Dificult day

Options
The evening of halloween was tough. My kids and i were trick or treating so they were constantly offering their bounty of candy. We were also with other neighbors who had pizza waiting for us . My cheat day was the next day. I knew that if I cheated 2 days in a row that I may be derailed from my goals. I can see how these up-coming hollidays Are going to be difficult. Any suggestions or experiences would be helpful thanks.
«1

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Options
    They should be like every other day and not affect you at all. Moderation, self-discipline and being conscientious will do wonders.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    Options
    Don't be dramatic about it. You aren't doomed. Plan ahead as much as you can. These are not surprise events.
    Eat smaller portions of higher calorie stuff. (Bring a veggie tray or salad to share and eat 1 slice of pizza with your veggies.)
    Ditch the idea of cheat days. Fit foods into your goal.
    Look at your weekly calories instead of just your daily calories. You can go a bit over your goal one day and eat just a little less the other days of the week and not go over your weekly goal at all.
    Plan to eat at maintenance on holidays and get back to your deficit after.
    Get some extra exercise during the holidays to even things out.
  • Abby2205
    Abby2205 Posts: 253 Member
    Options
    I'm not sure what you are saying about two cheat days in a row. If Sunday is your regular cheat day, how about saying that this week your cheat day was Saturday and eat at your regular deficit on Sunday.
  • gutznglory
    gutznglory Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    Plan to eat at maintenance on holidays and get back to your deficit after.
    Get some extra exercise during the holidays to even things out.

    This is great advice. You know you'll eat more on holidays, so be okay with that, and plan ahead. Exercise and eating at maintenance are the way to go! You can do it!

  • mthakkar2014
    mthakkar2014 Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    Abby2205 wrote: »
    I'm not sure what you are saying about two cheat days in a row. If Sunday is your regular cheat day, how about saying that this week your cheat day was Saturday and eat at your regular deficit on Sunday.

    ^exactly!
  • sinbadfxdl
    sinbadfxdl Posts: 103 Member
    Options
    Abby2205 wrote: »
    I'm not sure what you are saying about two cheat days in a row. If Sunday is your regular cheat day, how about saying that this week your cheat day was Saturday and eat at your regular deficit on Sunday.

    I cheat on football day with my companions. Halloween Saturday cheat day is next day. Hard to resist all that good food on Saturday when I know all my friends will be eating away on Sunday in front of me.
  • sinbadfxdl
    sinbadfxdl Posts: 103 Member
    Options
    gutznglory wrote: »
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    Plan to eat at maintenance on holidays and get back to your deficit after.
    Get some extra exercise during the holidays to even things out.

    This is great advice. You know you'll eat more on holidays, so be okay with that, and plan ahead. Exercise and eating at maintenance are the way to go! You can do it!

    Awesome good plan! Will do.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    Options
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    They should be like every other day and not affect you at all. Moderation, self-discipline and being conscientious will do wonders.

    This. Cheating implies doing something wrong, and you are doing nothing wrong when eating any type of food on any day.

    Why not just plan those special foods into your diety plan on a regular basis while staying in your calorie goals?
  • judyvalentine512
    judyvalentine512 Posts: 927 Member
    Options
    That's great advice, which I plan to follow as well. I don't have 'cheat' days per se, but I know that come Friday night, I may over eat a little. This week, it was this morning. I ate Hallowe'en candy, went over my calorie and carb goals(including what I plan for supper). I have thrown the rest of the candy in the trash, and back on track. I actually feel ill after eating the candy.
    Good luck Sinbad.
  • TracyeS4
    TracyeS4 Posts: 746 Member
    Options
    I don't have cheat days. I try to always have a healthy option available. So, if I am going to a party I eat before and take a fruit bowel and/or veggie tray. If I want a taste of something, I don't necessarily deny myself, but I won't eat as much of it.
  • GF4EVER2014
    GF4EVER2014 Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    I tried the cheat day idea, but it spins me out of control and I have trouble getting back on track. I have found a free meal once a week works better for me. It's a little bit easier to stay on track if I know at the end of the day I'm going to have a meal that is special. I worry about the holidays as I love baking and people at work are bringing in as well
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    Options
    So, your small children force fed you candy, and then your neighbors held a gun to your head and made you eat pizza. Sounds like you had a rough day.

    Seriously, though....this is why I hate the notion of "cheat" days. Nothing is cheating if you can fit it into your plan. Now, I understand it might've been hard to fit in a boatload of candy and pizza in one day. But did you have to eat the candy that your kids offered? Could you have taken one piece and called it day, saving calories for the pizza?

    Or, in the alternative, couldn't you have eaten the candy and the pizza, and not had a cheat day today? Where is it written in stone that today has to be your cheat day.

    Be a little more flexible with yourself. Maybe rid your vocabulary of the word "cheat" and incorporate treats into your daily plan so you don't feel doomed when faced with children with candy and neighbors with pizza.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    edited November 2015
    Options
    I don't do any regular cheat meals or cheat days - I work all the foods I love into my daily calorie / macro goals, so I never feel deprived. For me, having something indulgent just means I need to cut back on other things and plan my day accordingly.

    I do take certain holidays "off" - I still log as best I can but I don't set goals for those days. Those are things like Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthday, etc. Only a couple of days a year. They are not excuses for unrestricted binging, but rather times I can enjoy meals in the company of family and keep to moderate, but unmeasured, portions.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Options
    Plan ahead. Stop making a big deal about it.
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
    Options
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    They should be like every other day and not affect you at all. Moderation, self-discipline and being conscientious will do wonders.

    This
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    They should be like every other day and not affect you at all. Moderation, self-discipline and being conscientious will do wonders.

    This. Cheating implies doing something wrong, and you are doing nothing wrong when eating any type of food on any day.

    Why not just plan those special foods into your diet plan on a regular basis while staying in your calorie goals?

    And this.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    Options
    I made a conscious choice to enjoy the free chocolate as much as I liked, while being conscious of how many calories I was consuming, and then logged all of it. A day or two of indulgence isn't going to wreck my long term progress, because I intend on getting right back to work tomorrow. It will possibly slow it down a bit. And I am okay with that.

    Weight loss does not have a deadline and should not have to mean never enjoying a holiday.
  • sinbadfxdl
    sinbadfxdl Posts: 103 Member
    Options
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    They should be like every other day and not affect you at all. Moderation, self-discipline and being conscientious will do wonders.

    This. Cheating implies doing something wrong, and you are doing nothing wrong when eating any type of food on any day.

    Why not just plan those special foods into your diety plan on a regular basis while staying in your calorie goals?

    Cheating means that I will blow the calorie budget. It keeps my sanity. I still lose one to two lbs a week because I'm never in starvation mode. I end up drinking a lot and eating loads of fat food that day. I also reduce my breakfast cal., no snacks and only veggies for dinner. I'm eating like 2500 cal lunch. Lol
  • sinbadfxdl
    sinbadfxdl Posts: 103 Member
    Options
    Books and choc. Sounds like you have this thing figured out. I was referring to cheating (indulging) two days in a row. It's just tempting. I'm losing like a freight train going to its destination in time. I like that. When your in the moment, let me know how it feels.
  • sinbadfxdl
    sinbadfxdl Posts: 103 Member
    Options
    kbmnurse wrote: »
    Plan ahead. Stop making a big deal about it.

    Getting close to my goal and holidays are in the way. Just looking for advice on handling leftovers, partys. Dinner with extended family. No Big Deal Right!