Treat days?

PostExamsHealthBinge
PostExamsHealthBinge Posts: 26 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
what are people's thoughts on treat days? Do you have them or not? If so why and do you think it's prevented weight loss or not? Any opinions really
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Replies

  • msjanie66
    msjanie66 Posts: 4 Member
    I do have treat days I dont cut out going out for dinner ie still go out for pizza, carvery, etc but it is making decisions when you eat ie dont go for the mixed grill with chips, breadroll, followed by chocolate fudge cake and icecream, but maybe pizza and salad, followed by icecream. I have a treat every day whether it be a chocolate biscuit, cereal bar, etc you can get low cal versions in all these. If you do have a treat day for a special occasion that you know you cant stick to the more healthy versions remember to stick to the calories you know you will burn that day if you wasnt on a diet, also if you have an an avoidable treat day unless you must meet the weight goal by a certain date that it is just one day so it may take you a couple of extra days to meet your goal but as long as you follow these guidelines you will ok. I have lost 10 Ilbs since Easter 2015 - 5 llbs since the 10th April and that is with eatng out at least once a week often twice
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
    I don't have treat days, cos I can easily imagine undoing a week or more's deficit with an entire day of 'treating'. But I have a treat meal on a Friday night, a treat dessert on Saturday, and a bit of treat alcohol on the weekend. I also have a little 'treat' every day. This is sustainable for me and all easy enough to keep within my weekly goal.
  • mch2829
    mch2829 Posts: 70 Member
    Different things work for different people. There's a big psychological component to weight loss.

    Some people find it easier to have a strict, clean diet. Some people find it easier to have a special cheat meal once in a while. Some people find it easier to have cheat days and eat what they want some days.

    I've tried all of those things and they don't work for me. What does work for me is to just eat like a normal person. Smaller portions than I would normally eat, but not obsessed with calorie counting. Some days I do eat more than I probably should, but that's life. I basically eat like a perfectly average person at my ideal weight. And eating that way has made it easier to stick to and I've lost 50 lbs so far.

    Do what works for you. If you try something and it doesn't work out, then change it.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,439 Member
    PostExamsHealthBinge wrote: »
    what are people's thoughts on treat days? Do you have them or not? If so why and do you think it's prevented weight loss or not? Any opinions really

    1. I eat quite a good variety of yummy foods within my calorie limit.
    2. I exercise for my "treats". If I want something high calorie that will take me out of my calorie limit ... I had better have done enough exercise to "afford" it.


    Treat days (aka cheat days) are one of the reasons why I'm here. For 4 years, I ate reasonably well most of the week, and then kinda went overboard on the weekends. It took me 4 years to gain 15 kg. The weight gain was slow, so I was close to where I should have been ... but those splurge days just put me over.

  • kickassbarbie
    kickassbarbie Posts: 286 Member
    I have a fairly inclusive diet anyway but I have a treat/cheat evening once a month while cutting or once a fortnight while maintaining. I often go out for my cheat evening, it's never prevented me hitting my weight goals either. If anything it's helped as it keeps me sane and if I feel like eating the entire fridge I can think "if I do this then no lovely treat day... I'll wait for treat day." One day in a big surplus won't ruin a monthly deficit but lots of little treats will imo. (I also drop loads of water weight after treat day which is fun to watch.)

    It's personal to everyone and what works for one person may not work for another.

    Some people it helps stay sane, others don't handle treat days and cheat meals well. I find a whole day is a recipie for disaster in my case. But never letting lose at the buffet/resturant will eventually drive me insane and lead to overeating.

    Experiment with it and see what works for you.
  • aubiefan122013
    aubiefan122013 Posts: 21 Member
    I definitely have "treat days" once or twice a month, and I think it's a big morale booster that resets my dedication to my weight-loss regimen the next day. Unless you seriously binge, chances are you're not going to consume enough calories in one sitting or even one day to truly affect your weight significantly, especially in the long term. I do know that "saving up" for a treat day by eating too restrictively the day or two before can make your body desperate and set you up to overeat . . . so be nice to yourself, take time to enjoy a treat day, then get back on the horse. I have absolutely progressed steadily towards my weight loss goals while taking that approach.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Every day is a treat day for me. I just keep my treats below my calorie goal.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I haven't had any day where I've gone over my calorie goals. I'll probably take a diet break where I eat at maintenance eventually -- possibly when I've been eating at a deficit for around a year or so in order to offset adaptive thermogenesis. I won't look at that as an opportunity to eat anything out of the usual, though. Just larger portions of what I already eat.

