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Cheat Day , Cheat meal, or none?

anditshannah
anditshannah Posts: 20 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Which is best?

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Everyone will probably say one of the latter two. For me personally, none. If I want something, I work it into my calorie/macro goal.
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    meet your goals, dont meet your goals. Which is best? Work it into your weekly budget.
  • cheriej2042
    cheriej2042 Posts: 241 Member
    I used to work up to one cheat day every 60 days. But for me I found that I looked at that one cheat day as a reward and I would plan to eat all these foods like I was deprived. Finally I'm realizing that for me I need to learn to eat in moderation and fit in those foods into my calorie goals. I won't say it's easy for me but I think it takes time to change lifelong bad habits.
  • spiffychick85
    spiffychick85 Posts: 311 Member
    I go to a restaurant just about every Saturday night (date night). I fast throughout the day so I can enjoy myself, so I don't know if that still qualifies as "cheat meal" because I still end up with a deficit for the day. Either way it keeps me sane and helps me retain my normal schedule :)
  • Blitzia
    Blitzia Posts: 205 Member
    It depends on your definition of "cheat." If "cheat" means eat whatever you want and don't count the calories or log, then never - I don't recommend it for a day, I don't reccomend it for a meal.

    Sometimes I'll have a "cheat" day but for me that's a day where I eat at maintenance. I don't really ever have a day where I intentionally go over maintenance and I never have a day where I just eat whatever I want with no regards to the calories. For me, I sort of consider it a cheat meal if it's something I can't log very accurately like a restaurant meal, but even then I try to order something low calorie and log it the best I can. For the traditional definition of a cheat meal - eating pizza or ice cream or donuts, I do that all the time I just make it fit my calorie goal.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Is it best to cheat yourself or run with scissors?
  • lemonychild
    lemonychild Posts: 654 Member
    I never look at any of my meals as cheats. When I know I'll be going to a restaurant I eat at maintenance. I stopped purposely overeating it's stupid
  • rontafoya
    rontafoya Posts: 365 Member
    Depends on what cheating means. Is it crap junk food, over eating, or both? If you stay within caloric goals you can cheat a lot. If you are over eating, it'sa bad idea. A good flexible diet plan allows for some junk food, as long as your caloric goals are met.
  • Interbeing
    Interbeing Posts: 89 Member
    For me there is no "cheat day", or "cheat meal". To me it defeats the purpose of developing healthy lifestyle and eating habits. I watch what I eat, and if I expect to have a large meal, I either workout enough to compensate for it, or reduce my caloric intake prior to, or after the big meal to maintain caloric daily goals.
  • megomerrett
    megomerrett Posts: 446 Member
    I don't do "cheat days" or "cheat meals". It ain't cheating it's eating.

    I go over some days but even it out over the week. I don't waste a random Thursday by eating like a pig but if there's a special occasion or party I won't make myself stressed or hate myself by panicking over the buffet and booze. I log it and move on.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    IIFYM for me....
  • MrStabbems
    MrStabbems Posts: 3,108 Member
    I personally don't bother. If I want to have a pizza then I fit it in to my day or make sure I do it the day before a big cycle etc.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,405 Member
    I just work on my weekly calories and have some days higher than others - and if the occasional week is over (within reason) , thats ok too
  • BurlzGettingFit
    BurlzGettingFit Posts: 115 Member
    None, I typically bank calories during the week so I know I can enjoy some of the foods I'd like when I'm out with friends on the weekends.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,246 Member
    If cheat implies no weighting and logging of the food - none. Otherwise sure, but why call it cheating instead of eating more? It's not a bad thing to eat more from time to time. That's what all people do in general including those with constant weight.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    Cheat "budget" call it what you want and split it how you want but at the end of the day you have a weekly deficit of X and you can blow what you're willing to forfeit in a day or a meal etc. It's not going to make a single difference but you should assign a caloric value to the "cheat"
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    I just posted this in another thread but I think it works here too: my Mother's Day plan

    7s85gxisazww.jpg
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    I think of my calories like money. Am I spending money I have? Am I using credit and will be going into debt? It's exactly that simple
  • flamelibby
    flamelibby Posts: 2 Member
    I have one every 21 days, i eat very clean otherwise, but on the 22nd day i eat whatever i like, and i don't track or count. It keeps me sane and it stops my metabolism from adapting. the one day doesn't impede my progress and i can focus on fuelling myself. I've always been an all or nothing person anyway.
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,445 Member
    None. If I want something, I just find a way to fit it in.

    I am on the EWTFYWWYC diet.

    Eat Whatever The F You Want Within Your Calories.

    That being said, I do try to hit my macros each day and most days I am successful with that.
  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
    I log everything because everything counts. That doesn't mean I never go (really far) over my calorie goal, I just stay honest.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,151 Member
    I do a whole day.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    anditshannah wrote: »
    Which is best?

    None. I aim to stay under my target each and every day and those days I go over are just part of the general learning now to eat better. I don't "cheat". I relax my standards on special occasions like holidays or weddings. I sometimes overeat because I crave more food. I just log it and move on. This is life.
  • umbreon1
    umbreon1 Posts: 2 Member
    If it fits in my macros is my motto!!!
This discussion has been closed.

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