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Mon. Jan 1, 12:00am

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I eat what I want when I want. the key is to do it in moderation. I can have a sliver of cake or a few cookies instead of eating the whole cake or the whole pack of cookies. I dont deny Myself anything on any given day, but I do watch how much I consume.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 1:18 AM

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I just read in People magazine that one of the "trainers to the stars" allows one cheat day a week, and I've heard that before. I think it's fine as long as you can stick to that one day and not let it spiral you back into bad habits, and as long as you don't go totally nuts and eat 10,000 calories.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 2:01 AM

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Yeah, I think everyone should. If not, you'd go crazy. Personally, I allow myself a small desert every night. For example, half bar of dark chocolate (120 calories) or something like that.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 2:10 AM

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cheat days

I lost 85lbs and had Sunday as my cheat day every week

Monday, June 04, 2007, 2:19 AM

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I am working on not having cheat days because unlike some I do eat 10,000 calories on that day and then it is hard for me to jump back into things

Monday, June 04, 2007, 3:53 AM

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Saturday and Sunday

Monday, June 04, 2007, 8:12 AM

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I haven't tried them up to this point but I think I may try to incorporate one on the weekend because both saturday and sunday usually fall apart for me diet wise. Maybe if I know that one of these days is set aside for it I can keep it together on the other day.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 8:19 AM

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To me the whole "cheating" phenomenon is about "diet head"..... I think about diet head as unsustainable eating practices. The idea here is to build heathy living practices that you can maintain for the rest of your life. Given that way of thinking, cheating doesn't enter into the picture.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 10:58 AM

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PS...Continuation of the last post.....
Does this mean I don't ever eat dessert? I have dessert every once in a while. Something I really want...usually chocolate. Usually really special, beautifully prepared, and SHARED with someone I love. This is good living to me. It's about celebrating life and love. It's about full enjoyment. Has nothing to do with cheating.

On an everyday basis I work to enjoy meals the same way. I cut up apples so they are pretty on a plate and I sprinkle on a little cinnamon. I eat pretty salads too. It's about LIVING not regimented rules which make you want to break out of jail. It's about tuning in and enjoying life. It's about awareness.

I've lost about 75 pounds living this way.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 11:08 AM

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I have one right now and it's usually on Sunday and it usually involves a huge piece of chocolate cake and large glass of skim milk. I can honestly say that I NEVER feel guilty about eating it and I look forward to it. It helps me to say NO to the temptations that pop-up during the week.

I can easily picture myself eating the way I am now for the rest of my life.



Monday, June 04, 2007, 11:10 AM

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once in awhile i have a cheat meal instead of a cheat day, and i've found that the unhealthy stuff that i think i miss, really doesn't taste that good anymore.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 11:46 AM

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i made a commitment to myself and my health, so i don't "cheat" at all. instead, i am wise about portions and calories and exercise and balanced meals. cheating implies that i'm doing something that's generally not acceptable so i can have my way, but ultimately having my way means i am healthier and smart about what i eat, every day in every way. there's no need to cheat if you know the answers!!

Monday, June 04, 2007, 12:05 PM

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Figure since they don't give alchoholics or junkies "cheat days", I should probably avoid them. My goal is to change the lifestyle I developed around food, and saying "you can go back to that lifestyle" once a week or whenever I have a bad day or whenever my boss yells at me can easily become whenever I want- and then my diet fails.

Rather than give myself cheat days, I'm trying to build a healthy attitude towards food, so I don't want or need to cheat.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 12:05 PM

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I give myself "cheat occasions" if I'm doing something special. Like, last week, we went out to the Melting Pot with some friends. It's an expensive dinner, and it's not overly healthy. And you can't really pick-and-choose very well. So I just told myself that that'd be a free meal, that I wouldn't worry about calories. But, actually, I did quite well, all things considered! I stuck mostly to veggies with the cheese dish, the meat dish was all lean and cooked in broth, and I stuck to mostly fruit in the chocolate dish. And I left way less stuffed than everyone I was with!

That being said, I have to make sure that not everything is an excuse to cheat. I try to pick places to go out where there are healthier options, or at least make the best of a menu if I don't get to choose the locations. It's very rare that I choose to ignore what would be healthiest.

As for treats, I make sure I have very low cal versions at home, or that I choose very small portion sizes.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 12:17 PM

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I have a cheat meal and it is friday night which is date night. When I started all this my husband agreed happily to give me his unconditional and complete support. He cheerfully eats all my healthy cooking, doesn't eat junk in front of me or even keep it in the house, never blinks at the cost of my gym membership or workout clothes, and happily allows me to drag him all over the backcountry in pursuit of my new hiking obsession. I know there are days he'd rather just veg in front of the computer, but he knows how much I love being healthy and active and also knows how much I appreciate his company.

