Do you guys believe in cheat day?!
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I overindulged this weekend with my Mom for Mother's Day weekend but I knew it was going to be an issue. So Saturday before I went to get her, I hit the gym and did an extra mile on the machine and was careful with my calories until dinner. The next day we fit in a hike after our indulgent brunch and when I weighed in this morning I was the same as I was on Friday morning so it all balanced out in the end. If you know you're going to have a day where you're just way over, add in some extra activity and that really helps! Log everything anyway (even before you eat it) so you have an idea of what you're putting into your body--sometimes just seeing those numbers is enough of a motivation to keep your portion smaller or go with something else.0
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I cheat per say. I stay within my goals but every other week I don't follow my macro/micros and I may eat 500 calories worth of ice cream but I don't go over. Never go over!0
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I definitely have meals that go way over my daily calorie allowance, but I incorporate them into my weekly. I only consider it cheating when I go way off the wagon and go over my weekly calories0
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Cheat days are very useful for some people (no matter what they call them). I suppose you could call Saturday and Sunday cheat days for me, though I don't use that term. But I do plan on consuming more calories on those days than on Mon-Fri. But the real cheat days for me are occasional very high calorie days that are just part of life. Things like reunions, family picnics, wine or beer tasting parties, etc.0
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I stopped putting a prize on food.
This, and other related comments from recent posters about the negativity of the word "cheat", resonate with me the most. I'm sure I'm not the only one here who feels they cheated on their own selves throughout their weight gain period. Basically I was 'buying my own BS', the ultimate cheat.
I like the attitude Molly (and others) has here too:MollyBradford wrote: »I don't consider myself to "cheat" and, honestly, I hate that term. Food should never make you feel guilty. If I want a treat, I fit it in my macros. If there is a special occasion, such as a birthday, I focus on enjoying myself. Building a good relationship with food is so important. I feel like if you allow yourself smaller treats often that fit your macros, you are less likely to full on binge when you don't track.
That's healthy.
all of this ^^^
food should not be a source of guilt - ever. yes, eat clean and exercise regularly; live a healthy life through these means but you should also live a little! eating one piece of cake here or there for an occasion shouldn't even be considered as "cheating" - it's called enjoying life. i eat clean on a regular basis but when i'm out for someone's birthday and i want to eat something i normally dont, i eat the hell out of it and enjoy every single bit. will that one dessert (or meal or whatever it may be) destroy everything i've done up to then? NO WAY. like one healthy meal won't make you healthy, one bad meal won't make you unhealthy. log it and move on.0 -
I don't call them cheat days, I use a special meal to celebrate a success, for a special occassion or I allow myself a yummy goody or a beer once a week. I don't want to feel deprived because that means binging. It works for me so I can keep eating well and sticking to my budget 90% of the time.0
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Nah. I pretty much leave myself a little wiggle room each day so I can have a small treat after dinner or something, pretty much everyday. Otherwise I'd go nuts and eat the whole house.0
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I don't have a planned cheat day. I do have days where I go over or we eat out at certian places, but I don't plan them. That keeps me on track and honest with myself more because I usually end up chalking that day up as a 'cheat' day and start fresh the next day. I've found if I have a dedicated cheat day, I usually end up over doing it and old habits kick in, which takes me longer to get back on track.
I'm not sure how much sense that made to others, but it works for me. ^_^;0 -
Nah. I pretty much leave myself a little wiggle room each day so I can have a small treat after dinner or something, pretty much everyday. Otherwise I'd go nuts and eat the whole house.
Sounds like a smart plan that works for you!
Ditto to @dubird.I allow myself [...] a beer once a week.
I run for beer. It's easy to have three or seven beers a week if running 50km a week.
More seriously... I have definitely reduced my beer and wine consumption since I adopted calorie counting. But I do enjoy using a small part of my running-derived calorie deficit to "pay" for a beer. It's not a "cheat", it's called planning.
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I do IIFYM/flexible dieting so I don't need a cheat day. If I want something, I'll make it fit after I've hit my micronutrients. If I go out with friends or go to a bday party or whatever, I don't consider it a cheat day, just life. 120 lbs down so far, and all my vitals are normal, so it's workin' for me.0
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A cheat meal not a cheat day .0
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For me, I diet on weekdays, and the weekends are off, because people generally lose weight during weekdays and gain some on weekends. As long as the overall trend goes down, you're good. I tend to eat really unhealthy on Friday and Saturday (cheat days) and healthier on Sunday but as much of whatever as I want, and junk food as long as it's a reasonable amount.0
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I don't have planned cheat days but I try to be as relaxed as possible about just letting life go ahead as normal. Sometimes, all I want is to order a pizza and a can of coke so I do that. Other times, my mother randomly makes dessert or a friend wants me to join her for lunch somewhere. I try not to stress.0
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No I don't cheat. I hate the whole idea of cheating. Mother's day was delicious. I had a light breakfast. Got in my regular training. Then went to a nice restaurant for a delicious 3 course meal with a huge side of bacon. Had a light snack in the evening. Sodium was obviously way over for the day, but otherwise stayed where I wanted to be calorie wise. Its all about planning.0
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I don't do a cheat day just a cheat meal and I cover for it earlier in the day. Stay below your calorie goal and have will power to say no if you go past your calorie goal.0
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I make "cheat" meals work into my weekly goals. i have pizza every friday night with my kids, i usually have 3 or 4 pieces. i just make sure to eat a little less throughout that day and to go to the gym before. i have steadly lost 1 pound a week0
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Nope, don't believe in "cheat days" as I am not on a "diet" ! Took me a while to understand losing weight and keeping it off was more a matter of lifestyle than being on a "diet". Counting calories allows me to keep an eye on CICO and if I fancy a burger & fries, I have a burger & fries, no food groups/type of foods restriction, just portion control/moderation 0
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You have to do what works for you. I personally allow myself a cheat meal at least once a week or I'll end up quitting. I'm not a person who likes chicken and fresh veggies all the time lol so it works for me. And if I go out to eat on for a special occasion, I order a lighter calorie meal from the menu. My eating habits have changed tremendously since I started my diet and workout program but I allow myself a little "cheat" here and there and I still feel good about what I'm eating because I portion small!0
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Everyone should read this, it has helped me change my thinking about food and "cheating" on my diet:
http://thecouponproject.com/losing-weight-on-a-budget-why-i-dont-do-cheat-days-and-what-i-do-instead/0 -
First, think a "cheat day" is way too much. A lot of people go overboard. Also, I don't like the term "cheat", as I believe all food can have a place in one's diet (when trying to maintain, obviously not when losing)... What I do, is I have one meal a week in which I eat something I enjoy... a BK menu, pizza, a lavish brunch, potato chips.. Whatever it is (though I avoid sweet stuff - and it is just ONE meal, after which I go back to business as usual).... Even though I typically go over my calorie when I have my free meal, it doesn't affect my weight loss.0
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Heres the key..Try a cheat meal one day a wk,...not a cheat day... get it? But on that meal, enjoy yourself to the fullest..literally..lol0
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Nvrmind didn't see the previous post..lol0
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Having a cheat is okay. I actually do it once a week were I eat the food that I'm craving for. Forcing yourself not to eat what you crave will make you crave more food. So have a cheat day, most probably weekends where you eat what you want but do over indulge. Eating is can help you lose weight, as long as it's nutritious food.0
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I believe in data. I need to see where I am food/nutrition wise to meet my goals. I have a high day, and cut 100 calories each day during the week. Sometimes I'll even go over on my high day, but it's logged-accounted for. I may choose to even it out with a deficit over the next few days.0
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