Cheat weekend?
bentleytino2010
Posts: 35 Member
Ugh so I've been doing so good and about to start week 4 of my weight loss journey. So this weekend was horrible, we had a family party and I ate bad all day both Saturday and Sunday and drank some beer. I usually allow myself two a cheat meal or two but never eat bad all day. I even had a late night Taco Bell run Saturday night. How many cheat meals is everyone else having? Is this gonna be a major set back for me? I've lost 7 lbs so far. I don't even want to get on a scale for a few days.
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Replies
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I think it happens to everyone. The point is acknowledging it happened and be done with it. Dont beat yourself up. Today is a new day and start over. One set back wont stop your weight loss journey its just not letting your self do it again. Well for a while anyway
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It will only be a major setback if you let it be, by not getting back on track. Not weighing for a few days isn't a bad idea. As well as any possible fat gain, you will also have weight gain from fluid retention and extra food in your digestive system. A few days will give that time to dissipate. You may still see a gain for the week, or stay the same, or lose less than you would have otherwise, but what is done, is done. Don't let it derail you completely. You've still lost 7 lb, and that is awesome
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I ask this all the time I see stuff about "cheating"
What does "cheat meal" mean?3 -
When I first started, I did "cheat days" based on milestones rather than time. That way, a cheat day couldn't really set me back by design. For example, after 10 lbs. loss, take a cheat day. Even if you gain 8 lbs., you don't get another cheat day until you reach the next milestone (so if the cheat day is at 190 lbs., then you don't get another cheat day because you reached 190 lbs. again after gaining on a cheat day).
Eventually, I stopped because it screws up my BG so badly since I now eat very low carb.0 -
I don't do "cheats". If I decide to have something calorie heavy I adjust my day or make a note to do a little extra the next few days. Have an off day or two? Life happens, as my dietician is fond of saying. I just pick up the next day and move forward.4
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My BF had bought tickets to the Funny Bone months ago and the show was last night. He wanted to go out to eat and get some drinks. So I planned ahead. Before dinner at 5pm I had only consumed 342 calories. After a shared meal (a 1/2 order of bison meatloaf, mashed potatoes and squash casserole), 2 glasses of wine and a bowl of cereal before bed, I ended my day at 1230 calories. It's possible. Takes will power and a little planning. I adjusted my calories around a night out. No biggee. If I can do it, so can you. None of this cheating stuff. It's silly and destructive. Now, if I what I did was "cheating" so be it.4
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
Now that's just rude. I always tell my husband when I'm taking my boyfriend out for dinner!
To the OP: lots of good advice here! The "cheat" and "bad food" attitude is one that will sink an attempt to eat healthier and lose weight real fast. It shows that you think of the diet as something you're either "on" or "off." Try to adjust your thinking here - you want to be healthier for the rest of your life, right? Well, you can do that and still have fun weekends! There are plenty of strategies to help get to a place of healthy moderation, but the most important thing (I think) is to view these kinds of things as learning experiences, not setbacks.8 -
MegaMooseEsq wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
Now that's just rude. I always tell my husband when I'm taking my boyfriend out for dinner!
To the OP: lots of good advice here! The "cheat" and "bad food" attitude is one that will sink an attempt to eat healthier and lose weight real fast. It shows that you think of the diet as something you're either "on" or "off." Try to adjust your thinking here - you want to be healthier for the rest of your life, right? Well, you can do that and still have fun weekends! There are plenty of strategies to help get to a place of healthy moderation, but the most important thing (I think) is to view these kinds of things as learning experiences, not setbacks.
Ahh ok.
I think I understand it now. So when they're "on" and they do something "bad" they are "cheating".
I've gone 1000s of calories over my allotted budget, logged all of it, but never thought of it as cheating.
I guess when people think they are cheating it gives them an incentive to just say f-ck it and go crazy7 -
I don't call it a cheat meal I call it a treat meal and I do it once a month on payday. The word cheat creates negative thinking and brings on feelings of guilt like you aren't ever supposed to eat something unhealthy again.3
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Zero. If I want something, I work it into my calorie goals for the week. Last Thursday I had Taco Bell and it was delicious and worth it.4
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MegaMooseEsq wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
Now that's just rude. I always tell my husband when I'm taking my boyfriend out for dinner!
To the OP: lots of good advice here! The "cheat" and "bad food" attitude is one that will sink an attempt to eat healthier and lose weight real fast. It shows that you think of the diet as something you're either "on" or "off." Try to adjust your thinking here - you want to be healthier for the rest of your life, right? Well, you can do that and still have fun weekends! There are plenty of strategies to help get to a place of healthy moderation, but the most important thing (I think) is to view these kinds of things as learning experiences, not setbacks.
This is a great way to think about health.0 -
I'm either keeping track of my calorie consumption or I'm not. There's no cheating because cheating implies one is getting away with something and when I'm eating with reckless abandon, I'm not getting away with anything. I am just putting back on pounds I worked hard to lose and delaying my goal of attaining a healthy weight. My choice.
I recently had friends visiting from out of town for the eclipse. I decided to take a 4-day hiatus from logging and ate as I used to when I weighed 280+. It's taking me over a week of careful logging and eating at a calorie deficit to undo what I did. I enjoyed it immensely. I also resent the time it's taking me to recover. I won't be making that choice again for awhile because I know there is no way to "get away with it."
