Cheat days, what's yours like

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  • KBmoments
    KBmoments Posts: 193 Member
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    faramelee wrote: »
    KBmoments wrote: »
    How do people have cheat days or high calorie days on maintenance? If you do that each week, you'll gain, right? I'm able to do a higher calorie day because I'm at losing cals, so it'll put me at maintenance for the week if I go over. But yea, if I was eating at maintenance already, that just means I'd have to make up for it at some point. Am I wrong on that?

    I don't think you're wrong at all. I've just had this weekend off of work and I don't even want to imagine the calories I've consumed via chocolate and wine but when I got on the scale yesterday morning I was only up around 1lb. I know that will have gone by tomorrow morning. If I ate like that every day or more regularly than I do I would get big again but I don't, I generally eat a balanced and nutritious 'diet' and I walk 45mins five times a week and do either circuits or kickboxing for half an hour 3 or 4 times a week and an hour long circuit session once a week. It seems to be working for me, I've been in maintenance for 17 months now.

    Congrats on your maintenance! Thanks for your input :)
  • carmkizzle
    carmkizzle Posts: 211 Member
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    If I'm in the mood for Edy's (Dreyer's) cookie dough ice cream, I buy one small 5.8 floz, 250 calorie container and enjoy it. Then, I move on. Whenever I'm craving a treat, I allow myself to have it (the ice cream is usually what it is for me). I sometimes make it fit into my daily caloric goals, but it if causes me to go over by 100-150 calories, I can live with that.
  • pmanney
    pmanney Posts: 25 Member
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    As a diabetic, I cannot cheat as most do--no doughnuts, cake, ice cream, etc. Additionally, if I do cheat, I know that--based on my personality--I will want to cheat every day.

    I do set my daily MFP calorie limit on the lower end of my acceptable range--that way, if I am hungry, I can always have a little extra without a problem, which happens every couple of weeks. 3500 extra calories=1 pound weight gain, though, so I watch it. Been maintaining my weight goal +/- 2 lbs for 9 months now by this method.
  • chriq
    chriq Posts: 1 Member
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    An entire box of gummy fruit snacks. B)
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    I try to not have "cheat days." On the weekends, I'll drink and allow the alcohol to be "free calories" if I worked out, which is cheating the system a bit but oh well! Gotta have fun while you can.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    KBmoments wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    KBmoments wrote: »
    How do people have cheat days or high calorie days on maintenance? If you do that each week, you'll gain, right? I'm able to do a higher calorie day because I'm at losing cals, so it'll put me at maintenance for the week if I go over. But yea, if I was eating at maintenance already, that just means I'd have to make up for it at some point. Am I wrong on that?

    I keep a 300 calorie deficit that I try to stick to as much as possible, because I know that I'll have days when I go over quite a bit (during PMS, Holidays, or special events). I typically have 2 weeks with a good 1500-2100 calorie deficit every month... so far it's made up for bad PMS days and I lost my vacation weight in 2 months without changing anything (although for some reason I never seem to go under 133 pounds).

    My reasoning is that the two weeks after my period, I'm not that hungry anyway, so if I ate at maintenance I'd just be eating more junk to meet my goal... so I'd rather 'save' those calories for PMS when I'm just starving and nearly impossible to stick to maintenance calories.

    It's worked so far.. I mean, it kinda sucks, because I'm either starving from PMS or having to restrict myself to make sure that I keep that deficit the rest of the time, so basically I always have to restrict myself and think twice before having a higher calorie 'cheat', but I've managed to maintain for 1.5 year this way (more or less, I gained a couple pounds with the Holidays that I want to lose).

    That's also why I try to keep the 'cheat' days for PMS days anyway, as I know I'll be starving anyway and eating more than usual.

    Thanks for your input! When you say 300 cal. deficit, is that daily or weekly? I am still trying to lose and eat at my losing calories, but the weekends end up ruining it for me... so I just end up maintaining unintentionally! Which is fine..once i want to maintain... but yea, frustrating when you're still trying to lose the last 5 lbs or so!!

