can I EVER cheat???

Can you? Yes. Should you? That's debatable.

If your deficit is set as lose 1lb/week, that's 3500 calories under maintenance. If you eat whatever your calorie allowance is for a day plus the additional 3500, then you've eliminated your deficit for that week, thus slowing your weightloss. Eat more than that and you may see a gain.

I would encourage you to log everything, even if you know you'll be going over your goal. This will help you see if you need to cut back.

Some people prefer to eat a little less throughout the week so they have more calories on the weekend. I generally have 400 extra or so which helps.

For what it's worth, I'm just maintaining my weight right now and going over by a couple hundred 1-2 days in a week hasn't done any harm. I've seen some upward fluctuations but I've also eaten more sodium than usual so it's bloat from water weight.

~Lyssa

Your going to have special occasions where you go over on calories. That's life. A special meal once a month or so won't hurt in the long run.

If you eat everything in sight every weekend, that will undermine the deficit you've built up during the week.

If a random person eats an all inclusive all you can eat buffet on 14 out of 15 days, and during 1 out of the 15 days eats nothing. Is that 1 day enough to balance out the other 14 days of over-eating?

Why would the opposite not be true, too?

For me, it is one thing to have the occasional (even more than occasional) off day. These days will slow down your weight loss a bit, for sure, but it is all good because: life, friends, family, they all happen!

Having said that, I personally believe that a weight loss plan based on scheduled "cheat" days is not the right way to go.

You can do whatever you want.

SergeantSausage wrote: »

(1) If you feel the need to cheat, you're doing it wrong.

I don't think that's fair or applies to everyone. The 1/2lb homemade bacon cheddar burger with real mayo, potato salad, bratwurst with a big fat bun, chocolate chip cookies and 6 Michelob Ultra's I had on the 4th of July was cheating. It wasn't necessarily inside of "good nutrition". It wasn't part of my healthy eating and it was definitely out of my calorie allotment for the day.

I had an awesome time! Great family and friends, good food, good times. I'm not obese but I need to lose around 20lb. I'm losing pretty well, .5lb a week is my calories. I'm seeing results.

Did I do it wrong? That is an individual choice. For me, no, I didn't do it wrong, I did it right. What is the point to good health if you feel you aren't living and are only a slave to your food scale?

your body will be your judge...it doesn't cheat...it counts for you perfectly EVERY calorie you eat.
If you want or not

SergeantSausage wrote: »

Yes

You definitely did it wrong.

But not at all in the way you think.

I know. I should have had ice cream with my cookies

ds6099 wrote: »

Can I EVER overeat and still successfully lose weight? Such as a weekend indulgence?

Cheating implies you are doing something wrong. In my book, there is no such thing as cheating on your diet.

If you want to include something in your diet, make it fit in your weekly calorie goals. That's it.

Make whatever you want, fit into your calories. I get a treat or two daily.

I think of it this way.

I am not on a diet, I am learning to eat and live healthy. It is a lifestyle change. If I had to live the rest of my life without having unhealthy food once in a while, honestly I would rather live shorter and be fat.

It is about realizing what food is everyday food, and what is occasional food. Apples=Everyday, Dinner at Cheesecake Factory=Occasional.