Comments on: Cheaters

By: kristin point

kristin point — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:52:40 +0000

My splurge: when I’m hungover (and home on long island) I get a completely guilt free ny bagel: everything bagel with low fat vegetable cream cheese… Its the BEST but it had no nutritional value haha

By: rebecca

rebecca — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:08:27 +0000

I used to be really big on the concept of “off” days (as in, had them, not advocated them) but have really tried to stop that approach because a) it made me feel WAY too restricted during the week if my friends went to happy hour or something and b) I was eating things because I “could” and not because I wanted them. Like, I’d grab a muffin for breakfast on Friday becuase it was Friday and would go out for dinner and drinks that night anyway. But did I really want the muffin? Well, I always want muffins, but probably not especially that day.

So I’ve tried to even out. For all the reasons you said (regular schedule, lunch packing, etc.) my weekdays tend to be more regular and healthier, while my weekends incorporate more drinking and eating out. But I’ve toned down the mentality of “now or never” to the weekends which makes me feel a lot freer during the week for the one-off baseball game or happy hour. It’s all a process, right?

The one thing though – I do tend to get a lot more analytical and critical of my intake on the weekend, to my own mental detriment sometimes. I haven’t had a muffin in a long time, and I’ve wanted one but been worried I was going back to that “all or nothing” approach. And that’s no fun. So I guess “all or nothing” swings both ways, right?

Oh – I almost replaced the word “muffin” with “candy” because for some reason muffin sounds dirty. But I didn’t because I just really really like muffins for some reason.

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:56:37 +0000

I’d have to say that “cheat” days tend happen for me once a week, whether I schedule them or not. I’m not against, say, a Thursday cheat day, but the opportunity for cheat days that are worth it (i.e. birthday parties, family parties, a night out with the girls) just tend to happen more on the weekends, so I usually plan to go off my normal eating routine for a weekend event, not an entire day. I think it helps me to see it as a “cheat meal” or “cheat night” rather than an entire day. I look forward to the event more but don’t see the entire day as a reason to eat differently. It helps me lessen any guilt I may feel after eating more or differently than I would on a non-cheat day. Hope this made at least some sense!

By: sirenjess

sirenjess — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:55:10 +0000

I have to admit that I do have a “cheat meal”. But after reading all these comments I’m starting to think I should stop viewing food as good or bad. I’m aware of my eating and what I do. I know that I have a problem with wanting to control all that I eat so during the week I eat very healthy and I know (each day) what I am going to be eating. But that’s the sad part of OCD. I’m trying to stop counting calories but that is a slow process. This past weekend I did take my “flaw” out for a margarita, okay four and a quarter!!! They were damn good and for the first time in a long time I didn’t wake up the next morning angry with myself. Just with a horrible headache.

By: keyalus

keyalus — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:18:46 +0000

This post is really timely for me as I am currently struggling with the whole concept of a “cheat” meal. I don’t always plan the day unless I have a social activity but I will usually allow myself to “cheat” on my weekend date night or something. I am trying to move more towards your 90/10 approach because I am given to extremes. I’m either on or off and I don’t think that is a healthy approach. So a cheat meal for me will have an (unhealthy) appetizer, meal *and* dessert because I gotta get it all in while I can right? I do tend towards more disorganized eating on the weekends because my schedule is not set. I try to hit up bootcamp on Saturday and I always do a long run on Sunday. Hopefully, the exercise counteracts my tendency to crave carbs and carbs only during the weekend.