Your definition of a cheat day

I am currently at 101 pounds lost and not at my goal weight, but close enough that I follow what I call a "modified maintenance plan" to lose the remainder very slowly and practice the controlled lifestyle.

I say that only so I can show that my method worked for me. For the last 11 months, the entirety of this journey, I have followed a few rules. The rules kind of serve as safety nets for each other, so if I break one, others are in place.

Rule 1: Leave 500 calories in the green each day. Since I was pretty good about eating at least 1200 (I'm REALLY good about that now, and then some), that means a lot of exercise. The more you lose, the harder this is to follow because exercise doesn't burn as much.

Rule 2: At least stay in the green as much as possible.

Rule 3: If you go in the red, at least don't go so far in the red that you are eating enough to gain. In other words, "if every day were like today, you'd weigh ___ in five weeks." If that ___ is higher than your current weight, DON'T DO IT. I NEVER broke this rule, ever. Not one day.

Rule 4: No matter how much you exercise, NEVER, EVER go over 2000 calories. I only broke this rule for the first time a couple days ago—I hit 2057 (but was still in the green).

I know it's a lot, but I'm a rules-numbers-structure person so it works for me.

Oh! I realized that I didn't really address the OP. Since I never broke rules 3 & 4, I considered a "cheat day" a day in which a significant amount of my calorie budget was unhealthy foods, like cake or "protein" bars (which I consider candy bars pretending to be healthy). (But I love them.) Any processed sugar or white flour product is pretty much cheating for me. I refuse to go over my calorie budget (at least the top end of it) because I can't stand the thought of all my hard work going to waste, even if just for a day.

I eat and drink whatever i want and don't log it at all during the day.

then later, for kicks, with a bowl of ice cream or a few beers, I sit down and log it all.

Enjoy it guilt free, then laugh about it later................

then I am greatful that i haven't been eating like that everyday, like i used to................

I like how you think!!

A "cheat day" (and boy to I hate that term. It's got such a "shame on me for doing something wrong" vibe to it, when, really, I'm making a choice that for me, personally, makes the lifestyle change work) for me is a day where I don't log anything. I may or may not go over my daily calories. I may or may not eat crap/processed foods/all carbs, all the time/12 different kinds of fudge. I may or may not eat a fantastic, all organic, brilliantly clean dinner prepared at home by free range, grass fed magic elves. Doesn't matter. I log nothing.

Generally, I take a cheat day when I'm on the kind of vacation where I turn off my cell phone, step away from the computer, and just let go. Occasionally, I take one just because it makes me happy. For me, they're not a regularly scheduled, weekly/monthly/whenever thing; they're just another tool in the toolbox of life, there when I need 'em. Heck, sometimes the knowledge that I could take a day if I wanted is enough to keep me logging.

making good choices, but knowing there will be "those " days

For me, I have "free" days... where I don't bother to log.

I still eat Vegan... and I prefer real, whole food, organic, but I might go out to eat and not do any calculations, or I might decide it's bring on the tacos day...

I do this about once a month, I think. It's a way to keep it from becoming a grind.

Not giving a hoot what i eat or drink on a particular day. For example, as i will have worked all weekend, the family are coming monday for Easter dinner, which will be roast beef and trimmings, plus beer, wine and dessert. I am not going to bother counting calories. I may go for a run before hand for some extra room. I know the rest of the week i will be on 1630 cals and will be execising almost eveyday. My long winded point is, live a bit, enjoy a whole day every so often. Just get back on it afterwards.

This!

I think of it has going over your calories by your favorite unhealthy food of choice. I used to have one cheat day a week, but all week I would just yearn for that day to come so by the time it did I really overdid it. Yeah, I lost weight that way, but man I puttin myself through undo stress! Now I just indulge in moderation when I want to while still staying under my calories, so I usually do it on the days i burn a lot through cardio.

Like others I look at this as a lifestyle, so all types of foods simply have to fit into my lifestyle. I clean eat 95% of the time. When we have certain social functions on, I'll have a glass of wine, or a little piece of cake/muffin/pasta etc etc. I never feel guilty though, just fit it into my eating plan. I find now that one glass of wine, or small bit of cake is more than enough and I don't go looking or craving for any of it and could easily go without it most times too.


Mel

Just who are you cheating??
Take a day off & enjoy life occasionally then if you log it retrospectively you may be surprised at how little over you have gone.
We are learning how to live healthier & beating ourselves up is not healthy!

Perfect!

I don't cheat. I splurge. Cheating sounds like I'm doing something bad. A splurge isn't bad, it's living.

Cheat day for me is usually just 1 cheat meal . Typically fast food or pizza cuz that's really the only thing I miss. I make sure to plan the rest of my day around it so I stay within my calories, but I ignore my macros for the day.