cheat days ?

adrim24
adrim24 Posts: 21
in Health and Weight Loss
do you guys give yourself a once a week cheat ??
i dont know if i should do this because i am afraid if i do i will gain weight
«1

Replies

  • joankpoirier
    joankpoirier Posts: 281 Member
    I do!!
    I think that is why I choose the program to work out with that I did. I like certain foods that ARE NOT part of a "good" diet
  • BenKnowsFitness
    BenKnowsFitness Posts: 451 Member
    I do whatever I want with the understanding of what it will do to me.
  • NeverEverEasy
    NeverEverEasy Posts: 28
    I do but I don't want to have them often because I make a pig out of myself and hate myself the next day. Small treats in moderation everyday work for me.

    ~ Happy Logging ~ :))
  • Venturin
    Venturin Posts: 244 Member
    I don't. I like so many of the good healthy foods that I feel I don't need to eat junky stuff or over-indulge and stuff myself. Plus I'm trying to train myself to be satisfied with a little less...
  • Tulipgirl1223
    Tulipgirl1223 Posts: 91 Member
    I have a cheat meal. This week I actually logged it and figured out I don't even need it because I worked it into my calories. Here I thought I was being "bad" by having it. It's a 950 calorie meal, but if I work out that day ect I can still work it in.
  • Mommy2Avaj
    Mommy2Avaj Posts: 140 Member
    I do but I don't want to have them often because I make a pig out of myself and hate myself the next day. Small treats in moderation everyday work for me.

    ~ Happy Logging ~ :))

    This^^^^ if I wait and have only one day, I will undo the entire week!!! Lol
  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
    I would like to have one... but not once a week, that is WAY too often.. If I have a 'cheat' day it is going to be to go out and get Chinese food. =) I mean.. I'll go to the buffet and OH MY GOSH. :indifferent:

    It can help keep you on track if you have treats every now and then..
  • fiveohmike
    fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
    I dont have cheat days anymore. If it fits into my calories and macros Ill eat it. I dont have to worry about "cheating" as long as I dont go over my TDEE Maintenance target.
  • lbaileyjohannsen
    lbaileyjohannsen Posts: 133 Member
    I think it is important to remember that those high fat high carb not-so-good-for-you foods we all enjoy shouldn't be thought of as "the enemy" or something to be feared. In my past dieting experiences, I would find that I would hardline it as long as I could, and then putter out and end up binge eating and giving up. This time around, even though I've just restarted, I plan on allowing myself to have a cookie, or a cheeseburger, or WHATEVER, in moderation, every once in a while. I think that will also help me maintain once I have met my goal weight. We should enjoy ourselves a little bit, there is no reason you should be miserable all the time if you don't necessarily enjoy healthier eating. So I say yes to either cheat days, or just giving yourself a small treat a few times a week.
  • heartofdorkness
    heartofdorkness Posts: 60
    I've had one real cheat day so far, and that was at a family cookout. (And with homemade food, and my family's tradition of altering recipes to the extreme, it was impossible to say just how many calories I had that day.) With that exception, I don't set aside cheat days. Instead, I try not to deprive myself of anything. If I want to have a not-so-healthy treat, I make sure I keep my portions under control. For example, one square of chocolate instead of the whole bar; I buy single serving tubs of ice cream instead of pints and quarts; for mixed drinks, I allow myself one or two ounces of alcohol at most, and I only have one drink; and if I ever have Chinese takeout, I make sure I save enough leftovers for 2-3 more meals. Doing this has helped me out a ton, because I never feel like I'm missing out on anything.
  • fiveohmike
    fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
    I think it is important to remember that those high fat high carb not-so-good-for-you foods we all enjoy shouldn't be thought of as "the enemy" or something to be feared. In my past dieting experiences, I would find that I would hardline it as long as I could, and then putter out and end up binge eating and giving up. This time around, even though I've just restarted, I plan on allowing myself to have a cookie, or a cheeseburger, or WHATEVER, in moderation, every once in a while. I think that will also help me maintain once I have met my goal weight. We should enjoy ourselves a little bit, there is no reason you should be miserable all the time if you don't necessarily enjoy healthier eating. So I say yes to either cheat days, or just giving yourself a small treat a few times a week.

