Do any of you plan cheat days or cheat meals? like, once a month or once every two weeks or something like that? Obviously there are special occasions that might allow for some indulgence, but do you schedule something on a regular basis?
Sure, but as a calorie counter, there isn't anything I can't have whenever I want it as long as it fits within my limit. My limit is fairly high though so I can get away with a lot. I typically try to limit it to 1 or 2 meals a week for stuff I wouldn't normally eat on plan. I don't usually have cheat days. I just don't have room for a whole days worth of stuff I shouldn't eat.
I don't plan them, but allow them to happen on occasion. I know many people don't like to call them "cheats," but it's just a matter of terminology.
I look at it this way. Everyone, no matter how heavy or thin, has days where they eat more than others. I think heavy people have those days often - most of the time, in fact. But thin people have them only once in a while, - special night out, parties, birthday or other celebration, holiday meal (not holiday week,) vacation, etc.
If you can control it, I think a day off plan isn't necessarily a bad thing. The problem is allowing it to be only the occasional day off healthy eating. some people can, others can't. At some point in this journey we all have to get to the point where we can eat "normal" food in "normal" quantities - day after day after day. Forever. A day off once in a while can't do enough damage to make a difference in the long run. And we have to remember that it's the long run that matters the most. If having a day or meal off plan gets you through a family function or vacation, it's great to take advantage of that. If you have trouble getting back on plan, then maybe a more rigid approach is better for you for the time being. Just one person's opinion . . .
I didnt during the losing stage, but then again I started out super-morbidly-obese and I didn't want anything to derail me from my primary goal. Also, past experiences taught me that it was very hard for ME to recover from a cheat and relapse after one was usually the norm.
I admit that I do go off plan now that I'm in maintaince and it works out okay, But it is still very hard to climb back on the wagon.
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Well, I don't know that I'd call it a "cheat" meal/day, but every Wednesday evening after my weigh-in, yes, I do treat myself to a few things I try to limit. I've not "given up" anything (I refuse to do that because for me, personally, giving things up completely sets me up for certain failure) but there are, obviously, things I try to limit as much as possible. On Wednesday evenings, though, I let myself go a little...and then on Thursday morning I get right back to it. And I don't feel one ounce of guilt for it, either.
I didnt during the losing stage, but then again I started out super-morbidly-obese and I didn't want anything to derail me from my primary goal. Also, past experiences taught me that it was very hard for ME to recover from a cheat and relapse after one was usually the norm.
I admit that I do go off plan now that I'm in maintaince and it works out okay, But it is still very hard to climb back on the wagon.
I agree - "cheating" while in one's losing stage is a recipe for disaster. Once you get to your goal, a "cheat" meal or event (birthday/wedding/celebration) can be moderated. I might reward myself once a week with a candy bar as I"m losing, but do I really want to gain back what I've worked so hard during the week to lose? I've heard of some people having entire "cheat days," which seems to me to just keep one stuck at one weight forever.
I really don't like calling it a "cheat" because that implies that it's a bad thing to do. It's not a horrible thing to have a higher calorie day here or there, so it's not really cheating at all.
I have planned higher calorie days now that I'm in maintenance.
As a calorie counter, I do have cheat days where I allow myself to eat at maintenance level but I would never allow myself to eat enough calories to make me gain.
Whenever I go to the movies, I plan to eat a large (unbuttered) popcorn. I eat it instead of dinner, so the caloric damage (about 1,100 calories) isn't TOO severe. For better or worse, munching popcorn is a big part of my enjoyment at the movies. I know many people would take issue with such an unbalanced meal, but I refuse to get hung up on nutrient composition in individual meals as long as I eat enough healthy foods over a week's time.
I don't plan scheduled cheat days. I think it leads to the "I'll be good tomorrow" mentality. I have chosen a plan that is not focused on deprivation and isn't super strict. If you've chosen a plan wisely - something that you can live with for the long haul, you shouldn't be looking to cheat. (what that plan looks like is very personal and specific to you)
I have gone off plan for holidays and special occasions, but those are "real" occasions, not just having a meal out with friends, or someone's birthday. I don't think of them as cheat days, they are just real life situations, and I certainly keep the reins in - they are very rare.
When I do go off plan, I usually lose a week's worth of time as far as weight loss, so it's often not worth it.
I think if you're looking for cheat days, you're better off revisiting your plan and finding something that is more flexible and sustainable for your personal lifestyle and your weight loss goals.
I did in maintenance but now that I'm back to actively trying to lose I cut them out. I feel like I do better when I don't play emotional games with my food choices. I tend to start craving things I shouldn't be eating if I have even a taste. I'd rather just not battle the cravings.
I do have a higher calorie day but everything I eat is still on my plan.
Yes, weekly. I stay within a set calorie range and I don't call it "cheating". Personally, I feel that psychologically sets me up for failure. I call it my "higher calorie day" or my "indulgence meal". It's typically on Saturday night (Saturday is my weigh-in day). Like I said, I stay within a set calorie range though, so it's not a free-for-all binge or anything like that. Now that I do IF (intermittent fasting) it sometimes doesn't even go above my calorie amount for a typical day.
I don't like to call it "cheating". I no longer eat crap food. Period. I guess if I did, I would feel as though I was "cheating" myself, and my progress. However, I DO have higher calorie days on purpose, or sometimes just from having a bad day and going over my limit by a few hundred calories. I don't feel as though I am cheating, b/c even on high calorie days, all my foods are healthy and nutritious. I'd rather have a high day from going over eating and extra yogurt, than planning on indulging in pizza every Friday night, for example.
For me personally it's a recipe for disaster. I'm big time carb sensitive, and if I mess with my blood sugar by eating a bunch of carbs I just start craving them and the cycle starts all over again.
Having said that, once I'm done with my current 30 day challenge (I'm doing the Whole 30) I will give myself one evening to have a little wine and some really quality dark chocolate. After that it's right back on plan. I still have carb cravings occasionally, but I know what that food does to me, so it's easy enough to say no.
planned cheat days/meals
