Cheat meals- yay or nay?

Michael190lbs

This past week has been a little rough but typically I eat two meals a day that are both over 1000 calories to some people those would be cheat meals but to me its a life style.

As long as I get 50 grams of Fat and 150 grams of protein in everyday I could careless what the food is considered to someone else.. My 2 cents

SideSteel

Regarding leptin upregulation, I don't think we have evidence to support single day food increases as being meaningful. Leptin goes up in response to additional carbohydrate but (apparently) going back into a calorie deficit causes it to immediately drop back down again, making it basically useless.

Lyle Mcdonald (to my knowledge) was the guy who originally brought refeeds on to the fitness scene and he's recently discussed this at length (IIRC on Sigma Nutrition Radio). Extended diet breaks could have a small effect.

Having said that, you could still make an argument in favor of refeeds and I still recommend that some people do them. Short term improved performance (whether glycogen mediated or placebo), long term diet adherence improvements.

And for the majority of people who are not already lean, it's the adherence piece that's the big one.

Does having a day at higher caloric intake give you better long term adherence while still keeping you in a net deficit? Then it's a good thing.

But this isn't the case for everyone, and viewing it as a "cheat day" can be problematic for some people from a behavioral standpoint.

arditarose

It all comes down to math. You want to eat something high in calories? Fine. You can either bank some calories for it and stay at your overall calorie goal/deficit for the week, you can log as planned then eat it and expect a slower rate of loss that week (or not if the "cheat" meal fits within your calorie goals). Just...track. That's the important part right now. And there is nothing magical about a cheat meal. The most magical thing it will do for me is add some fat back into my diet as I tend to be low on it in a deficit, which does feel good. But, I don't consider it a cheat meal. It's just food...that I put in my body.

shelleysykeskeene

IMO one bad meal once in a while wont make you fat just as one good meal here and there is not going to make you thin. Earn your 'cheat' that week by exercising and staying in deficit - but make sure it is just 'one cheat meal' not an entire cheat day and then get back on track straight after. Oh and make sure its not an every week things either, especially if you are trying to lose!

nvmomketo

If cheating is increased calories, I do that fairly regularly.

If cheating is going out of my WOE (like eating a high carb meal) then no, I don't cheat.

bclarke1990

double post~

bclarke1990

SideSteel wrote: »

Regarding leptin upregulation, I don't think we have evidence to support single day food increases as being meaningful. Leptin goes up in response to additional carbohydrate but (apparently) going back into a calorie deficit causes it to immediately drop back down again, making it basically useless.

Lyle Mcdonald (to my knowledge) was the guy who originally brought refeeds on to the fitness scene and he's recently discussed this at length (IIRC on Sigma Nutrition Radio). Extended diet breaks could have a small effect.

Having said that, you could still make an argument in favor of refeeds and I still recommend that some people do them. Short term improved performance (whether glycogen mediated or placebo), long term diet adherence improvements.

And for the majority of people who are not already lean, it's the adherence piece that's the big one.

Does having a day at higher caloric intake give you better long term adherence while still keeping you in a net deficit? Then it's a good thing.

But this isn't the case for everyone, and viewing it as a "cheat day" can be problematic for some people from a behavioral standpoint.

Well said. tl;dr if you're struggling with your diet once a week eat a little more for your sanity and there may be some metabolic benefits as well.