What are your cheat day 'rules'?

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  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    I dont have cheat days because I dont cheat. If i want to eat more than my alloted calorie allowance for the day thats fine. I accept it, log it and move on. I'm mindful of eating in excess so I tend to make sure i do extra exercise either before or after to minimise the impact, if any. The idea of cheating seems a bit immature to me, be a grown up take the hit and realise nothing comes for free. Deal with the consequences, log it and move on.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    I don't cheat. If I want something, I work it into my calories. If I go over by going out to eat, I'll cut a bit off the next couple days. Cheating implies that I'm doing something I shouldn't.
    Does having goosebumps also imply that you're a goose? Or is it just a term used to describe a commonly understood phenomenon in a shorthand rather than literal way?

    If I want a burger, why should I tell myself "oh, no, you have to wait until cheat day" to have it? If I have the calories, I'll eat it. Granted, except fast food burgers, I rarely consume hamburgers anymore, but I'm not going to limit myself.
    I never claimed you should tell yourself that. Besides which, you beg the question with your "if I have the calories" caveat. I'd never have the calories for the kind of meals I'm talking about because that meal alone is more than my daily calorie total.

    However, since you bring it up, one reason I could think of would be that it would foster better planning of such meals and make it less likely to go careening off course with more spontaneous overeating. Another reason might be that planning and looking forward to a meal such as that might be part of the enjoyment of actually having it. Another might be that you determine that it just isn't worth the effort to try to fit in those extra calories, so you forego such meals.

    Hell yeah. My typical meal at my favorite restaurants contain more than my maintenance calories. Appetizer, entree, and dessert - I go all out. :smile:
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    999tigger wrote: »
    I dont have cheat days because I dont cheat. If i want to eat more than my alloted calorie allowance for the day thats fine. I accept it, log it and move on. I'm mindful of eating in excess so I tend to make sure i do extra exercise either before or after to minimise the impact, if any. The idea of cheating seems a bit immature to me, be a grown up take the hit and realise nothing comes for free. Deal with the consequences, log it and move on.

    Except that you're doing the exact same thing, only you just call it "day I went over and logged it". Cutting someone down for using a word you don't like seems immature to me. Also nasty.

  • klkateri
    klkateri Posts: 432 Member
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    I allot myself two "days off" a month as I call them. No logging, no workouts and no limits. They are synced up with my ToM and that way I can give into the cravings a bit, not have to medicate to workout and give me something positive or fun during a not so fun time of the month.
  • NotQuiteNorm
    NotQuiteNorm Posts: 283 Member
    edited April 2015
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    999tigger wrote: »
    I dont have cheat days because I dont cheat. If i want to eat more than my alloted calorie allowance for the day thats fine. I accept it, log it and move on. I'm mindful of eating in excess so I tend to make sure i do extra exercise either before or after to minimise the impact, if any. The idea of cheating seems a bit immature to me, be a grown up take the hit and realise nothing comes for free. Deal with the consequences, log it and move on.

    I'd grow up, but I've been 4'9 since I was 13. ;) So upset that my fun little way of making conversation has turned into 60% people just telling us that it's not okay to be a little immature (I personally think it's very grown up to work around the need for some extra cake) or say "Cheat" as just a metaphor/term even if it's widely accepted.

    Personally if I didn't act so 'terribly immature' I think I'd revert to thinking of a diet as me sitting alone and dressing my salads with tears, haha!
  • KelGen02
    KelGen02 Posts: 668 Member
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    I don't really have a cheat day... for me that's like structuring a day where I will eat as much bad crappy stuff that I can get my hands on that day and I will EAT IT ALLLLLL!!!! muahhhhahhahahaaaa LOL I actually just eat what I want with better portion control than I did when I packed on the 100lbs in the first place ;) I also try to stay within my calories, which isn't always the case with that being said I just make sure that I don't use that a reason to be out of control...I have learned to get out of the mind set of "well you are already over so the whole day/week/month/year is shot... LOL I went out last week and instead of eating dinner I had a few beers (ok maybe more than a few). Hungover the next morning or not I was back on schedule. I made my self a promise that no matter what I do I will not fall back into those bad habits... I will own it and move on! I owned those few too many beers and felt like *kitten* the whole day!
  • ForeverSunshine09
    ForeverSunshine09 Posts: 966 Member
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    My "rules" for my "cheat" day are as such:
    -at or below maintenance
    -not paying attention to macros in the least
    - make sure I am in the green by my next weigh in
    - Every Saturday

