Cheat day advice

Shandajh
Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Today, Baskin Robbins has the .31 scoop day, which only happens whenever there is a month that ends on the 31st. I've been looking forward to this day, for two months and was planning to eat a whole pizza today, plus a two scoop sundae. But last night, I'd already planned all my food and prepared them for today's meals to be under 1300. I know if I stick w/ eating them, I won't feel like eating the pizza and icecream. But then if I don't, I have to wait another two months before they have .31 night again. I already plan to have a big cheat meal at The Old Spaghetti Factory, this coming Tuesday too, so I'm torn on whether to give in now to the icecream and pizza or not! What would you do?

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Lol why bother 'scheduling' cheat days. Eat what you want, in moderation. And if you can't do that, your calories are probably too low to allow for such a thing.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    you have a couple choices...

    eat one scoop today.
    exercise more today
    wait for july
    I don't do cheat days tho...I eat what I want and stay in goal most of the time...weekly goal that is.

    If you look at my diary last week you will see lots of food that aren't what people consider "diet" worthy...but I have lost over 50lbs doing it this way...works well for me.
  • punkuate
    punkuate Posts: 127 Member
    Don't cheat. Work some of what you want into your goals.
  • CupcakeQueen86
    CupcakeQueen86 Posts: 76 Member
    I would eat on both days maybe 200-500 calories more than I usually eat, I was at a dinner party last night and picked out two things I really wanted to eat then ate them giving myself 500 ect calories, it felt good :blush:
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    I would say adjust the meal plan to include a single scoop of the ice cream. If it is in your calorie count, yay. I usually end up way below 1300 with what I cook, so I've found I can get snacks here and there.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    you have a couple choices...

    eat one scoop today.
    exercise more today
    wait for july
    I don't do cheat days tho...I eat what I want and stay in goal most of the time...weekly goal that is.

    If you look at my diary last week you will see lots of food that aren't what people consider "diet" worthy...but I have lost over 50lbs doing it this way...works well for me.

    This is what I do too.

  • xMrBunglex
    xMrBunglex Posts: 1,121 Member
    Prepare for ignition
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    Eat 1 scoop and 2 slices of pizza in exchange for your planned dinner. You wont be over much on calories but you still get to eat what you have been looking forward to. Or you can get some exercise in so that you don't go over at all.
  • Shandajh
    Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
    I don't exercise yet. I'm working on one goal at a time. 1st goal was to get my meal plans in order, because preparing all my meals for the next day, takes me an enormous amount of time and effort. I'm just not that good at it. I think I'll just wing it and if I'm hungry for that stuff later, then I'll go for it and if not, I'll wait until July!
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
    Shandajh wrote: »
    I don't exercise yet. I'm working on one goal at a time. 1st goal was to get my meal plans in order, because preparing all my meals for the next day, takes me an enormous amount of time and effort. I'm just not that good at it. I think I'll just wing it and if I'm hungry for that stuff later, then I'll go for it and if not, I'll wait until July!

    Plan out the whole week at a time, do it all in one day and then freeze stuff that needs to be. Then you don't have to spend so much time and effort each night planning out all your meals, they'll all be ready to go then you'll free up a lot of time for yourself during the week to do things that you want to do.

    As others have said, I don't do cheat days either. I work in what I want to eat when I want to eat it and have lost 50lbs so far doing so. It's about moderation. I plan a week ahead and make it all on Sundays so I know what I'm having all week. What I want fits into my calorie goal.

    Good luck deciding what's best for you.
  • Shandajh
    Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
    I think I'll work it into my goals then. I've gotten so far as planning ahead by 3 days, just because I have to share 1/2 the fridge and freezer w/ my roommate, so there's not a lot of storage room, but that's been working well enough. As a side-note @Extremelygrumpycat - I just adore that little fella!!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Shandajh wrote: »
    Today, Baskin Robbins has the .31 scoop day, which only happens whenever there is a month that ends on the 31st. I've been looking forward to this day, for two months and was planning to eat a whole pizza today, plus a two scoop sundae. But last night, I'd already planned all my food and prepared them for today's meals to be under 1300. I know if I stick w/ eating them, I won't feel like eating the pizza and icecream. But then if I don't, I have to wait another two months before they have .31 night again. I already plan to have a big cheat meal at The Old Spaghetti Factory, this coming Tuesday too, so I'm torn on whether to give in now to the icecream and pizza or not! What would you do?

