Obesity Discussion Forums

[VegasGirl]

How many of you have the infamous "cheat day?"

I have one. Once a week...usually on a Saturday. I dont go nuts on it but its my day to indulge on items i normally wouldnt eat the rest of the week. I think it keeps me in line the rest of the week. Its like "well i could eat this bowl of ice cream today or i can wait until cheat day"

I was successful with it before and think i might instill that again in my current progress.

Just wondering how many others have it and what they do on that day

[Obesity Discussion]

I don't allow myself to have cheat days so to speak, but cheat meals or snakcs, sure.

My splurge items involved cheese. I am a cheese fanatic. I sometimes have a cheese plate with a variety of nice flavorful cheeses. A few times a year I let myself have a California Pizza Kitchen Pizza, and the same goes for a good chicken enchilada at a Mexican restaurant. All in all I probably have 1-2 cheat meals and 1-2 cheat snacks a week.

[Steve]

I just had a 3 week cheat.

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by Steve

I just had a 3 week cheat.

The great Steve, cheating? I refuse to believe it. Aren't you the same guy who had a wedding rice cake, and instead of alcohol had kegs of protein shakes?


Weren't you supposed to be cutting too?

[MikeB]

I wouldn't advocate a cheat day once a week. Maybe once a month. I end up having 1 meal a week that's not in line with my current requirements (too much simple carbs, fried/battered food etc) just do to having lunch with buddies.
Mike

[VegasGirl]

Originally Posted by MikeB

I wouldn't advocate a cheat day once a week. Maybe once a month. I end up having 1 meal a week that's not in line with my current requirements (too much simple carbs, fried/battered food etc) just do to having lunch with buddies.
Mike

I guess thats probably more of what I meant. I dont go crazy on that day and eat 10 hamburgers or anything. But its easier for me because im always busy on Saturdays and never have a chance to get all the meals in. And most of the time im going to a social outing of some sort.

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by VegasGirl

I guess thats probably more of what I meant. I dont go crazy on that day and eat 10 hamburgers or anything. But its easier for me because im always busy on Saturdays and never have a chance to get all the meals in. And most of the time im going to a social outing of some sort.

It's very tough in social settings, especially with alcohol floating around. Whenever I go out to eat I always end up getting one of the healthier items on the menu, and I take off things that aren't healthy. I've been very persistent with this, and I think it has paid off big time.

Sometimes I even go so far as going online and looking at the menu of the place I'm going, and I look at the nutritional values of all the meals that look interesting so I know exactly what I'm getting.

[PassTheBypass]

I have a cheat as a reward for getting down ten pounds. So, when I got to 280, 270, and 260 I had a cheat for one meal. Then, right back to losing my next ten. That way, the weight loss is the motivation to the cheat day, rather than just the number of days. But, the cheat sometimes restarts your metabolism when the body starts to go into storage mode. I have lost 6 pounds in just over a week since getting to 260, hitting a chinese buffet (every craving all in one place), and then going back on my slow eating not-a-diet. Give it a try.

[Irving]

Originally Posted by PassTheBypass

I have a cheat as a reward for getting down ten pounds. So, when I got to 280, 270, and 260 I had a cheat for one meal. Then, right back to losing my next ten. That way, the weight loss is the motivation to the cheat day, rather than just the number of days. But, the cheat sometimes restarts your metabolism when the body starts to go into storage mode. I have lost 6 pounds in just over a week since getting to 260, hitting a chinese buffet (every craving all in one place), and then going back on my slow eating not-a-diet. Give it a try.

i do not cheat more than one meal. i would not allow myself a full cheat day so to speak.

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by PassTheBypass

I have a cheat as a reward for getting down ten pounds. So, when I got to 280, 270, and 260 I had a cheat for one meal. Then, right back to losing my next ten. That way, the weight loss is the motivation to the cheat day, rather than just the number of days. But, the cheat sometimes restarts your metabolism when the body starts to go into storage mode. I have lost 6 pounds in just over a week since getting to 260, hitting a chinese buffet (every craving all in one place), and then going back on my slow eating not-a-diet. Give it a try.

That's a wonderful reward policy you set up for yourself.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Obesity Discussion

The great Steve, cheating? I refuse to believe it. Aren't you the same guy who had a wedding rice cake, and instead of alcohol had kegs of protein shakes?


Weren't you supposed to be cutting too?

Blah blah blah.

I cheat more than more realize. The difference is, I account for it in my caloric and macro totals.

[Steve]

I'll add, I've never been a fan of the clean vs. unclean food crowd.

After the baseline macronutrients are accounted for, I don't see much sense in eating only "clean" foods. Certainly there are health benefits.... but life is too short to live on chicken, brocolli, fish, and brown rice.

And the standard "unclean" foods aren't going to make a difference in your weight loss/body recomposition journies.

For instance, I've gotten my leanest ever by doing this:

I first figured out my caloric intake required to initiate fat loss.

