I used to do cheat days, but they only turned in to cheat weeks, then cheat months and cheat years. ::Sigh:: When I discovered weight watchers I did not have to do that anymore. As long as I stayed within my point range I was fine! (I do free WW at home!! Its an easy to stick to plan!)

It's not like I have one set day a week where I eat whatever I want. I guess you can call what I do cheat meals. More or less they're worked into my plan for the day. My co worker and I like to order nachos on Wednesday nights at work - so I eat lower calorie foods during the day to prepare for that.

I don't cut much out of my diet completely, either. For me, simply knowing that things like french fries and other sorts of fried foods are not "forbidden fruit" so to speak is enough to keep me from wanting to binge on them. If I want them badly enough, I eat them, no guilt. I just don't eat them every day .

But you have to see what works for you. Because sometimes eating something you're "addicted" to triggers you to want more and then you can't help but binge on it. So like the others said, you have to play around and see...

To me... I guess I'm doing it the weird way... but it's the way I've found to be the most effective (I've fallen off the bandwagon, and have had to start up again from scratch, but that was due more to laziness rather than WHAT I was eating).

Personally, I find that the more I restrict myself (or others restrict me), the higher likelihood I have of rebelling. I always thought of myself as a very dependent person, but in the past year, I've been finding that it's exactly the opposite. I'm very independent, and in a lot of things, while I'm willing to change, it's my way or the highway. :p If I ever feel like I'm not ALLOWED to take something, or eat something, or do something... I'll go out of my way to do it. For example, when my entire family went on Atkins, I went out of my way to buy chocolate and candy, so I could be the one in control, and almost out of defiance in a way.

So, what I'm doing now is quite simple, and I'm hoping it'll lead to more independent eating and less reliance on calories and such once I hit maintenance. I will probably add more "structure" later on... but for now... this is what I'm doing.

Pretty much, I am allowing myself to eat within 800 to 1900 calories a day. I go through "moods" with my eating, some days I want to eat a lot, other days I want to eat hardly anything. So... I allow myself to do that, as long as I'm always above 800 calories, and below 1900. And, I can eat anything. If I want a Big Red can of soda... sure... I can have it. But only one. Not five, and depending on what I'm eating the rest of the day, I'll either not eat something that's the same calorie-wise, or I'll eat less. As long as I stay within my 800-1900 calorie limit. I find I don't binge eat if I'm not restricting my eating. Sure... I'm eating quite a bit of crap. ;) I'll admit it. BUT... I'm staying within my calorie limit, am losing, and am trying to convince my grandparents to get more veggies and less meat and sugary things! :p

I love this. Thank you!

If I do things this way, I'm way less likely to beat myself about it rather than having a bad day with no sleep the night before and having an apple pie at McDonald's because I felt weak and needed something happy in my life. (Errr..yeah that happened the other day and it was a bad idea).

It's true also what RockinRobin says - it doesn't serve you in the long run to do this.

~BreathingSpace~

I don't have cheat days and I may have a higher calorie meal in the evening than normal (like a dinner out with DH). But, I make sure I am under for breakfast and lunch and I have to work out at least 90 minutes that day in order to "treat" myself and still continue to lose weight weekly. Keep in mind this has literally happened once per month since I started in March. Otherwise it is by the book eating and exercise the other 29 or 30 days of the month. :)

As you can see, I've been around this site for about five years. About four years ago, I was nearly to goal and decided I deserved a cheat day here and there. Well, the cheat days became more frequent and I "cheat-dayed" myself back to my high weight and then some.

So now I don't do cheat days. And besides, who am I cheating? And why would I want to cheat myself?

Now I plan for treats, much like some of the others who have replied. They are deliberate and I make adjustments in other areas. And I make sure they are worth it. I realize this is my life now and it actually is very freeing, in a way (I am in control, not the food, etc). It has become very easy to make better food choices and I really don't crave the junky food any more. And when I do have the occasional treat, I feel like I am truly treating myself, not cheating myself.

Oh My Goodness, what amazing replies!!!!

@rockinrobin - you said "To remain obese is the punishment, not to feed and care for yourself day after day. It's no punishment to adhere to a healthy lifestyle."

That really resonated with me. It isn't a punishment to be healthy. It IS a punishment to not fit into my clothes, not go to the beach with my friends and avoid photographs... So true. What a great perspective.

@RockinRobin - you also said "I think it's okay to tell yourself no and we need to learn how to do that. We need to learn how to aim for long term satisfaction instead of immediate gratification..... By *giving in* so easily, not only do we slow things down calorie wise and therefore not losing weight wise, but more importantly, you slow down things by CONTINUING to have cravings for the *bad stuff*, but you also don't allow the good habits to form."

Wow, you really, really hit the nail on the head. Cheating is how I got to 236 pounds. Cheating on every diet I have ever had since I was a teenager is why I never lost the weight the right way to keep it off. I never learned to allow good habits to form and have been so used to having the immediate gratification that I have simply never changed.

@sf40, you said "who am I cheating? And why would I want to cheat myself?"

yup. exactly. I am not cheating ANYONE but myself and my dreams for myself. ... at all.


... So unfortunately, I did not read all of these until AFTER i had my binge. I only had taco bell, no chips - but it was 3 tacos, a side and a giant mountain dew. When I came home, I felt depressed, bloated, thirsty and like I failed myself. Then, since I am using the bodybugg, I uploaded the calories so far for the day and put in my meals - and oh my goodness, did I ever wreck my plan with that one. It wasn't a little cheat like I had intended it to be, It was a disaster. Not only to my weekly goals, but also to my body. I didnt FEEL good. It tasted excellent going in, 20 minutes later - my body did not feel good. I ended up drinking 2 liters of water and hitting the gym for 90 minutes to try to make up for it - and still am 400 calories SURPLUS for the day!!! Thats the first surplus calorie day I have had since I got serious about this!!! :( :( :( :(

Reading everyones excellent stories about their own experiences, what works (and doesn't) for them, and gaining insight from everyone on the differences between treating yourself and cheating yourself... I will now be on the "no cheat" plan as well.

Truly a learning experience, not only physically for myself, but thanks to you all as well. Where would I be without this forum!?! ... Oh thats right, bloated and miserable.