"Cheat Day" Tips

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HonkyTonks
HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all,
I have been on MFP for a couple of months, but really dieting pretty strictly you could say for the last couple of weeks, I have been drinking shakes and having low carb/low cal dinners and snacks as much as possible. Occasionally over the weekend I will have a few drinks but still try and stick to my calorie limit. I exercise basically every day, with 4-5 cardio sessions and 2 circuit training sessions per week.

I have dieted in the past in a similar fashion and I occasionally had a cheat day or meal, unfortunately sometimes they have gone from just a meal to day, a weekend, a week in the past. As a result I had some difficulties losing the weight (it slowed or delayed my progress).

Tomorrow I have a day off work and I am going out with family to the coast, where we are having a BBQ lunch and I know for dinner I will be going to an Indian restaurant with a prepared banquet (6 courses). As you can imagine I may not stick to my calorie or carb limit tomorrow. I consider this a cheat day and would like to spend the day not stressing OVERLY about carbs or calories.

My question is, if you are like me and sometimes go a bit overboard when eating uncontrolled, what are your tips for staying in control. I want to still have these nice things sharing with my family, especially the Indian restaurant I have been looking forward to for quite a while. I just don't want to completely destroy my whole week or worse, have the day spill over to the weekend.

Your thoughts are appreciated

Replies

  • skinnyjeansss
    skinnyjeansss Posts: 17
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    ohhh i ADORE cheat days, or free days as i like to call them. they're necessary, in my opinion. i used to be a HUUUGE over eater. to help when i go out or am eating unhealthy meals i either split a dish with someone or get a to-go box right when i get my food and put half of the plate away for later. (:
  • andrea198721
    andrea198721 Posts: 173 Member
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    Go for it, if you have been goin' that hard for the past couple of weeks you've earned it! I would still put whatever I eat in my log and just keep doin' what you're doin'!
  • Jemmuno
    Jemmuno Posts: 413 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about the 6 course meal too much usually nice meals like that the serving sizes are extremeley small and since it takes awhile to get each course you fill up pretty quick. As for the BBQ just take little samples of what you like it's all about moderation. If you feel the need to binge find a dish that seem relatively low in calories, usually something with a lot of veggies in it and munch on that for the rest of the time after you've eaten your cheat foods.
  • oldultrarunner
    oldultrarunner Posts: 13 Member
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    I plan for my "cheat" day and it's almost always on a Saturday. I like going to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch Michigan football every Sat., and I know that going to BWW, I'm going to want several pints of good microbrew which I don't drink at all during the week. I never eat the wings, (vegan) but I do have a black bean burger with fries for lunch. I'm also a pizzacoholic and could live on pizza (but no meat) and I love the DiGirono pizza (spinach/garlic/mushroom). So I plan in advance and what I do on Thursday and Friday, is I build a bank of exercise calories beyond what I would ever eat during those two days. For example, I may ride the bike hard at 16-18 mph for 4-5 hrs and on Friday, I'll ride at 14-16 mph for 6 hrs. That gives me a big calorie deficit that I know I can eat/drink extra on Saturday. Works for me and when I weigh in on Monday, I almost always have lost 2 lbs.

    Try it!
  • Heidi64
    Heidi64 Posts: 211 Member
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    I take the time to really enjoy what I'm eating and eat it slowly. If I start eating my favorite food with little thought I will then go overboard. However, if I REALLY focus and taste what I'm eating I don't eat as much. I let myself enjoy it. If I keep saying oh this is bad, or I shouldn't eat this, then I get resentful and shove MORE in my mouth. Mental issues, what can I say. Good luck, and enjoy yourself. After all, you're working on this so you can live better, so LIVE!
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    dont do cheat days
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    For the past few months I've been in the habit of keeping a spreadsheet with 10-day totals.
    I tend to naturally zig zag my calories so it's nice to keep an eye on them to make sure my over days and under days balance out over the long term.

    It also helps me to feel in control when I know I'll be someplace where I'll have limited control over what I'm eating.