Them that plays pays.2 -
I agree. It is a lifestyle change. I need to drink less soda and eventually give it up.0
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bentleytino2010 wrote: »Ugh so I've been doing so good and about to start week 4 of my weight loss journey. So this weekend was horrible, we had a family party and I ate bad all day both Saturday and Sunday and drank some beer. I usually allow myself two a cheat meal or two but never eat bad all day. I even had a late night Taco Bell run Saturday night. How many cheat meals is everyone else having? Is this gonna be a major set back for me? I've lost 7 lbs so far. I don't even want to get on a scale for a few days.
How far this will set you back is the same thing as how many calories you were over. If you didn't log......you can't know.
You can cut back during the week to make up for a splurge on the weekends, but you still need to have an idea what the weekend "costs" in terms of calories.
If going over on the weekend is the norm - you could also "bank" some exercise calories.1 -
Honestly, I wouldn't even worry about the scale for a bit. I did the same thing this weekend. I've been on Keto the past few months and was at a wedding over the weekend. For some reason I thought it would be like a buffet style like a previous one I was at, but it was a 4 or 5 course meal and I really didn't want to be rude and just refuse to eat it. Especially since I was my date's plus one. I've done this in the past with keto before and I haven't noticed any lasting damage to my progress. You just accept it and move on.
I use to be a huge perfectionist about the whole thing, if I ate one thing out of line during the week I would blow the rest of the week off and start over on Sunday. Mistakes will happen and no one is perfect. I don't look at them at 'cheat meals/days' I just look at it as life. I don't stress myself out about it because it ends up doing more harm then good. I don't go overboard and eat everything in sight but I enjoy the socializing and have fun, then the next day or whenever the event is over I'm back on my routine and life gets on.3 -
just make your next decision a good one.
you're in this for life.
two days in the scope of thousands are just a blip.
make good habits, the weight loss will follow.2 -
Stop viewing it as "cheating", there's no such thing as bad food or bad meals, you can eat junk and still lose weight. What matters is the frequency and volume. What someone counts as a "cheat", someone else might count it as part of a balanced lifestyle.0
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thank you all for the feed back! I like the idea of calling it a treat meal inside of cheat meal, but yes I know now I just have to get back on it and not let it get me down because i know there is going to be more treat meals in the future lol2
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A couple of days in the grand scheme of things really isn't a big deal...life happens, birthdays happen, holidays happen, random BBQs by the pool happen...what you're doing most of the time is what matters.2
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Just log those days and move on. And enjoy the food, but get back on track. If you learn how to do that your journey might be a little slower, but you won't give up, and you'll also learn how to maintain.
I go over about once a week but when I log it my "disaster" is usually only a few hundred calories over. That's not a big deal in the big scheme of things. I try to log as I'm going over and that helps me to put the breaks on.1 -
I just returned from a 16 day road trip and by my calculation had about 48 cheat meals haha Enjoy life! You had a bad weekend, log it and use it as motivation to have a great week
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fiddletime wrote: »Just log those days and move on. And enjoy the food, but get back on track. If you learn how to do that your journey might be a little slower, but you won't give up, and you'll also learn how to maintain.
I go over about once a week but when I log it my "disaster" is usually only a few hundred calories over. That's not a big deal in the big scheme of things. I try to log as I'm going over and that helps me to put the breaks on.
Thank you! I am half way to my goal so cant give up now (:1 -
It happens and unless you are planning on taking your own food to birthdays, weddings, Christmas lunches, parties and vacations, it will continue to be a part of your life. I hate the term 'cheat' being associated with food and think it sets up a very unhealthy mindset. It is better to just view it as part of life and focus on what you are doing the majority of the time.
I had a bad eating weekend. I went over around 1800 calories yesterday and then today was my partner's birthday, which involved eating round at his and outside of my routine but fortunately I had been under by about 1600 calories during the week. I cannot say I am delighted about it, but I know that I can balance it out.2 -
bentleytino2010 wrote: »fiddletime wrote: »Just log those days and move on. And enjoy the food, but get back on track. If you learn how to do that your journey might be a little slower, but you won't give up, and you'll also learn how to maintain.
I go over about once a week but when I log it my "disaster" is usually only a few hundred calories over. That's not a big deal in the big scheme of things. I try to log as I'm going over and that helps me to put the breaks on.
Thank you! I am half way to my goal so cant give up now (:
This is why we always argue against people who don't have a big amount left to lose setting aggressive goals. When you over restrict your diet, you are far more likely to go overboard when the opportunity to "cheat" presents itself.
Don't give up. Set a more reasonable goal that you can fit most of the foods you like into. Rushing is just setting yourself up for yoyoing.1 -
bentleytino2010 wrote: »Ugh so I've been doing so good and about to start week 4 of my weight loss journey. So this weekend was horrible, we had a family party and I ate bad all day both Saturday and Sunday and drank some beer. I usually allow myself two a cheat meal or two but never eat bad all day. I even had a late night Taco Bell run Saturday night. How many cheat meals is everyone else having? Is this gonna be a major set back for me? I've lost 7 lbs so far. I don't even want to get on a scale for a few days.
I don't do cheat meals. Only cheating myself.3
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