I'm trying to decide if I want to have a cheat day on my birthday and eat badly. I know what I'd eat, a large pizza. Because I occasionally crave pizza But then the craving passes. What would you do? Cheat a little? Cheat a lot? Or stick to eating healthy?

I cheated on my birthday, but in moderation. I've found that I have to live a little, otherwise this lifestyle is not sustainable.

You're doing so fantastic! You wrote that the craving passes. While it wouldn't hurt to enjoy pizza on your birthday, you could also give yourself something even more special--a new outfit, a special meal at a restaurant you never tried, or even making something totally new, etc.

Not saying that you SHOULD pass on a treat like pizza, but just that birthdays are opportunities to do something even more special & try out new things You could always promise yourself some pizza on the next day, if you still want some. I've noticed that sometimes, once I give myself permission to , the wish fades.

That said, I tend to go all out on treats I don't usually eat, so I would be having a lot!

How about a compromise?

A salad first, to take the edge off of hunger, and then, 1 or 2 slices of pizza instead of a whole large one?

Don't get me wrong, I love pizza too! But a whole large, for one, will most likely make you ill. For at least a day, if not longer.

Another thought, if you really want the pizza, compromise, pick a slice or two, but do not do this with friends and family. Do it at home, in piece and quiet, and take the time to enjoy the food, not just down it, in the midst of the chaos of the party atmosphere.

Just my thoughts. Take it for what it's worth!

Happy Birthday!

It doesn't have to be a whole pizza, does it? Have a couple of slices and a salad. Yum.

I don't plan a cheat day. I assume that there will be enough days that I will cheat, just because. I think it's not so much giving yourself permission to cheat, it's to forgive yourself and move on *after* you cheat.

I think it's ok to cheat every once in a while, as long as you can forgive yourself for it afterwards. I agree with the others- it's your birthday and you deserve to treat yourself. And I also think one or two slices would be better than the whole pizza.

Happy birthday, by the way

HI, i just wanted to say thank you to those who replied so far. I think if I still want to eat something unhealthy on a special occasion I will try to do it in moderation.

I'd take this a step further and start to avoid morally-charged language like "cheating" and "forgiveness." It's fine to eat an off-plan meal once in a, if you get back on plan with the very next bite of food.

We are all in this for the long haul and the worst that one off-plan meal can do is delay the reaching of your ultimate goal by a day, if it doesn't happen more than once a month or once every other month.

More importantly, though, it isn't "cheating" because your plan is not a game or a race where breaking the rules disqualifies you, or a vow which you must adhere to or face opprobrium. And you don't need to "forgive yourself" because eating off plan is not a crime or a sin or a moral failing that requires penance and absolution.

Enjoy your birthday! And then get right back on plan. Signed, someone who is also looking forward to an off-plan meal for her birthday (not until May, though).

I agree with what Carter said. It's labeling food as "bad" that's caused me to slip up in the past. I've gotten to the point where I have to acknowledge that a sustainable lifestyle to me means that if I crave pizza, I run to the mall and get a slice, but I work out that day and have a light fruit/veggie supper. I was losing the most weight per week when I baked and froze a batch of my favorite cupcakes. I'd thaw out a fourth or half every day for a sweet treat after lunch. I was spot on the rest of the day and didn't feel deprived. I'm working back to that plan now. Good luck!

Carter said it best so I'll add that the language you use around food can have complicated effects on how we behave around food.

There is nothing "bad" about pizza, it is after all a nutritious food comprising of whole grains, vegetables and cheese. Attaching the label "bad" makes us super charged around that food. I dare you not to think about elephants right now. See? You're thinking about elephants, because the suggestive language forces you to think about elephants. Likewise with ourselves and food. Therefore, if you eat a bad food you then become a bad person in your mind, this is disordered eating!

As an intuitive eater I don't deny myself anything, when I want pizza I have it. Because I don't put my cravings off my cravings don't snowball into intense feelings which then conclude in massive pangs of guilt.

Bottom line, eating pizza is not a moral issue. The more you make it a moral issue the more uncomfortable you will feel around food.

Guilt is a destructive emotion and in particular with food. It tends to be the root cause of many binge episodes "well, I already ate 'badly' today, I may as well continue to eat badly all day and start dieting again tomorrow."

Instead I try to feel enjoyment in my food. I want pizza? Great! I buy the best and freshest ingredients I can find and make it myself along with a light ceasar salad and I sit to enjoy them mindfully. I have a couple of slices of pizza and a bowl of salad. Perfect, totally satisfied, craving met, guilt nonexistent.

What I often do when I want pizza is go to a good quality place that has lots of room for customization, like Mellow Mushroom, and get a small or personal-sized pizza. Mellow Mushroom has a lot of opportunities for a healthy pizza, and their small pizzas are more than enough for one person. I usually split mine in half, and then turn that half into 4 smaller pieces so it feels like I'm eating a lot, but in reality, I'm really not. If you have a place like that in your area, I'd take advantage of it! That way you get to indulge and satisfy your craving, but you're not scarfing down a giant delivery-style pizza which is way worse for you. Just a thought!

It's your birthday enjoy. I don't believe in weekly cheat meals but only special occasions. Pizza is high on sodium so it will look like you did more damage, just give it a couple days to lose the water weight.

I still eat pizza but wouldn't eat an entire large pizza in one sitting. That would cancel out all the running I did for that week.

Really you can eat anything in moderation and still lose weight. It's checks and balances. Nothing is off limits to me.

Happy Birthday.

Agree with everyone that has posted, basically. It's okay to every once in a while have something off plan, just make sure to get right back on plan.

I've found that my binging gets really horrible if I try and deny myself foods for long periods of time. My mind starts to hang up on how long I can't have this awesome tasting food for.. and it honestly becomes kind of an obsessive thing where I want the food more and more and then when I finally break down and get it (because that happens), I eat way more than if I just would have initially eaten a slice. So for me it's definitely better to just get rid of the craving. Making nothing off limits for me works for this reason. I just don't really get cravings often at all when nothing is off limits.

That's just me though. Ultimately, you know your body than anyone. If the craving it truly passing, and not some nagging feeling in the back of your brain.. and you know that the one slice would lead you spiraling out of control, then it could be better to avoid it. Do what works for you.