Do you take a cheat day? If so, I'm curious to hear what others are doing... do you eat just one cheat meal or do you give yourself an entire day to eat whatever?
I usually try and give myself one good cheat meal a week and still lose sucessfully but I think I went overboard yesterday...
I don't usually consider it a cheat meal, but I always go out to eat/drink on Friday and sometimes Saturday night. For Saturday, I make up for it with extra cardio work. For Friday, I eat lighter throughout the rest of the day. So while those two meals are usually a whole lot bigger (calorie-wise) than any other meal I eat all week, I still try to balance everything out each day.
I'm one of those people, though, who couldn't do a cheat day. One cheat day would quickly turn to a cheat week.
I guess I sort of have cheat days. I do calorie cycling, so I have low-cal days and high-cal days, so I guess you could call my high days "cheat" days. No matter what I eat, I make sure I record every last calorie. If I have way too much, then I just cut back a little more on my low days or on other high days to make up for it.
You won't gain real weight from one meal. It takes 3500 ADDITIONAL calories more than your body burns in order to gain 1 real pound of fat. You may have more starch or sodium than usual and end up retaining more water, which could look like a gain on the scale, but it's close to impossible to eat that much in one meal (although, I'm sure I could do it if I tried ).
If you really feel bad about what you ate, just make stricter, more sensible choices the following day to make up for it. Some people will say, hey, it was a bit of a binge, forget it and move on...but I prefer to think that I can do something to balance it out!
I give myself a cheat week -- once a month. It's the only way I can get through it. Although, I have been a lot better these past few months that I have been exercising regularly.
Cheat days happen on those few days where I'm in an eating mood. Usually it happens about once or twice a month. I never plan it because I always want to do my best and reach my goal.
The last cheat day was the day after Valentine's day...it was the chocolate that did it.
But, I don't stress over it because most of my days are on target!
My "cheat" days are when I see my boyfriend (about two days a month during the school year) because he loves food, loves going out. I usually don't go too overboard except on cookies. i don't let myself even buy cookies because Grasshoppers (you know the chocolate mint ones, like thin mints, not the bug) and elfin fudges are my all time biggest weakness, and I will be in heaven for a few minutes, and see I ate the pack! During the summer when I see him more I really have to watch out because I will pack on pounds. He's got a jackrabbit metabolism and is working to GAIN weight (he's almost 6 feet tall and 129 as of last weigh in), and doesn't get that I have to watch it. I get very uncomfortable when I weigh more than him because he's so much taller.
So yes, about once a month I will totally induldge, and maybe go a wee over my calorie plan. Other times, if i crave something I will work it in, but that isn't too often. Tonight it was pizza and I'm still at a little under 1200, so I can have a snack later.
I do portion control so I guess you can say I cheat everyday. It gives me the option to eat whatever I want, just in smaller amounts. It has worked for me so far so hopefully it continues to work
I made the mistake of allowing myself a whole cheat day.... turned into a couple of cheat days, which became a cheat weeks, and before I knew it, a cheat couple of weeks and 4 lbs back on! I'm still trying to get my mindset back to where it was before I majorly slipped. It's dangerous for me to cheat like that, as all it does is create more cravings for worse foods. I do get to learn how creative I am, though, as I think of the most ridiculous justifications sometimes for what I eat! I think allowing yourself small treats every now and again keeps one sane, but allowing yourself a whole day -- bad idea.
I give myself one cheat day on Sundays and one cheat night- thursdays. Sundays-we watch Nascar racing. You have to be able to eat through the racing. I try to not go overboard, but sometimes it happens. You have to let yourself go, occasionally. Then Thursday night is Survivor night. We usually order pizza or do take out. That is not so bad for me, because I eat light in the day.
I think the key to a great weight loss journey is to give yourself that one meal, or day, a week. Otherwise you will just explode! And keep exercising.
Isn't that kind of sad, I base my eating around certain television prgrams! But, on the other hand, it is kind of fun. I look forward to Sundays and Thursday's and I know I have to be good the rest of the days.
i think it is too early in the game for me to allow myself a "cheat" day. I could see it becoming a binge and need to get control over food before allowing myself to relent.
Having said that, we haven't gone out for dinner in a long time (due to finances) and really can only afford the basics. So not having chips or stuff is not that big a deal.
I think once I have reached my goal, I would like to allow a cheat day but then again I would hope to not want to eat anything that is not good for me. Does that make sense?
I set a total amount of calories for the week so I can have high days and low days as long as I stay under for the week. That way I can go to a restaurant, or have ice cream or whatever without feeling guilty. And it doesn't turn into a free-for-all like it would if I'd give myself a cheat day.
I agree with most other posts here. I can't do cheat days because the minute I start cheating at all, it becomes impossible to stop. Literally, I had a friend in town a couple of weeks ago and because of that we went out to dinner a few times. I thought "well, I've been doing really well, I'm just going to pretend the whole diet thing doesn't exist tonight..." two days later, I was eating CHEESECAKE!!!
Perhaps when I've been doing this for a longer time, like Daisy said, I might be able to implement a cheat day. I just think it's still too early for me, honestly.
For me...I have friday nights. My husband and I rarely see each other, with us both working full time and him going to school 3/4 time. So on Friday nights we get 2 Delight Pizza's from Papa Murpheys and watch Movies. I kinda think of it as cheating..even though before my diet I would eat like 1/2 of a regular pizza. Where now I eat maybe 3 slices of the delight. But it's good to just not tell yourself you cant have something. Otherwise you will just crave it.
I do portion control so I guess you can say I cheat everyday. It gives me the option to eat whatever I want, just in smaller amounts. It has worked for me so far so hopefully it continues to work
Mocha i do the same thing. I think in the long run portion control is the best way for me to stay on track. I'll have a handfull of fries instead of the portion they give me, or i have a little piece of chocolate instead of the entire bar.
But with that you also have to stay on track so you don't just eat the "bad" portions the entire day. heeh
I don't allow myself a "cheat day", simply because I hate the feeling of "falling off plan", even if it's planned out. I feel terrible, and then I feel like I have to become she-woman, and exercise for like 5 hours to make up for it. South Beach is the way I go, and I honestly don't get many cravings.
Cheat Days
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I think allowing yourself small treats every now and again keeps one sane, but allowing yourself a whole day -- bad idea.
