Didn't enjoy my cheat day

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Suhrah623
Suhrah623 Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been working really hard the last couple weeks on logging my calories and eating right and have lost around 6 lbs so far.
Last night my husband and I went out for my birthday and I just couldn't enjoy it. I tried to order something on the healthier side because I felt like I was just going to sabatoge all the work I've done lately. Ugh, but then they give you all that delicous bread before your meal comes! Anyway, I just felt anxious the whole time about it all.
Is this feeling normal? and if so, does it go away eventually? I want to enjoy life and not be afraid of gaining weight everytime I have a cheat day!
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Replies

  • opalsqueak007
    opalsqueak007 Posts: 433 Member
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    Congratulations on your weight loss so far!

    I never have cheat days. I take all foods into account for what I need to maintain the weight loss. The odd time I used to have a giant meal or unhealthy takeaway, I really didn't enjoy it and regretted it afterwards. For me, enjoying life is about never being obese again, and taking control. You can eat out, but you need to keep logging. It's just my opinion, but whereas I can understand a "cheat meal", I can't understand the point of a cheat day.
  • Suhrah623
    Suhrah623 Posts: 65 Member
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    Oops I should add that it wasn't an entire cheat day. It was just the dinner portion that was the "cheat meal".
  • moribunny
    moribunny Posts: 417 Member
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    I really think it all comes down to your own mentality on the subject of food. Try to remember you didn't gain all that extra weight in one day, so you're not going to gain it back all in one day. What's important is to try and log everything you eat- even if you go over- to remain accountable for what you're putting into your body. You can also try eating less during other days of the week if you know you're going to have a particularly high-calorie day to try and lessen the blow. With that said, take it one day at a time. You got this!
  • Krystle1984
    Krystle1984 Posts: 146 Member
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    Stop thinking of it as a "cheat". Work things like that into your calorie goal, maybe throw some extra exercise in if that helps you meet your goal, and enjoy! I use a weekly goal rather than a daily target and find that works best for me.

    Well done on your loss so far! :)
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I think it's normal to feel like that cos it's only been two weeks

    Work your calorie allowances over the week, save for special occasions, choose with care and enjoy

    That's not a cheat

    That's CICO
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Feeling guilt or anxious needs to go away. It could be that it was your first time?

    Food is food. One meal, one day doesn't derail.

    As well calling is a "cheat" might be the reason...you feel like it's "bad" when it's not...if you are doing those days or meals...try calling it a treat.

    I eat "treats" almost everyday...chocolate typically.

    Remember weight loss should be similar to maintenance but maintenance has more food to eat...

    Do use weight loss as a deprivation time...eat like you plan on eating the rest of your life. Same foods just different quantities.

  • Cthululululu
    Cthululululu Posts: 32 Member
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    Couple of weeks?
    One meal isn't going to reverse the work you have done over the course of weeks.
    This is the definition of a treat, a RARE time you allow yourself to indulge a bit, particularly on a special occasion.
    And there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing such a thing every once in a while.
    Don't worry, as long as you are back on track as of immediately after that meal, you're fine.
    Stressing and worrying will do nothing but hinder healthy life choices.

    Stress is bad for you.
    Don't stress, darlin'.
  • Cthululululu
    Cthululululu Posts: 32 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I think it's normal to feel like that cos it's only been two weeks

    Work your calorie allowances over the week, save for special occasions, choose with care and enjoy

    That's not a cheat

    That's CICO

    Also, this.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Do not have cheat meals, plan them into your calories. If this means that once ina while you will be e.g. at maintenance rather than losing, this is perfectly fine, and you will not be stressed about it.
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
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    I would say it's common, but not normal. Food is food. It shouldn't make you feel guilty.

    Do the math. Calculate what your maintenance calories would be, and how much you normally eat now. That will tell you how much of a deficit you have. Then calculate what the calories would be in your so-called "cheat meal" and you'll see you probably still have quite a bit of a deficit for the week. It would be REALLY hard to undo an entire week's worth of a deficit in one meal.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    Treats are not rare for me! I work them into my every day allotment, because they are important in order for me not to feel deprived.

