?s about "cheat days"

bookgirl74
bookgirl74 Posts: 11
edited September 18 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been dieting/exercising since the beginning of the year (with one week off due to an illness). I am also training for a mini-marathon...13 miles. My question is that I do relatively well on my diet and exercise during the week, but Sunday is my cheat day....in which I eat horribly...for example Superbowl Sunday was my Super EATING Sunday. I have been doing Weight Watchers points, and now calorie counting, but on Sundays...it goes out the window. Am I significantly damaging my diet goals by allowing myself a cheat day? (BTW...the thought of eating a cheeseburger or mac and cheese on Sunday helps me to get through the week.)

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • bookgirl74
    bookgirl74 Posts: 11
    I have been dieting/exercising since the beginning of the year (with one week off due to an illness). I am also training for a mini-marathon...13 miles. My question is that I do relatively well on my diet and exercise during the week, but Sunday is my cheat day....in which I eat horribly...for example Superbowl Sunday was my Super EATING Sunday. I have been doing Weight Watchers points, and now calorie counting, but on Sundays...it goes out the window. Am I significantly damaging my diet goals by allowing myself a cheat day? (BTW...the thought of eating a cheeseburger or mac and cheese on Sunday helps me to get through the week.)

    Any thoughts?
  • memaw66
    memaw66 Posts: 2,558 Member
    I allow myself cheat day on Suday too. I don't go overboard but if I want something like mac/cheese I eat a little of it. My portion sizes have really dropped but I still get that taste in!!! I think it helps so that you don't feel deprived. You just get back on track on Monday. If you can get back on track and stay there all week (even Sat.) you should be fine.
  • Healthier_Me
    Healthier_Me Posts: 5,600 Member
    One of my MFP buddz(Cowboy) said to call it your "reward day".. it sounds alot better.
    I have a reward day every week but I try not to go overboard.
    It's actually a reward meal for me. I choose which meal I want to indulge in and I eat right on the other meals... well, try to:blushing:

    ~Joanna:flowerforyou:
  • bigdane321
    bigdane321 Posts: 233 Member
    I don't believe in a cheat day. I believe in a reward meal. One fantastic meal will do less damage than a whole day of recklessness. Also you can curb your earlier meal to better allow those extra calories.
  • jessneill
    jessneill Posts: 380 Member
    Same here, I do a meal once a week where I don't worry about the calories too much. I don't go overboard mostly because I just can't eat how I used to. I still watch what I eat for the other meals that day to balance it out.
  • goochinator
    goochinator Posts: 383 Member
    In used to be able to have a cheat day and eat whatever I wanted, but I'm finding that I cant do that anymore, as I undo a lot of my hard work and actually gain weight- so I try to eat what I want, but in small portions and try to excercise more. I think it depends on the individual and what works for you- if you can do it and still lose, go for it!

    I really do miss the days when I could cheat for an entire day and still lose!
  • rem1979
    rem1979 Posts: 344 Member
    I don't allow cheat days or rewards meals. I don't think food should be a reward, go out an buy yourself something nice instead. I do occasionally eat foods that are maybe not the best for me, but I do it within my allowed calories and controlled portions.

    I actually had a Pillsbury crescent roll yesterday for dinner and didn't realize it had 2.5 grams of TRANS FAT. OOPS!!! I told my husband he shouldn't buy those anymore but I was still under on my calories!
  • catlover
    catlover Posts: 389
    I don't allow cheat days or rewards meals. I don't think food should be a reward, go out an buy yourself something nice instead. I do occasionally eat foods that are maybe not the best for me, but I do it within my allowed calories and controlled portions.

    I actually had a Pillsbury crescent roll yesterday for dinner and didn't realize it had 2.5 grams of TRANS FAT. OOPS!!! I told my husband he shouldn't buy those anymore but I was still under on my calories!

    You bring up a great point about our use of food and I agree with you entirely. I'm a preschool teacher and have worked with kids for 15 years. In our culture food is often used as a reward or a bribe or even a punishment. My own daughter is now a teen and I try to get away from that and now reward her with an item or activity rather than food. Years ago I heard a woman say she put $5 into a jar for each pound she lost and she used the funds to buy new clothes as she dropped the weight. Personally, I try to avoid the "off" days, regardless of what I call them. I just do the best I can every day. If I want pizza one day I eat a fruit and salad first, along with one or two glasses of water and then I wait to have the pizza. Chances are, I'll be able to have one or two slices and stop. I work really hard at this, like we all do, and I don't want my hard work to be undone in a day. Different things work for different people and I think you need to do what is working for you.
  • Loretta_Jo
    Loretta_Jo Posts: 609 Member
    My “Treat” day is Friday. That day I can go out with friends or my husband or my son and not worry about what I am eating. I can just relax and enjoy my evening out. It helps me stay on track the rest of the week. I know that Friday is coming and I can have what ever I want that day. It works for me.
    :flowerforyou:
  • walnut
    walnut Posts: 216 Member
    I believe that it's good to remember periodically that there is more to life than dieting and losing weight, and that if you want to go out with friends to a nice restaurant or celebrate superbowl sunday to its fullest extent, that should be okay to do. I wouldn't think of it as a reward, rather just a break to share a social experience and not have to worry.

