Does anyone have cheat days?
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i haven't yet but i'm going to vegas in a few weeks and if you've ever been to vegas you know what i mean. the gym i belong to has lots of facilities in vegas and i do plan on sticking with my workout schedule though.0
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No, my husband and I are monogamous.0
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IMAO,
Cheat "days" are what kill my progress every time. I've been on here for over a month, and I always end up screwing myself over because I think I can have a cheat day because I was so good throughout the week. It always ends up becoming more than one day, and it becomes even harder to get back in the swing of things.
Example was this weekend. Worked out every day til Friday morning, stayed under my calories, but decided to go out for a diner breakfast with the gf. After stuffing my face with pancakes, hashbrowns, and cornbread, I didn't make i to the gym that night, ending up eating gyros for dinner, and continued the binge with fries and a chicken wings last night. Only when I felt bad enough about myself did I get back on track.
Some people have posted saying that a cheat meal works. It doesn't for me. It turns into a cheat weekend. If you have better self control than I do...go for it. But I always end up hating myself in a few days....0 -
I don't do cheat days. Every so often I will find myself in a situation, mostly with friends or my husband, that social etiquette suggests going with the flow. I still log the splurge and forgive myself for it. Sometimes you just need to have a beer and dig into some appetizers. I don't make it a regular thing though.0
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Nope- i Record everything- and if im over my calorie count for having a splurge i ensure that the next day i behave- i rarely splurge but if i do i ensure i also burn it off the next morning. i think not calculating it is like cheating but your only cheating yourself- you learn how many calories you can eat and how it affects you. if you choose not to continue even on your bad days then why do it at all?? because you will end up stopping all together. Dont get me wrong i still eat really anything i want- but if im having say fish and chips for lunch- then its a simple salad for dinner- this keeps me below my calorie intake- but i have been over it to- when i decide to have a drink - so its work out hard the next morning for me lol and i havent seen a change with my weight even when i am naughty as long as i work it off the next day :-)0
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I don't schedule cheat days. I want healthy eating to be a permanent lifestyle for me, and it's become second nature. However, there are times when I know I'll be eating out, so I plan accordingly. For instance, next weekend I'll be going out to dinner with friends. I won't obsess over the calorie count, but I'll know beforehand what I'll be ordering, and will plan the rest of my day's meals to allow for the splurge.
I usually have pretty much anything I want anyway, as long as it's in moderation. Therefore, I don't really feel the need to have a cheat day, because I don't feel deprived the rest of the time. We rarely eat out, so when we do, that is the time I need to be careful. Otherwise, I carry on as usual.0 -
I don't do a cheat meal or day this is a lifestyle change, I try to eat as healthy as possible but I do indulge occasionally if I have the calories. If I am craving something I will wait a day or two before caving in so I can fit it into my daily caloric intake.
This journey for me is all about being able to maintain a lifestyle that I can live with.0 -
my hubby and i like to go out to dinner, but with my diet and being gluten free, it can be difficult. We have found a restaurant that we love, but of course it is not the healthiest place we can go, since i always order the pizza! so when we plan to go, i consider it a treat and try to tailor the rest of my meals and exercise so I can splurge on dinner and dessert. i might still go over a bit, but i know it is only one meal, on one day and that is ok, as long as i don't make it a daily thing. you have to live a little and be flexible, but just get right back on track and don't punish yourself for your cheat.0
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I have cheat days but they definitely would not equate a bad eating day I would have had before. So I might allow myself a couple of oreos or a gelato. Today is a family birthday party and while I plan to indulge, I will still be smarter about what/how much I eat.0
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Nope! That just encourages binge eating and perpetuating the mentality that you deserve to reward yourself with food. Try rewarding yourself with something else you love instead, and stick to eating to live, not living to eat.
I agree with you 110%!!!!!!0 -
I have them about once every week, but I document everything. It's sobering to see what I used to do to myself.0
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I'm considering having one day out of the week where I can exceed my calorie limit and not document it....does anyone do this? Is it successful or a bad idea?
Why can't you exceed your calorie limit AND document it? IMHO, if you plan it, record it and are happy with it then it is not cheating... it's just you living your life. I really don't understand the purpose of not recording... it doesn't mean it didn't happen.
If you bite it, write it.0 -
I do! Mine are on the weekends, I dont go overboard but I have a few things here and there that I dont get often. But I also still work out on those days as well. Sometimes u just have to allow urself a little cheat otherwise it can get dull!
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Instead of a cheat "day", I just have one cheat "meal" instead. That way I can have something I really enjoy that day (like a small dessert after a healthy dinner) but not take any steps backward in the eating plan.0
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I don't have a cheat day but i do have a cheat meal once a week. I find that works great for me :-)0
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Nope! That just encourages binge eating and perpetuating the mentality that you deserve to reward yourself with food. Try rewarding yourself with something else you love instead, and stick to eating to live, not living to eat.
