A cheat day? Or meal?

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  • catstratch
    catstratch Posts: 18 Member
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    Why do you need to cheat?
  • Kait_Dee
    Kait_Dee Posts: 175 Member
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    I live the "if it fits in your macros" lifestyle, and have for 4 years. I've lost and kept off 110lbs by not restricting foods that I love (I'm dieting for a bodybuilding show right now and I eat frozen yogurt and pie filling pretty much every day).

    I don't feel the necessity for a "cheat meal" as a result, because I eat what I want, anytime..! More often than not, I could easily pack away three times more than I take, I choose not to because the self-control I've developed helps feed my self-confidence and personal goals .. <3
  • CarolF11
    CarolF11 Posts: 67 Member
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    catstratch wrote: »
    Why do you need to cheat?

    Because I also love to eat sweets and fast food but I know it isn't good for me if I have it more than once a week since I'm trying to loose weight.
  • Jcl81
    Jcl81 Posts: 154 Member
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    Cheat Meals, or days help a lot of people stay on track for their goal. Just remember whatever works for you is what is best. Nothing else tops factual information from your own experience. Not everyone is the same.
  • angerelle
    angerelle Posts: 175 Member
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    CarolF11 wrote: »
    Because I also love to eat sweets and fast food but I know it isn't good for me if I have it more than once a week since I'm trying to loose weight.

    You can eat sweets and fast food if you want and still hit your calorie goal. You can also "cheat" but you're not really cheating, you're just deciding to take longer to hit your goal weight.

  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
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    CarolF11 wrote: »
    catstratch wrote: »
    Why do you need to cheat?

    Because I also love to eat sweets and fast food but I know it isn't good for me if I have it more than once a week since I'm trying to loose weight.

    I lovelovelove fast food and dining out. And I log it all. Because that way, I know what my numbers are and what to expect on the scale. I will always love those high calorie foods and I have to find a way to make it work now so I can make it work when I get to maintenance.
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
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    I find a way to make it fit at least under maintenance at the very least. I feel like "cheating" seems like you're adding it 'on top of' and that's a risky habit to get into...if you reach maintenance and you continue to eat extra 'on top of' you're going to end up right back where you started on this slippery slope.
  • avic77
    avic77 Posts: 17 Member
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    I'm going with a cheat treat once a week or so. Like a major treat...Starbucks frappe, birthday cake, slice of cheese cake. Something I really like but know I would splurge on too often if I allowed it
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    Susieq_1994 wrote: »
    CarolF11 wrote: »
    I would guess a cheat meal would definitely be better but I would like a whole day. Thoughts?

    Depends on how much you can eat. I can put away a good 8000 calories on a "cheat" day :-|

    If that's possible, can those who don't care to eat everyday not eat for several days after? That would be quite convenient.
  • Alarae21
    Alarae21 Posts: 171 Member
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    Jcl81 wrote: »
    Cheat Meals, or days help a lot of people stay on track for their goal. Just remember whatever works for you is what is best. Nothing else tops factual information from your own experience. Not everyone is the same.

    I eat sweets everyday. I have a lovely chocolate drawer at work.

    It won't hinder your weight loss if you include them in your calorie goal. You could eat your whole goal in chocolate if you wanted and still lose weight. I wouldn't recommended it though for nutrition reasons :)

    Deficit is king for weight loss. What you eat to achieve it, not so much.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    CarolF11 wrote: »
    catstratch wrote: »
    Why do you need to cheat?

    Because I also love to eat sweets and fast food but I know it isn't good for me if I have it more than once a week since I'm trying to loose weight.

    sweets and fast food can be part of your plan. just plan for them, make room in your day. Pre-log your favorite meal at your fast food place in the morning before you have breakfast, then work all your other meals around it. I eat dessert/treats nearly every single night. I on purpose save 200 calories from my day to do this. Yes, it means my breakfast and lunch are on the small side. But by doing that, I can have a big 900 calorie dinner AND an evening snack or glass of wine, if I want to.

    Maybe think of foods as neither good nor bad. They're just food. All foods have carbs, protein, fats. The idea of MFP app is that you can have your Big Mac a couple times a week. It's just carbs protein and fat, like everything else. The important thing is logging the intake as accurately as you can, so you stay in a reasonable deficit on average.
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    CarolF11 wrote: »
    catstratch wrote: »
    Why do you need to cheat?

    Because I also love to eat sweets and fast food but I know it isn't good for me if I have it more than once a week since I'm trying to loose weight.

    Fast food can be good. But I've adjusted to allow similar foods all the time. Make the burgers and pizza and fries at home where you can control ingredients and cooking methods...use ground sirloin, smaller patties, limit cheese on a mini size crust, cut a potato into wedges and bake it...there are ways to get the foods you want in the course of your normal eating patterns.
  • catstratch
    catstratch Posts: 18 Member
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    CarolF11 wrote: »
    catstratch wrote: »
    Why do you need to cheat?

    Because I also love to eat sweets and fast food but I know it isn't good for me if I have it more than once a week since I'm trying to loose weight.

    I don't know if you already have your cheat meal/day. If you do, don't sweat it but maybe this will be helpful to you next time around :)

    The weight loss process is long and you cannot escape those food forever! Don't feel guilty that you want to eat them. You can check the calorie count of the food you want and eat it once a week or two weeks without hindering your progress. E.g. every Sunday, I sleep in so no breakfast but instead I have a piece of cake with coffee for lunch. It relieves so much stress.
  • CarolF11
    CarolF11 Posts: 67 Member
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    Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I really do appreciate it. Today is my cheat day, wish me luck.
  • godlikepoetyes
    godlikepoetyes Posts: 442 Member
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    Good luck!
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    I'm zig zagging my calories so Wednesday is my cheat day sorta. I can eat about 300 more calories that the rest of the week so needless to say I look forward to Wed:). I'm only a week and a half in but so far I've lost 6lbs.

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