Should Cheat Meals/ Days Be Allowed.............?!?

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Jordant107
Jordant107 Posts: 218 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Do these do more harm than good when trying to stick to a clean and healthy diet??
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  • Candida1983
    Candida1983 Posts: 188
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    I have found that they work well for me as long as it is one time per week or less.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
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    Everyone is different and has a different consensus on this. I do one every 2 weeks or so. They were weekly but it's reducing bc I just don't crave crap anymore. It's never once harmed my progress. I've never gained even on the worst days in the beginning. I usually reserve them for outings or special events.
  • rachaelgifford
    rachaelgifford Posts: 320 Member
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    I had a 'sod it Sunday' thing going that worked really well. I didn't go mad - but if in the week I really wanted something I told myself to wait for Sunday. Most of the time I would no longer want it by then - but it was good to know that all the foods that I were avoiding were avaliable to me still - just in moderation!
  • strawberrie_milk
    strawberrie_milk Posts: 381 Member
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    Depends on the person. Some people work well with cheats while others go overboard with them.
  • carrie31023
    carrie31023 Posts: 17 Member
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    I do a "cheat" day on Sundays. I find that if I can have my chocolate one day a week I will stick to it all week long!
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
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    I usually go over my allowance on a Friday or Saturday and am losing my goal amount each week.
    What I did is reduce my daily cals by 100 each day, so I have 700 'extra' for the weekend, but they are from my allowance so I'm not really over.
    Also odd 'bad' meals don't hurt if it fits in your macros :-)
  • DianneBoo
    DianneBoo Posts: 226 Member
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    I refuse to say I am cheating. That implies that I am doing something wrong. Rather, I allow myself one Indulgence Day per week (Tuesdays) and I track everything. I just include a little more exercise later in the day.
  • HotAshMess
    HotAshMess Posts: 382 Member
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    It really depends on you as a person. I heard of people who were very strict during the week and had "free weekends" where they would eat whatever they wanted and they lost 25-30 pounds and were still going. Some people choose to have those, other try to avoid it like the plague. I personally have to have little cheat treats....chocolate here and there, dessert, dinner out at a restaurant (TGI Fridays is the devil and I love it). But...one meal at Fridays can be an entire days worth of calories. Seriously. So I have treats and whatever I want in moderation here and there (or I try anyway) but I can't do a an entire cheat day because there will be leftovers or I will lose control and end up eating like crap for days. For example....Tuesday night the bf and I were drinking (already a treat) then we decided to order pizza. Total damage for dinner and drinks...2299, more than a days worth of calories. Which I'd be ok with if I hadn't eaten at all that day, except I had. And I would say....ok, I slipped up that day, if I didn't have the leftovers staring at me from the fridge. I ate pizza for 3 more days at 421 calories a slice. I totally did it to myself, but it affected my entire week. So...I learned my lesson. Little treats, never buy more than one serving unless I can control myself.
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
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    As in, should you allow yourself one? Or should the MFP police come arrest me for a "cheat day"?
  • nylitak
    nylitak Posts: 18 Member
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    I cheat every Saturday. I go way over my caloric intake for the day but log it anyways. You can't totally deprive yourself our you will always have cravings. Sunday is the start of a new week!
  • chellk71
    chellk71 Posts: 69
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    yes. unless of course its a daily thing. But once a week as long as you don't go hog wild I think its helpful.
  • ArtemisMoon
    ArtemisMoon Posts: 144
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    Seems to keep your metabolism more active but eating a little more at least one day every week or two. I had a terrible day where I went 2,000 calories over last weekend...and I've lost several lbs since. So I don't think they really seem to hurt and even does you some good.
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
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    I don't think people should treat them as cheat days. It makes it seem taboo or something, doesn't make sense to me. Today I had banana bread does that mean I cheated, I don't think so. I think that eating "cheating" food prevents you from binging on that food later or binging on something you didn't want to begin with. And no I don't think they are illegal. Each person has to understand the consequences for eating something that is not as healthy as it could be, for their ownself.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    What is a "cheat" meal/day?
  • Claire594
    Claire594 Posts: 357 Member
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    I cheat every Saturday. I go way over my caloric intake for the day but log it anyways. You can't totally deprive yourself our you will always have cravings. Sunday is the start of a new week!

    This.

    I weigh in on a Saturday morning and then eat over my cals just this day though i usually try to get some exercise in ad well to compensate. Then come Sunday, I am back to my healthy eating. I do log everything though so u am totally aware of what is going in my mouth. I've been losing steady and it hadn't hindered my weightloss so far
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    Ohhhhh.....cheat = intentionally eating over your goal.......no....I don't think you should do that
  • southernbelle85
    southernbelle85 Posts: 13
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    My nutritionist instructed me to allow myself one cheat meal a week. He said to never "cheat" the entire day. He also told me to make sure not to go overboard on the portions of the cheat meal. :)
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
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    Ohhhhh.....cheat = intentionally eating over your goal.......no....I don't think you should do that

    For myself that's not it. It's the eating out, eating fast food or having pizza and ice cream. There were times I didn't go over my goal and still netted right where I needed to be.
  • finallyFIT_ForMe
    finallyFIT_ForMe Posts: 26
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    I can't allow myself to cheat because it will go over board. I find it easier to work in the "cheating" snacks I want into my calorie count by limiting serving size and exercising to earn the snack. I feel like if I go over my calorie goal I have failed.

    Note: in my mind cheating is not eating something unhealthy it's going over your calorie goal. I feel ok with eating ice cream for instance as long as I have budgeted my calories for it or have earned it via exercise.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    Did you hit your macros? If so I do not believe that is "cheating"

    Ohhhhh.....cheat = intentionally eating over your goal.......no....I don't think you should do that

    For myself that's not it. It's the eating out, eating fast food or having pizza and ice cream. There were times I didn't go over my goal and still netted right where I needed to be.

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