What was the worst cheat day(s) you've ever had?

cokezerolime
cokezerolime Posts: 14 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm home for fall break right now, obviously taking full advantage of it as I don't feel like doing anything, and ballooned up like a pufferfish. Definitely gonna hit the gym hard when I go back to school, that's for sure.

Replies

  • sugarcakes38
    sugarcakes38 Posts: 80 Member
    Get ready because this is going to be a long one...

    Well, I wouldn’t call it a cheat day, but not long ago I accompanied my family to a Denny’s restaurant where I’d ordered a classic favorite of mine; mozzarella cheese sticks appetizer. Now, I’d felt no guilt, and I didn’t even consider it a cheat meal. I’d fit into my calories for the day, and knew that the cheese itself would keep me full for a lot of the day, as it always had before. I ate the whole damn plate full, plus my usual glass of ice water. It was heaven... until about 2-3 hours later when I’d started feeling like I’d been frikin poisoned. My stomach was rolling, completely bloated and my throat felt like I still had food stuck in there. I had an engagement later in the evening I had to be at, where I knew I wasn’t going to eat, but the mere offers gave me bouts of nausea like I hadn’t known in a long time. By 6pm I was doing my best to not chew my TUMS and swallow too fast, all I wanted to do was go home and try to get passed this awful mess of an enjoyable meal I’d made for myself, as I was in NO shape to be anywhere else but home.

    By the next morning, my stomach had stopped trying to explode, and my heartburn and indigestion was significantly less. But I had no interest in breakfast, or any kind of food for that day and it was important I take it really easy that day in terms of intake. I couldn’t believe I’d done that to myself. A year ago I could’ve put down that plate and had room for another by that night, no problem! But this episode was a real eye opener, made me realize that
    A.) my body is no longer the iron tank it used to be, what a wonderful thing... and
    B.) it can probably hold a good volume of food (as I stupidly proved that day), but don’t expect it to be a pleasant experience. And
    C.) Allll the little practices we get in trying to improve portion control add up to a tidy, healthy state of CICO. The consequences of what I did that day clearly taught me that despite the tedious calorie counting and seemingly monotonous eating habits I’ve stuck to, its been MUCH to the good of my well-being and helpful in daily living.

  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    I don't remember. I am sure there was plenty of booze and pizza involved and another failed weight loss attempt.

    As such I do not cheat anymore. I do eat more food on certain days but I place limits on it and/or rules around it. I am not comfortable with the idea of unstructured eating. I gained WAY too much weight and I have worked very hard to get most of it back off me. No matter how much I am eating I consider it part of my life and part of my overall plan and trust me I have packed in some calories on a few days during my weight loss.
  • bear2303
    bear2303 Posts: 251 Member
    ugh literally yesterday. I ate pasta, cookies, fried rice. All like it was going out of style and like there were no limits to what i could consume. I now less than 12 hours later feel like hot garbage and am being reminded of why i shouldn't eat like that anymore. I was up many times in the night feeling absolutely horrible and i regret everything! LOL
  • Roza42
    Roza42 Posts: 246 Member
    sugarcakes38 wrote: »
    Get ready because this is going to be a long one...

    Well, I wouldn’t call it a cheat day, but not long ago I accompanied my family to a Denny’s restaurant where I’d ordered a classic favorite of mine; mozzarella cheese sticks appetizer. Now, I’d felt no guilt, and I didn’t even consider it a cheat meal. I’d fit into my calories for the day, and knew that the cheese itself would keep me full for a lot of the day, as it always had before. I ate the whole damn plate full, plus my usual glass of ice water. It was heaven... until about 2-3 hours later when I’d started feeling like I’d been frikin poisoned. My stomach was rolling, completely bloated and my throat felt like I still had food stuck in there. I had an engagement later in the evening I had to be at, where I knew I wasn’t going to eat, but the mere offers gave me bouts of nausea like I hadn’t known in a long time. By 6pm I was doing my best to not chew my TUMS and swallow too fast, all I wanted to do was go home and try to get passed this awful mess of an enjoyable meal I’d made for myself, as I was in NO shape to be anywhere else but home.

    By the next morning, my stomach had stopped trying to explode, and my heartburn and indigestion was significantly less. But I had no interest in breakfast, or any kind of food for that day and it was important I take it really easy that day in terms of intake. I couldn’t believe I’d done that to myself. A year ago I could’ve put down that plate and had room for another by that night, no problem! But this episode was a real eye opener, made me realize that
    A.) my body is no longer the iron tank it used to be, what a wonderful thing... and
    B.) it can probably hold a good volume of food (as I stupidly proved that day), but don’t expect it to be a pleasant experience. And
    C.) Allll the little practices we get in trying to improve portion control add up to a tidy, healthy state of CICO. The consequences of what I did that day clearly taught me that despite the tedious calorie counting and seemingly monotonous eating habits I’ve stuck to, its been MUCH to the good of my well-being and helpful in daily living.

    I had an episode of severe stomach pain and what felt like gas after eating tortilla chips. Something I never eat. I actually got up so fast to run to the restroom that I passed out. Turns out the passing out wasn't a huge deal, but 6 months later I found out that the stomach pain was a gallstone.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    I don't believe in cheat days, in kinda the same sense that as an adult I don't believe in Santa Claus. Food is just food, not some kind of sin or excess that I try to "get away with".

    Some days I eat under my calorie goal, some days I eat over it, and very rarely I eat way, way over it. It's a choice I make, explicitly or implictly. I don't see any reason to either hate myself for it, or be proud of it (too much drama).

