The popular notion of sticking to your diet all week and then allowing yourself a “cheat day” or “cheat week-end” is under scrutiny. Health.com recently reported that people who have lost weight have a tendency to gain it back if they allow themselves to seriously over- indulge on week-ends or special occasions. While the problem certainly involves  actual calories consumed during cheat days, it also has a lot to do with the psychology of eating. Seems when we purposely “let loose,” we REALLY go for it..most likely far surpassing what would be considered an minor splurge.  In addition, the subsequent feelings of guilt, and the corresponding bad news on the scale the following morning, lead people into additional days of poor eating because (as Hillary so famously once said) “at this point, what difference does it make?” The suggestion from experts is to allow yourself smaller, strictly limited indulgences on a more frequent basis if needed. This way you are less likely to develop a sense of deprivation.