What do all of you feel about a cheating day?

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  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    edited July 2018
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    I have a cheat meal once a week (still estimate calories and log)...the rest of the day I eat normally and usually only end the day 200 or 300 calories over goal.

    A cheat day would put me well over the ectra 200-300 calories probably.
  • Snowflake1968
    Snowflake1968 Posts: 6,769 Member
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    I don't like the term "cheat day". I am a very fussy eater and really enjoy high calorie food. For me I log faithfully and try to keep a 150 Calorie deficit each day. I allow myself to go into maintenance calories every Sunday. This is a family day in our house where there is always a big breakfast and a big dinner. I felt like I was "failing" every Sunday until I changed this in my mind. I also have one day each month where I allow myself a maintenance day. I just changed this last week after stalling at a 17 pound loss for almost a month. Today I am down another 1.5 pounds.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    I give myself treats not cheats. I work WAY too hard at weight management to cheat myself.
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
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    I don't have cheat days or meals. I do have days that are higher in calories which are balanced by lower calorie days or additional exercise.

    Everything gets logged, even the extra half glass of wine on Tuesday night. I would be concerned that not tracking one day would gradually transition to more frequent days without that accountability.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I have occasional cheat meals, like if I get a date night with DH (unlikely, with 3 littles and no one physically capable of keeping all 3 of them in the family and no money for dates or sitters) or in the case of today, where the in laws treated the kids to a kid movie and lunch (and us to go with them) I chose something sensible, but I knew it'd put me over for the day, at least in macros if not in calories.

    Basically for special occasions. There is still a place in my life for big slices of birthday cake (even if it would be "sensible" to eat a smaller piece and stay under), or special recipe holiday desserts. I don't find calling it a "cheat meal" or a "cheat day" negative to me. Call it a vacation day if you want, or a holiday. OR call it like 80/20 or something. I don't see a lifestyle where I can't enjoy a day of indulgence every now and then.
  • ServusChristi
    ServusChristi Posts: 98 Member
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    Cheating day? Sounds like a diet to me. I'm going for lifestyle. After dieting off and on for 50 years, my PW was 390 lbs (I'm 6' 2"). It was killing me.

    I started at 375 lbs 214 days ago. I weigh 259 lbs today, and I've retained LBM by weightlifting and walking.

    No cheating days.

    Cheating is just practice for the day you get off your diet. It's a temporary change, and will eventually end with even more weight than at the start. Go for permanent lifestyle change.
  • ServusChristi
    ServusChristi Posts: 98 Member
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    Okay, I didn't log my birthday last February. But I still didn't just eat whatever I would have eaten a lifetime ago.
  • BaconDrips
    BaconDrips Posts: 4 Member
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    I do meal prep all week so I have all of my meals ready to go and I just have to pop them in the microwave so on Saturday or Sunday I usually have one meal that's whatever I want and some form of sweet. I fast from dinner the night before to that meal and still try to not go over my daily maintenance calories.
  • FickleFruitBat
    FickleFruitBat Posts: 40 Member
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    Losing weight is hard and you have to accept feeling deprived sometimes for the larger goal. We could yak about lifestyle VS dieting but any way you slice it, eating what you desire rather than require sets you back.

    Some tips:
    - One indulgent meal > cheat day. Personally I can tuck in 3500 extra calories (1 lb) in a day no problem if I'm not being mindful. Before you know it, there goes a week of effort and returning to your good habits will feel more daunting.
    - The less you're eating indulgent foods, the less you feel deprived not having them. It just becomes a new normal to eat healthier options and smaller portions.
    - Find ways to feel indulgent which aren't food. Same goes for other ways people use food: to cope, process big feelings, celebeate, socialize, etc.
  • etfan
    etfan Posts: 133 Member
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    saundts wrote: »
    recently, my friends say that I should have a cheating day so that I do not feel deprived. What do you all say? and to what limits, maximum or minimum. right now I keep an under 1800 cal. per day, I am 258 pounds 43 male 5'9". Starting weight 20 days ago was 267 pounds.

    I find it unhelpful to set aside special days to “cheat,” but i occasionally indulge in not-so-healthy foods if I feel like it and have the calories in my budget.
  • h1udd
    h1udd Posts: 623 Member
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    I hate cheat days ... infact I hate any "rules" you apply to food, its a one track way to an Eating disorder ... might only be a minor eating disorder, but these things can escalate

    trust me on this .... you end up massively over eating on your cheat day, because you feel you have to make the most of it ... then to recover you end up starving yourself ALL week to get back those calories ... of course starving yourself makes it harder to control binges, so you binge, now you have to starve yourself even more.

    it escalates.

    rather than enter the world of restriction, try to eat as normally as possible for 5 days a week but in a deficit, and at the weekends allow a couple of extra treats making sure you dont go over your weekly average.

    its more than possible to have pizza during the week or chocolate or even a beer ... and you remove the need to eat 5000kcal on a saturday
  • Snowflake1968
    Snowflake1968 Posts: 6,769 Member
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    funjen1972 wrote: »
    I don't have cheat days or meals. I do have days that are higher in calories which are balanced by lower calorie days or additional exercise.

    Everything gets logged, even the extra half glass of wine on Tuesday night. I would be concerned that not tracking one day would gradually transition to more frequent days without that accountability.

    I have lost the same 25-30 pounds twice and am on my third round (now with closer to 60 to lose) because I stopped tracking. You are smart to have this figured out :)
  • cnucci1979
    cnucci1979 Posts: 1 Member
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    You shouldn’t have a cheat day or cheat meal, but you should allow yourself to have anything in moderations as long as you work for it. ex. ice-cream twice a week. Even better would be a healthy alternative to your “cheat”

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