Opinions on cheat days

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xandrapn6
xandrapn6 Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was wondering where everyone stands on having cheat days?
I've found that it helps me to have a scheduled cheat day every so often. It gives me a day to work towards and know that I can have some naughty foods that day. It also helps me to not completely binge out on bad foods because I know that I'll have a other cheat day eventually. If I try to just cut out all bad foods I just can't do it.
Does anyone else do something similar to this, or is this a bad method? Maybe I have weak willpower, but it's worked so far
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Replies

  • Skyblueyellow
    Skyblueyellow Posts: 225 Member
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    Every so often I have a "cheat meal", meaning that I don't track the calories or macros. I do this every other month or so.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    I eat what I want---correct portion size.
  • Decapins
    Decapins Posts: 49 Member
    edited February 2017
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    if it works for you great! if i go overboard one day it just makes me go off track though. so i can have treats sometimes but i can't have a 3000 calorie day
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,107 Member
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    There's another post on this here http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/38761502#Comment_38761502
  • Rebecca0224
    Rebecca0224 Posts: 810 Member
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    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    I hate the phrases "cheat meal" and "cheat day". I have a life and I'm going to live it - and not every single day will put me at a deficit. I only need to be at a deficit on average.

    I regularly have "maintenance days" though - about one a week. And I certainly have days with bigger and smaller deficits. All I care about is the average.

    Today is my birthday. We had pancakes for breakfast. We're having Japanese food followed by birthday cake for dinner. I baked the cake, so I know exactly what's in it (chocolate cake + salted caramel sauce + caramel frosting; recipe builder knows how many calories per slice; cake has been pre-logged). The odds of me having a deficit today are slim. But it's not a "cheat" and I won't be blowing a week's deficit in one day. At most, I'll counteract one day's deficit.

    Happy birthday! Your cake sounds so good I want a peice lol.
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Sometimes I blow my weekly deficit. I look at my overall maintenance calories over a 4 week period. If I blow it for a week, as long as the other 3 weeks are at a slight deficit it all evens out. I'm not sure why there's so much feedback about terminology. I no longer use cheat either because it was important for me to understand that I am incorporating these once a month indulgences into my lifestyle. However if the terminology cheat works for you, by all means use it. I just say I'm not cheating. I'm eating. :)
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
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    leejoyce31 wrote: »
    I'm not sure why there's so much feedback about terminology. I no longer use cheat either because it was important for me to understand that I am incorporating these once a month indulgences into my lifestyle. However if the terminology cheat works for you, by all means use it. I just say I'm not cheating. I'm eating. :)

    It's more what the term "cheat" implies. If somebody's just using the term flippantly or puts no stock in it, no big deal; keep calling it that. The replies are more to the person who really believes they're doing something bad by eating yummy foods (with the OP did refer to as "naughty"). They need to know that they're not - and that it's possible to include those yummy foods on a regular (or semi-regular) basis if that's what they want to do.

  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
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    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    leejoyce31 wrote: »
    I'm not sure why there's so much feedback about terminology. I no longer use cheat either because it was important for me to understand that I am incorporating these once a month indulgences into my lifestyle. However if the terminology cheat works for you, by all means use it. I just say I'm not cheating. I'm eating. :)

    It's more what the term "cheat" implies. If somebody's just using the term flippantly or puts no stock in it, no big deal; keep calling it that. The replies are more to the person who really believes they're doing something bad by eating yummy foods (with the OP did refer to as "naughty"). They need to know that they're not - and that it's possible to include those yummy foods on a regular (or semi-regular) basis if that's what they want to do.

    Yes I understand that but thanks for replying.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    I usually have a meal that's outside my calorie limit, but it's a meal, not a day. A day for me will likely turn into days and then we spiral down the rabbit hole once more.
    I used to call it a cheat meal, or a cheat day, but I stopped saying that as I just tend to dislike the notion that I'm cheating. I'm not in a relationship with my calorie goal, we just have a friendly agreement that I'll continue to meet up with it as often as possible.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,993 Member
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    I don't consider any foods "naughty". I work treats in everyday and don't feel a need to cheat. There are some special occasions where I go over my calories, but those are exceptions. I don't have a problem with cravings because I know if I want something I can have it. I just have to decide if those calories are worth it or not. Sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't.
  • aneedforchange
    aneedforchange Posts: 75 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    Unnecessary...what are you cheating on?

    I don't classify foods as "good" or "bad"...I just fit them into my goals as I can

    That said some people have a hard time with certain foods. Pizza might not be a "bad" food but if pizza is my trigger and I eat the entire thing in one evening or into the next day then it sure isn't a good thing. Unless it's once and month and it's "cheat" day. With me it's cheezies, I can't have those things in the house or it's literally Cheetos for dinner lol.
  • red99ryder
    red99ryder Posts: 399 Member
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    no , ii cheat enough without planning them LOL
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
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    I'm Right There With ya! I eat healthy all week and exercise 5-6 days a week. I allow myself 1 "splurge" meal a week (usually on the weekend). Like you, I find that it's something to look forward to and prevents me from binge eating. This past weekend I had wings and cheesy potato wedges dipped in ranch, it was delicious! As others have mentioned -I like to call it a "Splurge" meal :wink:
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
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    I eat "bad" foods when I want them and just fit them into my day.

    Last week I ate: Burger & fries, M&Ms, pizza (twice), wings, Taco Bell, chocolate chip cookies, and a donut.

    I only went over my daily goal once on a day I wasn't expecting pizza that evening. My average calories for the week were 1423. My daily goal is 1510, so I ate all of that and stayed within my usual week's deficit.

    Bad foods are yummy!

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