A cheat day or one cheat meal?

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  • letthelittlegirldance
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    I have a problem with the phrase cheat day... We make choices in what we eat labeling food good or bad has not for me been helpful.. Just a thought ...
  • paradi3s
    paradi3s Posts: 343 Member
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    Never really had a cheat day. Like what others say, a cheat day might be going over calories on that certain day, which I never did. I don't like seeing red in my diary hahaha. I eat what I want so long as it doesn't go over my calorie intake. :-)
  • wowwowbrin
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    If you don't treat yourself then you cheat yourself
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    eh - the whole "cheat Meal" concept stems from labeling foods good/bad/clean etc…and also stems from the whole "this food is bad,but I can cheat with it once a week" which is just a way to say that it is OK to occasionally give in to cravings.

    as long as you hit your calorie/micro/macro targets for the day, then fill in with what you want. I find this to be a simpler choice because you can have foods that you enjoy every day and not have to feel like you are "cheating"...

    and if you do have a day here and there where you go over by a couple hundred calories it is really no big deal in the grand scheme of things. Assuming, that you are in a deficit/maintenance etc, 90% of the remainder of the time...
  • jnv7594
    jnv7594 Posts: 983 Member
    edited March 2015
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    4theking wrote: »
    If you are in it to win it, you don't ever cheat. If you want to eat something and it is within your allotted calories, eat it. I am not a cheater. I am a winner.

    ^^^This. I just fit what I want into my calories. Sorry but the words "cheat day" or "cheat meal" are one of my biggest pet peeves. And OP, if you are fitting these meals into your calories, then it's not really a cheat anyway.
  • Taniab43
    Taniab43 Posts: 42 Member
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    wowwowbrin wrote: »
    If you don't treat yourself then you cheat yourself
    Well said!

  • Taniab43
    Taniab43 Posts: 42 Member
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    I have a problem with the phrase cheat day... We make choices in what we eat labeling food good or bad has not for me been helpful.. Just a thought ...

    The word cheat day is pretty well know to most people and it's 2 words that I and many other people use to describe an action in a quick way.



  • Taniab43
    Taniab43 Posts: 42 Member
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    jnv7594 wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    If you are in it to win it, you don't ever cheat. If you want to eat something and it is within your allotted calories, eat it. I am not a cheater. I am a winner.

    ^^^This. I just fit what I want into my calories. Sorry but the words "cheat day" or "cheat meal" are one of my biggest pet peeves. And OP, if you are fitting these meals into your calories, then it's not really a cheat anyway.

    I say cheat day because everyone knows what it is.

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Taniab43 wrote: »
    jnv7594 wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    If you are in it to win it, you don't ever cheat. If you want to eat something and it is within your allotted calories, eat it. I am not a cheater. I am a winner.

    ^^^This. I just fit what I want into my calories. Sorry but the words "cheat day" or "cheat meal" are one of my biggest pet peeves. And OP, if you are fitting these meals into your calories, then it's not really a cheat anyway.

    I say cheat day because everyone knows what it is.

    No they don't. I certainly don't.
    You have also had loads of people questioning how is it cheating if you haven't gone over your calories.
    You have also had lots of people who disagree with the idea that eating is cheating.

    When I chose to go over my calories I still don't consider it cheating. When I eat a meal purely for enjoyment I still don't consider it cheating.

    To me it sounds very much like an unhealthy attitude to food and weight maintenance. It doesn't seem to be making you happy either..

    Your words - "I always feel bad too, and do some extra cardio!"

  • Taniab43
    Taniab43 Posts: 42 Member
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    Alrighty then..lol
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Taniab43 wrote: »
    jnv7594 wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    If you are in it to win it, you don't ever cheat. If you want to eat something and it is within your allotted calories, eat it. I am not a cheater. I am a winner.

    ^^^This. I just fit what I want into my calories. Sorry but the words "cheat day" or "cheat meal" are one of my biggest pet peeves. And OP, if you are fitting these meals into your calories, then it's not really a cheat anyway.

    I say cheat day because everyone knows what it is.

    No they don't. I certainly don't.
    You have also had loads of people questioning how is it cheating if you haven't gone over your calories.
    You have also had lots of people who disagree with the idea that eating is cheating.

    When I chose to go over my calories I still don't consider it cheating. When I eat a meal purely for enjoyment I still don't consider it cheating.

    To me it sounds very much like an unhealthy attitude to food and weight maintenance. It doesn't seem to be making you happy either..

    Your words - "I always feel bad too, and do some extra cardio!"

    I still fail to see how it's unhealthy to feel guilty if you eat over your calories. Heck I'd be worried if I stopped feeling bad about it... it would be the first sign of getting back to fat Fran.

    It doesn't mean I don't enjoy a 1500 calorie meal from time to time, or that I punish myself if I go a bit over my calories, but I do have to realize that it can't be a regular occurrence or I will gain weight. So yes... if I go too much over, I consider it cheating, because I will have to make up for it at some point if I don't want to gain weight. I'm not one of those people who can eat 1500 calories over my weekly maintenance and not gain weight. I stretch my calories as much as possible in order to maintain with how many calories as possible, but it means that if I go over, it's going to show up on my hips, lol.
  • jigglyjessica
    jigglyjessica Posts: 58 Member
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    For now I consider a cheat, something I really want that can fit within my calories but might go over macros
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Taniab43 wrote: »
    jnv7594 wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    If you are in it to win it, you don't ever cheat. If you want to eat something and it is within your allotted calories, eat it. I am not a cheater. I am a winner.