    300 daily. Which I typically stick to 6 days a week unless it's PMS week (and I eat at maintenance or maybe 200 over on day 6). I'm in the same boat though, still trying to lose a bit (bit more now again after the Holidays), but PMS ruins everything so I might have to decrease my goal the rest of the time.. but then I can't stick to it. It's tough!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    KBmoments wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    KBmoments wrote: »
    How do people have cheat days or high calorie days on maintenance? If you do that each week, you'll gain, right? I'm able to do a higher calorie day because I'm at losing cals, so it'll put me at maintenance for the week if I go over. But yea, if I was eating at maintenance already, that just means I'd have to make up for it at some point. Am I wrong on that?

    I keep a 300 calorie deficit that I try to stick to as much as possible, because I know that I'll have days when I go over quite a bit (during PMS, Holidays, or special events). I typically have 2 weeks with a good 1500-2100 calorie deficit every month... so far it's made up for bad PMS days and I lost my vacation weight in 2 months without changing anything (although for some reason I never seem to go under 133 pounds).

    My reasoning is that the two weeks after my period, I'm not that hungry anyway, so if I ate at maintenance I'd just be eating more junk to meet my goal... so I'd rather 'save' those calories for PMS when I'm just starving and nearly impossible to stick to maintenance calories.

    It's worked so far.. I mean, it kinda sucks, because I'm either starving from PMS or having to restrict myself to make sure that I keep that deficit the rest of the time, so basically I always have to restrict myself and think twice before having a higher calorie 'cheat', but I've managed to maintain for 1.5 year this way (more or less, I gained a couple pounds with the Holidays that I want to lose).

    That's also why I try to keep the 'cheat' days for PMS days anyway, as I know I'll be starving anyway and eating more than usual.

    Thanks for your input! When you say 300 cal. deficit, is that daily or weekly? I am still trying to lose and eat at my losing calories, but the weekends end up ruining it for me... so I just end up maintaining unintentionally! Which is fine..once i want to maintain... but yea, frustrating when you're still trying to lose the last 5 lbs or so!!

    300 daily. Which I typically stick to 6 days a week unless it's PMS week (and I eat at maintenance or maybe 200 over on day 6). I'm in the same boat though, still trying to lose a bit (bit more now again after the Holidays), but PMS ruins everything so I might have to decrease my goal the rest of the time.. but then I can't stick to it. It's tough!

    I bet you're praying for menopause to hurry up and come :wink:
  • cthakkar1985
    cthakkar1985 Posts: 137 Member
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    I allow myself at most 1 cheat meal per week. My guidelines are -

    1) It has to be something I REALLY want to eat and is worth going over my calorie budget for i.e. an impulse binge on a box full of oreos are not allowed, but dinner at a nice restaurant I've been wanting to try does count.

    2) It has to be part of a social activity. This makes my cheat experience much more enjoyable and something I will look forward to for the whole week. These are typically birthdays, holidays, going to a sporting event, etc.

    3) I have to lift heavy weights + cardio + eat perfectly the next day. This will minimize any weight gain experienced from the cheat meal and will ensure that I get back on track right away.
  • karwowski1992
    karwowski1992 Posts: 41 Member
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    I don't have cheat days, really. I eat a small portion of what I want everyday. It keeps me sane.
  • kevin_bvbfan
    kevin_bvbfan Posts: 37 Member
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    cheat days should be epic in my opinion so I shoot for an extra 2000 calories, hell if I am gonna do, I best do it right. Big ole hamburger, double meat, double green chili, double bacon, double cheese, extra grease with seasoned curly fries and onion rings...I just don't plan on working out on days like that
  • Dreysander
    Dreysander Posts: 294 Member
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    I'm under my goal weight now and I don't want to drop any more. I'm thinking an epic cheat day might be in order.
  • adamcourt
    adamcourt Posts: 61 Member
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    hey people hows everyone doing
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    lithezebra wrote: »
    Thin_Beauty94 wrote: »
    You cheat days are sad. Seriously y'all need to live a little

    Different strokes. I have fun fitting into my size 0 dresses instead of eating whatever I want.

    I'm the other way around lol. I'd rather be a bit chubby (barely) than to stop eating my chocolate and cookies!

    Amen!
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
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    I really don't exclude anything during my normal diet...and would just compensate. Of course there are days when you just cannot compensate for a large bag of chips or a large popcorn or six pints.

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