cheat days

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  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Looks a little something like this


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  • DrizztGirl82
    DrizztGirl82 Posts: 85 Member
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    I allow myself one or two days a week to go over calories. I log these all the time. But I also never eat my exercise calories, so I always have 'extras' around. Like yesterday, I decided that I wanted to pig out with some pizza for dinner and chips as a snack later. I also had an alcoholic drink. My total calories for yesterday was over 3000, but usually it's a lot lower. So I would say go for it! As long as it's not frequent. And Happy Birthday and Congrats on graduating! It's exciting!
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Honestly just go "all out" and enjoy yourself, I'm not sure what all out means for you, but for me it would be going out to eat, ordering whatever i want, eating as much of it as it takes for me to feel satisfied, getting dessert, maybe a couple drinks. I personally would only log the food if it were easy to do so. If I was at a restaurant that didn't provide nutrition info, I Wouldn't. Also if I was at a party or something eating someone's homemade whatever, I'm not logging that. It would only be a rough estimate anyway.

    I haven't had a day like this yet since I started logging (a few weeks ago) but I have only committed to logging m-f and then off on the weekends but still eating sensible portions.
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
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    I dont understand cheat days. Last Saturday my husband and I went to a new restaurant in town, and I had a burger and onion rings, then we walked around the lake and got ice cream. We countered this with playing soccer with our dog for about an hour. I didn't log my walk into MFP (that was an accident!) but we walked about 3 miles. We had a full dinner, a few little snacks and at midnight my husband and I both "had" to have a sandwich. I was still under my calorie goal for the day, and I felt like I was going to be wayyy over. I realized that I just practiced portion control though. Instead of getting a large onion ring, I got a small and shared it with my hubby, I got a smaller burger, and a kids sized ice cream, I was still full! If you want to enjoy yourself then I say do it! But its possible to enjoy your life, and still enjoy food you love while practicing portion control and not erasing all of your hard work throughout the week.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    syousaf571 wrote: »
    cushman5279 wrote: »
    ..... why would you put it in your head that you're planning to go "All out"! If you feel the need to go all out and are actually making a plan to do so, I'd say you're current nutrition plan isn't realistic or sustainable.

    um haha no. its my graduation and birthday, that's why i feel the need to go all out

    Okay so what will be the next excuse? Your birthday? vacation? a friends birthday? family event...?????

  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    No cheat days for me. Cheat implies negative things to me, such as feeling guilty or ashamed for something I should not do or have done.

    When eating a calorie deficit or maintaining my calorie choices are relaxed on weekends sure, and usually even causes issues on the scales for days afterwards. Life is meant to be enjoyed and learning how to eat when indulging in birthdays, holidays and family events from here on out should just be that, a day of fun and enjoyment with food, but keeping it controlled to the point that these days do not possibly derail progress.

    This exactly.
    I guess the wording is what bothers me about it. Feeling the need to go all out to me means you've been depriving yourself and using food as a reward. That's a bad habit to get into.
  • YalithKBK
    YalithKBK Posts: 317 Member
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    I don't do regularly scheduled cheat days (I used to but it didn't work for me), but I too have graduated recently and I spent a week eating at/above maintenance. I was very sure to log EVERYTHING, but didn't restrict myself to how many calories I could eat. Once all the celebrating was over, I went right back to the diet. A week later and I've dropped not only all the party bloat weight, but I'm already a pound down from before graduation.

    It's fine to go out and celebrate as long as 1) it doesn't cause you anxiety over the calories you consume and 2) you have the discipline to go right back to your diet when it's over.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    cushman5279 wrote: »
    ..... why would you put it in your head that you're planning to go "All out"! If you feel the need to go all out and are actually making a plan to do so, I'd say you're current nutrition plan isn't realistic or sustainable.

    not sure what you are trying to say? Are you saying a few blow out days a year means that ones plan is not realistic?

    I have a few blow out days a year and I have had no problem meeting goals...
  • chimaerandi
    chimaerandi Posts: 153 Member
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    I don't count at all on my birthday, Passover, and Thanksgiving, and I've lost and maintained a 70 pound loss, from a size 20 to a size 4.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
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    Special occasions are special. I wouldn't call them cheating. Part of the problem with our modern eating habits is that we eat all the time the way people used eat only on special occasions. If we successfully control our eating at all other times, what on earth could possibly be cheating about a celebratory feast when we're doing that only for celebrations?
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
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    Just my opinion....if you are confident you won't fall into a permanent trap....do your "all out" and get over it. Get back to your plan the next day.

    I don't believe in cheat days. I've never gone "all out" because that would probably just make me sick but I do make good choices so when I feel the need to eat junk food I eat some and move on. 80lbs down and rockin' it at the gym.

  • syousaf571
    syousaf571 Posts: 46 Member
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    cushman5279 wrote: »
    syousaf571 wrote: »
    cushman5279 wrote: »
    ..... why would you put it in your head that you're planning to go "All out"! If you feel the need to go all out and are actually making a plan to do so, I'd say you're current nutrition plan isn't realistic or sustainable.

    um haha no. its my graduation and birthday, that's why i feel the need to go all out

    Okay so what will be the next excuse? Your birthday? vacation? a friends birthday? family event...?????

    "Excuse"
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 905 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Personally I find cheat days, meals,
    Carbing up what never you decide to call it, a necessity to lose fat.
    All depends on how long you've been dieting and your bf percentage
  • Goober1142
    Goober1142 Posts: 219 Member
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    Happy Birthday! And graduation! I would just eat whatever the hell you want and get back to it the next day. Life is short...food is good! My personal theory is that if you pay attention to what you eat and how it effects your body plus work out, you're going to be better off than the majority.
  • edena001
    edena001 Posts: 137 Member
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    I think a cheat day is a bad idea. You can easily ruin all your progress.
    If you're going out in the evening then try and limit your intake so you can splash out in the evening. I had a 'cheat' day today but I only went 7 calories over my aim of 1200. Try not to go more than 200 over your goal.

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