    If I know I'm going to be having a dinner out, I plan the day accordingly so that there's lots of wiggle room for dinner. And if I go over that day? Meh, not a biggie - I just log it and move on.

    I deliberately avoid the "cheat" mentality, because that can also set you up to thinking that foods are either good or bad, and that can open up a whole host of disordered thinking in regards to food.

    I have learned to make better choices along the way, which allows me to budget for things that I love. There's nothing that's off limits for me, except foods that I've always hated. Ain't no one got time for that! LOL.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    Just because they bring you the bread does not mean you need to eat all of it. As others have said stop thinking of meals as cheat meals. You know you are going to go out to eat that day so plan ahead. Leave yourself enough calories that you can enjoy it. If you have one of the smaller calorie goals, just adjust your goal for the day to eat at or slightly below maintenance. That way you know you are still moving in the right direction or at least not backsliding and still get to enjoy a special occasion.

    And don't worry so much. Even if you go over your maintenance for a day, it is only one day in a long long journey. Just don't let those days become frequent.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
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    First of all, you are losing too much weight too fast. 1 pound per week should be your goal, then you won't really need a cheat day.

    I think you are setting yourself up for failure and discouragement.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
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    Ya, I experimented with the cheat meal concept and it turned into a cheat evening, and then a cheat afternoon and evening and then I realized I'm better off just eating lighter and exercising more during the day Saturday if I'm going out Saturday night.

    If I'm eating someplace where the bread is just average or with people who also do not want to fill up on bread before the entrée, we'll tell the server to not bring us bread, or to bring it with the entrée. If I'm eating with people who do want the bread ahead of time, I'll sometimes forgo it or save some to have with my entrée.

    My birthday's in December and I'm curious to see how I'm going to handle this. Right now I imagine I'm going to my favorite upscale Italian restaurant and having as much bread as I want. (Best bread and olive oil in the county.)
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I think it's normal to feel like that cos it's only been two weeks

    Work your calorie allowances over the week, save for special occasions, choose with care and enjoy

    That's not a cheat

    That's CICO

    Rabbit speaks the truth. You're still finding your way with healthier habits and adjusting your attitude towards food, so some uneasiness and being a bit unsure is to be expected.

    If you still find yourself feeling this way down the line?

    That could be a problem, because the ultimate goal is to incorporate special occasions into your life and plan for them in some way. That could be eating less during the week to bank calories for them, eating lighter fare during them, eating smaller portions of indulgent foods during them, or eating less afterwards to compensate.

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Unless you went extremely wild, it's hard to undo any progress with one cheat meal. Look at it this way ... if you're set to lose one pound per week, that is a 500 calorie deficit per day. If your cheat meal put you 1,000 calories above your usual daily intake you then end up with five days worth of deficit rather than seven ... 2500 calories below weekly maintenance, not 3500 ... but still a deficit if you eat normally for the rest of the week.
  • Suhrah623
    Suhrah623 Posts: 65 Member
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    I think the problem is that this is all new to me. I am not new to MFP, as I've used it in the past to log exercises, but I have never logged calories before.
    I just wanted to hear feedback from people who can recall back to when they first started logging calories and if they remembered if they felt the same way that I do. That's all. I'm sure I'll get over the irrationality of the whole thing soon.
    And thanks for everybody for the helpful advice!
  • Suhrah623
    Suhrah623 Posts: 65 Member
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    bcalvanese wrote: »
    First of all, you are losing too much weight too fast. 1 pound per week should be your goal, then you won't really need a cheat day.

    I think you are setting yourself up for failure and discouragement.

    I didn't mean to lose that much. I have it set to lose 1.5 lbs per week. I thought that was a reasonable goal? No?
    It's been 3 weeks.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Oh...I thought this was going to be about when you bank calories for a cheat day, order, and the meal sucks. That's when I don't enjoy my "cheat" day. Though I don't cheat.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Also, OP...just get it in your head. If you are "cheating" you ARE sabotaging some of your hard work, so to speak. Basically you are working hard, eating at a deficit, and then going over for a meal so that you either lose at a slower pace, or you put yourself at maintenance for the week. Once you understand that, then decide if it's worth it. Sometimes it is. Sometimes, maybe not.

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