    I do have a planned indulgence coming up in a few weeks when we go on vacation, but hey... it's vacation. I'll also be extra active that week with a lot of walking and cycling.

    Saying that? I have a little something sweet at the end of every day most days. Nothing major, just a small treat.
  • weightliftingbarbie
    weightliftingbarbie Posts: 156 Member
    I have a cheat.meal.once every 1-2 weeks :)
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    Define treat day.

    Do you mean a no restrictions eat what you want day? Never. I don't ever allow myself to go over the calorie allowance that MFP with fitbit adjustments sets for me. I might sometimes eat back more of the exercise calories if I am really hungry.

    Do you mean a day when I can eat things like candy or pizza? Every day I incorporate some sweets. I have pizza maybe once a week. I eat what I like when I like and make sure that it fits.
  • mabearof6
    mabearof6 Posts: 684 Member
    I dont necessarily have treat days but just treats here and there. Of course the last few days look like treat days thanks to friends who brought food while I was at the hospital with my daughter. I lost a good amount of weight a few years ago and was super restrictive with my food. This time around I have let ago of guilt and if I want a treat I have it. I allow myself one day every 15-20 days where I go over my calories and on all the other days if I want a treat I have it. I just log it and make sure it fits into my calories for the day. I need this to be sustainable, so never having treats just isn't reasonable for me.
  • PostExamsHealthBinge
    PostExamsHealthBinge Posts: 26 Member
    Thanks, all your suggestions are really helpful- I was curious to see what other people do but I guess it's trial and error on a person level
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    I used to do treat days. I weigh in on Saturday morning, so Saturday was my treat day. Then I found that Saturday turned into Saturday and Sunday. Then Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Then....well, you get the idea.

    Instead, I try to incorporate a treat into my everyday caloric intake. A piece of chocolate, usually. That's not to say I don't splurge on occasion. But for me, regularly scheduled treat days just don't work.
  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
    I don't do them. They have been bad for me. This time around I'm finding more success working treats into my calorie allowance when I want them. I find myself making better choices on treats too.

    For example, this past Thursday Lindt truffles were at work. I checked my calories and decided that I would have an 80kcal truffle. I didn't go over calories that day, and I had my treat.

    I used to treat "treats" as binges. A box of cookies, half a cake etc. treat days were an excuse to eat all that and a bag of chips. Now I'm trying to redefine treat to mean "a" cookie, "a" slice of cake. And just spread out their enjoyment.

    Ymmv
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you hit your calorie goals you can do whatever you want...having a treat even daily doesn't hinder weight loss so long as you're hitting your targets and those targets are actually appropriate.
  • cindyangotti
    cindyangotti Posts: 294 Member
    Of course you should have treats. Just know how many calories it is, log it, and do some extra cardio to cover the extra calories. I am debating right now if I want to go get an iced latte from Starbucks. ...
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I don't know what that means exactly. Do you log treat days? For me it's all about data. I can wipe out my deficit for the week so I don't lose, or I could treat myself enough to keep a little deficit, or I could stay on track. I choose all three options depending on how motivated I feel to eat or lose.
  • BlueSkyShoal
    BlueSkyShoal Posts: 325 Member
    I have treat days once in a while. Most of the time I eat pancakes with butter and real maple syrup, plus vegetarian sausages and eggs. Not exactly junk food, but definitely a lot of calories and usually I go over my weight goal.

    Absolutely no regrets. I just eat a little less the next day or two.
  • grandma107
    grandma107 Posts: 70 Member
    Just log everything and average it out over the week. If needed, move more with exercise. Blessings.
  • taentea
    taentea Posts: 91 Member
    Cheat days make me feel like I have to eat everything I can possibly get my hands on as long as I'm allowed to, so I don't do those. I do eat ice-cream and chocolate almost every day though, sometimes few times a day even. I just make sure the portions are small enough to fit into my calorie goal and do not rob me of the food that's actually filling. And I'm on 1200. It should be even easier on plans with 1500-2000+ calories.

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