"cheat" meals and "free" days.

Lots of people do them...just keep in mind that it all comes down to the bottom line...if having "cheat" days or meals eats into your overall deficit, you're going to lose weight slower. Honestly, I think this is a big problem for a lot of people who have "issues" losing weight...a great many of them are being good 4 days per week or whatever...but unwinding their deficit with 3 days of whatever.

the bottom line is the bottom line...it's all in the math. what does the math look like from week to week?

I don't use those terms. I'm a grownup, making a grownup decision to eat something I want.

I don't measure or log, so that's not an issue for me. I don't plan days to overeat, but I have them. I also have some very low calorie days.

It seems a natural way of life to me. I would be miserable trying to eat the same calories every day.

As to my favorite 'off the grid' meal? Pizza would definitely be a favorite. I'd rather not have pizza if I can only have 1 or 2 slices. Baby back ribs would be another.

But more often it's when we go out to eat or throw a party or something of that nature.

I feel this way. If I want to eat something, I eat it. I log it and then i'm accountable for what I ate. If I go over, it's because I wanted to. There are things that I wish didn't have calories... but that's fantasy. So, If I really want it, I have it and deal with the calories.
Many time I have turned down "okay" looking cake, cookies, treats because I just didn't feel it was worth the calories. Other times... you just have to guesstimate and enjoy. Enjoy life!!

I never plan an entire day, unless maybe Christmas or Thanksgiving in which I probably wouldn't log anything. I generally know when events and get togethers are coming up so will just be prepared for those. I try to make sure to get a work out in that day and still eat the goodies/snacks/whatever in moderation. I feel that if you have a healthy relationship with food it shouldn't be a big deal to enjoy some good treats now and then.

Yes. My favorite "off the grid" meal is Mexican. We might go out for Mexican 2-3 times a month, and I don't worry about it. I've been doing it for years, and it hasn't ever interfered with my weight loss. Most of the time I do log it if I eat it, but then also I do sometimes take days off from logging, just as a mental break. I don't necessarily go crazy on those days, but I just don't log anything. Again, it has had no impact on my weight loss.

"Cheat meals" are very beneficial - mostly mentally but can be physically as well. Most people who are consistently eating well have troubles with eating the same old boring foods. Having a "cheat meal" is something we can look forward to and help us keep track on our goals. If we did not have a break from our normal food we would be less motivated to stick to it.

"cheat meal" should be something tastey and delightful but should not be an over indulgence (which I find myself doing lol). A simple slice of pizza and a soda or a cheeseburger from culvers is a great "cheat meal." But eating a chinese buffet of 5000 calories (which I love to do) is just calories I have to burn and make up for from previous weeks progress.

I have a cheat meal once a week, usually on Saturday night. I exercise in the morning, eat very good until dinner. For dinner, I usually go out and eat whatever I want, then I have dessert and any other snacks I want. But come Sunday, I get right back on track until next week! It's been working for me and helping me stay on track. And I've still been losing weight!

I allow a cheat meal/free day once a week... Generally for me this means going out for dinner and having a burger/fries/alcohol (1 drink), or ordering take out pizza with a beer and t.v. It helps me so I don't overinduldge during the week. The cheat meal is something both my husband and I look forward too. It's not a free eat whatever you want day, it's more have things we don't constantly eat.

I've hated and never used the term 'cheat' day. However, I do SPLURGE on occasion.

I find that the only way I can stick to my weekly weight loss goal is to track everything and in some cases this means pre-logging. Yesterday I was invited out for dinner by some friends and it was to an Indian restaurant. I didn't worry about it, just pre-logged what I wanted to eat the night before and that way I knew how much I had to burn off through exercise and how much I could eat before dinner time in order to be able to have that meal. This stopped me going over on my calories and meant I didn't feel that the diet had gone out the window.

In the end I had a starter, a main course (a dry tandoori dish with some sauce on the side and without rice or bread) and a couple of glasses of wine which I enjoyed, and I was full at the end. I stuck within my macros and the only sacrifice I had to make if you can call it that, was a longer workout than I would normally have so that I could eat a couple of hundred more calories than I would normally that day.

By doing this I don't think it's necessary to feel bad or to have a cheat day. I know that if I want to eat something I can do it but have to work the rest of my day's food around it.

Tomorrow I'm going for lunch at an Italian restaurant and I already know what I'm going to eat, but I'll pre-log again so I don't go over and make sure I stick to what I have planned to eat there.

My day off is every Sunday. Knowing that I can have ice cream that day, I don't feel so deprived during the days I'm working out and dieting. But, if I have calories left over during the week, I'll still have a snack.

I think my style is 80/20. Most of the time I eat well and on Sundays, our faith and family day, we have and old fashioned Sunday dinner and dessert. I try to keep to my portion sizes and act responsibly, while enjoying a "sometimes" food. It's how our family tries to be balanced.

SnuggleSmacks wrote: »

I just wonder what you're cheating on? "Cheating" is an ugly word with a negative connotation. It's something surreptitious, sneaky, dishonest. It's something that makes you feel guilty and ashamed. I try to avoid any such association with food. If I want it, and it's worth either fitting into my calorie goal, or delaying my progress, then I eat it. No sneaking, no guilt, no explanations needed.

From the OP: "I hate to even call them that; it's kinda implying you are doing something immoral and bad. Perhaps I should refer to this as "The days when I am going to eat things or portions I normally do not now.""