Hi everyone,

Hopefully someone will be able to give me advice. I have one 'cheat day' on my diet. God damnit, I exercise and I watch what I eat for the rest of the week just so I can have my cheat day. I deserve it. So why the **** do I constanty feel guilty when I indulge in something? Like I'm not talking whole chocolate cakes or anything, just something small - like a few squares of chocolate, or a glass of wine at the weekends.

Today is my cheat day, and I went out for a nice lunch. I didn't overdo it by any means, and have factored enough excercise and stuff into my routine to account for it, but I just feel so guilty about it .

Maybe I'm just being silly, but does anyone else feel like this? I know I need my cheat day once a week to help me stay on track for the other 6 days, it keeps me sane, but is there any way to lessen the guilt?

Thoughts?

I am the same way.. if I cut EVERYTHING out I wouldn't be able to do it... I have to do a cheat every now and then. I don't feel guilty about it because I think of how good I am doing the rest of the time.. I used to eat horribly 24/7 and now its just a meal here and there to keep me sane.

I think if you are losing weight and exercising, then you are ok.. don't beat yourself up!

I feel that same way any time I eat something I know I'm not "supposed" to. Which I think is a good thing. If I feel guilty about eating a donut or having a big slice of cake instead of a small slice...well then I know that I'm doing something right!

My suggestion...eat the foods you "crave" just make healthier versions.

I highly suggest not calling them "cheats" or even "off plan". You've planned for them...they're "on plan". My plan includes eating healthy foods daily within 1200-1500 calories. My sixth "meal" is dessert within whatever calories I have remaining whether it be 100 or 500. Sometimes it's popcorn, sometimes it's a hot fudge sundae, sometimes berries with whipped cream. It's not a cheat, it's part of the plan.

Somehow just that little tweak in mindset makes it taste that much more wonderful too.

It's like Eliana says. It's what you're calling it, and what that means. We know what a big psychological component makes up dieting. No one likes a cheater, whether in a game of Monopoly or cards or in a husband. Cheating is something a good girl doesn't do. And we want to be good. We don't want to catch ourselves cheating.

Call it something else. But what you call it is very important. Very important. Don't call it "Big, Crazy Binge Day" or "I Deserve This Because I've Been Good Day." Call it a "Rest Day" or a "Planned Higher-Calorie Day."

Or call it "Life." Because an absolutely uniform regulated caloric intake for living, breathing beings can only be achieved on feedlots in industrial farms.

I agree with the other posters...

Yes I feel guilty if I "cheat" and didn't plan for it, i.e. I was tempted by something and overindulged by type of food or amount of portion.

However if I "cheat" by having a treat that I prepare for, factor into my overall plan, and eat the amount I had planned, I'm actually really happy about it.

I agree "cheat" isn't the most appropriate word if you plan for it.

Yes I like what Eliana, Saef and Randomcards said. "Cheat" means you are on a diet. Diets are temporary. "Planned indulgence" or "life happens" means you have changed your style of eating and that is a permanent thing.

Mentally I'm unable to allow myself to include a cheat in my plan. If I go the whole day eating healthy and then have 200 calories left to eat, I tend to say to myself "well you made it all day eating right..instead of eating 3 cookies now, just skip those 200 calories, the higher blood sugar, etc". Even if it's planned it's still not healthy, so I still feel guilty eating it. Wish I could feel differently because always depriving myself simply makes those forbidden foods that much more desirable, and if I ever do slip up and have a bite of one, I figure I've ruined the day so I might as well eat as much of the forbidden food as I can since 1bite=50bites=an unsuccessful day

A planned, well thought out and responsible once in a while indulgence is no "cheat" in my book - and maybe it shouldn't be in yours either. Yes, semantics, wording IS very important.

I may be misunderstanding your habits, so please correct me if I am wrong.

I do think a whole day of indulgence once a week is a lot--if the rest of your plan is so restrictive that you need a whole day off of it each week, I think you might be better off eating more the rest of the week and having an indulgence "treat" once a week--a single serving of something special., or a moderately unhealthy meal.

I really think an even emotional keel is important to an eating plan, and to me, needing a whole day of cheat suggests that the other six days must be really, really restrictive. Complete restraint/hunger followed by a day of guilty binging is an emotional roller coaster you don't want to be on.

Let me put it another way: your day-to-day plan shouldn't require more than 80% of your possible will power, so that when the **** hits the fan and things get really difficult (which happens in everyone's life), you have some reserves to pull from. If you need a cheat day once a week, it seems like your day-to-day plan is using up more like 100% of your willpower, which is why you feel so guilty--the only way to stay on plan the other 6 days is to give it tremendous emotional weight. Find an easier plan, where you don't need such a total indulgence so often, and I think you'll feel better about yourself and lose more weight.

"Or call it "Life." Because an absolutely uniform regulated caloric intake for living, breathing beings can only be achieved on feedlots in industrial farms." Love this, saef!! great point!


I always feel guilty eating treats even when they are planned, because for me in the past, the majority of the time, if I allowed myself to eat something bad, it would be all downhill from there, and I'd indulge for the next few days. I'm very all or nothing when it comes to doing things, so this moderation thing has been tough for me! I'm either afraid that one indulgence will lead to 10, or even if not, I think to myself.. well what if I don't lose this week and it's all because of this meal out/cake/pizza/whatever it is. Like everyone's said, thinking of things as planned indulgences and making room for them has been helpful to me.