exercise to cheat?

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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Saving up calories for a fun night out is not a "cheat" any more than saving your Starbucks money for a new pair of shoes is theft.

    Well said!
  • rachaelewis
    rachaelewis Posts: 2 Member
    I have a cheat day once per week. I actually work harder and eat less calories and fat the day before and after. It has been working...I lost 14lbs in 40 days.....but I hardly EVER make my calorie goal any day because 1800 calories plus running 6 days a week (bumping up my ability to eat more calories...because I need them after 6 miles) gives me plenty of room. Hope this helps?
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    I really hate the term "cheat". It is not a healthy way to look at eating. At all.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    If you cheat, you're only cheating yourself.

    Vary your calories if you like throughout the week with some higher days and some lower days. But log and track everything. Always. Don't "cheat". It sets up an unhealthy approach to food, and taking a day off a week from logging is an excellent way to derail an entire week's worth of progress.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It's really easy to undo a weekly deficit if you're careless on week ends, believe me (not that I'm speaking from experience or anything, lol). So log everything and log your exercise so you know how many calories you can go over.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Merkavar wrote: »
    How much is a cheat?

    If you saved up a deficit of 3000 during the week then at 4k over on Saturday you going to go backwards.

    Yeah, this was my thought too. It all comes down to whether or not you still have a deficit after the "cheat". If you do, you'll lose fat.

    If you're "cheat" involves a lot of foods that you don't eat on other days you may experience bloating, which could make you look/feel like you didn't lose. So, probably best not to make your weigh in day right after this cheat.
  • turtles12
    turtles12 Posts: 12 Member
    i exercise to EAT .... not to CHEAT (nothing is off limits for me)

    AWESOMENESS!!!!!
  • KBmoments
    KBmoments Posts: 193 Member
    What about reversing this? As in, you didn't 'save' up , but you did go out for dinner/drinks - can you then create that deficit the following 7 days? Let's say you went over by 1,000 calories, spreading that 1,000 over the next 7 days would be eating 142 calories less (or exercising to burn 142 more). Thoughts?
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    KBmoments wrote: »
    What about reversing this? As in, you didn't 'save' up , but you did go out for dinner/drinks - can you then create that deficit the following 7 days? Let's say you went over by 1,000 calories, spreading that 1,000 over the next 7 days would be eating 142 calories less (or exercising to burn 142 more). Thoughts?

    Yes, it definitely works both ways. As long as you're averaging a deficit over time, you will still lose weight.

    Our bodies are amazing :smile:
  • sandryc79
    sandryc79 Posts: 250 Member
    The OP didn't ask for a critique of how much wine she drinks. She is a grown up so let's leave that to her.

    I think "banking" weekly calories is absolutely fine. Lots of people do it and it has been a part of Weight Watchers plans for a long time now.
  • angmilla1977
    angmilla1977 Posts: 16 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    It's not cheating

    It's monitoring your calorie defecit across the week, and it's how I lost and maintain my weight

    I'm not the same 'hungry' each day .. and some days I fancy going out to eat

    Use the report on the app - weekly - it gives you how many calories you ate each day, average across the week and how many you have left to hit your defecit across the week and you can set it to a rolling 7 days

    My one rule is not borrowing from the future though

    Will I automatically get a notification for the weekly report or do I have to set it up myself? I've looked through the settings but can't seem to find the option?
  • angmilla1977
    angmilla1977 Posts: 16 Member
    edited May 2015
    KBmoments wrote: »
    What about reversing this? As in, you didn't 'save' up , but you did go out for dinner/drinks - can you then create that deficit the following 7 days? Let's say you went over by 1,000 calories, spreading that 1,000 over the next 7 days would be eating 142 calories less (or exercising to burn 142 more). Thoughts?
    This is close to what I was thinking to?
    Food and I have an open relationship...so I wouldn't call it cheating exactly (haha). I eat within reason each day and if an opportunity presents itself in which I want to indulge a little, I do.
    Love it
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,630 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    It's not cheating

    It's monitoring your calorie defecit across the week, and it's how I lost and maintain my weight

    I'm not the same 'hungry' each day .. and some days I fancy going out to eat

    Use the report on the app - weekly - it gives you how many calories you ate each day, average across the week and how many you have left to hit your defecit across the week and you can set it to a rolling 7 days

    My one rule is not borrowing from the future though

    Will I automatically get a notification for the weekly report or do I have to set it up myself? I've looked through the settings but can't seem to find the option?

    If you're using MFP on a computer, I don't think there is a "weekly" setting. Or at least not that I've found. Apparently there is if you're using an app (??)

    If there is a way to see a "weekly" setting using a computer, I'd love to be directed to it.

  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    edited May 2015
    CoachJen71 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    If you're saving calories, or earning extra calories through exercise, so you can have extra sometimes it is not cheating. God I detest that word. Such negative connotations, like you're doing something 'naughty'.

    I prefer "treat" to "cheat" for that very reason.
    I so agree with you both... the word 'cheat' makes me cringe.. it's an old diet term so it feels as if someone is being sneaky in some way and who are they cheating anyhow?

    I also much prefer the word 'treat'.
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