    This arguing over semantics is ridiculous. I am a grown woman. I log every little morsel that goes in my mouth cheat day or not. I don't let it control me. It brings me happiness to know I can have more than 2 ounces of my parmesan pasta without doing an hr of exercise. My size pasta is more than my deficit. I call it a cheat because I dang well please all you snobs can go suck an egg.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    AmberSue09 wrote: »
    My "rules" for my "cheat" day are as such:
    -at or below maintenance
    -not paying attention to macros in the least
    - make sure I am in the green by my next weigh in
    - Every Saturday

    This arguing over semantics is ridiculous. I am a grown woman. I log every little morsel that goes in my mouth cheat day or not. I don't let it control me. It brings me happiness to know I can have more than 2 ounces of my parmesan pasta without doing an hr of exercise. My size pasta is more than my deficit. I call it a cheat because I dang well please all you snobs can go suck an egg.

    <3

  • NotQuiteNorm
    NotQuiteNorm Posts: 283 Member
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    AmberSue09 wrote: »
    My "rules" for my "cheat" day are as such:
    -at or below maintenance
    -not paying attention to macros in the least
    - make sure I am in the green by my next weigh in
    - Every Saturday

    This arguing over semantics is ridiculous. I am a grown woman. I log every little morsel that goes in my mouth cheat day or not. I don't let it control me. It brings me happiness to know I can have more than 2 ounces of my parmesan pasta without doing an hr of exercise. My size pasta is more than my deficit. I call it a cheat because I dang well please all you snobs can go suck an egg.

    Macros can bite my enormous slice of cake - oh wait, no, I already did! And via the arguing I know :cry: I just wanted to have some fun, some food, and occasionally a happy meal :wink:
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    edited April 2015
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    sofaking6 wrote: »

    Except that you're doing the exact same thing, only you just call it "day I went over and logged it". Cutting someone down for using a word you don't like seems immature to me. Also nasty.

    Not really because because I go and create the calories by burning them with exercise. I think the whole notion of cheating gives the idea of being naughty like a child and a lot of people use it to give them some form of special permission without accepting it has consequences. By all means go and scoff your extra meal, but if you havent earned it then accept the fact you are undermining your previous efforts and will be going backwards, which only cheats yourself.

    If I go over in a day, then thats simply weighed against my exercise calories which put me substantially in deficit. Lol@ nasty people can do what they like. I just have a view on cheat meals and the excuses people make for having them.

    Oh and going over by x amount of calories because you had an extra serving wouldnt really constitute a whole meal.
  • Roeygal
    Roeygal Posts: 26
    edited April 2015
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    My "cheat" days usually just involve me maxing to 1,400-1,500 calories instead of 1,200, but I make sure to do it on a day when I'm gyming. :blush:
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
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    Only one rule. CICO
    I do not have scheaduled or regular days where I deviate from my goals However I do occasionally have days where I add more body fat.


  • NotQuiteNorm
    NotQuiteNorm Posts: 283 Member
    edited April 2015
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    999tigger wrote: »
    sofaking6 wrote: »

    Except that you're doing the exact same thing, only you just call it "day I went over and logged it". Cutting someone down for using a word you don't like seems immature to me. Also nasty.

    Not really because because I go and create the calories by burning them with exercise. I think the whole notion of cheating gives the idea of being naughty like a child and a lot of people use it to give them some form of special permission without accepting it has consequences. By all means go and scoff your extra meal, but if you havent earned it then accept the fact you are undermining your previous efforts and will be going backwards, which only cheats yourself.

    If I go over in a day, then thats simply weighed against my exercise calories which put me substantially in deficit. Lol@ nasty people can do what they like. I just have a view on cheat meals and the excuses people make for having them.

    I eat below maintenance every time, but above my usual deficit goals so really I can't be going backward?

    Are you saying that rather than finding a way that works for me which slows my weight loss a little, I should just do as you say and realistically be likely to quit completely because either I feel it's too exhausting (because I'm exercising every calorie into my deficit goals) or I'm too hungry or I am so hungry and deprived that I binge completely and recklessly???

    Because I burn 600-900 calories every day (unless sick or unable) and I am pretty exhausted anyway!
  • sherbear702
    sherbear702 Posts: 649 Member
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    There are no rules. If I'm bad, I'm all in. Don't give a *kitten*, eat and drink whatever. Then I'm back to my normal routine the next day.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    999tigger wrote: »
    sofaking6 wrote: »

    Except that you're doing the exact same thing, only you just call it "day I went over and logged it". Cutting someone down for using a word you don't like seems immature to me. Also nasty.

