Cheat Days or No Cheat Days?!?!

ChristaDuvall
ChristaDuvall Posts: 13 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
So, my partner and I were discussing cheat days. Whether or not to have one scheduled or just if they happen they happen.
I like the idea of scheduling one every other week. (Mainly because I love sushi and it's a great bi-weekly treat). They think we should just let them happen when they do....

What are your thoughts?

Replies

  • Smiths0515
    Smiths0515 Posts: 6 Member
    Me and my husband did this for awhile. It was GREAT. So we would eat clean all week and then Fri or Sat would be our scheduled cheat meal. So just one of our meals (mostly dinner) for the day and then one treat. If helped us stay on track eating clean all week. We knew whatever we was craving that week we could eat on "our day". Helps with binge eating too, and you don't feel so deprived. After awhile we actually didn't like it so much bc it'd make us so sick and nasty feeling. So we make our cheat meals often like pizza, pulled pork sandwiches and homemade fries etc. When we eat out we try to avoid a ton of grease and fat bc that's what makes you feel so sick after eating healthy. Good luck. I know a few ppl who do to help 80/20 eating everyday and have even good results too. It's all about your lifestyle and portion control. I have a hard time with sweets so I try my best to avoid them all week.
  • Smiths0515
    Smiths0515 Posts: 6 Member
    I also think if you have the mindset to let it happen when it happens you'll fall off track more than you'll stay on track. At least we would.
  • happyauntie2015
    happyauntie2015 Posts: 282 Member
    I hate to think of it as cheating. As long as it fits your goals and you log it enjoy it.
  • Unknown
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  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    How on earth is sushi a cheat food? Fish is great for you, and we should probably all be eating more of it.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    I just work the foods I want into my calorie allotment. A heavy cheat day could negate the loss for the week if you consume a lot of calories.
  • TheJourneyToFabulous
    TheJourneyToFabulous Posts: 381 Member
    I have a sweetie and maybe a takeaway on a Saturday can still lose
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Moderation--therefore no need to cheat. Depends on your approach.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    I don't have "cheat" days - I learnt to change my thoughts about food and eating so I didn't include the negative food associations. I got stuck in a mentally unhealthy place.

    What I do have is planned "high" days. Like today. I purposely include a few "low" days during the week so I can have a day where fitting in more indulgent food is easy, and I'm still hitting my goals - it balances out!
  • bcclenney
    bcclenney Posts: 12 Member
    lulalacroix wrote: »
    I just work the foods I want into my calorie allotment. A heavy cheat day could negate the loss for the week if you consume a lot of calories.

    This!
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    Cheat or no cheat you need to weigh and log them. Otherwise you'd have no idea how much damage you'd be doing. If it is once a weak you don't want to destroy your whole week's deficit.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,167 Member
    I don't like the idea of "cheating ". I eat whatever foods I like and fit them into my calorie goal. I do splurge occasionally and it usually balances out because occasionally I am under my goal. But to think of it as cheating implies that you are doing something wrong. I just make sure to log everything even if I do go over. If I was planning to splurge on the weekends I might eat a little under during the week. And I would just get right back in track the next day.
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
    I don't do cheat meals...just fit in in my calories. I've had a few pigging out moments but I had so much guilt that I just don't eat outside my 1700 calories + 1000 daily workout calories which puts me at maintenance for the day but I would say I've only done that twice. I'm working to dang hard in that gym.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    I suspect that cheat meals are an indicator of future failure. At issue is the attitude. The person who cheats sees what they are doing as depriving them of doing what they want to do, which is to overeat. A person with their eyes set on being healthy would see cheating as moving them away from their goal.
  • BaddS4
    BaddS4 Posts: 302 Member
    My wife and I have pizza once a week. I prefer to to think of it as a treat, not a cheat!!
  • ChristaDuvall
    ChristaDuvall Posts: 13 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    I suspect that cheat meals are an indicator of future failure. At issue is the attitude. The person who cheats sees what they are doing as depriving them of doing what they want to do, which is to overeat. A person with their eyes set on being healthy would see cheating as moving them away from their goal.

    I love this and yes. I think I like what everyone else is saying about fitting things in, it's not necessary to cheat, just to make wiser choices to fit things in.

    So far I've made great choices for almost a week. I feel good. I don't feel deprived at all, and I'm working hard so I can have an awesome sushi meal next week and not worry.



  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    If you cheat meal/day outweighs your weekly deficit then you won't lose weight. Make your food choices fit your goal!

  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    edited March 2017
    Every Sunday I have about 2500 calories (working on that lol) but I still lose 1lb a week. That means my deficit is probably a bit large/calories a tad low because I go over EVERY Sunday but I can either keep my glorious Sundays or add 150-200 cals to my daily goal. I prefer it this way. As long as you know how it works (thermodynamically speaking lol) it really doesn't matter. But LOG YOUR OVERAGE so you can see the data.
  • jenbeck18
    jenbeck18 Posts: 32 Member
    We do 2 cheat meals a week, On the weekend the one cheat meal we have a good dessert to
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    I practice IF so every day is almost a cheat day for me. Well besides the two days when I do 5:2.
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
    Cheating is taking some unearned or undeserved benefit by unethical means, right? No part of this definition seems to apply to eating.
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
    Using your words I have a "cheat meal", not day. It's just a meal, no special connotation, other than an evening out, and a break from the kitchen.
  • kiwi_kisses
    kiwi_kisses Posts: 11 Member
    I don't do cheat days or meals. I stay away from it bc it becomes a habit for me way too quick. I can't just have 1 cookie.
  • brittyn3
    brittyn3 Posts: 481 Member
    I have "cheat" meals/days too. I need it for the mental break. I do this weekly, usually on the weekends. I rarely go over my calories - but I work harder/do more cardio the days I know I'm eating out. So if I have drinks, appetizers, dinner and it equals 1400 calories or more for just that meal- no biggie. I still log everything.

    People don't like it when you call it a "cheat" day. Define it however you like, just figure out what works best for you. As I said, I need the mental break on the weekend to stay on track during the week.



  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    I don't have official cheat days/meals, but I have situations where I know I'm going over my target calories for the day. I log it all, and aim to get back to my target average for the week. That means I try to keep a handle on how many delicious bbq ribs I eat at my husband's bbq practice meet-up, but I definitely eat a few hundred over my target.

    I could find a way to balance every day to my target, but I don't want to. The flexibility to work high calorie days into my weight loss plan is very important to me continuing and not quitting.
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