Cheat days - how often, how much?

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  • gemswillsucceed
    gemswillsucceed Posts: 13 Member
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    This is one of the things i seem to think about quite a lot about.
    I enjoy my nights out with friends which can include alcohol and "bad tasty food"!! But i tend to work it in to my routine so If i know i'm going out at the weekend, I'll try and do more exercise that week and save up most of my exercise cals for the night out.
    I still do my best to log all of the food/drink on a night out as accurately as possible and by saving up exercise cals, I tend to feel more in control and don't feel like I've wasted a week of being really good and healthy! I'm not sure if this is the right way to do it but it seems to be working ok for me at the minute and it's only a couple of times a month (at most) that I will have a big night out.

    Other than that, I don't ban chocolate or any other foods from my daily diet - I still eat it but in moderation and I'm more conscious of what I eat and the calorific value. If i want to eat more, I will exercise more!
  • ThaRealNicki
    ThaRealNicki Posts: 328 Member
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    Im not on a diet im trying to make better choices so cheating isnt even in my head (theres no way to cheat) if I eat foods that I could of made better choices on I deff eat them in moderation
  • billthekill
    billthekill Posts: 90
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    Sorry lady, sounds like your BF is discourging your weight loss plan.

    I would be PISSED at my BF if he knew I was trying to lose weight and he intentionally kept bringing me down...he could get you flowers, not a fatty drink. You should be with someone who helps support you and your goals, not makes them difficult/impossible. :(

    100% Agreed. You need to dump him ASAP.
  • roycelynberry
    roycelynberry Posts: 46 Member
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    My trainer said he recommend I do 1 to 2 cheat days I usually do them on the weekends but its usually 1 meal on each day
  • tsanford78
    tsanford78 Posts: 5
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    I have cheat days every other weekend and they do not involve food! I usually cheat by having a few cocktails. Never really realized how many 'liquid' calories I consumed till I started logging it here.
  • jcsaxon3
    jcsaxon3 Posts: 4
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    Usually one day on my weekend ends up being a cheat day (conveniently, usually the day I weigh in in the morning :D). I keep it pretty close to the goal during the week, but I find I progress more smoothly and happily if I blow it once a week.
  • deniseearheart
    deniseearheart Posts: 919 Member
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    My trainer said he recommend I do 1 to 2 cheat days I usually do them on the weekends but its usually 1 meal on each day



    Agreed!!! I do on date nights and then sometimes on nights with girlfriends
  • Kell_Smurthwaite
    Kell_Smurthwaite Posts: 384 Member
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    I don't have "cheat days" because I figure the only person I'm cheating is myself. I may have an occasional treat, but not one that will blow out my entire day - everything comes within my allowances.The way I see it is that the only way I'm going to get where I want to be is if I retrain myself to make healthy choices and now see junk and sweets as a treat, rather to see them for what they are - things that will derail me and keep me from reaching my goals. There are some days when I eat more than other days, but So far I've stayed well within my calorie allowances and have been green right across the board on all but one day early on when I went 3g over my fat allowance (I joined MFP on 26th February this year), and have drank at least 8 glasses of water every day. I know there will be days when I feel like pigging out, but I have to keep my eye on that goal and pull it back in the same day if I go overboard at some point, whether it's by eating fruit and veg the rest of the day or by getting in some extra exercise. I can't "leave it till tomorrow" because tomorrow never comes.

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  • andijo2012
    andijo2012 Posts: 2
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    I have cheat "items". I will allow myself something naughty if I've stayed below my intake, but only once a week. We typically eat out once on the weekend, and I save up for my splurge. However, having done this for 8 months now, it doesn't even really feel like cheating. It's more of a balanced way to live.