    Since I've been tracking (approaching 5 years now), the highest calorie days I've logged were somewhere in the 6,000 calorie range, which is not quite three times my TDEE. There was some estimating involved (foods made by restaurants or other people), but I'm pretty confident it was in that range. Something in the 2x TDEE to 3x TDEE range probably happens a few times a year; I haven't tried to count the frequency. Still, 4 years after losing weight, I'm still maintaining a healthy weight (BMI 22-point-something this morning, so right near the middle of the normal BMI range).

    Over time, calories (in and out) need to balance out. Prolonged periods of eating over TDEE are harder to make up for, but the immediate scale jump is still partly water weight and digestive contents that will drop off after calories are back at a sensible level for a few days. Anything roughly 3500 calories over maintenance (cumulatively, not necessarily all at once) will result in about a pound of fat gain that will need to be lost in order to compensate.
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    During Cincinnati pizza week, my bf and I went to a local place that had made a special pizza for the event - the Cincinnati chili pizza - chili, hot dogs, mustard, cheese. They also had pitchers of Nati light for $5. It was a long night.

    I didn't feel well for a week LOL
  • sugarcakes38
    sugarcakes38 Posts: 80 Member
    Roza42 wrote: »
    sugarcakes38 wrote: »
    Get ready because this is going to be a long one...

    Well, I wouldn’t call it a cheat day, but not long ago I accompanied my family to a Denny’s restaurant where I’d ordered a classic favorite of mine; mozzarella cheese sticks appetizer. Now, I’d felt no guilt, and I didn’t even consider it a cheat meal. I’d fit into my calories for the day, and knew that the cheese itself would keep me full for a lot of the day, as it always had before. I ate the whole damn plate full, plus my usual glass of ice water. It was heaven... until about 2-3 hours later when I’d started feeling like I’d been frikin poisoned. My stomach was rolling, completely bloated and my throat felt like I still had food stuck in there. I had an engagement later in the evening I had to be at, where I knew I wasn’t going to eat, but the mere offers gave me bouts of nausea like I hadn’t known in a long time. By 6pm I was doing my best to not chew my TUMS and swallow too fast, all I wanted to do was go home and try to get passed this awful mess of an enjoyable meal I’d made for myself, as I was in NO shape to be anywhere else but home.

    By the next morning, my stomach had stopped trying to explode, and my heartburn and indigestion was significantly less. But I had no interest in breakfast, or any kind of food for that day and it was important I take it really easy that day in terms of intake. I couldn’t believe I’d done that to myself. A year ago I could’ve put down that plate and had room for another by that night, no problem! But this episode was a real eye opener, made me realize that
    A.) my body is no longer the iron tank it used to be, what a wonderful thing... and
    B.) it can probably hold a good volume of food (as I stupidly proved that day), but don’t expect it to be a pleasant experience. And
    C.) Allll the little practices we get in trying to improve portion control add up to a tidy, healthy state of CICO. The consequences of what I did that day clearly taught me that despite the tedious calorie counting and seemingly monotonous eating habits I’ve stuck to, its been MUCH to the good of my well-being and helpful in daily living.

    I had an episode of severe stomach pain and what felt like gas after eating tortilla chips. Something I never eat. I actually got up so fast to run to the restroom that I passed out. Turns out the passing out wasn't a huge deal, but 6 months later I found out that the stomach pain was a gallstone.

    Yikes. I hope the gall stone issue is resolved. I remember having gall stones, had my gall bladder removed eventually, but couldn’t come fast enough by that point.

  • skipwa
    skipwa Posts: 14 Member
    There were donuts in the office this week and on Tuesday, I ate 3 of them. It's something I don't usually crave, but when they're in front me, all self control goes out the window.
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    @melichalupa i've never related to a post more.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    The least satisfying high calorie days for me are parties & special occasions when I go to someone's home and just snack on a little of this, little of that, and by the end I know that my calorie count was on par with "planned" indulgences like a big cheeseburger or that slice of lemon pie with tall meringue. I usually do pretty well with limiting myself but when I'm sitting around for hours with friends/family who are snacking it's hard not to pick at the food too. Ugh.
  • Kimberly_Harper
    Kimberly_Harper Posts: 409 Member
    Do you mean worst like consuming the most calories, or worst based on how your body reacts, or worst like wasting the calories you saved for a cheat day on lame food? (mine would be the third)
  • threewins
    threewins Posts: 1,455 Member
    Not a cheat day but I had a medical issue, I was in pain so of course I ate absolutely heaps. Probably double what I preferred intake was. My app's graph looked like the Seattle skyline with that Seattle Needle at the right hand side. I hated the graph so much I deleted 180 days of data so I could start from fresh.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    I've never had a cheat day or meal, so don't have a worst one. ☺
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,415 Member
    I usually have "cheat" days because I'm already feeling "the worst."

    I try to keep my protein up. When I have stomach flu (which I enjoy frequently since my daughter started elementary school) I just eat starch. Rice and ramen. Probably like... 0 protein. Still probably under daily calories, and definitely under daily protein, but it's a chance to eat all the carbs I could possibly... keep down...
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
    I felt like eating Cheetos. I bought a whole 6 oz. bag, and I devoured half of them. No sickness or diarrhea. I felt satisfied.
  • torih941
    torih941 Posts: 208 Member
    I have zero self-control at events where food is just out, I tell myself I am going to have a plate, but by the time I leave my stomach is killing me.

    Fast food wise, Chipotle is my weakness.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
    I don't really do cheat days. I'm either "on" or "off". So my weight comes on slowly. So slowly, one day I put pants on and they don't button. I really don't eat highly caloric food. I eat LOTS of food. Portions aren't easy for me.

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