What's YOUR treat method/cycle?

I just had a bowl of ice cream, it's pretty much a nightly thing. Fits my goals.

I make room in my allotment daily for something yummy.

If I feel like it, I have a "treat", but I generally don't want them. I don't even think of them as treats any longer. Eating stuff that isn't good for me doesn't seem like a treat. It might taste good, but so does a bowl of berries. And the berries are healthier. Eating yummy food and staying healthy - that's a treat.

I just don't want those "treats."

I used to think I did, but when I gave myself permission to eat them, I found out that I don't really want to. I really want to eat the healthier fare.

If I want junk food, I can have it any time I want. I don't have to portion it, even. I can just have whatever I want, whenever I want it.

I choose not to have that stuff. So I guess my method is making choices.

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

I make room in my allotment daily for something yummy.

This

In addition I work to weekly calorie goals, which means I usually eat less on week days when I have more structured eating patterns, and more at the weekends when I am more likely to go out for meals, attend celebrations, etc. So on average I maintain a deficit across the week, even if I have a 'blowout' meal.

I eat yummy food all the time.

I figure that if I've got a maximum calorie limit, I'm not touching anything I don't like ... it's just not worth it. Only food I like!!

If I want more yummy food than usual, or yummy food with a higher calorie count ... like say, cheesecake ... which might take me over my maximum calorie limit, I exercise for it.

I usually exercise quite a bit on weekends, so I can have pizza for dinner or whatever I want.

No cheats involved ... it's all within my maximum calorie limit.

I think cheat days are incredibly stupid--who are you cheating? Yourself?

I don't know what "moderately clean" means but I bet it looks like how most of us on here eat--mostly nutrient-dense with a sprinkling of calorie-dense.

I eat a treat most days. Some days I go to bed before I get around to it and some days I don't want it. Having junk food as an everyday option lessens its allure.

My method is: If I want it, I'm eating it.

I don't really understand the concept of a cheat day. I eat what I want all the time, just less of it than I did before. I had a movie day with some friends and worked half a box of S'mores Oreos into my calorie allotment for the day. It wasn't a "cheat" - I still stayed within my calories. I eat out on a daily basis because my coworkers are always wanting to go out for lunch and I want to join them. I get the things I want and adjust my portion sizes as needed. I've lost 30 pounds so far.

There have been days where I was all out of calories and sat down with a bag of chips anyway. That wasn't a cheat day either, it was a lack of self control. But considering I'm eating at a deficit, the extra calories aren't going to make me gain much, if anything.

I know that cheat days make sense to some people, and may even help with their goals. I just know that my attempts in the past to lose weight always failed when I demonized certain foods or looked at my diet as something I could "cheat" on.

I don't log or hold back when I travel. That's usually once or twice a year, but this summer I've practically lived at the airport and it's gotten a bit out of hand. I may have to revise my plan to not logging one day per week while traveling, or something similar.

I agree with a lot of the other posts here. I view "cheat days" as cheating yourself. Plus, if I weighed more the next day I would lose motivation and probably just fall off the wagon. So, I have treats if it fits in my day and only if I wanted them before I realized I was under my calorie goal for the day. Even then, my treats are potion controlled, and I don't go overboard.

According to my FitBit, my TDEE is on average around 2150. If I eat under that, I know I'm still on track for weightloss in the long term. I can fit regular treats or a nice dinner out with drinks in a 2150 day. Certainly the more days at 2150 means the slower my loss overall, but knowing that my day's total calories could be anywhere from 1200-2150 gives me A LOT of flexibility.

I guess my "plan," if you want to call it that, is to average out on a weekly basis eating about 2000-4000 fewer calories than I burned (based on info from my FitBit), without going over my TDEE on any specific given day. Birthdays and holiday dinners not included, though I do still try to make sure I'm below TDEE for that week.

I typically eat out once a week either a Friday or Saturday night. That is the meal e.g., appetizer, food, dessert, whatever that I have without batting an eye. I don't think about the calories, sugars, salt, etc. I just get what I like and enjoy it. I don't over eat (stop when I'm full), and by this point in the game I pretty much select healthier options as it a habit now and I enjoy 'cleaner' foods. I always leave room for dessert, or an ice cream

I try to avoid planning full days or even really any time where I am not in control. Fitting that "treat" in to my daily budget and macros leaves me a lot less likely to try to take advantage of a day to go overboard, and helps me to continue not seeing food as a reward.

i don't really have a schedule...sometimes my friends invite me over to a BBQ and I over eat a little or eat something I normally wouldn't...I like taking my kids out to pizza every few weeks, etc. it's not really scheduled...pretty much these things just come about but in the context of my diet as a whole, these things are pretty much de minimis. I try to steer clear of terms like "clean", but I would suppose that's how many would view my overall diet.

I purposely eat less during the work week so I can eat more on the weekends. You could consider every weekend 'cheat days' if you wanted (I don't).

I eat treats as rarely as I need them. By that I mean not every time I want, but often enough to not be miserable.

I have very high calorie days on occasion, but not an a regularly planned schedule.