Cheat days

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CynthiaCS68
CynthiaCS68 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I use to do Weight Watchers in the past very successfully! However, I thought I would try myfitnesspal! Which I have been enjoying. However with WW we were allowed one cheat day a week wherein you were allowed to eat a few more points that day so long as you stored a few points to allow the cheat day.
I am not thinking of anything outrages.
What are your thoughts on a cheat day with MyFitnessPal? Please advise! Cynthia

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,581 Member
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    No such thing as a "cheat" day in my vocabulary or with my clients. Each day you account for calories whether it's whole foods or "junk" food. People can overeat with whole foods, so would that be a "cheat" meal?

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  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
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    It works exactly the same. Ww points are just another way of measuring/counting calories. So if you save up some extra calories through the week, you can have a bit of a treat and not change your deficit.
  • LuckyAndi
    LuckyAndi Posts: 203 Member
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    I've seen some members who count their weekly calories instead of daily. So they can cut back a few days a week to allow for a cheat day.

    As for me, if I have a cheat day I find it harder to get back on track. Instead of designating a day, I let myself have what I want if I'm craving something and I don't feel nearly as guilty about it.
  • barryplumber
    barryplumber Posts: 401 Member
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    Bad habit bad bad bad. .....
  • Cup_
    Cup_ Posts: 43 Member
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    I agree with another poster...I don't designate a cheat day. If I am having a crazy craving I go out and have it in moderation. I don't keep junk at the house. You will see that many others here still eat the same as they always have, but they just fit it in. Smaller portions work for some. While cutting certain things works for others. Whatever work for you!! Gotta live a little. If a lifetime seems too long to stick to something, then it prob won't last. Be realistic and then be consistent.
  • TiJoGa
    TiJoGa Posts: 545 Member
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    There are several people that go by weekly calories instead of daily. Maybe that would work better for you?
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    I was on weight watchers for around 4 months. I did lose 25lbs but after picking it apart, it worked out that I was only consuming around 1200 calories per day - according to them, this is my absolute MAXIMUM. I think the reason WW encourage those 'extra points' on one day is purely because of the HUGE deficit they have you eating on for the rest of the week.

    My advice is, stick with MFP. You'll learn so much here. 'Cheat Days' aren't generally recommended purely for the term 'cheat'. No food is off limits here and you don't cheat with food - just the phrase itself sets us up for unhealthy food relationships. Track your calories, exercise regularly and if you do want a pizza one weekend, go for it. Moderation is key. Best of luck :)
  • rspeelman1234
    rspeelman1234 Posts: 5 Member
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    PinkPixiexox wrote: »
    I was on weight watchers for around 4 months. I did lose 25lbs but after picking it apart, it worked out that I was only consuming around 1200 calories per day - according to them, this is my absolute MAXIMUM. I think the reason WW encourage those 'extra points' on one day is purely because of the HUGE deficit they have you eating on for the rest of the week.

    My advice is, stick with MFP. You'll learn so much here. 'Cheat Days' aren't generally recommended purely for the term 'cheat'. No food is off limits here and you don't cheat with food - just the phrase itself sets us up for unhealthy food relationships. Track your calories, exercise regularly and if you do want a pizza one weekend, go for it. Moderation is key. Best of luck :)

    This. I have tried weight watchers before and figured out I was at a very large deficit calorie wise. Even with the 35 or whatever bonus points you get for a cheat day, you're still at a large deficit.

    If you liked that you can do same thing with MFP. Just bank like 200 calories a day so you can splurge one day. But like other posters said personally I think the best approach is no foods are off limits and moderation/smaller portions are the key. As long as there's a deficit weekly you should lose. I keep reminding myself I'm doing that needs to last for a LIFETIME, not a short term diet. There's a reason weight watchers never worked for me.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Cheating implies doing something wrong, I'm not. Eat with a reasonable deficit, don't over restrict yourself and you won't feel you need to "cheat". If you happen to go over on a day, where you haven't earned enough extra calories through exercise, log it and move on.
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
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    If I'm cutting, I do M-F at deficit, Sat and Sun somewhere between deficit and maintenance. I view Sat-Sun as "chill days" rather than "cheat days". In line with what @Liftng4Lis said, there's no cheat there. It's a deficit over the course of a week.

