel( half is 1600 cals) every once in a while,well, life just aint worth living.
Nailed it!0 -
marinabreeze wrote: »I'm not into the "cheat" days or meals either. If eat something that is high calorie (e.g. donut or chili cheese fries), me calling it a cheat meal doesn't change the fact that I ate it and my body will process it the same. For me, calling it "cheating" is only kidding myself. If I'm going to do this for life (and losing a lot of weight and aiming to keep it off is a lifetime commitment, not just a diet), I have to find a way to make this liveable for myself.
Don't get me wrong, I still eat those things, but it's on occasion, and when I do, I log them and move on. If I go over that day, it is what it is. It's about the deficit over time. If I find that I am at maintenance or gaining for a given week or two, my tracking will generally give away the reason why and then I tighten up my eating practices or look to make better decisions the next week.
I don't think anyone's judging you, OP. It's just that IMO you're making it harder than it has to be.
You're taking the cheat thing to a level I hadn't thought of. I still log what I eat no matter what. By cheat what I mean is every now and then I give myself permission to go over net calories for the day. Not ridiculously over maybe 300 calories. That actually still keeps me at a deficit but if I ate that way every day my weight loss would slow to a snail's pace.
I actually think of it more as a treat than a cheat but I'm not too much into semantics.0 -
UnikittyRocks wrote: »Does anyone who is having success at losing steadily allow themselves a cheat day or 2? I'm less than a week old at this and can see a huge fail in store for me if I am not able to have one or two days to enjoy. Meaning I can have a bagel and a Dunkin Donuts latte AND wine in the evening.
I appreciate the advice for this newbie!
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Yes I believe everyone is untitled to at least one cheat day0
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I allow "cheats" as a reward for meeting weight loss goals. If I maintain my calorie goals for the week, I might allow myself a barq's rootbeer (my personal weakness) or a dessert at the end of the week. But I ALWAYS log those cheats and try to make up for them in my workouts. When I hit big milestones in weight loss, such as 20 pounds lost, I allow myself a cheat meal. I don't overstuff, but I can go have that basket of chips and queso and a few pina coladas if I want. I'm not saying my way is the right way, but it's what keeps me on track. I need small goals to keep me motivated and this does it for me.0
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first advice... 1. Research on flexible dieting/ IIFYM... you can eat anything you like within reasons so no need to worry about eating donut or drinking coffee if you can fit it in your daily macro targets.
second advice 2. follow 80% - 20% adherance. say we eat 5x per day multiply to seven days = 35 meals. 80% = 28 meals track food portions to the grams then 20% = 7 meals which you can allocate for those days you need to attend a wedding, birthday, just feelz like eating KFC or Maccas... do this and you will be fine... Obviously you will have to adjust to achieve your goals, it could be 95% - 5%, 90% - 10%, you get the idea?0 -
I define cheat days (for me) as holidays or special occasions, like State Fair. I would be utterly miserable if I tried to keep to a strict moderation like I normally do, so I don't worry about it. The thing is, after logging and watching my calories for a long time, I find it takes less to satisfy me, so it's rare that I'm horribly over for the day. When it happens, I log it, shrug and move to the next day. Everyone has off days and as long as it's not a regular occurance, don't worry about it.0
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I have a higher calorie day or spread it out through the weekend. But I just eat whatever I want throughout the week and just fit it into my calorie budget.0
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UnikittyRocks wrote: »Does anyone who is having success at losing steadily allow themselves a cheat day or 2? I'm less than a week old at this and can see a huge fail in store for me if I am not able to have one or two days to enjoy. Meaning I can have a bagel and a Dunkin Donuts latte AND wine in the evening.
I appreciate the advice for this newbie!
Aw heck no! Cheat DAYS? ARE YOU INSANE??!?!?!?!
jk. jk. ;P
Cheat days are just way too much and it's way too easy to get off track doing an entire day of no-no foods. For me, personally, it doesn't take many calories or slices of pizza for me to wash away a whole week of progress. I stick to limiting myself to cheat *meals* once a week, which ultimately end up being partially healthy. Like a juice from jambajuice or an entire pineapple....heh.0 -
I do "maintanence" days and they feel like "cheat" days. This week I've been sick and just haven't had the energy to prep the healthy meals I usually do. So will 5 days of maintanence/slightly below derail my progress? No! I just won't lose this week. I ate a donut for lunch today! It was DELICIOUS!!! Good luck OP. It's great you're here and making the choice to be healthier. Stick with it! 0
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