    ^^^This. I just fit what I want into my calories. Sorry but the words "cheat day" or "cheat meal" are one of my biggest pet peeves. And OP, if you are fitting these meals into your calories, then it's not really a cheat anyway.

    I say cheat day because everyone knows what it is.

    No they don't. I certainly don't.
    You have also had loads of people questioning how is it cheating if you haven't gone over your calories.
    You have also had lots of people who disagree with the idea that eating is cheating.

    When I chose to go over my calories I still don't consider it cheating. When I eat a meal purely for enjoyment I still don't consider it cheating.

    To me it sounds very much like an unhealthy attitude to food and weight maintenance. It doesn't seem to be making you happy either..

    Your words - "I always feel bad too, and do some extra cardio!"

    Well said!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Taniab43 wrote: »
    jnv7594 wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    If you are in it to win it, you don't ever cheat. If you want to eat something and it is within your allotted calories, eat it. I am not a cheater. I am a winner.

    ^^^This. I just fit what I want into my calories. Sorry but the words "cheat day" or "cheat meal" are one of my biggest pet peeves. And OP, if you are fitting these meals into your calories, then it's not really a cheat anyway.

    I say cheat day because everyone knows what it is.

    no, we don't.

    why is eating certain foods and stating in your calorie goal "cheating?"
    why is eating over your calorie limit "cheating"??
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    Taniab43 wrote: »
    jnv7594 wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    If you are in it to win it, you don't ever cheat. If you want to eat something and it is within your allotted calories, eat it. I am not a cheater. I am a winner.

    ^^^This. I just fit what I want into my calories. Sorry but the words "cheat day" or "cheat meal" are one of my biggest pet peeves. And OP, if you are fitting these meals into your calories, then it's not really a cheat anyway.

    I say cheat day because everyone knows what it is.

    That only works in the real world. Here cheat meal, cheat day, cutting out, good food, bad food, junk food, toning, eating healthy and clean eating are all concepts that a good portion of MFP forum regulars claim to not know what you're talking about. They can't figure it out (even in the context of your posts) and if you explain what you mean they'll still say they don't know what you're talking about. lol You can't win.

    For me, I'm not concerned about the calories so much as a pattern of eating. So anytime we have take out food, special occasions or anything that isn't part of our normal, everyday diet I use a blue highlighter and mark it on the calendar with an X. That way I can tell at glance if I'm starting to fall back into bad eating habits. If the X's start to add up -- independent of calories or weight -- I know we need to reign it back in before it gets out of control.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Taniab43 wrote: »
    jnv7594 wrote: »
    4theking wrote: »
    If you are in it to win it, you don't ever cheat. If you want to eat something and it is within your allotted calories, eat it. I am not a cheater. I am a winner.

    ^^^This. I just fit what I want into my calories. Sorry but the words "cheat day" or "cheat meal" are one of my biggest pet peeves. And OP, if you are fitting these meals into your calories, then it's not really a cheat anyway.

    I say cheat day because everyone knows what it is.

    That only works in the real world. Here cheat meal, cheat day, cutting out, good food, bad food, junk food, toning, eating healthy and clean eating are all concepts that a good portion of MFP forum regulars claim to not know what you're talking about. They can't figure it out (even in the context of your posts) and if you explain what you mean they'll still say they don't know what you're talking about. lol You can't win.

    For me, I'm not concerned about the calories so much as a pattern of eating. So anytime we have take out food, special occasions or anything that isn't part of our normal, everyday diet I use a blue highlighter and mark it on the calendar with an X. That way I can tell at glance if I'm starting to fall back into bad eating habits. If the X's start to add up -- independent of calories or weight -- I know we need to reign it back in before it gets out of control.

    I want to know why eating a certain type of food or going over is viewed as "cheating"…?

    why isn't that just regular eating? why do people have to assign moral values to food? Food = food

    to the bolded part - why not just judge it by if you are consistently going over on calories??
  • Taniab43
    Taniab43 Posts: 42 Member
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    You hit the nail on the head..lol

    And thanks for your tips! I may give that a try!

    Cheers!
  • moto450
    moto450 Posts: 334 Member
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    I only believe in cheat meals, not cheat days. And they are rare. For myself anyway. ..
  • simonsaysmx
    simonsaysmx Posts: 22 Member
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    My cheat day(eat whatever day consists of one large feast usually at a buffet once a week same day every week, but I still pick healthier food choices, just eat an excess in calories
  • HungryasFuark
    HungryasFuark Posts: 463 Member
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    what i personally do when i have a cheat day while im maintaining is i do a 1 or 2 low calorie days after depending on how much i ate on that day ( the low calorie days doesn't have to be right after the cheat day , up to u ) and usually the macros are high protein , fiber and fat and not more than 1500 calories ..never had any fat gain doing that