Do you plan your cheat meals/days?

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  • s1rGr1nG0
    s1rGr1nG0 Posts: 11 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I don't plan it. It usually will happen on a weekend if we get invited to hang out with friends or family. I'm doing keto and this past Saturday we went to my sisters to play some games and hang out. I had my bullet proof coffee that morning but didn't eat until about 6pm that night. Then I had about 6-8 light beers so even though I went over my carb goal for the day I feel as though I didn't do too bad. This week is a new week and I'm back on track now.

    We may be "dieting" and trying to eat right but you still have to live a little every once in a while. Otherwise, what's the point?
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
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    On cheat day [every other Saturday] I have a smaller than usual breakfast, then the cheat meal in question becomes two meals in one [lunch/dinner]. That gives me a total of 1800-2700 calories to work with for one meal [if I end up having an extra large cheat meal that day, i'll add an elliptical session to burn off the extra calories].
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Sometimes I plan them, like if I've been craving a big rack of ribs for a while. And sometimes I don't, like an unexpected invitation to a party or event.
  • Ploofs
    Ploofs Posts: 59 Member
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    I don't usually get cravings-- when I do I wait it out for a handful of days. If I still feel the craving I try to fit it into my macros. I don't wait out my cravings for too long because then I tend to overindulge.

    I don't plan my cheat meals. If anything they're on Friday-Saturday since I'm at my bf's place on those days.
  • daniip_la
    daniip_la Posts: 678 Member
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    I eat whatever I want, as long as it fits into my calorie goal. So, I don't consider eating sweets to be cheating.

    That said, every now and then I have a day where I eat at maintenance because I'm at a high deficit and after a few weeks of it, my hunger levels seem to skyrocket.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I make room in my daily goals for whatever I want.

    Some people here are very successful with cheat days. For me personally, it sends a message that this isn't a lifestyle change. I see these turning into gains, frustration, and completely off track on my friend feed. I guess you'll find out which group you're in soon enough.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
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    I don't personally call anything a cheat day or cheat meal. There are aspects of my life and way of eating that I'm unwilling to change beyond a certain point. I make homemade dessert fit into my calories nearly every day. Sometimes I eat a little more than planned. I know that I will eat out at least one meal every Friday or Saturday, and my husband and I will have breakfast together on Sundays (usually waffles or pancakes or some other baked good). I try to up my cardio burn on those days and control my other meals a little better. This is just what is manageable for me long term.
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
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    PinkSuede wrote: »
    Im wondering what methods people use for cheats meals or cheat days. Do you find its better for you personally to plan them in advance to keep cravings away or do you keep pushing til the cravings get so bad you'd almost kill someone for a bite of a brownie? And why? I know Ill have to figure out what is best for me personally but Im curious how others approach it.

    Yeah, I have cheat days, but not often and they always seem hormonally related. I may eat anywhere from 2800-3700 calories for a day and then back to normal the next day. The last time I had a major I don't care cheat day was July 31st. It was hormonal. I've been eating at a slight deficit ever since because I'm not craving. The slight deficit works for me because I never know when that cheat day will hit.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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    PinkSuede wrote: »
    Im wondering what methods people use for cheats meals or cheat days. Do you find its better for you personally to plan them in advance to keep cravings away or do you keep pushing til the cravings get so bad you'd almost kill someone for a bite of a brownie? And why? I know Ill have to figure out what is best for me personally but Im curious how others approach it.

    I don't have cheat meals or days. I eat more on the weekends / events and exercise more to accommodate this.

    When I do the following, I don't have cravings:

    1. Get sufficient sleep
    2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food.
    3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
    4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit. This makes me less interested in higher calorie sweets.
    5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
    6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts
    7. Stay hydrated

    If my diet led to cravings, it wouldn't be a sustainable plan for me.
  • bloopstacks
    bloopstacks Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm having an off plan/cheat day today. :)

    I tend to limit them to special occasions, rather than just for the sake of it. Like today - I'm looking after my niece and nephew until Wednesday evening. I don't see them very often and this is their first time staying here overnight, so I'm fine with sacrificing this week's loss in favour of spoiling them with homemade cupcakes (so much frosting! All the sprinkles!) and Pizza Hut for dinner. I'm not even going to bother counting the calories. I've quick added 3400 which is twice what my allowance is set at, but I have no idea how many calories I'm really going to eat. And I don't care!
  • LUHAN27
    LUHAN27 Posts: 211 Member
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    I usually plan them on Friday or Saturday. I don't log in my cheat day calories lol.
  • PinkSuede
    PinkSuede Posts: 49 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    PinkSuede wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    PinkSuede wrote: »
    cityruss wrote: »
    There's something seriously wrong if a bite of a brownie is considered cheating.

    Im sticking to a primarily clean diet so any seriously unclean foods or anything with sugar added it strictly reserved for cheat meals. And lets be serious. It wont be just one bite lol

    You poor thing...

    Not really. Since cutting out most processed foods and those with added sugar my cravings and appetite have been much more manageable when compared to eating whatever I want as long as it fits within my calorie budget. When I do eat sugar... the cravings for more sugar last about 24 hours. Usually I dont miss it at all. Out of sight, out of mind.....for the most part.

    yet you're posting here about how to shoehorn everything you feel you 'cant' eat into a cheat day, so....?

    That wasn't what I was asking at all. I am well aware you can't cheat the calorie system and I'm not looking for a way to try to. For you to imply that was my intention is ignorant, rude and condescending. If calorie counting for you or anyone else is simply about losing weight, gaining weight, muscle, etc...then by all means eat all the processed foods you want that fit into your plan if it's bringing you success in reaching your goals. I respect that and I'm happy for your success. For me personally it's more about overall improvement of my health and adapting to a healthier style of eating and eating processed foods and sugar on a regular basis are not part of that picture for me. For me this is a completely healthy, realistic and sustainable goal for myself. It doesn't make me immune to the occasional craving for junky foods but it definitely helps. Like I said, I get them less on this lifestyle.

    My intention with this post was to find out from others what works for them to help me experiment in the best way to plan , or not plan, my cheat meals since my current plan doesn't seem to serve me well. Up until this point I have always planned 1 cheat meal a week. The problem with this is when my cheat meals are coming around I'm finding I don't really want them. I feel like I'd be just as happy eating my fish and veggies as I would a plate of pizza. On the flip side of that though (and I think other women may be able to relate) when I ovulate and 1-2 days pre-menses my cravings go sky high. Since my cycles are irregular ( PMDD and PCOS... a huge part of the reason I'm eating clean to begin with) I cannot plan my cheat meals for those days. Those days just become a bust, I can deal with 2 days a month being a bust but adding those 2 days on top of already planned cheat meals seems excessive and pointless. So I'm trying to decide if I should give up cheat meals and be more impulsive when the cravings hit during what I'll have to just assume is ovulation and PMS or stick to my current plan making the assumption that the cheat meals have been what keeps my cravings away to begin with.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    I work treats in daily.

    But I do have "no tracking days". Those would be holidays and special occasions and are few and far between. Generally less than 1x a month. I wouldn't have been able to stick to this for the 2+ years I've been tracking if I had to track everything I ate on Christmas or Thanksgiving.

    What matters is what you do most of the time. It's ok to "cheat", but know that the frequency can impact your results. Far better to plan it ahead of time than to just cheat when the mood hits you because that can lead to cheating more often.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
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    Believe it or not, when I'm "in training" as I am now, I don't cheat.

    If it's on my "banned" list or doesn't fit in w/my calorie or macro limits, I simply don't eat or drink it.

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