Cheating

tigerette12

I do one cheat a week. I pick breakfast or lunch so I have a chance to burn off some of the calories.
I actually cut my breakfast cheat down a lot. I was getting 3 egg omelette, Hashbrowns biscuit with gravy. My plan now is to skip the huge omelette and enjoy the other fixings plus some fruit.

Machka9

Roeder1122 wrote: »

Oh and another question.

Do you eat back your exercise calories? If so, why?(needing serious answers not "because I want too")

Roughly half of my exercise calories.

Why? My body needs fuel.

If I'm burning 400 calories per hour on a 6 hour bicycle ride, like the one I did last Saturday, that's 2400 calories. I need to fuel that effort!

Machka9

ClosetBayesian wrote: »

JoshuaMcAllister wrote: »

Roeder1122 wrote: »

Oh and another question.

Do you eat back your exercise calories? If so, why?(needing serious answers not "because I want too")

Looks like you've asked the wrong crowd about cheat meals, everything in moderation like they say but i love a cheat day. Tacos and barrels of ice cream are usually top of the list.

As for your second question regarding eating back calories. It depends really what your goals are, I personally eat back my calories as I don't want to loose extra weight. I have set my account to gradual weight loss so by eating the calories shown (then burning more exercising) I am technically loosing more than my recommended daily calories. If you have an active work life or spend several days a week in the gym I would always advise to eat back your calories or you'll soon find your not giving your body enough energy.

I had tacos last night. They were delicious. How is that cheating?

+1

I try to have tacos about once a month. No cheating involved.

I'd have them every other day ... except my husband isn't a huge fan.

thehoss316

I'm of the opinion that you need to do something to keep your sanity. Everything in moderation. I've heard a good rule of thumb is 85%-15% (the 85 portion being behaving, of course). Hey, variety is the spice of life, no?

JoshuaMcAllister

Holly_Roman_Empire wrote: »

JoshuaMcAllister wrote: »

Roeder1122 wrote: »

Oh and another question.

Do you eat back your exercise calories? If so, why?(needing serious answers not "because I want too")

Looks like you've asked the wrong crowd about cheat meals, everything in moderation like they say but i love a cheat day. Tacos and barrels of ice cream are usually top of the list.

As for your second question regarding eating back calories. It depends really what your goals are, I personally eat back my calories as I don't want to loose extra weight. I have set my account to gradual weight loss so by eating the calories shown (then burning more exercising) I am technically loosing more than my recommended daily calories. If you have an active work life or spend several days a week in the gym I would always advise to eat back your calories or you'll soon find your not giving your body enough energy.

How are they the wrong crowd? Do you log your tacos and barrels of ice cream?

Cheat meals generally are eaten by those on very strict diets, bodybuilder, athlete types, not those who want to loose a few pounds with the aid of MFP is all I meant. To most completely restricting what you eat and not going down the everything in moderation route will backfire and generally give up whatever crash diet they are doing. On the other hand those who only eat the macro nutrients there body fully require and not what they crave will usually have a cheat day after competition. (Bodybuilder after his big show, boxer after the fight etc)
I meant no offence by the "wrong crowd" comment simply pointing out people with general weight loss in mind probably aren't the right people to ask about cheat days and I stand by that.
And yes of course I log my "tacos and barrels of ice cream" if I didn't I wouldn't be serious about weight maintenance and tracking, I've not just been logging good foods for the last few years haha.

JoshuaMcAllister

ClosetBayesian wrote: »

JoshuaMcAllister wrote: »

Roeder1122 wrote: »

Oh and another question.

Do you eat back your exercise calories? If so, why?(needing serious answers not "because I want too")

Looks like you've asked the wrong crowd about cheat meals, everything in moderation like they say but i love a cheat day. Tacos and barrels of ice cream are usually top of the list.

As for your second question regarding eating back calories. It depends really what your goals are, I personally eat back my calories as I don't want to loose extra weight. I have set my account to gradual weight loss so by eating the calories shown (then burning more exercising) I am technically loosing more than my recommended daily calories. If you have an active work life or spend several days a week in the gym I would always advise to eat back your calories or you'll soon find your not giving your body enough energy.

I had tacos last night. They were delicious. How is that cheating?

Its not cheating really, if you eat tacos in moderation that's ones choice, but I usually restrict my fat intake to natural fats only. If you've logged you'll know just how high in fat 1 taco shell is, hence why I have them on a cheat day rather than include them as a meal during the week.

kgirlhart

I don't do either. I just eat whatever I like in portions that fit in my calorie goal. So far I am down 24 pounds.