Do you allow yourself a cheat day (or rather, meal) in which you let yourself splurge a little? When and how often? My husband and I were discussing cheat days recently and he seems to want one every day where as I'm okay with aiming for occasions where it would be unavoidable to do otherwise.
I think once weekly *could* be okay but that still sounds like a little too much to me.
Weekends. Mostly because my husband is home and thats when we are running about and he always wants to stop somewhere to eat. Then I am back on plan from Monday-Friday. Saturdays are the worst where as Sundays can go either way.
I used to allow myself one once a week- usually Sunday- but it turned into a pig-out day... and I never lost any weight. The most successful I have ever been (I count calories) was when I would calorie-cycle. So- once each week I would have a high day. I still ate reasonably, just a little bit more calories for whatever I felt like I needed- whether that was just an extra bit of protein and fruits, or a cupcake that still fit into my calorie "budget" for the day. that way I wasn't just blowing a whole week of work in a few hours.
Prior to my little falling off the bandwagon incident, I never really allowed a cheat day. For me, it was more of if I know I'll be going out and eating/drinking, I'd be a little more calorie conscious with the other meals I'd have that day.
I had to rewire my brain completely when it comes to "cheating".
Before, I'd say, "Okay, it's a free day!" and binge like a crazy person. Then I would wonder why I was stalling and even gaining some weight. I've been most successful when I look at my eating more like a balance. Like Atarimae said, if I know I'm going to be eating at a restaurant, going to a party, or potentially eating something high in calories, I compensate for that by working my other meals around that. I also try to remain more conscience now when eating "cheat" meals. Yes, I might be eating cake, but do I really need to eat a huge slice? Before I would have thought, "UM DUH, ITS MY CHEAT MEAL" but now I try to be satisfied with less (sometimes successfully other times not successfully--but I'm working at it!). I found that by view food and "cheating" like that, my weight loss efforts have seemed much more manageable!
It used to be Sundays but with weigh-ins on Monday morning it was never going to be a good idea I've since decided that cheat 'days' or planned cheat events don't really work for me, so I try now to move away just have something the day/time I want it rather than build a mental list of all the junk I'm going to have whenever my cheat time rolls around.
I did cheat days every Sunday while I was losing the majority of my weight. I still lost 2-3lbs every week with my binge day...and I do mean binge! Now that I'm close to goal, I'm not doing it as often. I have that trip in October I was telling you about & I'm just holding off until then so I can get as low as my body will let me before the trip. I'll be eating lots of southern home cookin' so no weight will be lost at that trip
Every day is a potential cheat day - I really try to save it for "worth it" occasions. I don't need a designated day to eat certain foods/treats; knowing the way my brain works having such a day would = binging for the sake of binging.
Weekends are usually my cheat days. BUT. I always do these things to offset it a bit:
1. Don't skimp on my water. In fact, that's the only sort of beverage I will have, especially on those days.
2. Exercise my butt off. Nothing dangerous, but like...power walk two miles twice that day, or walk 2 miles and do water aerobics, stuff that won't kill me.
3. Cheat around lunchtime. Gives me time to actually use the calories I plan on inhaling. Never cheat around dinner if you can help it. Screws up your night, in my opinion. Have a light dinner. Whether you snack at all that day depends on what you ate.
So...once or twice a week really isn't bad. But hey, that's my opinion. I am still losing the majority of my weight. When I'm down some more (maybe on the edge of onederland), I'll probably back off a lot.
I do cheat days every sunday- I weigh in sunday morning and then eat whatever I want the whole day. Then monday I get back on track and eat good monday-saturday. It works for me!
i dont have cheat days but i do have cheat "items" once in awhile...once every two weeks we have pizza for dinner and i have alot...once a month right before TOM i will eat a pint of ben n jerry ice cream...other than that, i dont really "cheat"....however since i calorie count, cheating really just means eating over my calorie allotment rather than eating "forbidden" foods...
i'm finding it easier to stay away from cheat days since i've been staying on plan. i don't crave the bad stuff as much anymore. but that's not to say i don't crave it at all.
and when i do get off course, it just makes me want to get even more off course. i don't like that battle of getting back on track. i used to do cheat days and it became binge days.
with that said however, my birthday is this week and i would definitely like to indulge a little bit. i'm just hoping that it doesn't lead to a gain next week.
i just try to ask myself if what i'm about to eat will help me get to where i want to be.
Every day lately has been a struggle for me, I wake up and do GREAT!! I think to myself I'm gonna do this, but by the time I go to sleep I've already done or not done the things I said I was/wasn't going to do that day. I'm still losing but VERY slowly and I keep going up and down. I really need to stay focused like I was at the beginning of May!!
Back on the subject though, I never allow myself a cheat day. More of everything in moderation even on special occasions Otherwise I get thrown completely off track and its too hard to get back on the wagon for me.
I never do a weekly cheat day - it just doesn't work for me. I do give myself an occasional special event (Christmas, my birthday or like today - my parents wedding anniversary) do have a cheat meal, but that's it. Once a month a small cheat is fine, any more and I'm in serious trouble.
Cheat Days??
where as I'm okay with aiming for occasions where it would be unavoidable to do otherwise. 
I've since decided that cheat 'days' or planned cheat events don't really work for me, so I try now to move away just have something the day/time I want it rather than build a mental list of all the junk I'm going to have whenever my cheat time rolls around.
