We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

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: 84 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: 9,394 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: 9,150 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.

Categories