Do you have a treat day/night?

Personally I do not because it totally derails me. I make sure I have enough calories at the end of each day so that I can have an indulgence. If I want pizza or something high in calories throughout the day I cut the portion size and make sure it fits into my numbers. This way I never feel deprived and need that cheating day.

I used to do that but I found it hinders my progress. I don't do it anymore unless it's a rare occasion, maybe once a month or so I will not count calories for a meal if we go out with friends. But I plan for it by eating smaller meals earlier in the day so that even if I exceed my calorie goals it's not by a huge amount.

For me the only way to stay on the wagon is to make small, sustainable lifestyle changes one by one and stick to them. If I'm restricting my diet to the point that I feel I need a treat/cheat day every week then I haven't been making sustainable changes. A diet that lets you stay at a healthy weight should also include things you enjoy and treats, you just have to plan your calorie goals around them and decide which treats are worth keeping in your diet.

Personally I could never live without burritos (and I still eat them regularly), but something like chips where I feel hungry after eating 500 calories of chips just isn't worth it to me. After a few times where I ate the chips, logged it, and achieved my calorie goal but I was still starving at the end of the day I just decided to not have chips be a regular part of my diet.

Phrick wrote: »

I did for a long time but finally admitted that the struggle to get back on track after a cheat meal wasn't really worth it to me. I would fight cravings and battle "hunger" for 2-3 days after splurging on treats or a meal full of "whatever I fancied." I think it made things way harder than it had to be, for me.

Same. Now I think about that carefully before I splurge and/or eat something that will throw my system off. Otherwise I fight cravings too.

I usually just watch my numbers and portion sizes. If I can't pass up a treat then I just have a very small amount just to savor the taste of it. If I deprive myself of things I like then I'm bound to derail myself and hate it. So I do it sensibly and plan my intake prior to the larger meal. As long as numbers stay with in limits and activity is increased its ok

I do not have a set day or meal for treats or splurges. I really do find that if I have a great day of eating on target and working out and I want an ice cream and I have enough calories left for the day then I have one. If I don't have any calories left in my day then I skip it. I am fighting really hard to stay disciplined with this. I know this is some of the reason I have not been successful in the past. I would just say - to heck with it and have the ice cream and life is too short to not eat ice cream when I want. Well being 40 pounds overweight was the result of that. And I now realize life is too short to spend it being unhealthy and uncomfortable.

Yes once a week or I wouldn't be able to do it

I don't have cheat days where I just eat whatever I want. I do flexible dieting and if I really want a treat, I work it into my calories and macros...even going out to dinner with my wife. I don't hit my goals exactly every day, but I'm pretty darn close the vast majority of the time.

The main problem with cheat days is that people usually end up way overdoing it and that sets them back in their progress. I've seen a lot of people make good progress during the week and then gain it all back from a cheat day. That gets frustrating really fast.

No cheat days. But around big family gatherings, birthdays, just going out i focus on portion size, making sure to have a bit of even higher calorie things that i love, just not pig out. At the restaurant i would eat half my meal and bag the rest to take home. And if we're having deserts, i will too, but not a plate full, just some. That satisfies me and i am happy with that, not raiding pantry and fridge for more, even though we always have sweets at home, which was my biggest downfall lifetime-long.

Yep, Saturday night I almost always have a restaurant meal and a couple of drinks. You would just have to sort of shortchange days during the week if you like to do that, undercut your calories by 150/day x 5 then you have 750 extra, right? It seems to work for me naturally to have a weekly pattern like that, not controlled that exactly but you know, get average days down to where your week can accomodate a bump.

I don't do gluttony though, and don't think of eating as cheating.

I plan to either have a small treat daily or a bigger treat meal (not whole day) one day a week. I fit it into my calories, macros, and goals (whether it's weight loss, maintenance, or slight gain). I log it all. I don't look at a food as good or bad.

I do have a treat night. Every Friday is girls night and we go out to eat and then maybe make some dessert. I don't really eat crazy amounts. I try my best to stay under maintenance still and I don't eat for the rest of the day to save up those calories. It hasn't set me back so far but I am just in the initial stage of my weight loss.

Nope. Because that will throw off my progress because I can't control myself and I know myself well enough to just not indulge like that. Instead I just make room for things I love or I find a low calorie version of a favorite recipe. Even at restaurants I find I can re-create my favorite meals and shave off more than half the calories.

YES! I've been on MFP for 3 years and have maintained my weight loss (more or less) and the only way I can do it is by eating 1200 calories on Monday through Thursday and not counting on the weekends. I hate feeling like I'm missing out when at a social event and saying "no" then would require way more self-control from me than it does to eat salad for lunch every weekday at work. Everyone is different though. Depends on your lifestyle. I love my weekend blow-outs.

I do cheat days, but even on those days I still try to eat a little healthy and stay within my calorie limit. The other day I splurged and had chicken tenders (about 350 cal) for dinner. I also reward myself for meeting my small goals as long as I still have a calorie defect.

yup. date night once a week. Eat whatever i want. appetizers, drinks, dessert. lost 100 pounds this way. While we still have date night every week, its a bit more impactful on progress now that I am within 5 pounds of my goal. Do I care? not really. it works for me.