Cheat day/ meal?

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2

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  • Ash1988Holland
    Ash1988Holland Posts: 8 Member
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    Yes, cos being on a continuously strict calorie deficit can slow the metabolism completely and cause a plateau in fat loss, im a bodybuilder in training and i schedule a cheat meal once a week where i can enjoy my favorite foods (ie) Burgers and chips always my fav with a bowl of ice-cream and choc sauce, being on a diet for prolonged periods can cause stress to the body, and will cause it to kick into survival mode and hang onto fat stores. and c'mon people we are only human and have cravings, if you strict dieter during the week and train and workout hard, why not give yourself a reward, it will only keep you going in the long run.
  • AwesomeSauceTN
    AwesomeSauceTN Posts: 27 Member
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    My cheat is always a full day of debauchery. My favorite way to go crazy is Nashville Hot Chicken at a meat & 3 (southerns know whats up) with a carb fiesta and sweet tea. And lots of beer. Breakfast includes pastries from the local mexican bakery. On my off day, I don't try to make it fit within my caloric limit. I don't feel guilty. I enjoy every minute and when its over - I just go back to the plan. All this bad behavior actually seems to help my weight loss.
  • amitkatz0
    amitkatz0 Posts: 61 Member
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    I go over my calorie limit rarely just to let off some stream, but I always make sure the weekly average is at or below my goal. I don't have a set day because that's way too robot for me.
  • elet27
    elet27 Posts: 8
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    Yes, I do have my cheat day but I make sure that I eat in moderation. I have some recipes that I'm trying out, http://www.nourishweightlossandwellness.com/recipes/
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    I try not to limit myself on what I want to eat, if I want chocolate, I'll eat a serving size of chocolate. It keeps me from going crazy and binging. I'm not going to say things didn't get crazy at Food Truck Friday the other week, but hey I had fun, and I accepted the consequences of my actions.
  • TiffanyR71
    TiffanyR71 Posts: 217 Member
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    I find that a "cheat" meal and especially day throws me off my game- it turns into a cheat weekend or week... Yikes - then it gets hard for me to get back on track. That's just me, though- everyone is different... Instead, I try to work in foods that taste really good, but still fit into my calorie requirements for the day. I like a nice piece of grilled steak or scallops with some veggies and a glass of wine on the weekend! I'll just get a great workout in earlier & have a lighter lunch... Feel satisfied & happy to have stayed on track.
    That said, do what works for you, and enjoy!
  • rhonderoo
    rhonderoo Posts: 145 Member
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    I try to make it within my calorie goal, even if I have work harder that day. If I don't or I imbibe too much, I just log it and move on. Tomorrow is another day, and letting it get me down only hurts my overall goal.
  • kellygillisjohnson
    kellygillisjohnson Posts: 1
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    I have a cheat day once a week. I have not noticed it hindering my weight loss. I had a personal trainer tell me that a cheat day is a good way to reward the hard work you do the rest of the time...it also gives me something to look forward to!
  • Altagracia220
    Altagracia220 Posts: 876 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Certainly not a cheat day. One can easily consume all the calories avoided all week to lose weight. A cheat meal? In a sense yes. It's not a regular thing, but when my friends invite me to go out to have drinks and bar food or I visit family and they feed me whatever, I'll consider that my cheat meal. I don't plan one for every week, I just enjoy myself when I am out with friends/family. This occurs maybe once or twice a month. And if i don't go out, I don't have the 'cheat meal'.
  • RoToQ
    RoToQ Posts: 93 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Mycophilia wrote: »
    No, because if I want something I find a way to make it work within my calorie limit.

    This. I'm actually hitting goals much better since I've become a bit more relaxed about my eating. I can't explain why. I still stick to my calorie goals (and macros), but quite roughly, and eat healthily MOST of the time (4 out of every 5 meals) but I have pizza, chippy food, indian takeaway etc several times a week and it doesn't throw me off.

    Of course small concessions have to be made. I no longer get a 16" pizza to myself, but I never NEEDED one that size anyway, I'm just greedy haha. Instead I get a 10" and it fills me, and I don't get a carb coma after.

