cheat meals ... not so fun anymore ....

MeganKyGirl82

So this isn't the normal level of serious found in this forum, but I was wondering if anyone else does this too.

I'm about a month in. I mainly eat clean foods that I prepare at home. Once in a while I'll indulge in a cheat/treat/ .... oh whatever you want to call it ... something only to be eaten in moderation. 90 percent of the time it is planned for with extra exercise.

I'll be like a little kid all happy thinking about my cheat/treat meal, but it isn't as good as it used to be. It tastes just wrong. Not only that, but within a few hours, I'll feel terrible. Especially if it's something particularly greasy or packed with sodium. I suppose this just comes with the healthy lifestyle change? Anticlimactic to say the least haha. Anyone else?

fishcat123

I feel the same way, too. I'm like, 500 calories for this when I could have had an extra piece of salmon and sweet potato for lunch, really??

I especially don't really like sweet foods anymore, even most ice creams, which is weird.

CoachJen71

I still love the idea of french fries, but the reality always equals a lovely case of sour stomach.

MeganKyGirl82

fishcat123 wrote: »

I feel the same way, too. I'm like, 500 calories for this when I could have had an extra piece of salmon and sweet potato for lunch, really??

I especially don't really like sweet foods anymore, even most ice creams, which is weird.

Yes!

CoachJen71 wrote: »

I still love the idea of french fries, but the reality always equals a lovely case of sour stomach.

Nailed it!

I don't know. It's like an ex you didn't get over. Like that person is so much better in your head. Then you give them another chance and you remember that person was a self centered pig. Maybe I just love the idea of indulging more than I actually enjoy indulging! This whole healthy lifestyle change is a trip!

arditarose

I don't know. I'm currently eating my first "cheat" meal as I type this. It's been a year. I've gone over calories before, but I've always somehow been in a deficit. This will put me over maintenance for the week. And it feels fine. But it's also my first time.

MeganKyGirl82

Well maybe if I were dedicated enough to make it a year it would still taste as good you're awesome!

arditarose

kygirl8282 wrote: »

Well maybe if I were dedicated enough to make it a year it would still taste as good you're awesome!

lol. It depends on what you think of as cheating. I consider this cheating because I literally went to the store and bought frozen yogurt, reeses, oreos, and had some pizza. I'm trying to maintain but this will put me in a surplus this week. I eat yummy things all the time and don't consider them cheating though. But honestly, you're right. Reeses don't really taste as good as I remembered them to.

MeganKyGirl82

Cheating for me is the worst types of foods if you can consider a certain group of foods bad. The sorts of things I once lived on because I was gullible and too complacent in my life to do better: pizza, burgers, salty foods and sweets. I try to plan everything out in advance. I track it and then work those extra calories off - if calorie counts on food and calorie burns for exercise can be trusted that is. It's more work, but I have more freedom of choice in what I eat if that makes sense. I think once you start seeing results and your body begins feeling better, being healthy becomes an addiction. It could be a mental thing, but the lunch I had today didn't taste anything as good as I remembered it to.

SomeGirlSomewhere

Yes to not thinking "bad" foods taste as good as they used to. I wouldn't say I feel "bad" after eating them, but I do often feel hungry again not so long after eating them since the portion is usually so much smaller than the portion of lean protein and veggies I would have made for myself at home.

arditarose

Yeah, I don't know. I don't think I understand cheating.

MeganKyGirl82

They do an unpleasant number on my stomach now. I feel lethargic and bloated afterwards. I see this happening less and less in my future.

katieshaheen66

I agree! We went to a sporting event today and all week, I was so excited to indulge with a hot dog and maybe some fries, but when we got there, it just didn't seem worth it.

Kst76

Hmm, I think "bad food" still tastes as good as ever, which is why I still eat them...allot!
I would never last if I couldn't eat whatever I wanted at all times.

VitaSh

After my extremely strict diet preparing for my fitness competition (just proteins like low-sodium tuna, chicken, tilapia, lean turkey, protein powder etc and only CERTAIN carb sources like sweet potato, oatmeal, quinoa, veggies), when I came off this diet and overindulged, I was bloated and uncomfortable for two weeks. I have NEVER felt so horrible the days after eating some of my previously liked treats and it was brutal. So yeah I know what you mean lol. I currently eat very clean again just more food and sometimes a cheat here and there like dark chocolate or a freshly baked homemade cookie (one!). My stomach is still recovering from overindulging in the first few weeks after the cleanest diet I've ever been on in my life. Really makes you think what you put in your body.

gothicfires

I've discovered that foods that I chosen to take out of my daily eating habits rarely taste as good as I think they were. When I stopped drinking mountaindew and had a craving for it when I was stressed I had to drink it out of a shot glass because it tasted that bad. The thought of a high fat content food makes me sick to my stomach. I cooked a stuffed crust pizza the 30th of may and that was heaven but I doubt that I will do it again. There is a chili bacon cheeseburger with my name on it as a reward for loosing 10lbs when I get there. I was able to go out shopping today and not stop and get ice cream or eat fast food. Dropping the 10 pounds is more important to me.

