Cheat Days - Log or no?

shaneconnors
shaneconnors Posts: 5 Member
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been on this for a WHOLE week.....yeah, I know.....but I'm thinking a cheat day is in order. I read in the 4 hour body about Tim's philosophy on shocking the system, metabolism, and all that fun stuff, but in reality I just want to loosen the reigns for a day. The big question - do you guys and gals log the cheat days? Help!!! :drinker:

Replies

  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
    I do. Absolutely. Firstly, so I can remind myself just what I ate, and secondly so I can go back and see just what made my tummy hurt/poo funny/gave me a headache. And also so a cheat day doesn't turn into a cheat week (which is basically what my entire life up until now has been... cheating myself!) It gives me a chance to look back and check how long I'll have to train to get rid of some of these foods too - to make sure that moment of bliss is ACTUALLY WORTH IT.
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
    Log absolutely EVERYTHING. It has worked for me.
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
    I don't have planned cheat days, but I log everyday. even when I know I am going to go over. I think consistency is the key to winning this battle. The more you get into it you may find that planning cheat days is counterproductive and may be slowing you down.

    You have to be accountable to yourself. Not logging so called cheat days is just burying your head in the sand. Personally, I feel that the idea that you owe yourself a cheat day or some other food extravagance is part of the reason most of us got here in the first place.
  • Keri_girl
    Keri_girl Posts: 44
    Logging everything is the only thing keeping me on track. When I see that I'm eating too much and not exercsing enough it gets me off my butt and at the same time it shows me that even an occassional cheat day is not all bad!
  • MamaDee2
    MamaDee2 Posts: 843 Member
    IF YOU BITE IT YOU MUST WRITE IT!!!! Keeps you accountable.
  • Pulse1
    Pulse1 Posts: 10 Member
    I log them but kind of cheat.

    I'll add about 1000 cals per meal (blank ones) so the day will spike on my charts and then use the note to add my actual food.

    I use my cheat day as my "go out on the town" day, too. This way I get a complete (down to the single gummybear) list of what I ate but I don't have to try to find all the crazy things I ate in the database (or try to create a recipe for my wife's cheesecake).
  • Pam3
    Pam3 Posts: 1,687 Member
    log EVERYTHING that you eat everyday.....
  • Ree_Chatelain
    Ree_Chatelain Posts: 229 Member
    I log it all, even when I go over and trust me seeing that red number is not fun.
    Instead of allowing myself cheat days, where food is involved. I would reward me with a purchase. Say for a 10 lb loss I would buy something for me, not the kids, not the house, just something to spoil me for a change. If you don't want to do a number maybe for just sticking to logging and being under for a set amount of days. $10 for every 2 weeks or something like that it doesn't need to be a full blown shopping spree. Just something to work towards. I find that having a goal no matter how silly keeps me motivated.
  • flimflamfloz
    flimflamfloz Posts: 1,980 Member
    Log them, and then later on you can try to "even" your week, by cutting an extra few cals every day (weekly average is great to see if your whole week is good overall).
  • epj78
    epj78 Posts: 643 Member
    Log it.

    For two reasons - 1) it keeps you in the habit. So those days that aren't planned as "cheat" don't go un-logged because you decide to call them a cheat day - trust me it avalanches and before you know it you'll be having 3 cheat days a week.

    2) One cheat day can throw off your entire week's progress. Some people have great luck with it. Others, like me, don't. So logging it does two things. One you can see if the cheat day is effecting your progress and two, you can stay in control even on cheat days (I could easily eat 4,000 calories on a cheat day if I didn't log (it isn't hard to do when you throw caution to the wind) which is the equivalent to almost one pound!! I did not work hard all week just to have one day undo a whole pound's loss!!)
  • CommandaPanda
    CommandaPanda Posts: 451 Member
    I logged mine. Embarrassing, I know. Well it was an unintentional cheat day but you can look at my diary from yesterday and see how terrible I went.

    It gives me a good idea of what I'm putting into my body and how I should handle myself in the future. SO I'd say log it because everything is relevant when it comes to weight loss!
  • sweetiebelle
    sweetiebelle Posts: 332 Member
    Yes log in your cheat days. I particular don't have cheat days because, i would be cheating myself. Plus I don't want to gain weight. Im here to lose weight. But if I did I would log it in. It would give you an idea how many calories you over ate.
  • nikkih_89
    nikkih_89 Posts: 27 Member
    I too was wondering the same. However since I do log everything it helps me to feel as if I can have a cheat day but not just sky rocket it. I've read a lot of your friends replies and it has helped me also. So we must log everything! Good or bad!
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    My policy is LOG EVERYTHING! It holds you accountable. I'd easily fall off track if I didn't log any day... Doing this every single day is what is helping me.
  • jujudot
    jujudot Posts: 129 Member
    I always log everything-it keeps me accountable. It also makes me more aware of how bad/good some of my choices that day might have been. Just like I was pleasantly surpised that I could still stay in my calorie allowance and still have my whopper jr (on ocassion of course)! lol
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    I haven't in the past, only because it was usually out at a restaurant or something, and I have no idea what the calories were. Or I'm at a party and you're grazing on snack type stuff over a few hours. I have no idea how/what to log on days like that. It's frustrating.
  • reegordon
    reegordon Posts: 97 Member
    I attempt tp log everything becaues, like others have said, it keeps me from destroying all the hard work I've done. Granted, it can be frustrating trying to figure out the nutritional value so some times I guess. Although it may be off, at least I know I'm some where within range.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Some day's you just have to say "SCREW IT". As long as they are few and far between. Everyone is entitled.
  • Eyoung8
    Eyoung8 Posts: 107 Member
    Ok, I guess I'm in the minority on this, but I don't log on my cheat days. Kills my "food buzz..." :tongue:
    I don't think I suffer for not logging either...Plus if I give myself one day off, to me that means I'm not worried about it...
    Just me though...
  • heidikins7
    heidikins7 Posts: 22
    Absolutely. I log everything I eat, everyday no matter what. The other day I was 1000 calories over my goal. Not sure what happened, I was just HUNGRY and nothing could satisfy my hunger. But I've heard it's good to "shock" your system.
  • shaneconnors
    shaneconnors Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks so much for the awesome and honest replies everyone! I'm siding with the majority on this one - everything that goes in the mouth is going in the log, good or bad, that way I'm accountable to myself. I think I'll ease in with a cheat meal here or there, not doing a full cheat day, and see how that goes. I totally agree that a cheat meal can turn into a cheat day which can turn into a cheat week, then all of a sudden you've fallen off the wagon, so I'll have to be careful. Thanks again all!
    :smile:
  • PaulaDDN
    PaulaDDN Posts: 162 Member
    I dont, im too embarassed to log in all the junk that i eat during my cheat days
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