Cheat Days - Are You Faithful?

The weekend is swiftly approaching - with all of its willpower-stretching social gatherings, free time, and the ever-popular institution of the Friday Evening Happy Hour - and I am faced with a choice: to cheat, or not to cheat?

Last year, I was unfaithful. I stuck to the plan 5 or 6 days out of the week, but I let myself slip, often over the weekends. I'd go out to the pub to meet some friends and order the fried fish (Because it's still fish, right? ... right? And beer is like bread... in a glass...), make a choice based on convenience instead of wholesomeness as I rushed out the door to Saturday evening plans, or enjoy a bit of Scotch during a quiet evening at home.

Did I still lose weight? Yup. I'm sure not as quickly as I could have, but I did. I do eat well (most of the time) and between yoga and the WiiFit I've got exercise down pretty well. 

BUT: Did I pig out on Twix miniatures after a particularly bad day and end up with a killer sugar hangover that should have reminded me why I don't stuff my face with that sort of crap anymore? That too. 

I'm having trouble making up my mind as to whether or not I want to keep sneaking around on Sensible Eating in the dead of night and hooking up with Junk Food behind its back. On one hand, I know that "cheating" can be an important part of staying motivated - you eat well all week, and you get a reward in the form of allowing yourself a day or meal free from counting calories or calculating carb/protein/fat ratios. On the other hand, as I'm sure many people already know, the siren song of forbidden food is strong: it may just be easier to "stick to the program" 100% of the time and find healthy alternatives to your vices, rather than potentially lead yourself astray by so much as looking at a cheesecake? "I'll just have one..." so easily becomes "Well, I guess I need to buy more because I ate them all!"

So, how faithful are you? Do you allow yourself some diet leeway in the name of staying sane, or do you stick to the plan, knowing that one bite of brownie will often lead to you devouring the whole pan?