MeganKyGirl82

Absolutely! It really does make you stop and think about what you eat, or for me how horribly I used to eat and what my kids eat. My husband has taken to asking me, "Sooooo how many calories do you have left today?? Want to go on a cheese sticks and milk shake run?" That was our thing we used to do. Before I would think sure why not! Ugh. Not if it's going to make me feel like this.

faithyang

kygirl8282 wrote: »

Absolutely! It really does make you stop and think about what you eat, or for me how horribly I used to eat and what my kids eat. My husband has taken to asking me, "Sooooo how many calories do you have left today?? Want to go on a cheese sticks and milk shake run?" That was our thing we used to do. Before I would think sure why not! Ugh. Not if it's going to make me feel like this.

Argh, I feel for the hubbies and partners who have to go through this because my hubby has also started having to 'watch' himself when it comes to food. He worries about my weight loss and isn't happy with the amount of weight I'm losing as he thinks I've gotten too skinny (that's another kettle of fish altogether imo!) but he's been really understanding and asks the same thing in a delicate way rather than try to force feed me by shoving food in my face and always bugging me to eat.

He'll be like "You having dinner together with me today?" or "You eating as well?" all the time and if its my 'cheat day' (aka weekends) he'll be like "You wanna go get burgers/milkshake?" or "Wanna go <insert very fattening ethnic food option>"

I used to go along with so much aplomb and gleefully stuff my face together with him and enjoy the experience so much. Now I feel disgusted at myself, very guilty - at one point a month or so ago I went through this very bad phase where I would literally panic after eating a little of that and then mentally calculate how many days I needed to make up for the calories, how many days I would include extra workouts and increase the intensity of my existing ones, as well as adding fasts to my weekdays. It wasn't enjoyable at all and it was hard on him because food is a shared enjoyment - if one person is so tortured and not enjoying themselves, the other person will find it hard to enjoy it as well.

Its better and more toned down now, but I still mentally calculate calories and how much more I would limit myself food-wise when eating. I also feel quite guilty about it and find it hard to really enjoy the food.

Most of all, I feel really bad for him because it really does suck when your spouse is on that big lifestyle change and develops this aversion to foods that used to be a way for the two to connect as a shared enjoyment.

socksoffortitude

kygirl8282 wrote: »

Absolutely! It really does make you stop and think about what you eat, or for me how horribly I used to eat and what my kids eat. My husband has taken to asking me, "Sooooo how many calories do you have left today?? Want to go on a cheese sticks and milk shake run?" That was our thing we used to do. Before I would think sure why not! Ugh. Not if it's going to make me feel like this.

Grrahh! My husband took me to an impromptu dinner date thing after work. We were heading one place but right across the way was an Italian restaurant, and you know what that means: pasta, pizza, bread, etc. To everything he suggested: "No hon, sorry... No... No not that... No that's literally deep fried cheese, babe, I can't"

I was still satisfied with what I had but man can he down the calories... Which is fine. I used to love mozz sticks but eventually (even before my lifestyle changed) I realized just how sick they make me. Same with super sugary things. It used to be my "cocaine" and now I take a bite while snapping my head back in shock at the level of sweetness. Currently loving my frozen coconut bars.

t_keesh

The food I used to enjoy before my diet doesn't taste nearly as good as it used to. Or maybe is just how I feel after eating it. Anyway I still have some treat meals like chocolate or beer. But I don't like ice-cream anymore. It even makes me sick sometimes.

NoIdea101NoIdea

I kind of know what you mean - i used to have a massive problem with binging. I'm quite a social person, visit my boyfriend quite a bit and work quite a hectic job. One of my big pleasures was having an evening to myself and indulging in ALL THE FOOD; sometimes it would be takeaway consisting of cheesy chips, double cheese burger, garlic bread and chicken wings (eaten all at once), sometimes two entire packs of biscuits and an entire cake, etc. I eventually cut it down, but found up until recently i was still indulging too much; not as often, and not with as much food as before. But still, i would look forward to an evening by myself and would polish off and entire cheesecake and a pack of cookies or something.

Now, i get an evening alone, and it crosses my mind, but it just doesn't appeal. In fact, the thought of binging on that amount of food disgusts me. There is a part of me which is a bit sad about this, because it did bring me pleasure, but i also remember how bad i felt after it. Now, when i want to have a 'cheat', i will go to a shop and buy a small chocolate bar instead of an entire cake, and i actually prefer that than the cake. And give me salmon and potatoes over a fried double cheeseburger any day!

MeganKyGirl82

I do tend to feel bad for my husband. He works an intense job. He burns off any calorie he eats, and he eats constantly. He doesn't understand that everyone doesn't have it that way. At the same time though he has been so supportive. He thinks I'm insane, but he just goes along with it. I sort of hate having to say no I can't eat that. Lol its like disappointing a kid.

lilbthebasedgod

Since doing the whole lifestyle change and exercising regularly for about three months, I realize my cravings for bad food aren't as frequent or as strong as before. It's almost like I have forgotten how these "forbidden" foods taste like and I no longer crave them. I definitely feel you on the idea that the cheat meals aren't as fun anymore, especially since I feel guilty when I indulge in them if I decide to do so, and it just doesn't taste the same as I remembered it tasting last time haha. But we gotta remember that we work hard towards our fitness goals and healthier lifestyle changes, so we definitely deserve to have a cheat meal once in a while!

Cortneyrenee04

It's so interesting how your tastes/preferences change over time... I get a little disappointed when I plan a splurge and it just isn't satisfying. Or, worse... It is satisfying but I'm incredibly sick the next day I can't really tolerate fried foods or fast foods any more.

MeganKyGirl82

Strange isn't it? If someone had explained this to me 2 years ago, I never would have believed it.