Not everyone can deal with cheat days. I can, so I have one. My cheat day does not turn into a cheat weekend, then a cheat week. I eat the foods I wanted but didn't eat throughout the week. Lately it's been pizza and Starbursts. I'll even drink calories, which is a thing I haven't really done in 2 years.
I have done my diet with and without the cheat days. I do lose more if I do not have a cheat day but the difference is not a huge one so I prefer to have it. I also gain quite a bit of weight afterwards but by Saturday usually register a loss of 1.5+ pounds. In the last 8 weeks I've lost an average of 2.2 a week.
It keeps me sane throughout the week because "I can just have it on Saturday." When things come up on other days of the week I either choose on plan foods or I eat before I go and only eat enough of whatever it is to be polite. If questioned I just say I'm not very hungry.
My "plan" is I only really eat meat, fish, veggies and cheese. No grains. No-very low sugar. And full disclosure, I have fallen off the diet and regained but it was depression related.
I have certain foods worked into my calories everyday that many would consider treats. I haven't had a "cheat" day/meal yet this time around though because honestly I'm not ready to see the weight go up on the scale the next day. (Even if most of it is just water weight.)
The plan is though on special occasions such as birthday or anniversary I'll probably have a cheat meal at my favorite restaurant and I'll eat whatever I want and try to eat sensibly for the rest of the day. I don't have any special occasions coming up util August so I'm hoping that by that point I'll be able to handle one meal off plan without to much of a problem.
I don't do cheat days. I don't care to go "off my feed" because it makes sticking to the plan so much harder. But there are foods built into my plan that are an indulgence. Like an ounce each of dark French chocolate chunks and shaved raw coconut. I find it is lovely on a cup of whole milk Greek yogurt with a cup of strawberries. I have a cocktail once a month. I may have a slice of pizza every other month, or a couple servings of pasta every other week.
If I make sure to have all my veggies, protein and fat each day, I don't usually feel like eating anything else. But if I go short on something, I'll make poor choices.
Some people NEED cheat days. My mom for instance, started off probably mid 300's. She ate healthy all week, then sunday she would GO NUTS. And I kept telling her I didn't think it would work and she disagreed, and proved me wrong.
She wouldn't just have a piece of cake, for example. She would have 2 bacon cheeseburgers, cheesecake, donuts, ice cream, french fries, whatever the heck she wanted - she ate on Sundays. She steadily lost weight until she reached her plateau. She has not had any cheat days for several months. However, she cut out all junk together and has been slipping every couple of days and having a mini binge on junk. So I think she'd be more beneficial to have kept her designated cheat day, but of course not as crazy as she used to do it as it gets harder as you get slimmer.
I just restarted so no "cheat days" for me for awhile. But for me, when I have a cheat day - I eat reasonably for breakfast and lunch and then have whatever I want for dinner and dessert. I also make sure I still get my workout in for that day. If I go over on calories, it's fine with me as long as it's not crazy amounts.
I have all-out no-holds-barred meals (up to 4,000 cals) every month or two, usually at a high-quality all-you-can-eat Asian place and sometimes at my sister-in-law's parties (for which she caters gourmet food). For me it's essential to retain the experience of unpoliced eating in my life, even if infrequently. I don't call those meals cheats, though, because the term would suggest that what I am doing is bad.
As for my everyday eating, I'm much less strict about "healthy foods" than most people here. I eat mostly nutritious foods, but probably have something UNnutritious (sugar, wine, etc.) every single day.
She ate healthy all week, then sunday she would GO NUTS.
This is me. When I say I eat pizza and starbursts I'm not talking one slice and a couple pieces. I'm talking half a pizza (Or more) and half the bag over the course of the day. And that's not the only stuff I eat on cheat days. The longer I eat healthy during the week, however, the less I can physically eat on cheat day.
I don't routinely schedule cheats into my normal routine. Though I will plan incorporate indulgences if I want them (generally on the weekend). I don't think a full-on cheat day would work for me personally as its more of an emotional thing when I overeat than actually craving the food itself, and I'm trying to make it a clean break
This is me. When I say I eat pizza and starbursts I'm not talking one slice and a couple pieces. I'm talking half a pizza (Or more) and half the bag over the course of the day. And that's not the only stuff I eat on cheat days. The longer I eat healthy during the week, however, the less I can physically eat on cheat day.
If it works for you, I really don't see a problem. You are preventing yourself from having meltdowns during the week, something my mom is currently experiencing!
Last edited by Skettihead03; 04-15-2013 at 01:55 PM.