    It seems about once a week or so I go over my calories by 300-400, and generally am okay with that because considering the rest of the week, I am still losing weight. I just keep in mind how much exercise and careful eating it took to be able to allow that, and do it consciously.
  • lshutt
    lshutt Posts: 11
    i too have a day that is a cheat day..i actually went out on friday for a girls night out and what I thought would be my cheat night and when i logged everything in i was still within my 1200 calories. I have found that now i only loose about 1-2 pounds a week and i am ok with that. I have lost 43 and i have another 37 to go. Everyone keep up the good work....
  • jessneill
    jessneill Posts: 380 Member
    I don't allow cheat days or rewards meals. I don't think food should be a reward, go out an buy yourself something nice instead. I do occasionally eat foods that are maybe not the best for me, but I do it within my allowed calories and controlled portions.

    I actually had a Pillsbury crescent roll yesterday for dinner and didn't realize it had 2.5 grams of TRANS FAT. OOPS!!! I told my husband he shouldn't buy those anymore but I was still under on my calories!

    I do agree with the though process that food should not be a "reward" but I also think if you restrict food all the time you will end up feeling deprived and most likely go overboard in a big way, which is why I think it's good to give yourself a meall "off" in a sense. I think what we are all trying to learn is that we can eat ANYTHING we just need to learn to eat in the proper way.

    I have planned rewards for myself as I hit my weight loss goals that have nothing to do with food but more to do with feeling good about myself, like going to that really good hair salon for a cut and color even if it does cost me $150! :happy:
  • melathon
    melathon Posts: 246 Member
    I agree that "cheat days" are basically a no-no (for me, at least), but I overdid it by about 2000 calories on Saturday (that's my best estimate of a menu that included "Caribbean Jerk chicken with a mango shooter," "pasta carbonara" (cheese AND bacon), creme brulee, lemon parfait, etc.) It was a special occasion event for work and I had to be there and eat and "mingle." The food was so darn good I didn't even feel guilty about the obvious splurging. I mean, that creme brulee was awesome.
    To my surprise and delight, today (Tuesday) I had lost another two pounds since last week! That tells me that I'm on the right track.
    What I did, though, was on Sunday (the day after the huge meal) I went running in the early afternoon for about an hour, came home, ate lunch, took a nap, and went running AGAIN (just for 10-15 minutes) before the Superbowl. I ate tomato soup, fruit, and oatmeal on Sunday and was about 400 calories under my goal for the day. I guess it's all about balance - if you go way over your calories one day, try to make up for it in small increments in the next few days. I'm still shocked that I'm still losing after the weekend, but I'm not complaining. Did I mention that food was awesome?...
  • ohthatbambi
    ohthatbambi Posts: 1,098 Member
    I think that every once in a while if you have a craving you can indulge a little. The planned cheat day didn't work for me b/c I found myself fantasizing about what I would eat that day ALL week long. For me, this is more of a way to live, not so much a diet anymore so if occassionally I want a little ice cream then okay, but a serving of ice cream is 1/2 cup so that is what I try to eat. Now that being said, last night I ate some icecream (vanilla) with some sliced (fresh) strawberries and it was so good. I enjoyed it, but today I feel soooo sluggish and I woke up with a headache and I feel all around cruddy. I am thinking, it was from the extra sugar that I don't usually eat and if it is not then I am telling myself it is b/c then maybe next time I will remember today and how crappy I felt. Only you know if it is worth it. I think if you are going to indulge in something other than healthy food just use some sense and moderation!
  • adelespears
    adelespears Posts: 86
    I can't do the "cheat days", it upsets my stomach too much. Anything with too much grease or salt or anything in it gives me a stomach ache like no other. I don't even try anymore, being sick is just not worth eating that piece of pizza...
  • flachix
    flachix Posts: 256 Member
    if you over indulge, then you are probably setting yourself back a bit, the trick is to only have that day, or that meal. If it means that you lose two pounds instead of three and that is ok with you, then I don't see a real problem. you shouldn't feel guilty about it, but I like the idea of rewards not having to do with food. I don't have enough control to cheat yet. going over a bit is bad enough and that's with regular food. :noway: maybe eventually.
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