P.S- I forgot to mention that Im speaking from an experience I had. When I was 16 I lost 40 lbs after quitting junkfood and fastfood cold turkey. I hadnt had any for about 3 months when I lost the 40 lbs.

HOWEVER, Christmas and New Years rolled around. I made it through Christmas without junkfood and sticking to my healthy eating, but as soon as New Years Eve hit, I decided that "a few chips and chocolates wont hurt me." I thought it'd be fine since I hadnt had any in three months.. and I didn't even want it that much.. I just ate it cause everyone else was.

And you know what that lead to ?

I broke my New Years Resolution ON January 1st because I fell completely back into my old lifestyle because my body "remembered" the foods I used to eat, and all of a sudden I started to HATE the newer, healthier foods that I learned to really, really love. It's like my body completely rebelled against me and I lost my self-control. I gained most of that weight back in the past couple years. So Im starting over, im doing it the right way.

And Im not making the same mistake again.

Sorry for rambling, good luck to you all,
I hope you all find what works for you and your body.

xo

I'd like to agree, but I'm not getting the logic behind the junkfood day and balance. I'm just wondering if one splurges on pizza once a month, that's still an extra 1000 calories, lots of extra fat and simple carbs. Wouldn't your body be like "whoa, wtf?"? Then what happens when you go to your normal diet the next day? Do those extra calories disappear? Wouldnt you have to work harder or eat less to make up for it?
I'm not dissing anyone but I just want to know the science on how this would work.

Thanks

I like the idea of a cheat day though I had a cheat week on vacation! I now cannot seem to stop the cravings. I am one of those that needs to stay away from carbs because once I have them I want more (like some kind of addiction!).

Id rather not eat the bad stuff than cheat

I don't really think about cheat days. I am truly trying to balance my diet bewteen what I like and what should be eating. For instance, being with friends I completely avoided all kinds of junk food just because in my mind I had the following thinking:

1. What benefit do I have from eating this?
2. How many calroies am I putting in my mouth?
3. How does this fit into my goals?

After that the choices became easy. As I try to maintain my calorie intake I am always keeping a running account of what I approximate in my head. As something tempting comes into my view if the answer to the above doesn't satisfy me I don't eat it.

Like yesterday, I had some pappa johns pizza, but I had about half of what I usually would eat. I didn't go back for seconds and completely avoided that "garlic" sauce. On top of that I controlled other apects of my eating that day and it all worked out fine.

I think each person has their own way of "cheating" just think of it as a lifestyle and choices and what is important to you and you'll know what needs to be done.

Yes! Barilla Plus is my favorite too. I like it better than whole wheat and better than white pasta, and it is very filling. I am totally satisfied by a cup of it.

i have always had a cheat day every once in a while when i was on my diet, and had no problems. in fact it pushed me to work harder after i ate it knowing it wasn't the best for me.

My cheat day is usually Sunday or Football day as I like to call it. That's when we gather around the TV eating Pigs in a blanket and 7 layer bean dip until we want to puke. Oh and beer can't forget the beer. Can't wait for tomorrow lol. Go G Men

Good point! I don't keep treats in my house, I get my special treats when I'm out. That way when I go home, there's not more of the decadent food there tempting me

Right now I'm torn on the idea of a "cheat day." My birthday is coming up and the husband wants to take my to Texas Roadhouse, which is my all-time favorite place to eat, EVER. I haven't been there in SO long, and it sounds SO good. But I know absolutely nothing there will fit into my calorie range.

So if we go, it'll be a MAJOR bad day for my diet. I'm debating on going to somewhere else, like Chili's or Applebee's or Olive Garden...places that either have a "light" menu or that will release their nutrition information to the public...

Its not like one meal -no matter how "bad" you are -is going to make you gain 20lbs back... you shouldn't be considering yourself on a diet but rather a lifestyle change and restaurants, birthdays, etc are part of real life.. as long as you don't take the attitude that some do - well i screwed up this one meal so i might as well go completely nuts for 2 weeks -then go - enjoy and ge back to your "plan" the very next meal.

good reading that is

Thank you so much, hon! I LOVE this post. It really does alleviate my guilt after a nice tasty cheeseburger. You've just granted me self-esteem points. LOL.

So after about a month, you can have a 'cheat' once a week?

Well, I think for the most part, it is personal preference, but I would think you should make sure you are following a healthy diet and lifestyle, knowing you can stick to it. Then it's generally up to you and what you feel comfortable with.

I know I can splurge once in a while now, but when I started, there is no chance I could do that - I would be off the wagon in a heartbeat. Now I am a little more forgiving, but simply because I know what my diet and exercise programs need to be, so even if I eat something I normally wouldn't once in a while, I know the next day, I still have my plan.

As long as you can keep a healthy lifestyle, I think everyone needs to do something crazy once in a while - we can't all be machines