    Not really because because I go and create the calories by burning them with exercise. I think the whole notion of cheating gives the idea of being naughty like a child and a lot of people use it to give them some form of special permission without accepting it has consequences. By all means go and scoff your extra meal, but if you havent earned it then accept the fact you are undermining your previous efforts and will be going backwards, which only cheats yourself.

    If I go over in a day, then thats simply weighed against my exercise calories which put me substantially in deficit. Lol@ nasty people can do what they like. I just have a view on cheat meals and the excuses people make for having them.

    Oh and going over by x amount of calories because you had an extra serving wouldnt really constitute a whole meal.

    All OP is doing is picking a day and eating to maintenance instead of normal deficit. How is that going backwards or making an excuse or undermining her efforts or any of the things you've accused her of doing? Maybe some people enjoy feeling naughty. What's it to you?
  • bennettinfinity
    bennettinfinity Posts: 865 Member
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    sofaking6 wrote: »
    999tigger wrote: »
    I dont have cheat days because I dont cheat. If i want to eat more than my alloted calorie allowance for the day thats fine. I accept it, log it and move on. I'm mindful of eating in excess so I tend to make sure i do extra exercise either before or after to minimise the impact, if any. The idea of cheating seems a bit immature to me, be a grown up take the hit and realise nothing comes for free. Deal with the consequences, log it and move on.

    Except that you're doing the exact same thing, only you just call it "day I went over and logged it". Cutting someone down for using a word you don't like seems immature to me. Also nasty.

    I disagree that it's the same thing... it seems like there are two distinct things going on - on one hand you have people who occasionally eat over their goal and maybe even over their maintenance calories and are OK with that; on the other are people that are 'planning' a regularly scheduled binge:
    I never claimed you should tell yourself that. Besides which, you beg the question with your "if I have the calories" caveat. I'd never have the calories for the kind of meals I'm talking about because that meal alone is more than my daily calorie total.

  • who4fan
    who4fan Posts: 388 Member
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    This is the way I look at it. I got as big as I have ever been spending a lot of time feeling guilty for eating "bad" foods and "cheating". This led to eating more because I managed to depress myself to the point that eating even the slightest treat would send me in to a binge because I felt like I had already blown it. I realize that not everyone works this way, and calling something a "cheat" is commonly accepted. I have come to realize that there are no "bad" foods and it's not all or nothing anymore. Instead, most of the time, I eat under my calorie goal but I no longer feel bad if I go out and have it all. The next day, it's back to eating under my calorie goal again. Words have power if we give it to them, some people are ok with seeing a treat as a cheat, it doesn't effect them mentally, some like myself, aren't.
  • NotQuiteNorm
    NotQuiteNorm Posts: 283 Member
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    sofaking6 wrote: »
    999tigger wrote: »
    sofaking6 wrote: »

    Except that you're doing the exact same thing, only you just call it "day I went over and logged it". Cutting someone down for using a word you don't like seems immature to me. Also nasty.

    Not really because because I go and create the calories by burning them with exercise. I think the whole notion of cheating gives the idea of being naughty like a child and a lot of people use it to give them some form of special permission without accepting it has consequences. By all means go and scoff your extra meal, but if you havent earned it then accept the fact you are undermining your previous efforts and will be going backwards, which only cheats yourself.

    If I go over in a day, then thats simply weighed against my exercise calories which put me substantially in deficit. Lol@ nasty people can do what they like. I just have a view on cheat meals and the excuses people make for having them.

    Oh and going over by x amount of calories because you had an extra serving wouldnt really constitute a whole meal.

    All OP is doing is picking a day and eating to maintenance instead of normal deficit. How is that going backwards or making an excuse or undermining her efforts or any of the things you've accused her of doing? Maybe some people enjoy feeling naughty. What's it to you?

    Only if it's pissing someone off ;) haha! I just though "Cheat day" was the best way for people to understand what I was talking about! I wouldn't in real life call it anything - because my mouth is too full of yummy food! :tongue:
  • NotQuiteNorm
    NotQuiteNorm Posts: 283 Member
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    who4fan wrote: »
    Words have power if we give it to them, some people are ok with seeing a treat as a cheat, it doesn't effect them mentally, some like myself, aren't.

    I agree with this, even though I do feel calling it a cheat is okay! The reason I feel upset however is that I am to an extent being attacked purely for using a word even though I'd made it clear that I am still making sure that I am not actually negatively affecting any of my progress.