I just started my new lifestyle a week ago, and so far I've been doing very well--almost 6 pounds down! But yesterday I had a "cheat day" and I think I overdid it a little bit. My boyfriend made me eggs and toast for breakfast (which, admittedly, isn't that bad, but I usually eat only egg whites), I had chicken fingers for lunch and mac and cheese for dinner (mac and cheese is one of my favorite trashy foods). So basically, I ate like a 5 year-old, which is so unlike me! I am actually very food snobby. (But don't tell anyone! )

By last night I felt like crap and I had gained all 6 pounds back as the weight of food just sitting in my stomach. Thankfully, when I woke up this morning, 4 pounds has mysteriously disappeared, so now I'm back down to something workable.

But I did learn a lesson. Cheat days are for doing things like putting cheese on a sandwich--not for eating like the world is ending tomorrow. Today it's back to my regular diet and I'm actually glad.

Do any of you have cheat day experiences or "lessons"?

I don't like calling it cheat days. How can you cheat if it's food and you're hungry? There's no test, there's no score keepers, it's just you on this journey and you get to map it out exactly how you want it to be. It's a delicate balance between eating the foods you want and eating the foods you need, that's how I think of it. I never force myself to eat foods I don't like (like tofu, flax, skim milk and non-fat versions of cheese/mayo). But I do coax myself to eat things I wouldn't ordinarily go for like yogurt, sugarless cereal, wheat bread, fruits instead of desserts, and smaller amounts of carbs.

The key for me to stay on plan is that I have to eat all the foods I need, but on a daily basis I have to eat a little bit of the foods I want. What's the point of dieting if I'm miserable? I can't imagine a life where I can NEVER eat mashed potatoes. It wouldn't make sense to even try. So I DO eat mashed potatoes. 1 cup and it gets written down and the calories get incorporated into my daily allowance. It's not cheating, it's creative planning!

Oooooh, the good old controversial cheat day. I've had one planned cheat day in the last 18 months. It was Christmas Day. I was in a self induced food coma, binge dreaming, sugar craving mess for the next month. I swore I would never do it again...but I did, though it was not planned...it just happened because I was being lazy. And it didn't get any better. Felt like crap again. For *ME* it just isn't worth it. For others I guess it works out just fine. But since we are posting here in the Chicks in Control forum, it seems that we might have issues with control...or better yet with issues of being out of control when it comes to food. It seems counter productive to have a cheat day when you are trying to get into control of food issues.

I keep comparing food issues with drinking issues and I'm sure it get annoying to some but there are a lot of similarities. My Father who was an abusive alcoholic would try to have controlled "cheat days" at the beginning of his journey. So he would drink all day long on Sunday...his only day of the week to drink. He would black out, beat the **** out of my Mother, and never remember it the next day until he saw the bruises. He would swear off the booze for a week until Sunday, and then it was his "Cheat day" all over again. He would say he was on a plan...or sober, but he wasn't. He was still a drunk, just a Sunday drunk. He finally realize, (at the risk of my mother kicking him out) that he couldn't have a "cheat day". NOW, I know that an alcoholic can live without booze, and a food addict can't live without food. But, we can live without certain foods...the ones that send us over the edge. Oh, and food doesn't make you want to beat the **** out of someone like booze can...just yourself. And food doesn't make you drive badly and risk killing someone unless you are eating Chinese takeout while driving down the interstate....So I guess there are some differences.

There is no point to this story except that I don't see how a planned cheat day helps anyone remain in control of food demons. I guess everyone is different though and I do respect (and kind of envy) those that can sucessfully lose weight while having planned treats, cheats and cheat days and indulges.

I don't really do planned cheat days. I don't really see the point of them, unless a person is doing contest prep for a figure or body building competition, in which case they are severely depriving themselves. I only eat food that I like, and while it may not be key lime pie, I still like it just fine. I do have to work hard to keep myself from overdoing it on fruit, and it's never planned. ;-)

Also, a treat is different from a "cheat" in my opinion. Allowing myself 1/2 dessert is something that I'm consciously doing, but since I'm not "on a diet" and am instead eating like a normal, well-adjusted healthy person, having a treat is not cheating on anything.

Also, having a treat doesn't necessitate eating 3 meals off plan. I think about Thanksgiving. Why do people go whole hog crazy on their Thanksgiving meal, stuffing themsleves to the point of not being able to move? Has it been a whole year since they'd had a meal? Is that the only day of the year one can cook a turkey? Seriously.

I dunno -- maybe I just object to the words "cheat" or "diet."

I agree a treat is not a cheat - I can't imagine going through life without enjoyable food sometimes.... like tonight... I made low cal enchiladas with tofu and a corn&bean veggie salad/salsa all great healthy choices and then I made some fresh guacamole..... I calculated the ingredients and ate 4 tablespoons full (not with anything - just by itself, it was kinda funny) I went about 100cal over goal & tomorrow I'll work it off - no guilt no triggered binge and the rest goes in the trash

I have a cheat day. Its Thursdays. It helps me stay motivated all week. Say Monday I am craving those chips, I think do I really want to eat those chips? Then I can't have my Thursday dinner out with my hubby...so it helps me big time. Last week we went to Applebees (I think) and I got shrimp, mashed potatoes. I don't really do the cheat day ALL day, just one meal. I lost 8 lbs. last week and after that meal I gained the 8 lbs. right back but in the morning it was mysteriously gone, like you said. I will keep having a cheat day until I am able to be okay with eating the food I am eating. This is still a diet for me, not a lifestyle. I want it to be a lifestyle but I have to ease into it, if you kwim. LOL.

I have one planned meal out per week. I eat what I want (entree, main and dessert) as long as I don't go home with that horrid my-belly's-about-to-explode feeling. I'm stopping with the fast food because I can make it at home much better than they can.

I'm not too keen on the concept of "cheat days", but I can see where it would motivate people to eat right. I have this horrible feeling that if I sit and eat whatever I want on a day that I won't be able to get back on plan the next day or the day after that, etc. and I'll gain back everything that I lost.