How many cheat days can you have?

lolo32015
lolo32015 Posts: 11
edited November 14 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay so my biggest weakness are sweets that is were I tend to just pig out. My self discipline isn't strong enough yet to just walk away from sweets or say no when offered.

So I want to know how many cheat days can we actually have I think one treat can sustain me for 3 or 4 day's at the most! Its so sad I know

Replies

  • svirds
    svirds Posts: 57 Member
    None! Have treats and sweets only occasionally and in moderation. "Cheat days" follows the thinking that you get on day to pig out - and that your are depriving yourself, then you eat more on a "cheat day". Just eat well and healthy and have these things in moderation once in awhile. If you are exercising regularly then you shouldn't see too much negative impact to weight and such.
  • Lynn_Chapman
    Lynn_Chapman Posts: 8 Member
    I usually have one cheat day, but I am finding this last 20lb I need to lose, its not helping me. So I really feel like I need to drop that day. I eat yogurt a lot there are some really good flavors now a days. Or you can add your own fruit. Also smoothies usually help me as well. There are some really good You Tube videos on making them. Good Luck!
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    in reality one cheat day can set you back an entire week or more if you splurge too much.. keep it to a cheat meal and then don't plan having one. it will just happen then adjust calories accordingly.
  • sivilmeow
    sivilmeow Posts: 9 Member
    edited March 2015
    I don't have cheat days, if i binge I try to fit it into the day. If it doesn't fit I still log it. I don't like the idea of restricting anything completely out of my diet, yet as you go you just start to lean towards healthier food because It fills you up and keeps you full longer, and you'll find that it takes less of a sweet to satisfy the craving. :) IMO
  • Farm_Girl_Strong
    Farm_Girl_Strong Posts: 81 Member
    I allow myself one supper, once a week to enjoy something that isn't what I consider a 'wise choice' for a meal. This usually is planned, I try and have calories 'saved up' for it, and at the most I go over by about 200-300cals, which in reality is just using my exercise calories, which on a normal day I don't.
  • paxbfl
    paxbfl Posts: 391 Member
    I believe in free days but as a rule I'm trying to limit to cheat meals or a cheat dessert. I did the math... For me one cheat day takes 4 really good days to undo. That's a lot... :(
  • procyonlupus
    procyonlupus Posts: 34 Member
    Every Saturday I let myself have 100-200 more calories, no more than that though. If I binge and eat all day like I'd want to, I'd fall back way too far to recover.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    If you want a treat, just fit it into your calories. No need to cheat on anything.
  • prairie_kat
    prairie_kat Posts: 1 Member
    Don't plan on a cheat DAY, but 2 to 3 treats a week is a good thing, not a bad. You are trying to lose and then maintain for LIFE, right? So you need to be practical and treat yourself to foods you enjoy! One meal won't make you fat, and one meal won't make you skinny. So, plan on a couple reasonable treats a week. Make SURE you get right back on track afterwards though! Also, with treats, eat SLOW and savor. Don't eat a whole bucket of ice cream, but by all means have a small bowl Friday night. :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    zero
  • MiltonAFC
    MiltonAFC Posts: 121 Member
    None. A cheat day by my standards would easily set me back 2-3 weeks.
  • MythicalMe84
    MythicalMe84 Posts: 80 Member
    I don't have cheat days. I try to fit everything into my calories. I know this will get harder to do as I lose weight.
  • vbenoit81
    vbenoit81 Posts: 22
    You can have one but don't overdo it. Eat one thing that is not good. Like a piece of cake or a burger without fries, and so on. Be reasonable, you can destroy your whole weeks’ worth of work on one day of cheating.
  • Scrumpy90
    Scrumpy90 Posts: 3
    I have a terrible sweet tooth! I have lots of 90 cal or so snacks in the house (fiber one brownies, gold fish chocolate crackers etc) and even 5 calorie jello. I always ensure I have enough room to fit one into my calorie allowance. Also at the beginning of trying to lose weight it was difficult not to binge on sweets. I had my husband to hide them and when I asked for one he would give me one. That makes him sound controlling but it wasn't like that! Haha I asked for him to do that specifically to help me control my cravings. Luckily I have gained more self discipline and no longer have to use that system. Good luck!
  • lifeskittles
    lifeskittles Posts: 438 Member
    I have a cheat meal once per week. That was today for me. But my diet is generally pretty good the rest of the week, so instead of incorporating "cheats" throughout my day I try to just do one meal per week thats pretty terrible. I have sugar addiction issues so putting them into my daily allotment doesnt work for me (I get bad cravings). I have to eat mostly natural foods, and for my cheat foods I have to schedule them in and be pretty firm about it. Doing it this way helps me tremendously. Maybe it will work for you :)
  • dottyb1tchmouse
    dottyb1tchmouse Posts: 31 Member
    If I have a cheat day once a week, it basically means that I lose/regain the same 2-4 pounds over and over again. And I don't binge or go crazy on cheat days -- I'll go out drinking and end up somewhere between 2000-2400 for the day. It's not enough to gain pounds of actual fat (my TDEE is around 1800) but for some reason it just keeps me stuck.
  • lifeskittles
    lifeskittles Posts: 438 Member
    Cheat meals really only worked for me once I got more strict about what I was eating. When I was eating some more processed foods it would stall me out as well. Not sure what your diet or current goal is though.
  • bulbadoof
    bulbadoof Posts: 1,058 Member
    if you want a treat, have a treat.

    have one treat. fit it into your daily calories and move on.

    no cheating necessary.
  • JimFsfitnesspal
    JimFsfitnesspal Posts: 313 Member
    You can have as many cheat days as you want. You can fudge your diet or exercise numbers all you want. You can Eat whatever you want.
  • ogmomma2012
    ogmomma2012 Posts: 1,520 Member
    I like having a cheat meal a couple times a month. Meaning like, a buffet or something followed by booze. If you can fit small treats in your calories, you can do it. I wouldn't consider that "cheating" to have small treats.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    I have something sweet every single day! Yum! But I figure it into my total daily calories.
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
    You can have as many cheat days as you can fit into your total weekly calorie target. After you go beyond that target, you either a) lose weight more slowly than you targeted, b) don't lose weight, or c) gain weight. It's your choice.
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    What do you mean by "cheat day?" Your body thinks "cheat" is a laughing matter....it logs everything. Eat at maintenance one day a week? sure. Just accept slower losses. But don't think there is some stupid magic day that you can eat at a 3500 kcal surplus and not gain weight. Physics. It's a thing.
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