I have a "scheduled" cheat day about once every two months. I still try not to blow it too bad, though. And for some reason, it does seem to keep the scale moving.
I don't generally think in terms of cheating when I have something sweet or otherwise special / non-everyday. More like treats. If I think in terms of cheating, it's when I overstuff myself, or eat something I don't really want. But even then, I think more in terms of considering it a learning experience.
I do try to keep treats to about once a week, but not on a set day. I like the flexibility to go with the flow. I find that at about once a week, it's special and really enjoyable, doesn't make me crave, and it's often enough to keep me from feeling deprived. By treat I don't mean stuffing myself. It might be a small serving of a homemade dessert my sister made, it might be having a couple slices of pizza for dinner along with everyone else (although pleasingly, I'm starting to dislike the quantity cheese typically used).
On the other hand, I do have a small square of dark chocolate up to several times a week if I want it, and I don't really count that in the treat category as long as it's one square and only a couple times a week. Some weeks I don't have any. I never find myself craving more.
We just started back, so it's hard for me to say long term, but our 10th anniversary was last friday and neither he nor I were interested in truly going off plan. We allowed ourselves some champagne and that was about it. Other than that, we stayed on course. I plan on allowing myself some treats around the holidays so I don't feel deprived, but overall I've been trying to substitute instead of going off plan and trying to keep myself in that mindset for the future.
I agree with everyone else on the term "cheating". I started this journey because I wanted to be happier and healthier. Depriving myself of things on special occasions such as Birthdays, Graduations, Wedding, etc. would NOT make me happier. They are few and far between, so I don't feel guilty about indulging. Although I don't ever gorge like I once did. And when somone insists that I take a couple of slices of cake home, I always say no thanks.
sometimes I think a small cheat will shock your system back into diet mode. I use to have a personal trainer friend who scheduled 1 day a month to pig out because he said if he didn't he'd get stuck in a rut.
I'm maintaining now, but I still stick with Phase II foods pretty much of the time. When I have an event like a birthday or anniversary, I eat whatever I want and then get right back on plan. I don't call it cheating since I'm already eating so healthy 90% of the time. When I was in the weight loss phase, I did find it curious that after I had a "treat" occasion, my weight did seem to drop nicely after I got back on plan, so I kind of wonder if the caloric increase didn't do something to my metabolism.
Life's too short not to enjoy "treats" every once in a while. Just so it doesn't become so often it interferes with the big picture.
I agree with the poster who said the buildup to the treat is sometimes more exciting than the actual food. Very true!
I didn't really cheat till I reached my goal. But still now I don't have a planned cheat. If we are out and I see something I want a bite of, I take it. Like last friday we were eating out and we split a 6 oyster appetizer. So I ate a grilled oyster, a rockafeller oyster and one on a little round of french bread...So it's kind of occasional if it's something that really looks good.
