Ever "cheated" and not gained?

Even if you cheat you don't gain fat overnight or from one meal or one day...that's not how the human body works. You will probably gain on the scale because you will have more waste in your system than normal and you will also top off your partially depleted glycogen stores...but you don't gain a bunch of fat in a day.

Do the math...do you know how many calories over MAINTENANCE calories you would need to actually put on 5 Lbs of fat? 17,500 calories over MAINTENANCE.

Start looking at this for what it is...math and science.

I think you are doing everything right. Eating well before your birthday dinner, and planning for it. I have absolutely done that and not gained...but I've also had perfect weeks where I have gained. sometimes your body is just not ready to let go of those pounds! have a happy birthday, drink lots of water and plan on having a perfect day tomorrow (calorie wise). Enjoy!

3 days of overdoing it (not terribly, but some). I'm back on track and the same weight on day 4. However, I know I have to stay on track this week to make up for my fun vacay!

I'm fairly new to MFP been doing it for about 7 weeks. I just had a milestone birthday this week (turned 50). I made the mental decision that I was going to celebrate my birthday. I went out to eat for both lunch and dinner, logged my food and at the end of the day I was 400 calories over my allotment and I was ok with it. I waited several days to hop on the scale and to my surprise I was down 3 pounds. Next time a celebratory event comes up I may gain 3 pounds. But at least in my head, I'm understanding this is a way of life and I own the decisions not the scale. Celebrate your birthday and just get back in step the next day. Happy birthday.

Hi this is probably fairly late in response but I have a cheat day every week c: sometimes more than one It doesn't hurt as long as you don't go waaay over and even if you do, there's tomorrow to be healthy, enjoy your birthday

I "cheat" on a fairly regular basis and still manage to lose. I'm a total rebel too in that I don't even log my cheat meals.

mom2ava07 wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

Why are you only eating 1260 cals if you're near your goal?

Comparing yourself to other people achieves nothing, so I wouldn't bother, just do you.

Because I'm crazy

I have an all or nothing personality, and unfortunately that equates to either eating everything I want or obsessing over every morsel of food I consume. It's pretty sad.

I actually would be totally down for a birthday cheat meal, guilt free, if it weren't for my husband's sudden marathon weight loss lol
I'm happy for him really, but since he's not that overweight to begin with its a tad frustrating.

In all seriousness, this is something you should work on...this is going to cause issues long term...maintenance is going to be literally impossible.

Also, Happy birthday. On my birthday I just don't even bother. I just eat what I want and don't really aim to log, if I do, I do a little but it's not the most important thing. Don't torture yourself with exercise. Honestly. Eat heaps of what you want and stay away from the scales for a few days, in case there is a waterweight gain. However it would be temporary.... this is what birthdays are made for, celebrating and not giving a *kitten*.

I let myself cheat once in a while just to keep myself from falling off the bandwagon too hard. If I deny myself too much I'm afraid I'll binge and eat a lot for several days in a row. So I give myself a cheat day and that usually comes after losing a significant amount of weight that week. I let myself have that burger or onion rings I've been ignoring for the last 3 weeks then I get right back on track the next day. It actually makes it easier for me to focus without the cravings being at the forefront of my mind.

On Super Bowl Sunday I planned to eat a lot so I had a small breakfast and a moderate sized lunch and then scarfed down about 2500 calories worth of chicken wings and snacks at dinner time. Stepped on the scale the next day and I'd lost 4lbs. So I agree with everyone else. One day is not going to ruin everything you've accomplished. If anything it gives you more motivation to get right back on track.

I'm 5'2", close to my goal weight with a 1200 daily calorie budget. I lose about a pound every 2 weeks because I'm that close and have no wiggle room whatsoever. That being said, I occasionally have what I call acceptance days where I accept that life happens and choose to enjoy it. I do not weigh myself the next day because I know there will be water weight gain (basically impossible to gain fat that quickly. Look at how long it takes to lose it). Even with an acceptance day (or two) within that two weeks period, I am staying on goal with my weight loss. One day will not undo weeks or months of hard work unless you give up after that day. That being said, not allowing yourself something that feeds the soul every once in a while will make the journey a miserable one and difficult to stay with. Have your cake and eat it too. Laugh and make good memories with friends and family. Most of all, focus on your victories and not your husbands. Look at where you were and where you are now. You did that. Don't let someone else's journey take away from what you have accomplished.

Happy birthday! My birthday is coming up in two weeks. I have a gift certificate to the local Chinese buffet restaurant that I've been saving and I *know* that my friend Dan will want to take me out to eat as well. I'm probably going to make myself a sugar-free buttermilk pie as a treat so that I don't feel obligated to eat sugary desserts at the restaurants. I will log it and be astonished at how many calories I consume. The next day I will go back to eating as I've become accustomed to eating and all those extra calories will be accounted for in less than a week. I've done this for other special days and have never seen any major setbacks. Even eating as I wanted for the week that I was sick didn't set me back more than a couple of pounds and it made me feel much better when I could eat my comfort foods.

I agree with others when they say that you need to learn to relax and learn moderation. However, going off the rails for a day won't hurt you.

This content has been removed.