Is today a cheat day?

I'm eating foods I don't eat on a regular basis but I'm still fitting it into my deficit.

True, but living in fear of special occasions is also unhealthy. It's okay to enjoy yourself a little more than usual if it's not an everyday thing. The mindset that food is dangerous and/or wrong is what causes people to give up hope and revert back to old habits. Learning that no food is "bad", anything can be enjoyed in moderation, and that a day off of counting calories will not cause you to gain five pounds are important. This is why I even hate the concept of a "cheat day". Most people wouldn't have cheat days if they just worked what foods they love into their calorie allowance. Even still, one day of eating what you want without logging shouldn't derail most people.

Today some of you will go to Super Bowl parties. You most likely won't have your food scale if you use one, you won't have access to most of the nutrition labels, but you know what? It's okay. You may see less of a loss in the coming week, you may leave yourself a slightly larger deficit the rest of the week to make up for it, maybe you're not worried because you already banked calories for this or maybe, like me, you couldn't care less about today and it's a normal day for you. Whatever the case may be, enjoy yourself with whatever you choose to eat and make sure you pick up where you left off tomorrow.

I'm going to enjoy myself for Super Bowl Sunday. I won't go overboard, since it's just my husband and I at home. But, I'm not going to be miserable and not partake in chicken wings. Tomorrow is a new day and I will kick butt again.

While I don't consider today a "special occasion" (I don't get television service and my friend isn't hosting a party this year), I try to eat in moderation but without any calorie goals on actual special occasions. It's less than 15 days per year for me, since for my family we tend to celebrate groups of birthdays together, etc. I didn't become obese by overeating 15 days a year, I became obese overeating on the other 350.

What really derails people is the thought that going over one day somehow makes it OK to go over the next and the next and the next. For me, that isn't a problem - my diet has never been about being perfect and never missing a day, it's about being good enough to reach my goals. To that end, special occasions are fine - I can eat more than usual and still be good enough. It's not a failure of any kind.

NewOR2015 wrote: »

Super Bowl Sunday, it’s just one day.
Thanksgiving, it’s just one day.
Christmas Eve, it’s just one day.
Christmas Day, it’s just one day.
New Year’s Eve, it’s just one day.
New Year’s Day, it’s just one day.
Valentine’s Day, it’s just one day.
My friend’s wedding, my cousin’s baby shower, my daughter’s birthday, etc.
Every day is just one day.

You mentioned 11 days. Out of 365. That would leave you 354 days to be more mindful of what you eat. Or you could, like, me, make room in your calories everyday for a little treat or two. Because life happens.

I consider one "cheat day" a week is just fine just don't go completely over board the whole day or regret will set in!

Yes it's just one day. Every one of these days is just one day. Heck, even if half of the days in a year are spent maintaining and the other half is spent losing, a person would still be in a much better place than someone who is consumed by guilt and eventually burns out and quits gaining back everything.

You mentioned 11 days. Out of 365. That would leave you 354 days to be more mindful of what you eat. Or you could, like, me, make room in your calories everyday for a little treat or two. Because life happens. [/quote]


THIS! still not even 80/20... Do whatever you want between your own hand & mouth but there are plenty of folks here who've lost but still enjoyed those days without being scolded! LOL

I didn't even know it was superbowl sunday until the guy at the phone store told me.

I only ever watch when the Patriots play.

Because I really enjoy watching them lose.

When my husband and I decided to do this together, one of our promises to each other was that there would be no crazy guilting over special events from either of us. If we go a party, we eat what we want, we plan to do some extra cardio for it over the next couple days, and we move back on schedule.
Yes, it's just one special day once in a while, and sure you can find an excuse to make every day a splurge day (Yesterday was National Frozen Yogurt day! ... Today is National Periodic Table Day, not sure how you can science into splurge, but hey, it's elemental!) so you may have to pick your days.

xRezin wrote: »

I see this a lot. Having a cheat day is detrimental to weight loss.

Maybe a cheat meal, but not all whole day.

It depends on how often you have them. Once a week? Yeah, that could be an issue, and could easily negate any deficit for the week depending on what you chow down on.

Once in a while? Not an issue.

I do, however, refrain from calling it a cheat day. Who am I cheating on if not myself? I prefer calling them "planned overages." Because they're, you know, "planned" since I knew they were coming and upped my cardio and reduced my calories on the days before to give me the needed wiggle room.

And if I have an occasion that was unplanned? I simply log it and move on. Like I said, life happens. If you major in the minors you'll drive yourself nuts, beat yourself up and probably give yourself an excuse to quit because you're such a failure anyway.

Don't be that guy.

wonderchu wrote: »

xRezin wrote: »

I see this a lot. Having a cheat day is detrimental to weight loss.

Maybe a cheat meal, but not all whole day.

It's detrimental to the rate of loss, sure, but I've lost nearly 80lbs and I have all out cheat days every once in a while.

Didn't stop me from losing 120 pounds either

We didn't get invited to anything for the Super Bowl for once this year, so I did the exercise bike instead of watching the game and eating wings. (Very un-American!)

I agree OP. I don't have so many 'special occasion days'... In the end it really depends on how hungry I am and what's available, honestly.