In return for all this, his request was that I relax and take 'off' date night. That is the one night I do not count calories, order dessert if I want it (we usually split one), have a glass of wine and meander along the lake hand-in-hand rather than power walk. I relax, slow down on that night and savor the pleasures of life. It has been wonderful. And not just for my diet (it has not hampered my weight loss at all) - it's the most wonderful thing to be able to look forward to a lovely dinner with the man I love. it's a de-stresser at the end of the week, a romantic time for 'us' and since we don't eat out the rest of the week we can generally afford something on the nicer end of the dining scale if we'd like so it's also a nice treat. I can say 'no' to most things the rest of the week without a bit of hesitation because I have something wonderful to look forward to that is truly 'worth it'.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 5:56 PM

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i would not call those cheating occasions...

instead, I just allow myself to have some treats once in a while, definitely enjoying it, yet being conscious about what I'm doing, and reminding myself it's a treat, not a cheat, or not something that would otherwise ruin my heatlhy eating habits. No, I do love myself, and I try to be honest with myself.

Also, I do believe in shaking up your metabolism: if it's steady and slow, there is no weight loss (or good maintenance) either. Therefore I eat well, what I could call it, all the time, but I definitely give it a shake once in a while. At the same time I do not count my evening square of dark chocolate or a glass of good red wine 'a treat', it's just a healhty necessity... :) A treat is a slice of pizza (once in 3-4 months, honestly!), or occasional ice-cream on a hot day, or something of this sort. Same, I do not call it 'a day'. It's enough if you have that nice cheesy pizza slice once, you don't have to wreck the rest of the day by having more and more stuff just because it's your 'cheat day' or whatever you put it to be. For the same reason, I don't believe in making every Saturday or Sunday that day. What if on Sunday you don't want any ice-cream, but then the next Tuesday you crave it like crazy?... Respect your body-calls, and listen to yourself.
Cheers, guys

Monday, June 04, 2007, 6:33 PM

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Are there any groups that allow cheat days .If so what do you eat all week

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 10:39 PM

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i try to eat well during the week and enjoy myself on weekends. this means i very rarely eat except on weekends.... and i love getting indian food on sunday nights!

Wednesday, June 06, 2007, 6:08 AM

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that was my last post at 6:08.... i meant i very rarely eat OUT during the week! i eat lots otherwise :)

Wednesday, June 06, 2007, 6:10 AM

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When I started this diet I decided that I could have one cheat day a month. So far I have only had one and this month I will get two because it is my birthday. But it helps me to know that if I have a day when I am really want to have something I can but then for the rest of the month I have to be careful. I also figure into my calories for the day a 200 calorie snack that way I will stick with it and I am 6 weeks into it today.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007, 4:05 PM

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i think the whole idea of rewarding ourselves with food or "allowing" ourselves a "cheat" meal just reinforces for many of us the way we seek comfort from food, the "emotional eating syndrome" that started our poor eating habits. how about "cheating" by going to the park for an extra hour? or taking the whole family on a hike? or get your portrait done? or learn a new exercise routine or look at old photo albums with friends and family...so many ways to reward ourselves that do not revolve around food. i think that once we stop associating eating whatever we want with having control, we can embrace new ways of taking care of ourselves.

Thursday, June 07, 2007, 8:59 AM

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Occasionally, if I'm out on the town with my Lady, and we go to a restaurant, I'll not worry about the calories I'm eating (while still trying to make a healthy choice) Not a very frequent occurance, and I think it's okay to NOT be on a diet all the time. It's nice to have a vacation from worrying about what you're eating. I've worked hard at eating healthy for so long now (I'm down 72 pounds - 20 to go) so having a break from that every once in a while really isn't bad.

It's not "rewarding" myself, or part of some emotional attachment to food. I think being able to enjoy a restaurant meal every once in a while, and then go back to a strict diet for a couple more weeks is a good ability. This weekend my fiancee and I are going out for dinner (we've already picked the restaurant) and I'm having a steak. I probably won't eat all of my baked potato, and I'll probably have a smaller lunch that day.

8:59: You have some great ideas, and seem to have a healthy positive outlook on things, and I'm just bringing my point of view to the "table". I don't think it's healthy to associate eating bad food and bingeing with reward either. People shouldn't be pigging out once a week, but some flexibility isn't bad either. Just as long as you're not ruining your hard work with gaining bad habits.

Thursday, June 07, 2007, 9:58 AM

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