I hate cheat days!

Hello all. This is my first post and I hope I get a lot of feedback because I really need the support. Well, my major concern is cheat day. I know they say that it is good to have at the most one cheat day out of the week, but I can't seem to control my day. My cheat day usually turns into a " cheat weekend" and I usually get back on track on Monday morning. I exercise plenty, and I eat healthy on most days, but when I allow myself a cheat day, I lose all control and motivation. Can anyone relate? Does anyone have any advice?

Don't have them?

When I plan it out "Oh I'll cheat that day" without actually planning EXACTLY when and what I'm going to eat said "cheat meal", I end up overeating that day because I figure "eh. I'm off my healthy eating regimine today". Try planning the time and what you will be eating.

If that fails, why not try allowing yourself to have a treat everyday so you don't feel deprived? I prefer this method. I love pop tarts. If I restricted myself to only having pop tarts once a week, I'd probably end up eating the whole box and then some when it finally came around. So instead I either work it into a meal, or a snack, and I don't feel deprived at all. I also don't feel like I'm cheating because I'm not doing anything bad. I'm certainly not going over my count for the day when I plan it ahead of time.

Or only saving "cheat meals" for those spontanious events like going to someone's surprise birthday party or coming home to your spouse/family's homemade meal.

You could do away with the regular, scheduled 'cheat day' and instead, allow yourself more slack when you're out with friends, or it's a holiday..stuff like that?

It's more of a controlled environment because out to dinner..you're eating 1 meal, 1 time, right? But cheat days..you might buy things from the store knowing you get to eat __ or __ today, and well..leftovers, right?

A dinner or trip to a bar with pals lasts only so long, but bringing it all home, it's easier to go overboard for longer.

It's good to allow yourself things sometimes, but maybe a scheduled cheat day isn't the way to do that for you. Everyone is different.

I do sometimes feel 'fat' and bloated on a Monday following a weekend..which is when I let myself have some naughty stuff. It can suck the motivation, but that's when you have to be stronger, and just..put the cheat day, or treat behind you and march onward.

I tend to drink a lot more water following a weekend day like that, and go for a long walk or something. It may not actually burn many calories, but it makes me feel better.

I agree with the other posts saying that you shouldn't focus solely on one "cheat day" and turn that into more leniency with other events/meals during the week.

Maybe try cutting out the word day and making it a "cheat meal" instead - that way you know it ends after something with higher calories, and you get back on track after that. And since you say that you typically start anew on Mondays, maybe make that cheat meal on Sunday evening - if you start at 6 on Sunday night that only leaves you a few hours to eat badly versus starting on Friday night and ending on Sunday.

Good luck - I hope this helps!

Hello,

I too have difficulty with 'cheat days', my weekends are difficult. If I am off work then I do not have to focus on the weight.  

I am thinking not to have it right now (cheat day). Since I am starting over, it is too hard for me to gain the control when I cheat. I am still too weak. I figure after a fe months, maybe three, I will try to have them and see if I can control it ok.

Right now I just got some weight watchers desserts and ice cream and will plan them in when I want that somehting extra. Also, if I am giving ice cream to the kids, I can still have some of the ww desserts. I will not feel left out.

good luck

Deb

I agree with previous posts.  I don't allow myself a cheat day, but I don't deprive myself during the week either.  I usually have 1 healthy snack (usually the laughing cow cheese with wheat crackers) and then one unhealthy snack (ss pudding with ff whipped cream, a miniature reese cup, a chocolate covered cherry) a day.  I just make sure that instead of eat 5 chocolate covered cherries (like I used to), I only eat one.  As long as it fits into my calorie allowance, I won't turn it down.

If I do "cheat", I plan for it in advance.  Like tonight, it's going to be spaghetti night and I love spaghetti.  So I packed a light lunch, I'm going to watch my serving size tonight, and exercise a little more to cover the calories.  It's a nice compromise and I get to eat what I like, any day of the week.

I can't do one day a week cheating either.  Rather then treating myself to a few things I don't normally get to eat, I go on a total binge, eating way more than I normally would, just to get in those extra snacks I wasn't able to have during the week.

Instead, I now treat myself during the week, but with healthier versions or substitutions for foods that I crave.  So instead of eating a double-scoop ice cream cone, I'll have a half cup of sorbet or non-fat frozen yogurt.  Or if I'm really craving something sweet, I eat a fruit or vegetable that's high in sugar content but still low in calories, like watermelon or dragon fruit.

If I'm craving something salty--and I often do...I'm a potato chip addict!--I'll have something like chopped raw veggies with non- or low-fat dip, or steamed veggies with a little salt and margarine.  Another fave of mine in the salty snack area is a grilled cheese sandwich made of weight watchers bread, reduced fat margarine, and a fat free Kraft cheese slice.