    My cheat go tos: Skinny cow ice cream sandwiches, York peppermint patties
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
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    I still believe a cheat day every three weeks is good!
  • blueeyedcristi
    blueeyedcristi Posts: 304 Member
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    jr bacon cheeseburger Nom Nom Nom :)
  • Kateraptor
    Kateraptor Posts: 42
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    I do a cheat day once a week and it is the same day my boyfriend and I do our date night. It's more like a meal because I always make sure breakfast is something good (green smoothie or something high protein). I don't track and I don't feel guilty. I'm pretty Strict about the rest of the week though, but I don't feel deprived. If I want ice cream or something sweet I'll make sure that I have enough calories left or I work out to make more during the days I track.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
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    During the week, I eat clean, nutritious foods about 85-90% of the time but will often allow myself a small splurge item that doesn't put me over my calorie target but is something relatively non-nutritious (like an ice cream dixiecup with 150 calories).

    I also zig-zag my calories a bit during the week so if I'm under my calorie target, I will often have a few extra calories that I need to eat on Saturday or Sunday. It's fun to splurge with them.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    2 cheat meals a week normally Wednesday night and then either Friday or Saturday night... Wednesday is normally Subway a bag of chips and a minute lemonade and my weekend meal is also out to eat where ever we decide. The only rules are I can eat whatever and however much I want but it must be consumed there and nothing comes home with us... Been doing this through my entire 300+ pound weight loss....
  • gemswillsucceed
    gemswillsucceed Posts: 13 Member
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    2 cheat meals a week normally Wednesday night and then either Friday or Saturday night... Wednesday is normally Subway a bag of chips and a minute lemonade and my weekend meal is also out to eat where ever we decide. The only rules are I can eat whatever and however much I want but it must be consumed there and nothing comes home with us... Been doing this through my entire 300+ pound weight loss....

    Wow, with a 300lb loss, this must really work.
    I'm tempted to try it myself now! Just out of interest, do you exercise more throughout the week to allow yourself the cheats? And do you log the cheat nights?
  • valenief
    valenief Posts: 134 Member
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    I really try not to do the cheat days however it is hard lol I end up having them once or twice a week sadly Im really trying to cut them out completely. Im an emotional eater so if I have a bad day I splurge.....gotta try to get that under control!
  • Ro0kins_Wedding
    Ro0kins_Wedding Posts: 295
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    I am not sure what you mean by cheat day?

    I log everything I eat. If I go over my calorie limit for that day (like yesterday) I will try and balance that out throughout the week.
    As long as I am below my calorie limit at the end of week, then i'm happy.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    I don't have cheat meals or cheat days. I eat what I want, when I want it - I just do it moderation. I've found that for me? Having to wait for a specific meal or day to enjoy the things I love is too diet-ish. If I want something, I want it now - not tomorrow or next week or whatever. And really, as long as I account for it in my calories, there's NO REASON I can't have it RIGHT NOW. I love Reese's eggs and since they are only out at Easter time (why I like them better than regular Reese's, I'll never know.. they are the exact same thing!) I've been making sure I could fit one of them into my calories for the last few days.
  • davewiard
    davewiard Posts: 10
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    I do "cheat snacks". I eat smaller meals so that I'm taking in food about 5 times a day. 3 smaller meals with 2 snacks in-between. Usually the snacks are things like raisins or banana chips or some peanuts. Occasionally I'll go for something like a mini-sized Butterfinger.
  • rbrannock
    rbrannock Posts: 169
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    Like a lot of other replys I've read, I don't generally have a cheat DAY...but a cheat meal. When I first started this new lifestyle change on January 1st 2012, I felt so guilty when I'd have a cheat meal, but lately I've noticed that if I stay at my 1200 calories per day every day of the week my weight will either go up a little or it'll stay the same, but if I go above my calories 1 or 2 days out of the week I have lost. Maybe I need to up my calories, or keep having a few "over calorie" days, but I'm not a believer in the starvation mode logic. At least for me....we are not all the same. I think every one is entitled to have a "cheat" day or "cheat" meal even every week.....as long as you don't go overboard. Try different things and see what works best for you. *On a side note, I've also noticed when my cheat day/meal consists of more than 2 or 3 beers I ALWAYS gain weight.......which sucks!!*

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