    This is key! I went out with friends to a restaraunt and got a Mini Wheat Crust deep dish pizza. 800 calories. Fit nicely into my macros...didnt feel guilty either...even with the 1 beer I had...still lost 1lb that week.
  • knwitall
    knwitall Posts: 420 Member
    I don't have a set cheat day or how often. But I will do this so called "cheating" thing. But i usually only do a cheat meal. Mc Donalds <3 . There's just something about their hamburgers and fries that makes me ever so happy. Lol
  • RedWeb
    RedWeb Posts: 108 Member
    As long as you eat the right amount over the course of a week to lose weight then do what you like.
  • thriftycupl
    thriftycupl Posts: 310 Member
    I use to have a cheat day as part of following The 4Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. I hit a plateau for 7-8 weeks but kept following. I'm moving over the Eat More to Weigh Less Group (found it here on MFP) so now I try to fit what fits into my overall calories. It's a shift.

    What I will say is this-- if you deprive yourself for too long of the things that you crave, it will be hard and you may get frustrated. We all need to find ways to indulge ourselves or eat the food that we love that may not be the best for us.

    Good luck.
  • bzgl40
    bzgl40 Posts: 69 Member
    In one cheat day you can totally undo a week of good eating. IMO they are a bad thing. I allow myself treats every day and account for it. For example, I love me some chocolate so I have a dark chocolate square every day. So I guess I never feel the need for a cheat day. That being said, every now and then I will eat out and of course end up with a high calorie meal, but I do my best to account for it during the day and maybe into the next one. And I still try and make the best possible choice while at the restaurant.
  • Missi3601
    Missi3601 Posts: 264
    I do- and it saves me from going crazy overboard... I mean I usually go over my calories by about 500- but make sure on those days I burn at least 650 at the gym so it evens out :)
  • Jgasmic
    Jgasmic Posts: 219 Member
    I don't consider it cheating so much as not making the best choices I could. Yesterday, I was either in bed or on the couch all day and I ate crap, and I haven't started today off well either. I'm ok with this. If it's edible then it is an option for me, nothing is off limits. If I'm given too many restrictions (even if they are given by myself to myself) I will begin to rebel.
  • mommyT4
    mommyT4 Posts: 2 Member
    I do not have a cheat DAY, I have one cheat MEAL a week, not necessarily having something that is "bad" for me but just having extra calories than normal, it is not a bad thing to do and the weeks that I have had one cheat meal, I have actually lost a little bit more weight than other weeks where I did not cheat. :) I think that it is important to not deprive yourself of all the things that you think you should not eat, just do it in extreme moderation ;)
  • Jgasmic
    Jgasmic Posts: 219 Member
    In one cheat day you can totally undo a week of good eating. IMO they are a bad thing. I allow myself treats every day and account for it. For example, I love me some chocolate so I have a dark chocolate square every day. So I guess I never feel the need for a cheat day. That being said, every now and then I will eat out and of course end up with a high calorie meal, but I do my best to account for it during the day and maybe into the next one. And I still try and make the best possible choice while at the restaurant.

    It would have to be one heck of a cheat day to undo a whole week of healthy eating. If I'm losing a pound a week, that's 3500 calories (either burned or not put in) so I'd have to eat those PLUS whatever my calories would be at maintenance (2,000 something maybe?) to have it wipe out my whole week. That is an insane amount of food! I don't think the typical "bad" eating day even comes close.

    (edited to add quote)
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
    I dont have cheat days anymore. If it fits into my calories and macros Ill eat it. I dont have to worry about "cheating" as long as I dont go over my TDEE Maintenance target.

    ^^^This^^^ I had pizza and wings for dinner last nite. Fit beautifully
  • bluebird321
    bluebird321 Posts: 733 Member
    I have a cheat day once per week and it so far it hasn't hurt my maintenance or progress. Everyone has their own way of sticking with a program -- experiment and figure out what works for you.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I don't call it a cheat day. I just designate a single day in a given week where I eat food I want in any quantity. It ain't cheatin' if it's on purpose.

    I've eaten up to 5000 calories in a single day and lost weight the following week.
  • revjames
    revjames Posts: 75 Member
    The only cheat is to yourself. If I overdo things in a day and havent had a particularly physical week, I will run for an hr to counteract it. We have to ask ourselves why we are on a site like this if we are looking for ways out.
  • jkleman79
    jkleman79 Posts: 706 Member
    I dont have cheat days anymore. If it fits into my calories and macros Ill eat it. I dont have to worry about "cheating" as long as I dont go over my TDEE Maintenance target.

