Do Any Of You Have a Cheat Day?

I went over yesterday by oh...1000 calories. It was lovely.

I plan mine about twice a month. I always make sure they are planned so I don't go overboard.

My weekends are mine. I drink beer, and eat out....but do try and eat well for the most part. I find the longer I eat well, the less I actually crave bad stuff, so my cheat days aren't too awful. During the week I am pretty strict and I have been losing about 2 lbs a week. So- it works for me to have TWO days to not worry about calories too much.... It also keeps me sane, not 'letting' myself eat stuff I like once in a while would drive me nuts...mental health is important too.

I choose to use "treat day" instead of "cheat day"...and yes I treat myself but in smaller portions--then back on track - Sunday is my treat meal... :drinker:

I don't have a cheat day as such, but like periguine, i relax a little after my weigh in, altho i try n ensure i don't go overboard, maybe just having the odd little extra. I used to be like you, where i would have a full day which would turn into a weekend, then before you know it you're starting afresh from the next week, but i'm trying hard to break that cycle now and lose the extra pounds once and for all ;0)

I do have a cheat day, only one day a week (usually a weekend day). It has been good for me, it keeps me sane! I have still successfully lost 10 pounds in 1 month. I don't think a little "cheat day" once in awhile does any harm.

A so-called "cheat day" won't hurt you. If your cheat day turns into you forgetting all about your goals and nutrition for a whole week, then yes it will hurt you But then that's no longer a "cheat day"; that's falling off the wagon.

Every Saturday. It usually ends up being more of a "cheat meal" and I try to keep it within reason but I don't get as strict about the rest of the day, either.
I've kept the "cheat day" since I started and I still lost 40 pounds so I think it's totally do-able.

I do have cheat days, and it is usually one day between Fridays and Sundays. I just have to pick which one it might be. Saying that, I don't "always" allocate one day each week to having something calorie free.

After being on calorie control for 8 months my body started to recognise when I was going to "let go" and eat whatever I wanted. So every now and then I would have to skip my calorie free day and leave it until the next weekend before I gave myself a treat. The longer I went without, and it pushed my weight loss a bit further - And even when the calorie free days were introduced again.

I will admit at times I find it hard. Sometimes a cheat day can turn into a whole cheat weekend if I'm not careful. I get tired easy because of rotating rosters in the workplace, and not having to fuss over calorie control or food restrictions over the wkends is tedious. So I make sure now to log in my foods in advance here on MFP beforehand.

mine is every sunday after weighing in the morning ill do good most of the day but i will treat myself to chocolate or dessert and maybe a glass of wine i look forward to sundays i also know that mondays its time to get back to it works for me

On the weekends I'm more lax about staying under my 500 calorie deficit, but I never go over my maintenance. Usually I wind up with a 300 calorie deficit instead of a 500, some people would think of this as zig-zagging I suppose. I weigh in on Mondays and always see a drop even after my slightly higher calorie weekend.

And about once a month I just don't log for a day. I still make healthy choices on those days, I just don't sweat the #'s. If I want a 'cheat' food, I'd rather work it into my daily allowance than make it blow my day. Or take a longer walk with the dog to have some exercise calories to eat.

I do intend to eat whatever the hell I want on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Fourth of July. Those are cheat days I suppose, but more like enjoying what life has to offer days. I haven't decided if I'll try to log them or not, though probably not.

I try not to have a cheat day, but if I'm craving something fierce, I will give it to myself, in smaller portions. Like right now, I'm indulging in a Vanilla Latte from Biggby's, but with skim milk instead of regular. I try to maintain good eating throughout the week, and on weekends, if I have been craving something SOOOO much, I will give it to myself. I'd rather be happy and lose weight slower, than miserable and skinny. However, I do keep track of it on my counter. I don't want to pretend like it never happened. That also helps me make better decisions during the week, when I'm craving Taco Bell, I can look back and say, "No, you had Panera Bread over the weekend, maybe later."

I don't "cheat" because that implies there's something wrong with it. I do, however, have a Spike Day every weekend where I intentionally eat whatever I want at a minimum of 3600 calories (oh yeah!). It is glorious. I limit it to 24 hours, & when it's over, it's over. It's an ingenious way to lose weight in my opinion...I can't wait forever to eat my Ben & Jerry's, but I can wait 6 days, & that's the longest I have to wait to eat anything I want.

only when i go out with my extended family which is just a handful of times (4-5 days) throughout the year. i've learned to make healthy versions of the foods i like and eat them whenever i want. also, eating small portions when friends and family order in a pizza or something helps as well.