I then made sure I was taking in adequate protein, which was 1.25 grams per pound at the time.

I then made sure I was getting adequate essential fats in. This was comprised of 6 grams of fishoil pills per day as well as a lot of good fats from food such as nuts, PB, fish, Udo's Oil, etc.

I ate a boat load of veggies with each meal, even breakfast.

And after that, pretty much everything was fair game.

Limiting yourself to "clean" foods only makes the process very UN-fun. No, thanks.... that's not for me.

[Lyman]

Originally Posted by Obesity Discussion

My splurge items involved cheese. I am a cheese fanatic. I sometimes have a cheese plate with a variety of nice flavorful cheeses.

Amen, brother.
Cheese is without a doubt the most painful sacrifice, way more than anything sweet. I recently had myself a cheat afternoon when visiting my old man who lives dangerously close to a dreamy store called Cheesworks. I couldn't resist and splurged the better part of a tenner on garlic crackers, chorizo saucisse and a big slice of a magical melty wonder called Waterloo. They also make this amazing jam made from chilis, and I combined the whole order into a giant platter, an orgy of gluttonous naughtiness. Fortunately the chili jam wreaked enough havoc with my (these days far more) delicate digestive system to put me off doing something so indulgent for a long time to come. But my word it was delightful.
The best thing about taking a day out of the month, at most two, is that you appreciate it as an indulgence. Back in the day when I wasn't taking care of myself that kind of 'meal' wouldn't be thought of as anything special. I would also imagine that my throwing in some days where you don't regulate yourself too much can help keep the body going into that starvation mode that can ultimately be detrimental to long-term weight maintenance.

[Merle]

Originally Posted by Steve

Blah blah blah.

I cheat more than more realize. The difference is, I account for it in my caloric and macro totals.

I knew that was coming.

Originally Posted by Steve

I'll add, I've never been a fan of the clean vs. unclean food crowd.

After the baseline macronutrients are accounted for, I don't see much sense in eating only "clean" foods. Certainly there are health benefits.... but life is too short to live on chicken, brocolli, fish, and brown rice.

And the standard "unclean" foods aren't going to make a difference in your weight loss/body recomposition journies.

For instance, I've gotten my leanest ever by doing this:

I first figured out my caloric intake required to initiate fat loss.

I then made sure I was taking in adequate protein, which was 1.25 grams per pound at the time.

I then made sure I was getting adequate essential fats in. This was comprised of 6 grams of fishoil pills per day as well as a lot of good fats from food such as nuts, PB, fish, Udo's Oil, etc.

I ate a boat load of veggies with each meal, even breakfast.

And after that, pretty much everything was fair game.

Limiting yourself to "clean" foods only makes the process very UN-fun. No, thanks.... that's not for me.

I could not imagine eating perfect 24/7.

[VegasGirl]

Just kidding!!!

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by Steve

Blah blah blah.

I cheat more than more realize. The difference is, I account for it in my caloric and macro totals.

Sorry, too tempting!

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by VegasGirl

Just kidding!!!

Sorry about that, I split it into a new thread:

EPA DHA Ratio Fish Oil Conversation

[sass63]

The way I have had to do it and it has worked well for me is I dont cheat because I really dont "diet" anymore. I changed the way I eat but because I still need to lose and your body does adjust to the way you eat when I hit a spot where I dont lose for a little while I will rearrange the way I eat for about a week. Then go right back to what works well, It has allowed me to drop over 100lbs in about 14 months so for me at least its working.

I believe when you tell your self your on a "diet" you crave more of the so called forbidden foods.

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by sass63

The way I have had to do it and it has worked well for me is I dont cheat because I really dont "diet" anymore. I changed the way I eat but because I still need to lose and your body does adjust to the way you eat when I hit a spot where I dont lose for a little while I will rearrange the way I eat for about a week. Then go right back to what works well, It has allowed me to drop over 100lbs in about 14 months so for me at least its working.

I believe when you tell your self your on a "diet" you crave more of the so called forbidden foods.

Lifestyle change is how to do it! Regarding the cheating, I think the impact would be a lot less if you're still keeping the calories low, but just eating not as healthy food. If a cheating day = pigging out all day, then you're really hampering your weight loss efforts.

[sass63]

Originally Posted by Obesity Discussion

Lifestyle change is how to do it! Regarding the cheating, I think the impact would be a lot less if you're still keeping the calories low, but just eating not as healthy food. If a cheating day = pigging out all day, then you're really hampering your weight loss efforts.

Thats what I do I will just eat for example maybe a couple of peices of bacon and an egg instead of my one peice of toast with peanut butter.

And instead of my regular lunch I will just have maybe a peice of broasted chicken

that kind of thing my calories are still low but the fat content is different.
For me if I had cheat meals or days then tend to expand a lot further then I want them to.

Also this way I am able to mantain control even in very emotional times.