    If I know I have an event coming up that I want to relax and enjoy, I'll bank a some calories in the days before. (I still try to keep 1200 NET as my rock bottom though.)
    Even if I can't go hog wild crazy, I have a rough idea of how much buffer I have.

    Some times I just guesstimate and enter quick calories for the day and some days instead of logging as I go I eat what I want, and try to get it all down later.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    dont do cheat days

    Aw com'on life happens... I'm in this to make my life better.

    I, for one, am going to enjoy time with my family without guilt and sometimes that will include food options that are beyond my control. And sometime the options WILL be in my control and I'll choose to enjoy a treat anyway. If I have to adjust a bit later so be it.

    If I'm always in a mode of self-denial. I'll end up exploding and giving it all up. And that is certainly not worth it.
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
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    I'd like to be a bit more moderate in time but I am hoping to lose 10KG by the end of the year - I have an anxiety disorder which means it's hard for me to be moderate, I am either one extreme or the other. It's a long journey that I am trying to get through. I know I definitely need this day tomorrow, where I don't feel anxious/stressed over the calories I am eating. I also know there's no way to meet my 1200 calorie goal eating creamy Indian curry :P

    What I will do is take the advice, I'm going to log my food tomorrow, and just take it slow and enjoy every bite of anything I eat, if I eat slowly I will get full more quickly... so I'll still be able to eat a nice creamy curry, but may only eat half of what I normally do which is half the calories. I'm also spending the day on the coast so I'll be fairly active. Then make sure I go back to what I was doing the next day.
  • Misiaxcore
    Misiaxcore Posts: 659 Member
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    What works for me in staying under control is recalling how crappy and bloated my stomach felt the last time I ate too much. I hate that feeling soo much. Same thing with eating McDonald's now. Tastes good, but makes me feel so sick after. I remember that feeling next time I need a convenience meal and go to subway or tim horton's instead.
  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member
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    (1) Strict dieting is a bad idea. It has been shown that people who aren't flexible fail frequently. If you get a chance read Flexible Dieting by Lyle McDonald.

    (2) If you want, eat a higher calorie dinner or fewer meals or more meals or whatever. It's up to you. Don't get this notion that eating late at night is bad. Some people eat an entire pint of ice cream before bed and still have great fat loss. Check out this article by Martin Berkhan where has cites and dissects studies showing late night eating is fine: http://www.leangains.com/2011/06/is-late-night-eating-better-for-fat.html

    (3) Cheat days (the version most people use) are pointless. I never have cheat days because I practice moderation. Sometimes I eat a chocolate bar every single day and some days I don't. Sometimes I eat brownies every day and some days I don't. How you lose weight should be the same as how you expect to live the rest of your life. Practice moderation now so the transition is easy. Now, my cheat days is when I go over my caloric limit and has no dependency on the kinds of foods I eat. This version can be useful for psychological breaks.
  • meredithd13
    meredithd13 Posts: 53
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    eat something substantial and wholesome for breakfast, drink lots of water through the day, and try a bit of everything and eat slowly. you'll probably be too full to eat much. i tend not to drink much alcohol while i'm eating dinner (except a gutsy red with a great steak).

    but really, it's good to treat yourself, just don't binge and eat slowly.
  • it_be_asin
    it_be_asin Posts: 562 Member
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    I have had one true cheat day since I started watching my weight - last Sunday, my sister's wedding! I try and keep my cheat days to once every three months or so, and make it for truly special occasions that are worth celebrating. I think my birthday dinner (but not other's birthday dinners) and weddings are cheat day worthy - not so sure about Christmas and Easter, they may make the cut. Every other day, if I want something naughty, I make myself fit it in my calorie budget.
  • TLP22
    TLP22 Posts: 4
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    Don't beat yourself up over one over day. That is when I find myself having issues. I feel bad like I blew it and I'm a loser and all that other stuff that I say to myself to sabatoge. Just let it go! Just tell yourself that you will get back on it the next day! It will be fine. I love that idea about asking for a to go box right up front!! I'm gonna do that! Thanks! Good Luck!

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