How often does everyone "cheat"?

sarahness
sarahness Posts: 80 Member
edited October 30 in Food and Nutrition
How often does everyone "cheat" on their diets or "treat" themselves? Once a week....bi weekly......once a month....never? Someone told me at work that I should treat myself atleast once a week to shock my body and not get in the same routine and then plateau. Is this true?
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Replies

  • jody664
    jody664 Posts: 397 Member
    Funny, I just posted basically the same question on here! My first responder says never, but that seems pretty unrealistic. If I need to resign myself to NEVER slipping, ever, then I might as well give up now because it's gonna happen. Look forward to seeing the responses you get as well.
  • angela72023
    angela72023 Posts: 25
    Once a week! But I eat my exercise calories so I can have regular food sometimes ---is that cheating?
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
    Once per week I allow myself a 'cheat'. It is never a huge cheat...but sometimes I convince myself that I am cheating and it makes the food more enjoyable! haha I usually save my cheat for a Friday or Saturday night...sometimes it only means having a couple of drinks with my friends...
  • scannon4
    scannon4 Posts: 2
    Saturday and Sunday, I just can't bring myself to stick to it on the weekends. I wish I could!
  • ComeAroundSundown
    ComeAroundSundown Posts: 69 Member
    I don't have a set day/schedule. I just allow my "cheats" for social events. It could be once a month, or twice a week. I feel like it's easier to maintain this way.
  • spectralmoon
    spectralmoon Posts: 1,179 Member
    Work on Monday counted as my unintentional cheat, since I couldn't find calories on unmarked muffins and was there without internet for 13 hours. Otherwise I've been on track for my first MFP week.
  • susanb573
    susanb573 Posts: 111 Member
    What do you mean by cheat? Just a "no no" food but not going over your calorie count for the day? Or do you mean blowing it calorie wise?

    I have chocolate every day but just a tiny bit. So I guess I cheat daily. But I never go over my calories and have a big cheat (or at least I haven't so far).
  • xlpavenged7x
    xlpavenged7x Posts: 56 Member
    Once a week I'll cheat!! But hey, gotta give yourself a pat on the back for doing so good! I just cheat on one meal, either on saturday or sunday :smile: Well worth it!!
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    cheating is cheating. if you want to stray from the path then plan for it. you are only cheating yourself.
  • meshelman
    meshelman Posts: 12
    I seem to give myself either Friday or Saturday evening to "cheat". I try to bank some calories during the day with smaller meals and I can stay within a reasonable range of my calorie target. It's generally the sodium that suffers for me because, schwoo, pizza and cheesesteaks are sodium city, so I'm sure to increase my water intake. Even with this cheat I still hit my weekly goals and have not felt deprived. I gotta do it, keeps me from going crazy...er.
  • ShapingAgnes
    ShapingAgnes Posts: 45 Member
    I do when I want something really bad. Its not a weekly or bi weekly thing, its when I need it. I have heard that it is good to :shock" your body so that it does not get use to the same calorie intake day in and day out. Our bodys want to use as little energy as possible, it is the way that it is programed. So once that it realizes that it will be recieving the same amount of nutrition daily it learns how to start saving for a "rainy day".
  • sweet110
    sweet110 Posts: 332 Member
    As someone with a lengthy weight loss journey, I will say 'it depends.' Depends on what my goals are at the time, and what else is going on.

    Sometimes, losing weight is my hobby (which is often the case when you first get started). Then, I never cheat. Or, as others put it...I 'plan' for occasional foods in my calorie count.

