I have planned slip-ups! At my old job on Saturdays we always went out for at least drinks but usually dinner. I would always look at the menu online and try to stay on plan as much as possible but sometimes I would let myself have that bread that came before the meal or have the dessert. And usually at least once a week I did a lunch with a co-worker. I think having planned "slip-ups" helps you not loose control but allows you to have that unhealthy treat so you don't obsess about it.

I calorie cycle so I have high, low & medium days. There is never a need to "cheat."

I've got no doubt you know calories matter but many people read these threads.

i do have a planned cheat day which is Fridays and it's shocking how much i can eat, probably upwards of 3,000 cals although i've never counted.. and a lot of it is junk. The rest of the week i have no problems reigning it in and i eat "clean" and don't overeat and i'm pretty much at goal (except for the loose skin with a bit of fat spare tire) and for some reason i continued to (while nearly at goal) very slowly lose even with that huge cheat day-i suspect it gave a jolt to my metabolism and leptin, etc. it's the only thing i can think of...but you have to decide what is right for YOU of course

I second the calorie cycling. I don't have a structure but I do it. If I go over by 400 calories one day, I'll pull 200 out of the next two days or decide that I'll lose less this week and let it go. If its more than 400 calories, I automatically let it go. Too much deprivation following binging is a bad cycle.

Otherwise I would say if you find the desire for cheat foods too often, maybe you need to look at your plan. Are you eating foods you genuinely like everyday? If not, explore recipes and find new healthy foods you do like. For me, a bowl of raspberries and blueberries is a healthy treat I love. Do I like ice cream? Of course, but when something like the berries are the alternative its a lot easier to stay on plan.

For the most part, I don't like to call them cheat days. I prefer to look at it as life happens, and I don't expect to be perfect on plan every single day.

I am on plan most days, but it's ok to now and then, eat off plan. Or maybe life throws you a curve.

As long as you have more on plan days than off, it's all good.

For instance, I have 2 weddings to attend this summer. I'm already planning for this. I will up my activity for a few days before and after, and I will be more vigilant about my food for a few days before and after, because I know, I'm going to eat cake and have a few drinks. One day of indulgence won't kill me. Repeated ones, that's another story!

I used to call them cheat days but now If I do have a day where I eat rubbish or a night where I sit and eat a chocolate bar I don't worry about it because it was worrying about it that had made me fall off the wagon in previous attempts. Like someone else said, one day turns into 2 and so on... and that was me!
I think because I am exercising every day I just work on the notion that I will have to do an extra 10 minutes on the treadmill at the gym...I would rather do that than deny myself a little of what I want when I fancy it

Good to hear that I'm not the only one who does this. I have a high-calorie dinner (about 1,500) every two weeks or so, and a free-for-all dinner (probably 3,500 to 4,000 cals) about once every two months. (I don't eat junk, though, because I much prefer gourmet food.) These indulgences keep me sane and haven't derailed my weight maintenance. The key, for me, is to weigh myself at least twice a week and make small day-to-day adjustments if needed.

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Yes! This is exactly how I try to look at things too! Well said shcirerf. Today was a coworkers birthday, and everyone was having cheesecake. I had a slice and didn't regret it (right away at least , it kind of sat in the bottom of my stomach like a brick for the rest of the day) It was delicious and a nice treat (no matter how my gut felt later!)

I compensated for the extra cals at dinner, and instead of making spaghetti with pasta and ground beef like I had originally planned, I used squash and ground turkey. I don't want to deny myself the enjoyment that comes from tasty food with friends, as long as its not all the time. These are permanent changes that I am making to my eating habits and I don't ever want to feel like I am cheating myself.