thoughts on cheat days?

At 35 posts, I'm guessing that you've been involved in this project for about a month. If I were in your shoes, I would ask 2 questions: 1. Have I lost enough weight already to gain a real fat pound from a party night? 2. If I do gain a real fat pound from a party night, am I able to lose it again and resume my weight loss project?

If you answer either question with "no", then don't do the party or the cheat.

I calorie cycle sometimes if I plan on going out to dinner. I'll adjust my calories the day before and day after so I'll have some "extra" to use eating out. Calories for the week still end up the same.

That being said, I still try to eat healthfully at restaurants as much as possible. Yes, maybe more food, but I try not to go to crazy with what I'm eating. Only because I feel like crap the day after if I eat pasta, lots of bread, etc. I just get bloated and feel like I've gained 5 pounds over night.

I'm not really into a "cheat day," in that I just throw it all out the window, but if there's an event I can plan for, I'll try to eat light earlier that day, and then AT the event, make decent choices - drink vodka/soda instead of rum/coke, just have one or two bites of that really rich dessert, that sort of thing. You don't have to blow it to enjoy it.

Shoot, my husband and I try to do a "date night" most every weekend, and we'll go out to eat, order a drink or two, and I can usually find something sensible on the menu (blackened redfish is a favorite - it's usually delicious and definitely fits the calorie budget). I rarely go over my calories on those nights, or not by much, anyway.

A lot depends on what you mean by 'cheat'. Personally, I consider having a few bites of something I'm not supposed to as a 'cheat'. It helps me to cut a really really slim piece of pizza and eat it, rather then skipping all together.

If I have the full slice, or worse, multiple slices, I find it much harder to get back on track. It causes my cravings to kick in for all of the foods I shouldn't eat. Knowing this makes it MUCH easier for me to keep from sabotaging myself.

Its all about what you can and can't do, what you truly have the willpower for. There is a lot of good advice here, such as making up for the 'cheat' elsewhere, or more importantly, just don't go overboard. Have 1 drink instead of 3. Have a few bites of cake and skip the rest. It helps keep everything in balance.

Dan

I don't believe in "cheat" days either, mostly because nothing is really off-limits. Just because it isn't normally part of plan doesn't mean I can't have it. I always stay mindful of what I eat and drink, and track it. On special occasions, I will be OK with going over my targets, but it isn't a free-for-all. Like other posters said, I will still make decent choices. I might just have a 2nd glass of wine instead of one or none, and I might have a dessert, or split a fried dish like calamari (normally I don't order fried anything). I also usually find that I naturally eat less the next day, because my body is still satisfied with the extra calories it consumed, so over the course of the week. it balances out.

First off I have to say that the term just rubs me the wrong way...for whatever reason it's like finger nails on a chalk board...I think it's because people already have such *kitten* up relationships with food that "cheating" just reinforces this *kitten* *kitten* relationship, as if they're doing something so positively shameful by having a little indulgence.

I do have an indulgence meal once per week...I don't make an entire day of it usually unless it's a special occasion/holiday, etc. It's usually an indulgence of something I normally wouldn't have because I'm not going to eat this particular thing in any kind of reasonable moderation really...things like pizza (minimum 4 slices), New Mexican food (the whole friggin' platter of awesomeness), fish 'n chips (extra crispy), hot wings (about 1 Lb), etc. It's really not that big of a deal though because I'm usually pretty full so I tend to have a lighter dinner, etc.

Treats, not cheats. Who are you cheating? A modest treat--something you don't routinely eat--is no problem. Depending on what & how much you eat, you could see water weight gain for a few days from high sodium content

I don't think there's anything wrong with a cheat meal now and again. I used to give myself a cheat day once a week though, and eventually realized that I could easily shovel enough calories in my face on that one day to undo all the other good days. So I have to make treating myself a more occasional thing, but I think if you don't give yourself anything to look forward to, the whole eating healthy process can be a real downer.

i've seriously thought about cheat days but if my wife found it....

JeepHair77 wrote: »

I think I agree - it's the word "cheat" that bothers me. I think it's fine to loosen the diet from time to time, especially for birthdays and things like that, just do it mindfully, and for the love of pete, don't call it "cheating" because that just goes hand in hand with "guilt."

What an important comment. I've never had someone phrase it like that and that psychological component is so important to success. Well said.

I try not to look at them as "cheat days," but just living life to the fullest. "Cheat" to me is such a ugly word. I just look at it as a treat for my hard work.

I started with a cheat day every month or 2, now I have a cheat day once a WEEK!- not until I had been dieting for 6 months did I randomly start doing it- from what I've read, having a cheat day (or meal) once a week boosts your metabolism as its slowed down from dieting.. I lose 1 pound a week still doing that, the problem with any cheat day is- the next day is so hard! You have to make sure you are strong enough to know when to stop and do what you were doing.. I think sometimes you need a cheat day, but if you know you might keep slipping up, then don't bother and keep all temptations away