    I don't believe in cheat days, personally. I don't cheat on my goals, my life.
    But if I want a treat, I eat it. I am pretty careful about what I eat, and how many treats, but if I really want a treat, I'll work it out.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    Just because you want pizza and ice cream does not mean you need to cheat or eat ALL of the pizza and ice cream. Nor do you have to eat them on the same day. They can easily be a regular part of your routine and still be within goals if you think more rationally about it.

    Cheating does not sit well with me. Why would you cheat on yourself to get a few minutes of pleasure knowing that it will result in a lot more time spent feeling bad about it. Making plans that will defeat and discourage yourself is illogical.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    This sounds too complicated. Make some ice cream fit, make some pizza fit. Don't eat a whole pizza?
  • cwagar123
    cwagar123 Posts: 195 Member
    eating an entire pizza sounds like binging behaviour. i would imagine you would feel really ill the next day. Could you have a piece or two and still have the ice cream?
  • Shandajh
    Shandajh Posts: 57 Member
    It's thin crust, so very easy to eat the whole thing and no, I don't feel sick after. The only bad thing I notice is how much water I need to drink after, because it's so loaded with sodium. I don't like to eat only part of it, because then I have to throw the rest out because it's never good cold or re-heated. Anyway, I compromised and went somewhere else that had a smaller pizza for 1/2 the calories, although not as tasty and ate only one scoop of icecream vs. a sundae or two scoops. I worked it into today's calories so that it only put me over by 155. So, that's going to be easy to deduct from tomorrow's meals. I think I agree with a lot of you now who say you don't have cheat days and just work it in when you want something.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    I don't do "cheat" days. But I'm realistic. There are days that I'm going to eat more than others. Last night, we had a teacher appreciation dinner at church, and yes, I did eat more than my calorie goal for the day. Not by 700 calories, which would be my maintenance goal, but I did go over. So, while it won't cause me to gain weight, it will slow my weight loss if I don't do something with it this week. The fortunate thing is that we're expecting nice weather all week. It is conceivable to make up for last night with normal exercise and staying below my daily goal by about a hundred calories for the rest of the week.
  • sapphire1166
    sapphire1166 Posts: 114 Member
    I agree and disagree with cheat days. If I know I'm going out at night, or if I REALLY want something like pizza one week I eat less that day and work it into my goals. But every once in a while (it's about every 5 weeks for me) I have a day where I allow myself food I normally wouldn't eat in excess, either due to intense cravings or just plain being unable to plan well for that day. I don't go hog wild like I used to, but I'll eat 2,300 calories that day and get right back on track the next day.

    For example, yesterday I went on a 7-hour tubing trip with a bunch of friends. They wanted to eat at Bojangles for breakfast (an AWESOME southern fast-food place), and they brought beer, chips, soda, crackers, etc. I knew I wanted to partake and didn't think twice about having a "cheat" day. I don't regret it, and I'm back on track this morning.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited June 2015
    Shandajh wrote: »
    It's thin crust, so very easy to eat the whole thing and no, I don't feel sick after. The only bad thing I notice is how much water I need to drink after, because it's so loaded with sodium. I don't like to eat only part of it, because then I have to throw the rest out because it's never good cold or re-heated. Anyway, I compromised and went somewhere else that had a smaller pizza for 1/2 the calories, although not as tasty and ate only one scoop of icecream vs. a sundae or two scoops. I worked it into today's calories so that it only put me over by 155. So, that's going to be easy to deduct from tomorrow's meals. I think I agree with a lot of you now who say you don't have cheat days and just work it in when you want something.

    You're not a garbage bin. You don't need to eat food as an alternative to tossing it. So good, you found a smaller pizza. That's smart. Find a place that serves single serving pizzas, or pizza by the slice even.

    PS: referring to your thread on added sugars: many of those fast food style pizzas have quite a bit of added sugars in the crust and of course in the sauce.
  • saramatthews919
    saramatthews919 Posts: 161 Member
    Exercise is like marriage you can't cheat on it. & expect it to work
  • Harlequin1983
    Harlequin1983 Posts: 30 Member
    edited June 2015
    I dont have cheat days, I have cheat meals. I refuse to let a whole day be ruined by my lack of portion control or self control. I find that having a cheat meal instead of a cheat day helps me to stay somewhat in my calorie goal, even if I go over a LITTLE than ruin a whole day of food thats going to make me feel like crap. Try chat meals instead. It might help.

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