Good luck on the treating!  I hope my suggestions help :)

I do believe in cheat days - but I pick days when I am going to be SUPER busy and running around a lot. This way I have a limited amount of time to be focused on food. I find that if I am distracted by something else I eat less of the bad stuff.

From my experience, cheat days/meals are a little dangerous.

when you have a cheat day/meal do you still journal the food?  I used the cheat meal idea when I was doing weight watchers .... turned from a cheat meal to a cheat night to a cheat 3 day weekend to OH MY GOSH WEIGH IN IS ONLY 4 DAYS AWAY!!!!!

PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since my migration to CC and working with a nutritionist, I am finding it easier to give myself a calori range from day to day so that I can have the special things every day if I want - just maybe one special thing in a controlled portion. 

So every day I feel a little pampered and indulgent!  Tonight I am having not only a protein shake with powdered peanut butter thrown in, but also a sugar free pudding cup!   MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

And still I am only 50 calories over my bare minimum for the day, and earned 500 activity calories this morning - a huge burn day for me and still going to bed having some yummy goodness!

some people really thrive with the cheat meal/day idea.

Find what works for you.  Experiment and find what is comfortable to you and still allows you to reach your goals!

Good luck!

usually i make sure i have some kind of small goodie every day,or i feel so deprived. but i also take it easy on saturdays or sundays, depending on my week. here is what i do on my "laid back" day:

• plan what/where i am going to eat
• give myself some loose structure as far as an eating plan for the day
• obey my body's natural hunger signals (no reason to be unhealthy or shovel in as much as will fit, as i can get the food again another day)
• (sort of related) know when to say when - like having a cheeseburger is one thing, but is it really a good choice for me to have a milkshake and a snickers bar also, just because it is my cheat day?)
• always journal everything
• keep exercising and drinking water!

basically, i just act like it is a normal calorie-counting day, but i might eat my maintenance cals and my nutrition grade might, just maybe, be a D (so far i haven't gone below a C-, lol). i also think before i eat - what am i REALLY craving. 

also, it's important for me to make sure i have a plan in place for the very next day so i can get right back into the groove. otherwise... the whole thing falls apart.

every day is a new day! good luck to you.

I am loving this thread. Let me tell you why!  I believe in cheat days. 
When I was losing weight in my 30's I would stick to my diet all week and then pretty much on weekends do what I wanted, and that worked!  I had a good weight loss. 

Now, in my 50's that is NOT working!  We have a Friday night pizza night and I thought I could do it, WRONG!  I cheat all weekend after that.  So, I am in a dilemna too, I think I should do away with pizza night until I reach my goal.  It has set me back too much.  I really need to figure this out.  My weight loss is at 26 Lbs and the calorie restrictions are more now.  I have NO wiggle room, or very little if any.  I'm having a hard time and thinking of doing away with pizza night.  I might find a way to cheat 1 time with one of those low cal (150 calorie)  soft ice cream cones from Mcdonalds once a week.  I have to be strict because the scale is going up now, not down :(  That little graph under weight, well the line runs up not down, oh brother!

I like giving myself some flexibility but hate the concept of a 'cheat day' (or even meal.) Exactly who am I supposed to be cheating on? If I'm truly trying to live a healthy lifestyle, one meal or treat now and then is no big deal. Enjoy it and move on. That also means I don't have to feel guilty (and eat more) or that I"ve gone 'off my diet' (and eat more!).

I don't have cheat days, i won't refer to anything i'm eating as cheating as the term is so negative!  However, I do have days where I don't count what i'm eating but these are special 'treat' occasions such as going to my parents or siblings for dinner, birthday events etc...

I usually find that I eat more at weekends anyway but as i'm aware of this i eat less throughout the week or exercise a bit more so it doesn't matter if i go over my limit by 300 or so cals.

I also try and make low fat desserts for evening snacks such as sugar free jelly with fresh fruit in it...or low fat mousse.  This way I don't feel deprived during the week.  Plus my partner isn't on a diet but this way he gets to eat a good healthy pud too.

The main thing is don't worry about it, and don't suffer on your own.  CC forums are here to help us all

Wow, that is so KEY!  Finding what works for YOU and finding what satisfies YOUR appetite.  It takes some experimenting and some playing with different foods and ideas, but one can get really creative when doing this.  Everyone is so very different in what tastes good to them and what works for them, with weight loss.  What works for one may very well not work for the next.  So, I agree, try not to stress because something WILL work for you, sooner or later.  I love to read all of the creative ideas though because you just might find one that works great for YOU! 

