Do you give yourselves "cheat days" as a reward?

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ambert256
ambert256 Posts: 23 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hello!

I was wondering if anyone else gives themselves cheat days? I'm pretty strict about keeping up with my diet, but I'm in the army and when I pass a PT (physical fitness) test with a higher score than before I reward myself by letting myself have a bag of chips or sweets. Does anyone else get to a goal they give themselves a cheat day?
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Replies

  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
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    No. For me food is fuel, it's not a reward. Before anyone says that so boring, who said food that is fuel has to be not tasty.
    I do have refuel/maintaince days. These are part of my new lifestyle so when I lose the weight, I'll already know what I'm doing.
  • gamesandgains
    gamesandgains Posts: 640 Member
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    No, I just fit my cheat meals into my macros. If the cheat meal doesn't fit then I'll go for an alternative. A small sacrifice for the sake of achieving a long term goal imo.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Nope. I bank calories so I can eat what I want within my goals. If I'm in a deficit, and I go over one day-I might try to fix it up a bit with some low days or exercise, or just expect to lose less that week. In maintenance, I save calories everyday so I can have a high day over the weekend.
  • Mgtei
    Mgtei Posts: 56 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Double post.
  • Mgtei
    Mgtei Posts: 56 Member
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    Mgtei wrote: »
    No, but for me that 's more because I feel like I've had my share of cheat days this lifetime. However, I do sometimes celebrate with food because for me that's a part of normal eating. I just plan for it as best I can. And sometimes for no special reason I'll plan to have a cookie at lunch, like I did just now. Because chocolate.

    Congratulations on doing well on your test!

  • paris458
    paris458 Posts: 229 Member
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    I dont, something fun will come up and I allow myself a cheat meal, like dinner with friends or a bbq. but I dont always plan for it and I dont go out of my way to cheat as a reward. I just know they will happen so I try to stay on track as much as possible.
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 901 Member
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    I'll be the person in the thread that says *kitten* YES, I DO. I'd go crazy without. Then again, my diet I use is a lil weird.

    Meatless on weekdays, meat free-for-all on weekend [in moderation for calories, you see]. In addition to eating meat again on weekends, I allow myself some leeway on calories. I try to eat around my 1200, but I'll splurge and go just a bit below my maintenance some days. Such as Friday... BBQ festival in the town over. Iatesomuch. xD; Regreeeet, but still below my maintenance.
  • Building_Bulk
    Building_Bulk Posts: 20,596 Member
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    Nope. I eat what fits into my diet and I don't really do cheat meals because I enjoy the foods I already eat so I don't find myself missing anything.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    A bag of chips or some sweets is not a cheat day. :smile:

    Frankly, I don't like the whole concept of a "cheat day" or "cheat meal". It implies that I'd be doing something wrong or against the rules and my personal relationship with food is better than that. If I want some chips or sweets, I have them in a modest portion and build them into my calories for the day. Of course, I don't have an end goal for my weight loss, either. I know this is for the rest of my life so my outlook may be a bit different than yours.

    I don't think using food as a reward is a good idea, in any event. If you want to reward yourself for your accomplishment (and you should!) do it but pick something other than food. Buy yourself a piece of clothing you've been wanting or get a pedicure or a massage. If you've been dying for some chips or sweets, buy yourself a small bag and get past the craving.

  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    That seems counterproductive to me. I eat what I want every day, though.
  • AddieOverhaul
    AddieOverhaul Posts: 734 Member
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    I don't do conscious cheat days, I just go over my calories sometimes for special occasions and don't worry about it too much (will try to do really well the next few days to sort of make up for it). Some people who get into "cheat day" mindset go so crazy with food on that day that they undo all of their work for the previous week. I don't think the odd treat will derail you - and it is easier to maintain that long term than being super strict.
  • stfuriada
    stfuriada Posts: 445 Member
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    My self control is shaky at best, so I'm not about to challenge it.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
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    No. I dont have that kind of relationship with food and l don't want to develop it. Food is fuel for me- not entertainment
  • JohnBarth
    JohnBarth Posts: 672 Member
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    I never "cheat". I don't like the word, as I think it carries a negative connotation. I splurge occasionally and work it into my calorie plan if I can. If not, I enjoy the splurge and move on. I'm eating at a level that's maintainable long term, and splurge meals are going to come along from time to time. No more guilt. No more binge. Just living a new healthy lifestyle.
  • Danixkm
    Danixkm Posts: 114 Member
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    I personally don't but I don't see a problem with a cheat day. I try to eat healthily most of the time but if I want something 'cheatsy' I'll eat it and just log it in my calories to keep an eye on things.
  • tenka491
    tenka491 Posts: 1 Member
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    I do a cheat meal, but only if I have been good all week or two weeks. Sometimes, my cheat meal is simple, like a couple of pints of Guinness or lunch with coworkers. I keep it in check though, because I know if over do it I have to run extra miles next week.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    No... but only because I fit chips or sweets or whatever into my daily calories.
  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
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    There is no such thing as a cheat meal. There is eating on your schedule in a way that is planned for and there is failing to control what you eat. Did you plan ahead and cut the extra calories, did you plan ahead and work out in a quantity equal to those calories you were planning to consume? Do you have a workable plan to fit those calories into your week? If not you didn't just cheat a little you left your diet and your will power in the dust and resorted to the bad habits that made you gain weight to begin with. If you do this regularly you will gain weight lose will power and become that portion of the statistic that spends their life yoyo dieting. It is 100% true that you can have whatever you want but it is also 100% true that if you fail to plan you should plan to fail. This whole cheat day thing makes people who are struggling to get a handle on their eating find a reason to fail.
  • messiahs
    messiahs Posts: 40 Member
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    No. I eat sweets or indulgent foods when I want them enough to go out and get them, which is rare enough, and don't dub it a cheat day or dub it a reward. It's just a day where I have to eat a little less or work a little harder.

    I used to think cheat days were a good enough idea, without having tried them. But the implication behind them (in most cases) seems to say that you eat whatever you want, all day, and I've done that, and simply felt sick, self-conscience, tired and very fat. It's one way to say "here, binge, because you can't have these things any other day".

    Cheat meals? Sure, call them that. But I know that days where I eat whatever I want don't work for me. It's better to nudge those foods in where your calories allow when you actually really want them, instead of scheduling for them, as many people seem to do. A day where you have some chocolate isn't a cheat day. And I wouldn't dub a day a cheat day just because you had chips.

    This is all just my opinion on the general subject. The whole concept is actually kind of strange now that I think about it.
  • brandyosu
    brandyosu Posts: 257 Member
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    Yes, I do. It isn't for everyone but it works for me.

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