For Those Of You On Strict Diets... How Often Do You Guys Have Cheat Days?



letoucan

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May 24, 2015
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Do you guys ever falter? Do you always follow up with your meal plan 100% of the time? I'm beginning to diet and I'm wondering how hard it is to follow through completely.
 
When I was following a strict diet in my early 20's I would have a cheat day weekly. Normally a weekend day with a few beers and pizza, hamburg ect. I really tried to keep up and did it for a few years and got to the best shape I was in. Now that I don't have a exact diet I do find those years helped me immensely, I generally eat less and more healthy options so I'm in good shape for my age.
100% is a hard thing to reach in any discipline. But if you need darn near close to that threshold then you should get whatever it is you are going for.
 
It's going to be difficult, but if you only eat at home and only buy foods that you are suppose to eat, it get easier. Once you start eating out or hanging out with friends for prolong amounts of time, that's when you will have cheat days.

Not to mention, special diets are costly. If it gets tight suddenly, you are going to have to break down and buy cheap comfort foods just to get by. That's the reality of it all. Economic dictate everything.
 
I've a cheat day roughly every 10 days. I'm pretty strict on my diet as there are Diabetes type-2 and atherosclerosis in my family. Even on a cheat day, I eat what I like mostly and don't overindulge. So far, I did some cross-training with walking and static cycling. I now want to go outdoor biking and planning to buy some mid-sized bike.
 
One cheat day a week for beginners. I use to do that it works fine. It is way better to work towards keeping your diet pristine. Keep a food journal and write down what you eat. Sounds mundane and obsessive but it works. You can write down what happens when you slip up this will motivate you to stay on track. Plus it makes it have more validity that it is better to stay away from certain things when it is on paper. You also won't even want that cheat day.
 
No matter how strict you are in following your diet there will always be some lapses as you go along. There are influences and or temptations all around like your friends and family who eat whatever they desire. In my case I do not mind if I cheat once or twice a week. I know myself I tend to overdo things and I know what will be the repercussions and I know when enough is really enough
 
I have been on a calorie restriction plan for almost a year and lost over 30 pounds -- but I have days and even sometimes weeks where I go a bit over. I think sticking to something's going term is about not being a stickler all the time. It is about being on these enough for it to work, and when you go off only going over a little except on special occasions or those really crappy days when you really do need a tall stack of Boston cream pancakes and a chocolate martini chaser.
 
I have been on a calorie restriction plan for almost a year and lost over 30 pounds -- but I have days and even sometimes weeks where I go a bit over. I think sticking to something's going term is about not being a stickler all the time. It is about being on these enough for it to work, and when you go off only going over a little except on special occasions or those really crappy days when you really do need a tall stack of Boston cream pancakes and a chocolate martini chaser.
 
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I've done strict diets before, but I'm one of those individuals that cheats regularly on exercise diets. When I'm not on one of those types of diets, then you'd think every day is a cheat day for me. I have a problem, I guess, or I'm not that into sticking to a strict diet or meal plan for cycling. I know people that have an iron will and won't take a single cheat day for months, though. Those kinds of people are scary. ;)