Cheat day?

Does anyone have a cheat day once a week, where they don't go overboard, but just kinda eat what they normally wouldn't? I feel like I need something to look forward to after being so strict 6 days a week... one day of guilty pleasures (not binging of course..) won't create weight gain or screw up a diet will it?

well, for me I dont like to take cheat days while i try to lose weight...before i know it...i end up eating a lot of unhealthy meals that day.....I tend to buy myself something or just go to a store and try things on to see how much stuff i can now wear and how much better they look on me.

 

if you want a cheat snack..go ahead but know your limits and think of your goal....good luck!!!

I'm having my 'cheat day' today.  It's my one day a week where I don't exercise and I eat up to my maintenance calories.  I don't lose weight, I don't gain weight, it's a perfectly neutral day. 

I sorta have cheat days. It's not planned or regular, but for instance if I have a party w/ friends or something impromptu, I don't like to feel like I'm starving so I might indulge. If I'm dieting though, I still try and cut back from what I'd usually do.

I've noticed that if I have an outright binge day on a diet or otherwise, the war is usually lost. The next day I'm superhungry again and then it takes me more time to get on the wagon and pretty much I end up gaining more weight than I lost in the first place.

 

My friend is a big fan of the "no S diet" (http://www.nosdiet.com) where you basically just don't snack except on days starting w/ an S, so Saturday, Sunday, and Special Days and Sick Days. She says it works for her but I'm not sure what I think about it. Reasonable, I guess.

I def have one - two per week where do just like you said I eat my maintenance calories. (Which is alot more than my dieting cals.) I think it can be detrimental if you have like 3000 cals. But I LOVE beer and allow it on the weekends. Today, for ex, I ate 1100 cals and drank another 500. I leave an extra 100-200 at the end of the night for a bag of 94% ff popcorn.

However, I do kind of feel like it prolongs things but to me if setting my diet back by a whole day is going to allow me to eat some things I don't allow during the week than so be it. Besides isnt that supposed to be good for the metabolism?

I agree with XOXO amarie.  My cheat days are for the night out with the girls, Date night with my husband, Birthday parties, and going to the movie (I have to Movie Popcorn W/out butter.)  The rule I try to go by is something I would really like that is still the best healthy choice (so I don't pick Fetticini since it is high in fat but I love Spaghetti so I have that.  Even though I like the Fetticini more.)  It works really well, because I get a meal that I love without all the guilt.)

I allow for high calorie days- it's rarely over maintenance, but I go out a few days a week and don't like restricting my food intake to allow room for the alcohol- it makes me binge later or just feel sick. I also allow cheat snacks on a regular basis but they usually fit in my calorie goal anyways. It's worked well so far!

I tried having a snack day.  It started out just being Saturday.  Then I had to add Sunday because it just seemed right.  Then since it was only on the weekends and the weekends really start on Friday evening so i stretched it to Friday after 5pm until Monday at 9am.  Before I knew it my snack days were only in days that ended in "S".  Which is every day!  I just can't do it any more.  I have to say "NO" to any snacks because I can't seem to do well with any compromise.  Its either all or nothing. 

More power to you if you can. Go for it!!

I know lots of people who do that, and I do too if I really can't bear dieting a second longer. Again, just maintenance, which is pretty crucial. As long as you can limit it to just one day, I think its fine. For me, it means I don't completely give up on my diet because I'm so sick of it.

Rachel from Friends does it too. Except she calls it her 'seventh day'. She's looking pretty slim, so it can't be all that bad.

my cheat days are fridays, and I do eat alot of junk food or eat korean bbq once in awhile. haha. I don't exercise on those days and just eat around 1500 - 2000 calories. I miss Fridays. sigh. However right before and after those days I eat around 900-1000 calories and go workout for like 2 hours.

 

I actually do it for calorie shifting because I usually eat around 1200-1300. I can't really eat more or less than that on most days.

I couldn't help myself today. I went to my favorite Chinese spot. Hadn't been there in months. I had steamed beef and steamed vegetables. Sucks 'cause I really don't know how many calories I consumed. I can try to guess, but it would be a pretty baseless guess. All's I know is I currently have my pants undone, I'm so full. This can't be good.

I definitely love my cheat day -- Saturday. When I first started, my cheat day would hit about 3,500 calories. Now, 4 months later, my average cheat day is about 2,000. It may add a little extra time until I make goal, but without it, I'd quit trying and never make goal. For me, it's a happy trade off. For many people, it's a cheat meal. Maybe that would work for you? Good luck in your journey.

 

I don't do cheat meals. But what I do is allow myself one naughty meal every time I lose 20 pounds.

Original Post by cptbunny:

I don't do cheat meals. But what I do is allow myself one naughty meal every time I lose 20 pounds.

 If I only got a cheat naughty meal every 20 pounds (which took me almost 4 months), I'd never make it.  

Man I'm having a really bad day today. That Chinese food did nothing for me as it turns out. It's 2 hours later and I'm starving again. I'm about to eat a slice of pizza now (albeit a small piece, about 2.5"x 2.5"), and surprisingly, I'll probably still be under my calorie deficit. This is both disturbing, and amazingly awesome!

Well now this is just ridiculous: I ate the pizza but now I'm even hungrier! Damn this weekend appetite!

Haha me too, I usually eat whatever I want, only in small portions. (pizza, quesadillas, burritos.. etc) and I usually keep it under my calorie needs :D

 

I suggest drinking alot of liquid with whatever you are eating because that works wonders for me.

I just need to stop thinking about food.

I did just put a pot of coffee on though, so I'm gonna drink plenty of it. Then I'll go work out and call it a night.

Friday is my binge day and it was my rest day.  My schedule is messed up now but generally I eat a big breakfast and nice, fancy dinner.  I go over my maintenance because it's a rest day.  But it hasn't screwed up anything and I'm pretty good on the other days.  And yes, I make caloric allowances for the Drink.  (beer and/or wine)

 

This is vexing: I just got done working out. Right before that though, I was pretty dang hungry. Now, however, I'm not hungry at all. Hmmm...Is this normal?

I don't have cheat days or at least I don't see them that way. I sometimes eat stuff that I really shouldn't. But I have a coping strategy, I try to make the rest of the day a good one by ensuring I don't go over my maintenance limit.

However this is hard to do if you've been invited over for dinner. If I know that I will be eating with friends and family at a restaurant or their place I wont restrict myself from indulging a bit. I try to control the amount a eat though but normally its more then I would have since being on my diet.

Its worked out okay. I've found that it actually helps me to lose weight in the long run. My body doesn't think its starving and I return to my diet regime the following day and all is well again.

The thing is that when I finally stop dieting, I need to be able to maintain the weight and so I need a coping strategy. So I am trying to practice for that now. Change the lifestyle and habits so that I can manage my weight. If I don't I'll be back up there again.

I think you have to allow yourself some cheat or naughty days. But indulge only a little. Its hard to maintain life on extremes (dieting is extreme), so let there be some balance.

I'm off to a friends wedding today. I'm just going to have something light before I go and if I feel hungry something light afterwards. But I will allow myself to indulge and get back on the wagon tomorrow :)

Mortalmonkey, you are funny :) Chinese food always leaves me hungry after a couple of hours too. I love it though. I don't feel hungry after a workout either, not straight away anyway. Maybe your body gave up on the food idea and decided to munch on some fat instead! :)