Do you log "cheat days"?

Options
13

Replies

  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
    Options
    I don't do cheat days or meals, but I do sometimes go overboard, typically when eating out when I can't actually calculate it myself and after I've had a drink or two. Whether I log it or not sort of depends. If I think I'm over but perhaps not way over my daily allowance, I log it the best I can using similar database entries. If I know that I'm way over, I make an educated guess and quick add the calories.
  • Savannahmiamaddie
    Savannahmiamaddie Posts: 54 Member
    Options
    I try not to have cheat days and when I do, I usually don’t log them because I wouldn’t even know where to start. When I cheat, I don’t mess around. Sometimes, I just do something like logging 1 million calories just so I can remember how spectacular my cheat was...and the corresponding weight gain that usually follows. December, for me was an entire cheat month, I gained 10 pounds.
  • LindsayGii
    LindsayGii Posts: 33 Member
    Options
    There's an entry called 'screw up day' worth 2000 calories. I can imagine using that for dinner if I fall off the wagon and have a boozy take-out night in a moment of madness/weakness!!
  • h1udd
    h1udd Posts: 623 Member
    Options
    definitely log .... it wasnt until I started tracking that I realized my Cheat days were stopping my weight loss .. admittedly I was calorie deficit monday - friday then eating what I wanted at the weekend. But it took tracking to realise that

    5 x weekdays
    +
    2 x weekends
    /
    7
    = Maintanence

    So now I have to suffer at the weekend as well .. well, watch what I eat to make sure I stay in a deficit for the week
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
    Options
    I have days where I don’t log my food. Like yesterday we had a catered lunch and I had no earthly idea how to estimate how Much I ate. I ate dinner as usual though.
  • MarkusDarwath
    MarkusDarwath Posts: 393 Member
    Options
    It would be pretty difficult to completely undo a 500 or more calorie per day deficit with one cheat day per week. We're talking about 3500 extra calories in one day. For me that's 2.4 times my normal daily target (which I'm usually a little under).
  • SoulOfALion5
    SoulOfALion5 Posts: 115 Member
    Options
    Totally NOT lol. I enjoy the day or maybe two not logging.
  • juliedesabrais
    juliedesabrais Posts: 293 Member
    Options
    I just log every day and be honest. It’s not for anyone but myself so why not? I don’t care what other people think or say because it’s my journey. Just log everything you eat so you can see true and honest progress or where you need to improve.
  • JanesGame
    JanesGame Posts: 53 Member
    Options
    I log EVERYTHING. Last week's diary I was so proud of, healthy, always on target or under and a good loss!

    This week is another story
  • CharlesS6730
    CharlesS6730 Posts: 119 Member
    Options
    watts6151 wrote: »
    The term ‘cheat meal’ is a bodybuilding term
    And has been for many decades.
    When your in prep and are carb depleted, struggling with weights and recovery, then a
    Cheat meal is required.

    If your not deep into prep then it’s not a cheat
    Meal, please stop taking competitive bodybuilding terminology and applying it to your
    Average person trying to loose a few pounds.

    Please don’t bastardise a underground term
    And use it out of its original context.

    For reference
    Current open champion Phill heath, 7 Time Mr Olympia has cheat meals
    Current 212lb champion Flex Lewis, 6 Time Mr olompia has cheat meals



    Also, in the OP context of "Cheat meal" you are only cheating yourself. Resist the urge to eat junk. You will get over the cravings and urges.
  • MarkusDarwath
    MarkusDarwath Posts: 393 Member
    Options
    Well, I ended up turning today into an unplanned cheat day, but did log it (didn't weigh, just went with standard portion sizes). 1500 calories over and way above my carbs. I foresee tomorrow being a well under target day.
  • creatureofchaos
    creatureofchaos Posts: 65 Member
    edited January 2018
    Options
    My “cheat days” mean going out to a nice restaurant where it would be nigh on impossible to log them accurately, so I don’t bother.
  • Stacyines
    Stacyines Posts: 72 Member
    Options
    I do every now and then.

    Logically, I know I should. It holds me accountable for what I’m actually eating that I consciously know I should in small quantities.

    I don’t because I’m likely out with friends and it’s a buzzkill. Not to mention guessing the calorie intake is likely off.

    I just adopted the habit of only having water on my cheat days. It cuts my sugar cravings and makes me feel full much faster to eat less.
  • Ziggy2875
    Ziggy2875 Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    The thing with a cheat day and not logging it is it won’t change that it did not happen and in the end your scale will tell you the truth. I don’t like the name cheat day. Some days and some circumstances you just eat more it happens plannned and unplannned. I just log it in and if unplannned hopefully learn from it.
  • melissa6771
    melissa6771 Posts: 894 Member
    Options
    I have one just about every Sunday, planned, and I log it.
  • SilverRose89
    SilverRose89 Posts: 447 Member
    edited January 2018
    Options
    Well I don't call them cheat days, but yes I log my higher-than-I'd-usually-like calorie days now.

    I didn't the last time I was on MFP and lost weight. But then I ended up stopping my "diet" and then putting the weight back on plus more. I really do think part of that was not developing the true honesty and accountability with myself that logging everything brings. Saying that, on these high days I do guess more than usual and that is something I should perhaps improve in time. But I will usually overestimate rather than under.

    I have problems with emotional binge eating and part of that involves wanting to hide it from myself and others in guilt. There is less of that now and I have seen a real improvement in them, probably because I am facing up to it rather than pretending it didn't happen and then getting trapped in cycles of guilt. I realise not everyone will have problems like this, but think a lot of people could benefit from logging as accurately as possible. As there is absolutely nothing wrong with the odd day of doing this.

Categories