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That is a HORRIBLE idea. Why would a person ruin all the hard work he/she has done for the week by eating a "cheat" meal? Terrible terrible terrible idea, especially for a person who is just getting started and/or in pretty bad shape to begin with.
What needs to be done is a complete overhaul of the mindset of thinking of food as a reward for something. I think once you get to the point physically of where you want to be, AND you are at a point where you workout daily, then it may be okay but only to a point.
I'm addicted to those frozen caramel coffee drinks at Panera. They have 600 calories in the 16-oz size. (14 points, if you do the WW thing.) But even though I know this, I still get one almost every morning on my way to work, and I do it on purpose. I just don't drink it all. I drink about half of it, maybe only a third, then throw the rest away. (Yes, the money waste galls me, but that's a post for a different thread.) I know it seems appalling and counterproductive. But for whatever reason, it works for me. I indulge myself with my tasty frozen drink, and then for some reason it's really easy for me to eat well the rest of the day and not feel like I'm deprived. And I'm steadily losing at a rate of about 2 pounds per week, sometimes more if I've been running a lot, so the drink is not sabotaging my efforts.
Everyone is different, but for me, what I've come to realize is that food can't be my enemy. This can't be about deprivation. It has to be about moderation and edification and a lifelong adjustment: better choices for the most part, smaller portions, knowing when to say when, watching the extra calories that pile on with grazing and snacking or sneak in with food preparation, being aware of the nutritional content of the food I'm eating and how it benefits my body. I can't "diet" any more like I've done in the past. I can't cut out starchy carbs and eat only protein and green veggies. I can't completely cut out wine. I can't tell myself that french fries are ALWAYS evil and NEVER to be consumed, upon pain of death. I can't put foods into categories of strictly "good" or "bad." I COULD, but then I know what would happen: I'd lose X amount of weight and feel successful and proud of myself and feel like I'd crossed the finish line and I was DONE, and then I'd revert to my old habits and gain it all back. I can't do that to myself again.
Instead, I've tried to become friendly with food...all food. I put foods in categories like "consume all the time" and "eat mindfully" and "once in a while won't hurt you" and "break glass only in case of emergencies or really special events" and "you can eat this if you promise to do 4 miles on the treadmill tomorrow morning". And it's been great, because I've been at this for 15 weeks now, and I don't feel guilty about my food, or feel like I'm cheating if I eat a hamburger. (Which would fall either into "eat mindfully" or "once in a while won't hurt you" depending on the origin of the burger and the timing of its consumption.) I don't feel deprived or punished, and I certainly don't feel like I'm on a diet. (Because I'm not!)
I have a cheat day. I don't go nuts and stuff my face, but I do indulge. On Saturday, I had 3 pieces of bacon and 2 eggs over medium for breakfast; a hamburger off the grill, some potato salad and a piece of cake for lunch. Some wine at dinner.
I've always cheated on Saturday, it's my tradition. If a special occasion comes up, I'll sometimes switch my cheat day to another day.
I think people with "cheat days" should take a hard look at recalibrating their taste buds... for me a cheat day would just be me eating normally but just more if it. There is what I like and eat, and what I don't. I never feel deprived because I simply don't crave cheat-worthy foods. Or am I unusual in this?
I think I'll hold off altogether until I reach my target weight.
That is definitely what you should do. After all, it was only about 2 weeks ago you made your first post saying that you want to lose weight. You'll probably not even have a craving for "cheat food" when you reach your target weight. Like me, I have zero taste for any soda or carbonated drink. Had a sip of one over the weekend and it just didnt taste right to me so I tossed it out.
I still think, and will always think that having a planned "cheat day" is a horrible and terrible idea, especially for women who have great difficulty in working out hard and losing weight because they moreso than most, have the greatest problem with sticking to a diet from both a physical standpoint and a mental standpoint. Anyone who feels like they are "DEPRIVING" themselves have a long long long way to go on the mental aspect of getting and being healthy.
Its this "cheat day" that I believe will prohibit (and hinder) progress unless its like a special occasion only thing or a once a month, one meal kind of thing. But again, when you get to a point where you ARE at your desired weight, and you DO workout often, you can definitely get away with eating a wider variety of foods.
So I say to the average person here who feels like they need to lose weight and get healthy - DO NOT GIVE YOURSELF A CHEAT DAY AT ALL.
I can undo an entire week in one bad day and that is NOT gorging and eating thousands of calories - just maybe going 500 over.
Actually because I am eating so much better, no food is "off the list" and I am finding that the stuff I used to like really is NOT that good at all if you eat it slow and savor it. French Fries, which used to be tempations for me are really nasty if you get right down to it and then I look at the calories vs the enjoyment and the food was not "worth it". Some food is......like really good dark chocolate
To me a "cheat day" implies that there is not enjoyment in eating the "new way" which there is.
I don't make it a regular habit -- nor do I consider it "cheating" -- but there are occasions when I know I'll be eating (or drinking) more than usual, or eating something not on my regular meal plan. I just plan ahead so the food (or drink) doesn't throw me off too much for the day, and then get right back on the horse not the next day, but the next meal.
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