I might move the Friday pizza night to a "going out to dinner night".  I tend to behave better when I go out, because right away when my food comes I ask for a box and put half of the dinner right in there and don't touch that half.  That is a plus because I create 2 meals for the price of one.  Use the other half for next day's lunch or dinner.   But I am not talking about a sloppy cheeseburger with fries either, a sensible dinner!

Original Post by perlyyyy:

I am loving this thread. Let me tell you why!  I believe in cheat days. 
When I was losing weight in my 30's I would stick to my diet all week and then pretty much on weekends do what I wanted, and that worked!  I had a good weight loss. 

Now, in my 50's that is NOT working!  We have a Friday night pizza night and I thought I could do it, WRONG!  I cheat all weekend after that.  So, I am in a dilemna too, I think I should do away with pizza night until I reach my goal.  It has set me back too much.  I really need to figure this out.  My weight loss is at 26 Lbs and the calorie restrictions are more now.  I have NO wiggle room, or very little if any.  I'm having a hard time and thinking of doing away with pizza night.  I might find a way to cheat 1 time with one of those low cal (150 calorie)  soft ice cream cones from Mcdonalds once a week.  I have to be strict because the scale is going up now, not down :(  That little graph under weight, well the line runs up not down, oh brother!

 I know it's not quite as good, but have you ever made english muffin pizza? I like those sometimes. A dab of marinara from a jar, some low fat mozzarella cheese..and any vegetable you might like as an additional topping.

If you're craving the taste, but can't afford the calories, it's a decent fix.

Thank you all for your replies! They're really useful. Because of your tips, I actually went this WHOLE weekend without bingeing...I used to do it almost every weekend. You know how amazing that feels? I can't wait until weigh-in this Friday! Thank you guys. I still need to work on my eating habits a little so keep the replies coming...

I don't agree with allowing a cheat day but I do agree that it should be OK to have a treat every now and then.  Why allow an entire day of unhealthy food? 

It is my belief that a healthy diet allows for a occasional splurge.  Otherwise, it is a temporary diet where you feel restricted and deprived.  And we all know how long those last. 

I wrote a blog post on this topic Permission to indulge because I think it a critical piece of a sustainable healthy eating plan.  You shouldn't feel like there is any food that you cannot eat but you do need to be accountable for your food choices and make sure you are eating for the right reasons.

I don't have cheat days. Not even on Easter Sunday. If I do eat say a small chocolate egg then the calories come off of my allowance which can be depressing but I think cheat days would throw me off track and encourage me to overeat again.

As others have said don't ban your favourite treats from your diet, just have them occasionally as part of your calorie allowance :)

Budget for the additional calories:

Method 1:  Have a cheat treat within your daily caloric intake range. Example:

1500 calories/day...budget for a treat at 130 calories so that 1370 are budgeted for your healthy eating for the day. Also exercise as you normally would.

Method 2: Increase your normal caloric target from 150-500 calories for the cheat day only.  Example:

1500 calories/day...increase calories for that day only to 2000.  Keep to your healthy 1500 calories and 500 for indulgence.  That way you can budget for an increase in calories through planning.

Its a great balance of control and indulgence. 

Make sure you continue to exercise as you normally would.

These are my thoughts and it works for me.

There are days when everyone feels the tension and cheats... if they say they dont, well, are they really honest with themself? I have lost a total of 87 pounds in 7 months. Sure, it is hard, and I have hit a plateu, and yes I get more than frustrated when I do my weekly weighin and dammit, the scale hasnt moved as much as it was in the beginning. I am on a 1200 calorie diabetic diet, my doctor put me on it. However, there are days that I go to 1500 calories, and somedays even more, but most days I am very restrictive on my calories and dont even reach the 1200 mark by still eating healthy foods (oatmeal for breakfast, salad for lunch, and a small dinner and yes that can be done) and not be starving. I have found that if I fluctuate a bit on my calories every so often, it helps MY body distinguish how to use the calorie intake better, but maybe that is just me.

Planned cheat days are not something I do, I overdo it, so I gave up on planned days. If we go out for dinner, then yes, I eat something I know I like, that is my cheat, even if it does for that day put me over my limit. I never feel restricted. I buy things I like, but low fat, or fat free versions now. Ice Cream... omg! That is a downfall for me, but I found that Skinny Cow is very low calorie for ice cream, and I allow myself one of those per week. Keep veggies ready to snack on in the fridge, celery, broccoli, bell peppers, etc. Spend a bit of time on the weekend cutting them up and ready for snacking so you can grab them instead of a bag of chips. You would be surprised if you put the chips on a high cabinet out of sight, you do forget they are there if they are not at eye level when you open that cabinet.

Good luck! I know you can do this. If I can go from 256 pounds (I ALWAYS had something to eat in front of me) to 169 pounds in 7 months, and do it a healthy way, anyone can!