  • ntinkham88
    ntinkham88 Posts: 130 Member
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    It's OK for your calories to go up some days and down other days. It's actually good to do that. And I recommend having a treat when you need it. I'd you're craving something really bad sometimes it's worth it to just get it out of your system and start fresh the next day. Just make your "cheat" worth it. I've you're craving a cupcake, go to the best bakery in town and fully enjoy that cupcake!
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    IIFYM; hit your micros, hit your macros, enjoy the foods you love.

    Don't adopt the mentality of "oh it's Sunday so it's a cheat day".

    You wouldn't have that mentality in a relationship "it's Sunday so I'm going to cheat on my partner"... might be far fetched but there is no reason to cheat.


  • ErinWard1986
    ErinWard1986 Posts: 46 Member
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    I don't have a whole cheat day, but I do have a cheat meal...usually Friday's dinner...and it helps me stay on track...I look forward to it each week...usually me and my hubby go out to eat. I still try to eat within reason though...I still have the calorie counter in the back of my head lol
  • mrssabre113
    mrssabre113 Posts: 24 Member
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    I don't have designated "cheat" days. I try and stay within my calories every day. If I want a treat one day, I make sure I adjust what I plan to eat that day. Example if I want a Reese cup, I probably won't have a sandwich for lunch instead have a nice salad. If I want Starbucks instead of my regular coffee, I might not have mashed potatoes at dinner but another veggie instead. I do treat myself for every pound I lose, I will eat normal meals and make good choices, but might have a small bowl of ice cream that night. I still try and stay within my calories but if I go a little over (100 calories or so), I don't beat myself up. Eat what you enjoy, don't over restrict yourself, you deserve a treat occasionally and tomorrow is a new day.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I try and maintain the 7000 calorie deficit per week. I keep that balance by food and exercise. During the week days I stay low on my calories (1200-1300) so that I can have 2000 -2200 on the wekends. That extra room allows me to go out to a movie and have Popcorn and a coke on Friday night. Or go out to a nice restaurant with the family on Satuday. Or go to a birthday party and have some ice cream and cake. I can do those things without blowing my deficit for the week and I can still maintain my two pound loss per week. I don't cut out anything. I don't ever feel like I'm depriving myself. If I want something I have it but just a smaller portion of it. No I can't sit down and eat a whole pizza anymore but last night I had two large slices and today I had tacos. Some days I have In-N-Out. But I don't get the double double anymore I just get the cheese burger. And I don't have an entire fry to myself I split one with my daughter. When I first started it was difficult. I wanted to eat all the fries myself. But now, five months since I started, my stomach has shrunk to the point where I'm full before I could even think about eating all the fries. Stop thinking of it as cheating. There is no reason to cheat. Just think of it as having to pay for sonething. If I know I'm going to go over then maybe I do a little more exercise that night or maybe I eat a little less the next day. Sometimes if I have a 1000-1500 calorie dinner I'm not hungry at all when I get up and I can skip breakfast completely which makes up about 300 calories. Sometimes I have a 1000 calorie late lunch and I'm not hungry for dinner so I skip it or just have a little snack before bedtine. Play around with your alloted calories for the day and only eat when you're hungry and stop eating when you're full. But stop thinking you have to cheat....there's no reason to cheat. Who would you be cheating anyways....yourself?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,951 Member
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    I work very hard to stay within my calorie limit ... no cheating!

    But thank goodness for exercise. Exercise provides me the flexibility to be able to have things like pizza and tacos and cheesecake. :)

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