This!!!!!! ^ ^ ^0 -
I usually have a cheat meal on Saturday or Sunday, like today I am having pizza. I do log it but I'm not going to press Complete entry.0
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i don't have cheat days, but i sometimes have a sweet. the key (for me) has been to treat the logging as a secondary option. this way i'm training myself to eat well more than not. i always log treats because those are danger zones for me still.
last night, i had an ice cream cone. it was 360 calories. i logged it because it reminds me: hey, this is 360 calories. most of my dinners are considerably lower than that, so it gives me some comparison: would I like 5 spring rolls + peanut sauce for 277 calories and all kinds of fiber & nicronutrients OR a super sweet ice cream cone?
sometimes I will go for the cone, but having them both logged puts things into perspective for me to make choices on my own.0 -
I don't plaaaan cheat days/meals but I'm aware there will probably be one day a week where I have 3 martinis and some hot wings. I log it, don't beat myself up, and consider it an unplanned calorie spike.0
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I cheat once in a while but I log it anyway. And when cheating, you shouldn't go extremely over. I like the idea of only going like 500 over on a cheat day.
Another option you have is when you find something you want, find a way to make it a little healthier. Like last night I was at a pizza shop getting a garbage plate for my fiance and someone ordered a chocolate milkshake, I thought it sounded SOOOOO good, but instead of ordering one, I went home, looked up some recipes online and ended up making my own. 1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt, about 1/3 cup milk and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. It tasted pretty darn good and was only 140 calories.0 -
I usually eat what I want anyways, as I'm trying to maintain my weight for the most part. I do have one or two days a month where I don't log and go to the Vietnamese restaurant to get CURRY! Yum. I'll usually go for coffee with friends and get a soy latte and a vegan muffin. I really enjoy those days and I hope that some time in the future every day can be without the confines of logging everything. 0
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I cheat once in a while but I log it anyway. And when cheating, you shouldn't go extremely over. I like the idea of only going like 500 over on a cheat day.
Another option you have is when you find something you want, find a way to make it a little healthier. Like last night I was at a pizza shop getting a garbage plate for my fiance and someone ordered a chocolate milkshake, I thought it sounded SOOOOO good, but instead of ordering one, I went home, looked up some recipes online and ended up making my own. 1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt, about 1/3 cup milk and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. It tasted pretty darn good and was only 140 calories.
I think this is great. Cheat but in healthy ways There are usually better ways to eat the foods you want. Even pizza - if you want pizza one night, maybe try ordering it thin crust or making it yourself on pitas. I also agree to still record everything you eat to keep yourself in check. I don't always plan the "cheats" but I do record everything I eat to stay accountable. 0 -
I have a cheat meal, usually on Fri or Sun night. I stay on a fairly low carb diet, so I use that one evening to throw in a starchy/sugary food. I am told it does something to reset cortisol levels or something. I think about it all week and plan it. I don;t know the science behind it, and I cannot say that it works for everyone, but it does for me. My best friend cannot do this because it makes her binge like crazy for days....Then I will have preemptive cheats during the week, like a TBSP or 2 of PB, some almonds, or even a half portion of breakfast meat(bacon, sausage) to help with cravings. I am ususally the one at work gnawing on cold chicken breasts from a ziploc bag while evereyone else is ordering takeout....0
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I work hard 6 days a week. I have PCOS so I do not eat all my exercise calories back. I allow myself 1 day a week to have something I really want. I still log it. I still need to keep myself accountable for my cheating. But in a whole I do not go over for the week therefore I still have a deficit and lose weight consistently without feeling deprived of what I want.0
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In my case having a "free" day is definitely a bad idea. My biggest problem is portion control, I'm a woman who can eat as much as 3 grown men. Staying on track seems to have shrunken my stomach so I've begun to feel comfortable eating normal portions. In one day of "at will" eating, my stomach feels stretched back out so that I'm ready to eat enormous portions again. Takes about 3 weeks to reverse that effect, so for me, not worth it. I agree with DeeVanderbles approach - going over by 500 cals once in a while is reasonable.0
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No I don't have planned cheat days, because this is a lifestyle for me and not a "diet" IYKWIM. Having a cheat day means the diet is unpleasant and needs to be escaped from occasionally. I love how I eat (mostly Primal)-- I don't ever feel like I'm missing out.
Life throws enough "cheat days" at me anyway (restaurant meals, special events, birthday cake..!).
And I record EVERYTHING. That way when I go over I can make up for it during the next couple days. If I don't record I really have no idea how many calories I'm consuming (and studies show that people FAR underestimate the calories they consume most of the time).0 -
I usually allow for a cheat meal, sometimes two, each week. Never a whole DAY. But if I have social event to attend, or my fiancee is cooking something special, or we're going out to a great new restaurant -- sure I'll let myself indulge. And I totally do it guilt-free. It's all about balance. I'd like to eat healthy and treat my body well, but still be able to enjoy the pleasures of delicious food from time to time. No big deal.0
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I do a cheat meal every week but not a whole day. One meal I can do without guilt. Ill feel horrible the next day if I do a whole day.0
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I used to, but now the way I eat I don't have to have cheat days. I eat pretty darn clean, but still enjoy treats, as long as I stay within my macros and calories.
Though I don't eat a skimpy 1200 calorie diet.
My calories are set for 2300 + I add 300 for breastfeeding. I am eating at TDEE and lifting heavy. I go to a 15% cut in two weeks. Since April 30th I have gone down 4 pounds, but have also gone down a pants size.
I am tired of the Yo-Yo, I am eating like this for life!0 -
I do not have or plan for cheat days. From the beginning of this process i knew i needed to learn overall discipline in my eating habits. I had no intention of depriving myself or going on extreme dieting. I practice moderation . If I want oreo cookies I will have them. I have the allowed serving size of two instead of eight. I balance everything with exercising . It has worked well so far. I0
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