Cheat days?

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AnikaNck
AnikaNck Posts: 17 Member
Does anyone believe in cheat days? I live in a small town and we're constantly having special events on the weekends. today was a chilli and wing cook off. I only ate a beignet topped with caramel sauce, 340 calories later I was almost over my calorie goal even though I worked out extra. I'm constantly under my net calorie goal, but I like to be under every day. Anyone have advice?

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  • MorganGeib
    MorganGeib Posts: 4 Member
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    I usually will have a cheat meal not a whole cheat day and I make sure I eat light the rest of the day and get in a good workout to hopefully balance it out. It hasn't seemed to slow my weightloss at all (I lost 4lbs this week w/ 2 cheat meals but I usually try to limit myself to one cheat meal a week)
  • SweetPeasMom55
    SweetPeasMom55 Posts: 3,385 Member
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    I don't ever consider something a cheat day or meal if there is something I want I just incorporate it into my meals for the day. I exercise and I'm always under. I guess it's how you think of it.
  • no_pink_skirts
    no_pink_skirts Posts: 914 Member
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    I don't like the idea of cheat days as I feel it just encourages me to binge. I'm trying to be more realistic this time so if I wouldn't deny it forever, I'll do like 2020pink and just incorporate it into my food for the day. I'm trying to make better choices though like eating smaller portions or leaving off things that add extra calories. So like in your case, I'd eat half the beignet and leave off the caramel sauce. To be fair I don't like caramel so that's a bit of a cheat for me right there
  • FergyGirl2016
    FergyGirl2016 Posts: 27 Member
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    Great question, AnikaNck! Chili and wings and a beignet with caramel sauce sounds like a great meal to me! lol

    I love reading everybody's different ways of doing their diet! It gives me lots of ideas to try, because I never know what might work.

    I dislike the word "cheat". I call it a high calorie day, or a non-fast day, or just "a day off".

    It fulfills the cravings, and gives me a break, just like a day off from work or whatever. And who knows, maybe the things we indulge in on our day off provide some nutrients we're low on.

    Like, I don't eat a lot of protein, because I usually want to use most of my daily calorie "budget" on veggies and fruits. So when I take a day off to splurge, I usually discover I'm craving a big juicy steak, or rotisserie chicken.

    But I almost ALWAYS crave sweets! Candy, cookies, beignets with caramel sauce, whatever it is, if it's got sugar in it or on it, I want it. By budgeting my calories carefully, I usually manage to have sugar every day. When it's a day off, I definitely indulge!

    The sugar probably isn't healthy, I'm just saying, this is the way it is. I can't even imagine being able to go for a day, let alone a week or month, without sugar. Stevia has been a miraculous discovery! It's helped a lot. Ripe sweet fruit helps a lot too.

    Best of luck everybody, regardless of whether you take a day off once or twice a week, or whenever!
  • smit7633
    smit7633 Posts: 182 Member
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    I like your thinking 2020! If you call it a cheat you are setting yourself up for failure! One cheat leads to two and then before you know it you will be axrapoinf the whole week, " I already ate bad on Sunday and Monday might as well keep it up and start fresh next week!" Don't do that to yourselves guys!
    I don't ever consider something a cheat day or meal if there is something I want I just incorporate it into my meals for the day. I exercise and I'm always under. I guess it's how you think of it.

  • vivrevotrevie
    vivrevotrevie Posts: 80 Member
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    I don't really consider anything a cheat day. I really try to stick to my calorie and macros count and if I go over with some foods, I try to offset with more exercise (i.e. walking, extra trip to the gym, etc).

    There are definitely days I eat over my count, but I don't necessarily plan out that x day I will eat more than another