Cheat days?
 

I am attempting 5 days of self control with weekends being less controlled. It is difficult to stick to diet when Hubby wants to go out or we are running errands all day. I allow myself my favorite splurge (Frappacino) and dessert (tho i picked up some nice low cal desserts with alot of flavor :cool: ) on weekends.
I think as long as I am mindful of what I eat this will work out well. I know I cant eat a whole cheesecake :p It gives me small breaks along the way.

Do you have cheat days?

I go at this with the mindset that this is a lifestyle change and not just a diet. I don't have any foods that I can't eat. Because I better understand how some food (like simple carbs) metabolize I avoid or limit them. I concentrate on quality and portion control. I do tend to take in more calories on the weekend. I'll eat pizza, ice cream, a beer and bread on the weekend (not all of them on the same weekend). But because I know the caloric implications it is much easier to limit the amount I eat. So yes, I agree that a cheat meal or day is neccesary for long term success.

Know what's wild? Once you get better at your 5 days of self-control, you'll eventually start making healthier choices even for your cheat. :) Of course, occasionally you'll crave your frappé, but now half the time when I want one (I switched over to a lower-carb lifestyle about 6 months ago, for a time reference) I'll spring for a black coffee with sugar instead.

Good luck to you!

yea as I get more and more focused and my cheats are less and less.
I still think ill drink my Frapachino but limit to once a week ;) I drink 1 coffee a day with low cal whitener and sugar sub mixed into my protien shake. It gives it better taste.

i also like treats once in a while, but i try to make better choices for my treats as well, and make sure it is well within my calorie budget for the day.

I also do cheats, but try to choose lower calorie foods during the day if I plan to have pizza for dinner or ice cream for dessert. I have noticed that I pick healthier cheats and even when I do eat that ice cream, I'm conscious of a serving size and the calories it contains. That being said, I do avoid the cakes and cookies people bring in at work to share (like you, avic, i try to make my weekdays pretty strict since there are less distractions to steer me off track).

I think cheats and treats are vital to making weight loss a lifestyle change, which as we all know is the only way to keep it off.

I give myself one day off a week. I still log everything, but I don't worry about it. As many have said above, the better I am the other days, the less off the rails I go on my "off" day.

I also find ways to have treats all the time. For example, I laid in a supply of high quality chocolate. It's so good, that only 1/4 oz feels like luxury. That's only about 35 cals, and it keeps me from the bag of M&Ms. Know what I mean?

I'm better with black & white parameters, especially around foods that challenge me. I used to allow 6 tortilla chips, but it never worked out- so now I'm off chips entirely.

I understand that 'slips' to my eating plan might happen, but long-term, planning a 'cheat-day' seems like an undermining of your goal from the outset- you're sabotaging your very own success.

I get the whole, nothing off-limits thing, but today I weigh and measure most everything and only occassionally (sp) include sweet items.

Yeah i am with you there too. I started six months ago and i wanted to change my life not just lose weight. Now i have no cravings of junk food or dessert kind of food now. If i have a piece of pie it is carefully allotted for in my daily calories.
As of now i have not had any plateaus and am still losing very strongly week in and week out. My wife is doing the same and she is also losing weight very well too without cheat days.
At this point i don't think i will ever eat pizza again or fast food especially, there are too many good choices out there that are so healthy for us instead.

yesterday was my cheat day, I felt disgusting but I also felt like I needed it. The day was going great until i decided to make it a cheat day and get a Sonic Blast, after that the sh!t hit the fan. Within probably an hour I consumed 1500+ cals. I guess I do everything to the extreme. :D lol

I woke up this morning, hopped on the scale and my weight was actually down to 169.4#


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