    Other times, I'm still on the path, but my mind is focused on other things. Then I typically let myself have regular cheats. How regular, depends on how big the cheat is. For a while, I was eating a snickers bar every other day. Slowed things down, but didn't stop it. If you're talking about a 'big' cheat, like a typical restaurant meal, every 10 days.
  • JenabeeRose
    JenabeeRose Posts: 73 Member
    Normally every Saturday... my weekend is so sporadic, so it just works out that way. Oh well. =)
  • sarahness
    sarahness Posts: 80 Member
    I mean like a day where your not counting calories and splurging. not binging but like say on a sunday night you order pizza and happen to eat like 5 slices lol and then go out for icecream.
  • alltalk199
    alltalk199 Posts: 275
    Balance, Balance, Balance Baby! Why cheat? Plan it in your diary, sometimes you will have up and down days, remember it's a journey to lifestyle changes for me. You'll find out what works for you, each to their own, everyone's different. Work it Baby!
  • evansproudmama
    evansproudmama Posts: 493 Member
    Once a week :-) Usually Saturday so I can get back on track for my week on Sunday, I try to stick to a strict routine all week at work so when Sat. rolls around I can enjoy :-) Never seems pretty crazy since to me anyway I would look at it like a jail.. hello the start of diet is die lol
  • dolphin21
    dolphin21 Posts: 301 Member
    Mine are the weekends baby!!!!!
  • Dawn_is_getting_healthy
    Dawn_is_getting_healthy Posts: 245
    I weigh in on Saturday mornings, and then usually eat at maintenance on Saturday and Sunday. So, it's more calories, but in a way that won't undo my progress.
  • kttnply9
    kttnply9 Posts: 9
    It's a "reward", not a cheat :smile:

    If I did really well with eating healthy and meeting my exercise goal, my reward is on Sunday. I pick something that I've been craving all week and eat it! Just a portion though.
  • thatsnumberwang
    thatsnumberwang Posts: 398 Member
    On average about once a week -- but it's a "treat," not a "cheat." I don't plan in advance, though - if there's some kind of social event going on, dinner at a friend's house, or a date night, that will be my treat meal for the week.
  • fitobsessed
    fitobsessed Posts: 74
    Child please (lmao) I had half of an apple pie that my mother made for me this past weekend and I didn't lie when I entered it in my diary either. I refused! LOL Plus by NOT lying about it, it makes me know I need to work out hard during the week.
  • cuteness81104
    cuteness81104 Posts: 131 Member
    All the time!!!!!!!! but if I eat junk I add an extra workout to make up for it
  • Canadien
    Canadien Posts: 122 Member
    I cheat whenever I want to. :P I don't call it "cheating" because I don't consider this a diet. Whenever I feel like eating something like a cinnamon bun or a slice of pizza, I go for it - but I don't overdo it. I get sick if I eat sweet things so that rules out a lot of junk food, lol. I feel like throwing up if I eat that stuff, which I guess is a good thing. :P
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    The concept of cheating is pretty foreign to the attitude I have about losing weight. Some days are way over goal and others are under goal. If it balances out at the end of the week, great. If not, I know I have slowed my weight loss a bit. But you can't really "cheat" on how you're living your life, in my opinion.
  • Alexdur85
    Alexdur85 Posts: 255 Member
    Everyday but I don't call it cheating.
  • annabellio
    annabellio Posts: 127 Member
    Once a week! But I eat my exercise calories so I can have regular food sometimes ---is that cheating?
    Nope!
  • samatalma
    samatalma Posts: 197
    Once a week. And it's not like a binge either. I'm usually still within my calorie limit. I still log everything I eat/drink.
  • andreacord
    andreacord Posts: 928
    I'll usually have a cheat meal on Friday or Saturday, or a dessert instead of a "meal" per se.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    I always log my food, but once in a while I will have a "spike" day where I might be over by 200-300 calories. Maybe once every couple of months. I don't find it difficult to eat what I want and have it fit into my macros.
  • branflake5
    branflake5 Posts: 332
    If you completely deprive yourself of everything then you are more likely to fail in the long run. I cheat occasionally I won't say it's a set thing like weekly or bi-weekly but sometimes you deserve an icecream:) and I have actually become quite fond of Skinny Cow Icecream products so its not as bad as it could be they are low cal and low fat and delicious!! lol Now I want to cheat :( good thing I have nothing to cheat with
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