As most of us are on a diet we all try to stay within our calories or carb limit, etc. Now, Im sure we all try out very best to stick to our diets but do any of you allow a cheat day where you allow yourself to out of your diet plan? If so, are you still successful in loosing?

I am not on a diet - I am making lifestyle changes because I know I can never go back to the way I used to eat...not even for a day. The problem with a cheat day is it gets hard to get back on track. Why have a cheat day and undo what you have done. That's just reinforcing the bad eating habits that got you overweight in the first place. I plan my meals for the occasional indulgence. I have a dessert on Sunday. Other days I snack on popcorn, veggies, fruit and yogurt. I plan for the occasional meal out and know before I get to the restaurant what I'll be ordering. My weight loss is very important to me and I don't want that scale going in the wrong direction.

I'm like QuilterInVA, I'm living a whole new lifestyle since diets are only temporarily.
Sundays are my cheat days. I don't go crazy but I usually do make my BF and I pancakes for breakfast and then I spend the rest of the day watching what I eat but not sitting down and counting like calories. Its the one day I can't feel guilty (unless I completely binge) and I feel like a "normal" person. I just remember, everything in moderation. It makes being strict to eating and workouts during the rest of the week easier because I have something to look forward to besides the number on the scale :P

I don't give myself a designated cheat day per se, but I do relax a little at a social occasion (not necessarily something fancy), which works out to roughly once a week. I would feel silly if I were super strict. I know others feel differently. But I don't go crazy, I still use portion control. Sometimes I actually end up lower in calories on those days because of the portion control.

Exactly, on social occasions I will allow myself some chips, or a drink, but definitely portion controlled. I have done this on occasion and just get back on track the next day. I have done so, then think to myself that I have blown my diet and feel crappy about myself. I have done this a few times already and have still manage to loose. Anyone else still loosing when doing this?

Yup. I was on vacation for the better part of a week. I controlled my breakfast (oatmeal w fruit and a latte), and got in fruit and at least some veggies. And I got up and did my yoga every morning (except the one where we drove until 4am!). But mostly I was eating the food my host prepared, which was high fat, refined grains, low on veggies, etc., plus some desserts. Had to eat at Denny's one day. I took reasonable portions and no seconds. Calories on a number of days ran 200-300 more than usual. Came home and lost a pound. That was last Monday. This morning down another 3 pounds.

And frankly, I never feel like I've blown my diet when I relax a little. I think it would take a lot more than that.

I don't need cheat days because I'm not on a diet. I've been practicing eating intuitively now for 2 weeks and am down 10 lbs. I eat whatever I want. I just have to be hungry before I eat and eat enough to satisfy me to the point of being full, not stuffed. I've done every diet out there, most recently Atkins. I lost 3 lbs. first week, gained 2 back the second and no other weight loss for a 2 month period. So much for that! This way of eating seems to be what works for me. I love it because no food is forbidden!

I had posted about this on my blog a few months ago, and will just repost it here:
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I don't know if there is a term I care for less in the weight loss world than 'cheat day'. The name alone is a totally negative term.

First, the word 'cheat' is defined by Websters as:

1: to deprive of something valuable by the use of deceit or fraud
2: to influence or lead by deceit, trick, or artifice
3: to elude or thwart by or as if by outwitting
1 a: to practice fraud or trickery b: to violate rules dishonestly

Do any of these definitions sound like something you want to apply to your life? No one is perfect, and no one eats totally on plan all the time (I certainly don't). But I don't consider it 'cheating' when I go off plan. And sometimes those off plan foods are actually planned in. Then I have control over them.

Cheating also implies that the way you are eating is not something you can sustain for a lifetime. If you view your eating plan as so rigid and uncompromising that you cannot have some of your favorites - then how can you possibly expect to succeed in maintaining your weight loss (let alone getting to goal)?

I think it would be better to call it a choice rather than a cheat. There are too many negative feelings and associations with cheating: guilt, remorse, self loathing, the feeling of lack of control.

If you make a choice, then you are fully aware ahead of time as to the consequences of your actions. You can say, I am choosing to have this piece of cheesecake. It will not cause me to go off plan, it is not a license to abandon the rest of the day (eating wise), and I can get right back on my normal plan with the next meal.
That can eliminate the guilt, because if you are going to have something - why not truly enjoy it without the guilt?

I don't have a cheat day either. If I reverted back to my old eating habits for an entire day, I would feel like crap...headaches, moodiness, bloated....etc. I do allow myself some (2 or 3) cheat meals a week. I don't seem to have problems getting back on track after only 1 fatty meal.

When I did ww a couple years ago after my 3rd baby instead of using the 35 flex points I would just give myself the weekends off of counting etc so the entire weekends were my cheat days and I lost steadily until I got close to goal. But once I got close to goal the rules changed in my body I guess because cheat days did more harm than good and I stopped losing weight and had to stick to the plan perfectly to continue losing. So I guess everyone can try it and see if it works for them but if you don't have much weight to lose it may just counteract all your progress, hth.

About a month ago, I adopted Intuitive eating, which is eating when I'm hungry, only as much as I need, and trying to listen to my body in choosing what I want.

Initially, I made some poor choices and gained about 5-7 lbs. I wasn't used to not having a list of 'can and can't have' food.

I've since lost, and am back to my starting weight, the one I worked hard to maintain through 'diet'.

I found that not having a cheat day made me want the 'off limits' foods really really bad, but I also found that having a cheat day turned into a food free for all.

Intuitive eating has been my saving grace. I couldn't diet another day.
It may not be for everyone, but I felt it really helped. I do not believe in hard core restriction, but yet a person still has to be smart about it.

Sign my name to fiberlover's post.

This subject comes up all the time and I think hers is the best response I've read - it totally echos my thoughts on the whole "cheat" issue.

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