Cheat Days

DBiddle69
DBiddle69 Posts: 682 Member
How many of you really do this?

What do you consider a cheating day?

I have heard some say it is a day they eat anything they want.
But do you log it in? If you log it in is it cheating?

For me a cheat day was eating more than my daily calories +exercise calories...however, I have always made up the difference during the week burning off the extra calories I took in that one day. :)

I am thinking about trying a cheat day where I do not worry about logging it in but it is so habitual for me to log!

Replies

  • dsak
    dsak Posts: 367 Member
    I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions on this, but.... for me.... there are no cheat days as I don't consider myself to be on a diet. I have had to retrain myself to a new lifestyle and way of eating. Oh sure... I've had many, many bad days (especially December thru March), but... it is what it is. I try to log everything. Including the breakdowns where chocolate and cookies are needed. But... I get right back up and try to eat more healthy going forward. I say everything in moderation.
  • JanieJack
    JanieJack Posts: 3,831 Member
    My friends and I recently finished our first round of Biggest Loser and it seemed like all of us took a “cheat week,” which caused several pounds weight gain, before starting back up with the next round.

    For me, “cheat day” or “free days” means eating whatever I want w/o worrying about the calories. I do log everything, though, and that helps me gauge the impact of my cheats. And now that I’ve lost a little weight, I find myself sometimes limiting the indulgence. Not always, lol!

    I look at the weekends as "Free days" because we weigh in on Fridays, and generally speaking my schedule is so spontaneous and chaotic on the weekends that I can't plan like I used to. For me, looking at the weekends as free days takes away the mental stress of not doing as well as I’d like.

    When I was married, before I had my son, I was on an incredibly (and IMHO, unhealthy) strict diet, and the only way I could really maintain it was to allow myself to eat anything I wanted on Sundays as a reward for “being good” all week. Unfortunately, a lot of “cheat” foods made me sick.
  • nicolynn33
    nicolynn33 Posts: 17 Member
    I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions on this, but.... for me.... there are no cheat days as I don't consider myself to be on a diet. I have had to retrain myself to a new lifestyle and way of eating.

    I agree with this. If you are revamping your lifestyle and way of eating there shouldnt be a need for "cheat days". Sure there are days that you will eat that extra cookie or have that extra glass of wine (my weakness!!) but for me, I just keep the sweets to a minimum and avoid days where I overindulge. It may be that I have a fear of falling back into old habits if I do that.
  • DBiddle69
    DBiddle69 Posts: 682 Member
    for me.... there are no cheat days as I don't consider myself to be on a diet. I have had to retrain myself to a new lifestyle and way of eating.

    Maybe that is why I have not been able to do a "cheat day" or this is proof that I have in fact made this lifestyle change.

    Thanks!!
  • samipd12
    samipd12 Posts: 12 Member
    I dont do cheat days, mainly becuz I dont count what I am doing as being on a diet. I am just cutting down what I eat but I still eat just about anything I want to. This is a lifestyle change for me... that way I can still enjoy my sweets just as much as I enjoy my salads :) hope that helps :)
  • Dahllywood
    Dahllywood Posts: 642 Member
    I cheat every week, but I log it to be responsible for my actions.
    I don't dwell on my cheats (even though sometimes they are huge), I just accept them for what they are and move on. And it's been working for me. It's good to let go once in awhile.
  • toriaenator
    toriaenator Posts: 423 Member
    personally i don't agree with cheat days... i mean whats the point of taking away the work you've done? if anything a cheat meal is more understandable but i don't have the problem of having massive cravings for "bad foods" so i don't find it necessary!
  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member
    Does not exist in my vocabulary. Cheat days have negative connotations and I don't believe in negativity with food. I also don't believe in healthy and unhealthy foods either, only unhealthy and healthy diets.
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
    I don't have cheat days...once I eat junk I just keep craving it
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    I've allowed myself cheat days on holidays and such. Christmas, Valentine's Day, etc. It's just a day when I don't have to worry about or feel bad about what I eat.
  • CassieReannan
    CassieReannan Posts: 1,479 Member
    Personally I dont consider myself on a diet, just making a change! I still eat things I love and if theyre calorie dense or high in fat ect I moderate it. Food isnt good or bad, its food! Log it and move on. If you feel guilty work out beforehand.
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
    I have about one day a week where I eat in a less healthy manner and call it a "cheat day." However, in all honesty I do not go above my calorie goal + exercise calorie allotment.

    It's more of a day where I don't pay much attention to my macronutrients and sugar intake... This day is typically a Friday... when I make homemade pizza with my little girls and I try to not feel bad about the carbs in the crust or the amount of fat in the pepperoni but I still eat proportionally.

    This week Saturday was my cheat day... and I ate more than my allotment (but not by much) but then took a 2 1/2 hour walk on the beach as the ending to my date.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I had a "cheat day" on Easter. That was only because I ate at my grandma's house and I had no way of calculating the calories in the food she prepared so I just decided to say "**** it."

    Other than that I don't really have cheat days. There are days where I don't log because, like I said before, there are some things that I eat that I have no way of figuring out calories for. (something homemade but not by me, for example lol) But I don't use that as an excuse to eat as much as I want... I still try to guesstimate an appropriate portion-size.

    But in general I don't do "cheat days" .... everything in moderation. If I want something bad I just fit it in or I go over. No biggie.
  • Anayalata
    Anayalata Posts: 391 Member
    personally i don't agree with cheat days... i mean whats the point of taking away the work you've done? if anything a cheat meal is more understandable but i don't have the problem of having massive cravings for "bad foods" so i don't find it necessary!

    Same. I used to be all for them but the more I pushed away the "bad foods", the less I craved them. Every now and then I'll have a "cheat meal" but I account for it with the rest of the day's diet. It's alright to let yourself have something that you want every now and then, but I think an entire day where you don't account for your actions is just setting yourself up for failure.
  • Apazman
    Apazman Posts: 494 Member
    I use cheat days as follows:

    I can have 1 cheat day on the weekend IF ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET:

    1. Have at least 3 days during the week where I weighed less than the day before
    2. Have at least 1 day during the week where I hit a new all time low weight (even if it is by .4 lbs.)
    3. Complete all scheduled workouts for the week
    4. Did not go out to Eat at a restaurant or fast food.
    5. Feel great about my progress


    Regarding Cheat Days:
    - Rules:
    1. I can eat whatever I want for the entire day
    2. I can eat as much as I want
    3. Nothing is off limits

    - What usually Happens:
    1. Have panda Express for dinner with orange chicken and chow mein
    2. Have a Peanut Buster Parfait from DQ
  • I agree with many of the opinions out there related cheat days, particularly as I entered into this plan with the expressed intention of regaining a more healthy lifestyle. I find the counting and logging a bit tedious, but it is of course rewarding once you get to see the progress that you've made in terms of weight loss. Additionally, I am so much more aware of how many calories that I really used to consume without even a moment's thought! So, whereas a cheat/splurge day would have meant going nuts and driving 40 miles to a Ben & Jerry's location (!) or seeking some outrageously yummy and fatty treat( like the thick cut maple pepper bacon at Two Rows Restaurant), I really stop and think of the implications of that splurge and how I am going to feel the following day and week. And...since we do our weigh ins on Sunday, I am less likely to "go for broke" on Saturday, knowing that I have to weigh in the following morning!

    Instead of splurge or cheat days, I usually just adjust my caloric/fat intake during my morning/lunch meal, to allow for a greater allowance during the evening meal or to make room for a dessert that I'd like to have. Crunching the numbers allows me to not only stay accountable to the 1550 daily limit, but also affords me the freedom to enjoy the things that I choose to eat.