Thoughts on "Cheat Day"

I have a cheat meal...Twice a week..But that's just for me...I don;t want too stop myself from enjoying somethings because I will fell at this diet so I allow myself to have treats..

I dont really do a cheat day but will def do a cheat meal. If I deprive myself of that then it just backfires and I will wind doing a couple bad days in a row. Yesterday I went to a chinese buffet for lunch and I enjoyed it I didnt go overboard, I only had one plate and it wasnt over filled. Today I will do good and I did good for dinner & breakfast yesterday. All in moderation!!!

I think that if you "plan" to go off track, and stick to thst plan, you have not cheated. You have stuck to your plan, and then should not feel guilty, which can be very destructive for weight loss. :happy:

If your diet is a lifestyle change you need to allow yourself some unhealthy things otherwise you will not stick to it long term I don't keep my calories constant as long as over the week I'm in a deficit... and I follow the rule 80% wholesome healthy and 20% pure indulgence (from a chocaholic ex yo yo dieter)

I generally keep it pretty clean during the week, then when weekends get here I am not as cautious. That's not to say that I overinduldge, but I will have those potato chips or a piece of cake, but all within the calorie goal. I have the opinion that if I want it, I should go ahead and have it, just in moderation. It's worked for me so far, as I've lost 25 lbs since Jan 28. Just don't overdo it when you do indulge.

Eating healthy has become a way of life for me however I live with my husband and son who - on the weekends - insist on eating out and they usually want desert. I am all for splurging for ONE MEAL on the weekend and then not for the entire meal - still eat a healthy meal and then have a dessert OR eat whatever you want for the meal and skip desert. It is all about choices and your weight loss goals. If you are exercising everyday - one meal is not going to break your diet - ONE BINGE DAY - will.

I experimented with this a few weeks ago. Over easter was when I decided to try this cheat day thing. Of course I had the "cheat day" mindset and ended up eating a lot of junk, chocolate mainly! It was delicious and I didn't feel too bloated. The next day however, I felt extremely bloated and it took a few days for it to go down. i did weigh one pound less a week later. So thought, well maybe cheat days are good, but I just won't over do it this week. So I ate a burger and sweet potato fries, with just a couple pieces of chocolate. Again, it took two days to recover. So, if you can seriously control your cheat days and not go all out, then i could see where they may be okay, mostly psychologically. However, this week I started just planning things into my calorie count. This helps me a lot, because if something sounds good and I have it right then and there, I have more control and can stop after just a little bit, as oppossed to totally binging. Now, last night, the family went to carls jr and I was worried about the nutritional and caloric count on their food. i ordered the turkey burger with no mayonaise. It was a whole wheat bun, the turkey burger, lettuce and tomato and was delicious! It says 490 cals, but without mayo I think it's closer to 400. So for me, that was very satisfying, but still not too bad for me and I don't feel guilty at all about it.

I think the periodic cheat meal or day is okay, but only after a few weeks of routine and clean eating. Getting past the hump that is the start of a new food lifestyle is so hard and incorporating unhealthy food choices early on in the process can completely derail your process. I set my cheat meal or day in the future and incorporate a date night or fun activity as a reward for my hard work. Like next friday will be a few weeks of clean eating so my reward will be a date night of dinner, a concert and over night with the lady. This works best for me as a cheat meat or day every week throws me off my momentum and makes things too difficult for me.

Actually, you should have atleast one cheat day in your diet. Your body gets bored processing the same foods and exercise which is why eventually you hit that plateau. When you give yourself one day to eat what you want, your body will start burning the bad food the same way it burns the good, meaning your it wont do much harm especially when your cravings are bad enough that you start justifying your inbetween snacks. Plus, going months without anything super unhealthy is good. But it becomes bad when you want to induge in something bad for you and your body can't handle all the grease or the sugars involved in processing it.

I agree with those who say it is "one step forward, two steps back" but I know for myself that I NEED to "cheat" sometimes to keep going. So instead of a cheat day or a HUGE cheat meal, I have a mini cheat. Basically I have something that I've been craving but a healthier version or a smaller portion. Or I find a new snack that I'm loving and want an extra serving of (right now it's Indiana popcorn at 150 cal. per 2.5 cups). I make sure to stay within my calorie allowance or make sure to work out longer that day. Too many cheats and that's not going to help you lose weight. I've dieted off and on for years and always fall off the wagon when I try to be too strict, hence why I'm starting over again, haha. My husband on the other hand has one of the best bodies at his gym, has mini cheats and has been eating this way for years. This time I'm taking his advice...it works for him and seems to be working for me.