Are Cheat Days ok?

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  • derekspiewak
    derekspiewak Posts: 31 Member
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    jaywirth88 wrote: »
    I have been eating very healthy and I have really enjoyed it, but I heard you should allow yourself one cheat day/meal a week. I had a cheat lunch last Sunday and I had a milkshake and burger today and I feel aweful about myself. Is cheating ok? and if so, what kinds of foods do you eat?

    What? No! You're only cheating yourself. Eat what you want but fit. It. Into. Your. Macros.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
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    Days that I go over my calories cause yess life happens - check ~
    Cheat meal/days? Nop.

    Don't need them, I eat every single thing I want in moderation.
    Moderation rocks :#
  • ariesfireangel
    ariesfireangel Posts: 30 Member
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    As long as chest days don't turn into chest weeks or your don't go crazy I think they are okay. I think there is more harm in trying to deny yourself everything at all times cause it makes you want it all the more and that much harder to stop yourself when you do indulge just a little
  • theflatpick
    theflatpick Posts: 106 Member
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    Seems like we all have different ways of doing this. I don't really consider it cheating if I count the calories, just that I went over that day, and try to keep those to a minimum. Also, I try to get some extra exercise in on those days to counteract it a bit.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    I never call anything that I consciously do for myself "cheating." As long as you are on a path that leads you to your goal weight and maintenance and promotes good health and emotional well-being, your plan is working. Nearly all of the time I can make what I want to eat fit into my calorie goal. Occasionally, I make a conscious choice to eat over my maintenance for that that day. It is not "cheating."
  • jaywirth88
    jaywirth88 Posts: 66 Member
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    I really appreciate all of this feedback! It is good to see different perspectives. I guess i can try to be a little more lenient with myself, and i really like the idea of not using the word 'cheat' and just fit everything into my macros.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    jaywirth88 wrote: »
    I really appreciate all of this feedback! It is good to see different perspectives. I guess i can try to be a little more lenient with myself, and i really like the idea of not using the word 'cheat' and just fit everything into my macros.

    I learnt to 'ban' the word 'Cheat' in relation to food - it's implying that I shouldn't be eating it and why the hell not?! I'm a human just like everyone else and I said goodbye to the restrictive, self punishing ways of attempting weight loss a couple of years back. Moderation is key, of course - but deprivation is a massive NO (IMO!) :)
  • Soopatt
    Soopatt Posts: 563 Member
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    I will join the crowd who don't like the word 'cheat'.

    I do however, enjoy my routines and mine involves eating to nice balanced in-calorie macros during the week and going out to a restaurant on a Saturday night for my favorite meal (I think you would call it chicken fried steak if you were in America) and having a burger and a McFlurry at McDonalds for lunch on a Sunday. Both the weekend meals fit into my calories because I make adjustments to accommodate them. If I know I am going out on Saturday night I skip breakfast and on Sunday I have a very small breakfast and dinner to make it work.

    I go over every now and then and I always log it when I do, no matter how big or small.

    As others have said, your overall deficit is what counts, not how you label your consumption on that day. If you could fit it into the weeks calories and still lose, why not? If you did not care about losing and were happy to maintain that week, why not?
  • patrikc333
    patrikc333 Posts: 436 Member
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    having a burger/pizza/icecream/chocolate is not cheating

    food is food

    in a balanced diet (hitting both macros and calorie allowance), "cheating meals, cheating foods" are a non sense

    no one should deprive themselves of any food
  • DebJ618
    DebJ618 Posts: 36 Member
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    A lot of great posts both for and against cheating and I really wish there was a like button on here!

    I don't think there is a problem with a "cheat" and I do like what JenniK614 said about calling it a "treat." BUT, I do think calories should still be included and it shouldn't take you sky high over them. The psychology of the word "cheat" is problematic and I can agree with the posters who do not like the term or mention it just as food and to be around your calorie goal even on those days. Or to still hit your important macros before hand.

    For me.... There is only one day a week were my fiancee doesn't work and I only work early in the AM. It is our only day together and he doesn't follow any diet. The one week we went walking a museum and across the street was a fudge/chocolate/ice cream factory. Yes I indulged in 1.5 small chocolates (maybe 1 ounce each) and half of the 1 scoop ice-cream and it really wasn't even half because the stuff was so rich, thick, and filling that after a couple bites I was done. I logged it... it didn't really effect things.

    The one week I had my birthday I specifically got a cheesecake because it still is gluten free (something important to me...though I don't get super strict about it either) and again it fit in my calories/goals for the day.

    This recent week.... I was looking forward to my "feast & cheat* (yes I still use the word as for me it isn't so bad) but had no plans... I actually spent time trying to figure out what my cheat would be and nothing really sounded yummy unless we were going back to the chocolate place which we weren't. My bf ended up buying this cheesecake thing that is inside a nutty shell... I had one tiny bite of the end where there was more nut than cake... it was ok but when offered to have another bit it didn't excite me... ultimately no real "cheat"



  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    jaywirth88 wrote: »
    I have been eating very healthy and I have really enjoyed it, but I heard you should allow yourself one cheat day/meal a week. I had a cheat lunch last Sunday and I had a milkshake and burger today and I feel aweful about myself. Is cheating ok? and if so, what kinds of foods do you eat?

    Nope, not for me. I sometimes eat over but it's not cheating, it's just eating over.

    Cheating implies food type restriction and that I'm doing something wrong. I'm not a fan of either.

    Even though I'm on the other end of this spectrum and restrict a whole macronutrient group, I also don't view it as cheating and also consider it simply eating over.

    'Eating over' days need to be infrequent.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,982 Member
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    KnittingSoo wrote: »
    I have a monthly maintenance day - which I find gives me lots of scope for eating things that I normally wouldn't have the 'budget' for.

    I log everything because that keeps me focused and stops it from becoming a binge (which I have been prone to all of my life). I also try to keep a note of those things that I find a bit disappointing - if something is going to cost me 900 calories I better love it!

    I have two or three monthly maintenance days at that TOM and I also use them for eating things I wouldn't normally have the budget for.

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