Cheat day?
I'm totally new to all of this, and am getting used to counting calories, and logging food. I find having to keep track of what I eat makes me pay much closer attention to what I'm putting in my face 
, which is great!
My question though is, as is advocated by many people when trying to overhaul eating habits, do any of you typically partake in the once-a-week "cheat day", where (within reason) you kick back, and just eat something you really enjoy?
I don't know if that's something people usually only do when on a more restrictive "diet", or if it serves as a good sanity buffer (LOL) and tool to keep your metabolism "guessing".
Thoughts?
I do.
Usually on the weekend. Dinner out, or ordering pizza.
I am a firm believer in "zig-zagging" calorie intake from day to day. It has worked pretty well for me... it especially helps with preventing/overcoming weight loss plateaus. Also you don't feel so deprived the other days of the week.
This was useful for me:
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calc ulator.htm#
there's an option below that calculator that gives you a 7-day cycle. good luck!
That's awesome. I'll check it out. Thanks!
I generally "zig-zag" a bit as well, even if unintentionally. It typically happens within the range I should be in anyway, but if I'm hungry, generally, I'll eat. I'm going for a complete lifestyle change that I can maintain . . . and I don't intend on being perpetually hungry for the rest of my life! 
Luckily (sort of) for me, I have stomach problems that prevent me from drinking, aside from the odd glass of wine or beer once in a while (doctor's orders), otherwise that'd be a WHOLE other can of worms! LOL
I used to drink alot (well, appropriately for my age, and going to the bars every weekend); but I was also in intensive training and competition (high-level horseback riding), so burning calories was not an issue.
Sounds like I am playing with words, but I don't have cheat days because I am not dieting...I am watching my calories and nutrition and when I can fit it in (occassionally) I eat cake, ice cream or anything else I want...if it fits in my calories for the day (I will go slightly over if I have been really good for the week), there is no cheating because I don't have anything on a "list" that I eat or don't eat...I simply limit the bad stuff but I don't have anything off limits...just limited. I stay within +/- 100 calories each day, but have on occasion gone over by 200 calories when I have something I normally don't eat.
But going with your post, yes, it is fine to "cheat" if you want to call it that as depriving yourself of something just doesn't cut it (take chocolate away from me and this weight loss stuff is OVER 
. I have consistently lost weight doing this and you can to as long as you don't overdo it. Everything in moderation...good luck!
I'm all about a cheat day but it's not as a reward for being healthy all week. I do this so that my body doesn't forget what these foods are like. The purpose of this is so that I don't see much of a negative impact if I do eat something that's not part of my plan. The only negative impact that I've seen is that my body really doesn't like all of the greasy foods now that I'm eating healthy every day 
The key to a cheat day is to make sure that you just keep up with your portions on these days. Don't stuff yourself just because you are allowing yourself to go outside of your normal plan. This process has been very effective for me.
I wish you the very best...
i definately think a "cheat" or reward is good for sanity :)
if you deprive yourself too much your going to want all the more.... i used to have a daily reward actually.... ate healthy all day and had a small reasonable snack as a reward... i was much thinner and more on track then, but it worked at the time... now i'm trying to keep my rewards to the weekends.... and during the week make my snacks tasty but healthy.
you don't want a diet that you can't stick too.... depriving yourself of anything that you really like is not something your going to stick to... it's good to let yourself have what you want! just don't go crazy... a "lifestyle change" is much better over all then crash diets.
People always say if you deprive yourself too much then you will just keep craving those foods and give in and most likely binge. What if you don't? I haven't treated myself in over a year, and I have no desire to even eat any "cheat" foods.
Do you think it would still be beneficial in any way to have a "cheat" meal anyways?
Original Post by deflepfan16:
I had a question for those of you with a cheat day, sorry to steal your post but, I didn't think I would really need a whole other thread for this =)
People always say if you deprive yourself too much then you will just keep craving those foods and give in and most likely binge. What if you don't? I haven't treated myself in over a year, and I have no desire to even eat any "cheat" foods.
Do you think it would still be beneficial in any way to have a "cheat" meal anyways?
In your case you may not need to cheat. For me it's to help make sure that I don't go crazy and binge. If you don't have the desire or craving then you could probably do without. I think the main thing is to trick our minds into the thinking that we are not being "deprived" of something that we like. If you don't miss it then don't worry about it.
Congratulations on being able to stick to your plan for over a year BTW...
Thanks, all of you for your insight.
deflepfan16: No worries; My mumsie taght me to share, so you can share my post 
. I wish I was like you, and didn't crave "cheat foods", but I don't see my love affair with big goeey slices of delicious pizza ending anytime soon! LOL
I don't have a cheat day. If I want something that could be considered "cheating" I figure it into my calories for the day. If it means just having a very tiny piece of "cheat food", thats what I do. And the thing that surprised me is...I am ok with that! Sometimes I have a "cheat food" in my fridge and I forget it is there. I have cake there that I thought I would want...brought it home thursday night after a supper at our church....I had a couple of small pieces and there it sits. I haven't even thought about eating any of it today. Maybe I will freeze it for "emergency" purposes. lol
I guess I don't think about "cheating" because I don't want this to be a diet. I am changing the way I eat and think about food. And with the help of this site, it is going well. I am learning about portions and that I don't need a HUGE portion to be satisfied.
Big cheat day today.
Prime Rib, Creamed Corn, Creamed Spinach, Yorkshire Pudding, Bread and Butter, Pomegranate Martini, Full-flavored Coke.
Gotta get back on tract tomorrow :)
I just zig-zag based on what life throws at me but try to maintain a monthly average of what my target calories are. I don't like the term cheat, because I'm not cheating - I consider it living. I'm balancing my food intake and not forbidding myself from any foods and I think this has kept me sane.
If I eat unhealthy foods I try to figure them into my daily target range, but sometimes I go way, way over. I don't have a set day where I go over, but I try to plan ahead for holidays, birthdays, or other special occasions. Like tomorrow - we are going to a brazilian all-you-can eat steakhouse.
Original Post by rokamortis:tomorrow - we are going to a brazilian all-you-can eat steakhouse.
Indulge me . . . . What is the difference between a regular steakhouse, and a Brazilian steakhouse. I've never heard of such a thing.
Original Post by youhavenoidea:Original Post by rokamortis:tomorrow - we are going to a brazilian all-you-can eat steakhouse.
Indulge me . . . . What is the difference between a regular steakhouse, and a Brazilian steakhouse. I've never heard of such a thing.
Ah, a Brazilian steak house, the joys. There are guys that come to your table with slabs of meat and you have a type of button on the table with different colors on each side. The guys start slicing the meat until you turn over the button to tell them to stop. It's an all you can eat deal of some of the best seasoned meats...
It's also a pretty fun experience.
Original Post by aaron719:Ah, a Brazilian steak house, the joys. There are guys that come to your table with slabs of meat and you have a type of button on the table with different colors on each side. The guys start slicing the meat until you turn over the button to tell them to stop. It's an all you can eat deal of some of the best seasoned meats... It's also a pretty fun experience.
^^ what he said!
So you can keep track of what you eat - which enables you to analyze your foods and receive the following:
- Health Score of your overall diet
- Warning when you approach your daily calorie limit
- Overview of the good and bad nutrients