    The result? No late night binges, going OTT, feeling shame and guilt etc. Just happy, healthy, and hitting my targets.
  • kristymcniel1
    kristymcniel1 Posts: 11 Member
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    herculean1982 wrote: »
    I always have, but am finding lately it's interfering with loss so might have to stop. The rest of the week being good, I'm playing catchup all the time :cry:


    I always do the same thing and I always regret it. I usually give myself Saturdays to cheat but I always find my self catching up during the rest of the week and I am loosing a whole lot slower than I would. I am not going to cheat anymore, I am going to fit it into my calorie limit if I want it.
  • SonofNorthernDarkness
    SonofNorthernDarkness Posts: 64 Member
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    wish I could have a cheat day/meal
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    Afura wrote: »
    I try not to limit myself on what I want to eat, if I want chocolate, I'll eat a serving size of chocolate. It keeps me from going crazy and binging. I'm not going to say things didn't get crazy at Food Truck Friday the other week, but hey I had fun, and I accepted the consequences of my actions.

    This sounds remarkably sane and sustainable. Do this, OP.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    AwesomeSauceTN wrote: »
    My cheat is always a full day of debauchery. My favorite way to go crazy is... All this bad behavior actually seems to helps.

    Go on...

  • JeepJeep87
    JeepJeep87 Posts: 38 Member
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    If I feel like "cheating" then I'll eat at maintenance, which I don't really consider cheating. If I want something I will either work out for it or eat less of something else so I still stay in my calories. I'm too focused right now to go back to my old ways. And yes, I will log everything no matter the calorie count.
  • squishboned
    squishboned Posts: 3 Member
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    JeepJeep87 wrote: »
    If I feel like "cheating" then I'll eat at maintenance, which I don't really consider cheating. If I want something I will either work out for it or eat less of something else so I still stay in my calories. I'm too focused right now to go back to my old ways. And yes, I will log everything no matter the calorie count.

    Same. Once a week I eat at maintenence which adds adds bout 500 kcal to my allowance. It's enough to get that one unhealthy food/meal I've been craving lately but haven't felt like forcing room for in my deficit. It's usually a cup of (sugary) coffee and a snack food from a cafe if I'm out with a friend or a milkshake or a stop at my favorite Indian buffet for extra chicken and naan.

    I don't focus as much on exercising to fit in extras since between college and work I don't have a ton of time to fit in a lot more than walking/bodyweight workouts.
  • hfitkin73
    hfitkin73 Posts: 7 Member
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    I don't have a planned cheat day. I some times go over, my calorie goal, I just don't sweat it. It is just get back on track the next day. It usually happens on a birthday, or holiday, and sometimes just cause I want that large Frappuccino. Luckily for me it doesn't happen to often.
  • waldo11690
    waldo11690 Posts: 51 Member
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    I had an accidental cheat day that started with one meal. I ended up eating around 3,000 calories that day. Oops. :/
  • Angieh0811
    Angieh0811 Posts: 36 Member
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    Friday I tend to treat myself with a bagel or a croissant or a chocolate bar. I make sure I stay within my goals for the day. If I didn't do that I would binge eat and would still be where I was a year ago.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,121 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Anghenderson wrote: »
    Friday I tend to treat myself with a bagel or a croissant or a chocolate bar. I make sure I stay within my goals for the day. If I didn't do that I would binge eat and would still be where I was a year ago.

    If you are staying within your goals for the day, that's not a "cheat meal".

    Eating within our goals doesn't have to be a bland and boring experience. We can eat a wide variety of interesting foods. I'm actually experimenting more since I started with MFP ... I wander the aisles of the grocery store checking the calorie content of this, that, and the other ... and I'm trying different things than I would have normally.

    I used the example in another thread ... yesterday I had a big bowl of spicy red lentil soup with chow mein noodles for lunch. Really tasty ... lots of flavour!! Really filling ... probably one of the most filling lunches I've had in a long time. And the total calories was about 350 which is within my lunch limit. Now I'm wondering why I'd never noticed this on the shelves of the grocery store before ...

    So ... if your croissant and chocolate fit within your goals ... great! You're not cheating ... you're just making choices that suit you. :)

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