Do you do a cheat meal/day?

Options
rsenor
rsenor Posts: 57 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Curious as to whether everyone does a cheat meal or day? I learned to do this years ago when I was doing a particular diet; it involved a cheat day. I still integrate this but as the years have gone by it's become a little harder to drop extra weight, and I'm wondering if my cheat day is worth it. I typically mentally "put" foods I want into my cheat day bucket. I'm just restarting (as all of us I imagine) losing a few pounds, and trying to decide if its worth it to do a cheat day. Curious as to others experiences in this regard.
«13

Replies

  • Annr
    Annr Posts: 2,765 Member
    Options
    I have found "cheat days" to undermine what I am trying to do. Cheat implies that it's bad for one thing. If I wish a cookie, I just log it in along with other choices I make. Being accountable to everything I eat, is more important to me than labeling a food a good or a bad thing, or making a day when I can have set "bad" things.

    It's an attitude thing. It's a mind game.
  • skorsk
    skorsk Posts: 32 Member
    Options
    I have tried cheat days and I lose control and my mindset. Ive learned if im going to be serious, I can't go off track.
  • ilovefastcarstoo
    ilovefastcarstoo Posts: 115 Member
    Options
    Annr wrote: »
    I have found "cheat days" to undermine what I am trying to do. Cheat implies that it's bad for one thing. If I wish a cookie, I just log it in along with other choices I make. Being accountable to everything I eat, is more important to me than labeling a food a good or a bad thing, or making a day when I can have set "bad" things.

    It's an attitude thing. It's a mind game.

    I love this idea. I think this is how most successful people go about maintaining their weight loss. If you really want something, just have it and log it in with your other calories for the day. :)
  • tanyaltrl
    tanyaltrl Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    Yes I have a cheat meal per day lol
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    Options
    What's the "rule" of a cheat meal/day?
  • Annr
    Annr Posts: 2,765 Member
    Options
    ilovefastcarstoo~ Yep that is true accountability right there. I read a book that stated that to truly satisfy what you are craving, you have to really listen to what your body is telling you. To not just settle for what you scrounge up with. To listen with your body, not your brain, or your impulses. To forage in my kitchen finding a great meal with protein, a grain, some olive oil, some veggies, is really putting the pleasure back into eating for me. Eating is suppose to ruin your appetite..hahaha!
  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    Options
    My whole dieting experience as been one big cheat. It just has to be, since it's been so easy.
  • Annr
    Annr Posts: 2,765 Member
    Options
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    My whole dieting experience as been one big cheat. It just has to be, since it's been so easy.

    yep we are cheating death right? Living a long life and really annoying the snot outta death. :-)
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Options
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    My whole dieting experience as been one big cheat. It just has to be, since it's been so easy.

    I'm stealing that! Awesome
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,944 Member
    Options
    Nope ... no cheating.

    I eat foods I like within my calorie limit ... and about once every 4 months or so, I take a diet break.
  • oksoitsjen
    oksoitsjen Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    I don't do a cheat day... Just a cheat meal on Sunday evenings. And I still log all of it, even if it's over my calories. I still do things that people would consider to be "bad" I just make sure it fits in my calories for the day. I had two beers with dinner last night =) It's all about moderation!
  • 6AMGANG
    6AMGANG Posts: 14 Member
    Options
    pointless
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    Options
    No cheat days or meals. I have food I want to eat every day and fit it in my calorie goal so there is nothing to cheat from. I did not drastically change my diet to lose weight. I just eat smaller portions of higher calorie foods- usually paired with a bunch of lower calorie foods.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Options
    Eat food, log food.
  • lml852014
    lml852014 Posts: 243 Member
    Options
    I used to but now I just log everything and eat at maintence on Saturdays. I tend to overestimate calories & "bank" calories too for the weekends, just in case.
  • ParadiseLost91
    ParadiseLost91 Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    I do cheat meals. I'm on 1200 daily calories and I'm STARVING, it takes all my willpower to go to bed hungry every day and pretty much always be hungry (yes I eat protein and fibers, my stomach is just used to big portions).

    There is no way I can fit in the food that I crave on an everyday basis, as some people here suggest. There just aren't enough calories.
    So I do a cheat meal (not a day, just a meal), where I allow myself to have whatever I want, with no thoughts on calories. I eat normally the whole day, and then "cheat" in the evening.

    I don't have a specific time I do this, usually when I can't contain the craving anymore haha. My only rule is that there cannot be two cheat meals in one week, there has to be at least one week in between.

    Because I'm already faily low in daily calories, I don't feel like it ruins my weight loss. And it's definitly worth it for me, because then I can have the foods that I normally don't have room for on a daily basis (pizza, spaghetti carbonara (my fave), sushi etc).
  • Mentali
    Mentali Posts: 352 Member
    Options
    krisonkor wrote: »
    I have tried cheat days and I lose control and my mindset. Ive learned if im going to be serious, I can't go off track.

    I'm the same way. When I get into the mindset that I need to eat healthier, as soon as I veer off track and spend a day munching endlessly on whatever I want, I've broken my determination and I start gaining again. It also doesn't help that when I start eating more, I need more to feel 'full' - so it's like reliving the first few days of my diet all over again whenever I allow myself to "cheat".
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
    Options
    lml852014 wrote: »
    I used to but now I just log everything and eat at maintence on Saturdays. I tend to overestimate calories & "bank" calories too for the weekends, just in case.

    I do this too ^^^

    But every so often I get burned out with all the weighing/measuring/logging and I take a break for a few days. I don't consider them 'cheat days' though

  • mellyb1989
    mellyb1989 Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    I'm struggling, at one point I had lost 20 pounds basically eating nothing, I gained it back Ina flash.
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
    Options
    Who are you cheating on?

    I eat what I want to. I'm more mindful of portions, and I budget my calories so that what I want to eat fits into my day. I had burgers and fries last night, Domino's pizza the night before, I'll have a few beers tonight, etc. My other meals are lighter in calories (and a heck of a lot more vegetable-focused) to balance things out.

Categories