    THIS! You are making it sound like you are struggling or dieting which means "Death by food" Dont have cheat days just pay attention a little bit eat what you want and watch your portions. This needs to be a lifestyle change and something you have come to love then to hate every bite of food you put in your mouth because you would rather have something else. Take a step back relax a deep breath and just love life. Dont stress yourself out over this whole thing which will only make you retain weight also. Cheers!
  • tlc12078
    tlc12078 Posts: 334 Member
    I cheat probably twice a month and I am still losing. I deserve to cheat after all those cals I burn.
  • bzgl40
    bzgl40 Posts: 69 Member
    In one cheat day you can totally undo a week of good eating. IMO they are a bad thing. I allow myself treats every day and account for it. For example, I love me some chocolate so I have a dark chocolate square every day. So I guess I never feel the need for a cheat day. That being said, every now and then I will eat out and of course end up with a high calorie meal, but I do my best to account for it during the day and maybe into the next one. And I still try and make the best possible choice while at the restaurant.

    It would have to be one heck of a cheat day to undo a whole week of healthy eating. If I'm losing a pound a week, that's 3500 calories (either burned or not put in) so I'd have to eat those PLUS whatever my calories would be at maintenance (2,000 something maybe?) to have it wipe out my whole week. That is an insane amount of food! I don't think the typical "bad" eating day even comes close.

    (edited to add quote)

    A nice trip to a Mexican restaurant, some chips and salsa, a few margaritas, and a plate jammed packed with food, including a ton of cheese. Done. All in one meal. It is a lot of food, and most people will feel like crap and feel like they ate too much and moan and groan on the couch for the rest of the night. Yet it happens all the time. Plus if you were planning for a cheat day you probably went into that meal with a few extra calories already consumed compared to normal, cause it is a cheat day right?
  • zombilishious
    zombilishious Posts: 1,250 Member
    I never set out to give myself a "cheat" day, but sometimes I give myself a break from stressing over what I eat. I'll have pizza with my kids, or popcorn at the movies. I love twizzlers, and sometimes, I think it's ok to have a piece of cake or a cookie. I know what I did to get FAT, and I know what I need to do to undo the mess I made of my body. I'm not a purist, I'm not on a specific diet, and if I want to indulge in something occasionally, I will. I ate 4 cookies last night. They were great and I savored every bite. Will I do it again today? No. I'm going hiking this afternoon to burn them off! Call them "cheats" if you want, but I'm still losing weight, and I'm losing even more in inches.
  • Hoakiebs
    Hoakiebs Posts: 430 Member
    In one cheat day you can totally undo a week of good eating. IMO they are a bad thing. I allow myself treats every day and account for it. For example, I love me some chocolate so I have a dark chocolate square every day. So I guess I never feel the need for a cheat day. That being said, every now and then I will eat out and of course end up with a high calorie meal, but I do my best to account for it during the day and maybe into the next one. And I still try and make the best possible choice while at the restaurant.

    That would have to be a hell of a cheat day to eat 3500 to 7000 calories ABOVE your TDEE. I don't think treating yourself once in awhile will hurt you, but I think as you move along on your journey, you will find other good foods that will sate you just as well.
  • marymickaela
    marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
    I've been consistently losing weight, but have had a bad couple of days although I wasn't all that much over calorie wise. Yesterday I had a bowl of chili from Steak & Shake and after found out it was over 800 calories. I still didn't eat over 1400 calories yesterday, but got on the scale this morning 2lbs heavier. That scares me. How is that possible?
  • somedaysoon84
    somedaysoon84 Posts: 82
    i do the same. a cheat meal here and there. i still try to make the "best" choices i can.... but these days a jr cheeseburger frmo wendy's is just as delishious and filling as the double i used to eat! AND i get a salad.... and steal a few fries from my boyfriend. i try never to feel guilty about it. if i didn't cheat once in a while, it would feel too much like punishment. i eat the hang outta the sugar free fudgcicles at 40 calories a pop i can get my faux choclate fix, and never feel guilty about it. i do eat naughty things if i'm left with calories to eat after dinner. marshmellows..... and i find that the smaller the better. i can eat more for the same cals, and feel like i've had more!!

Categories