What do you consider cheating? (food wise that is )

griffith5150
griffith5150 Posts: 123
in Food and Nutrition
Over your daily goal calories that MFP has set for you to lose the amount of weight a week you want (with or without the extra calories from exercising). Or the daily amount of calories it states you need to eat to be at the weight you are at.

I have been curious since I seen this topic come up on the forum. I always thought being a few calories over your goal is okay once and awhile but being over the daily amount is considered to be cheating, however a friend mine was like if I am just one calorie over my goal I cheated.. I was like really wow that's kind of harsh on yourself. :frown:

Just curious what's everyone's opinion on this :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    I would have to be several hundred calories past TDEE to feel like I have affected my plan.

    Btw I sat here for at least five minutes trying to think of how to phrase that. I wouldn't say "ruined my day" or "messed up" or "gone overboard" or "feel bad" because I really don't see it that way. I see it as a day that I went over TDEE but which can be balanced out by all the other days that I stay at my daily goal. I just get back on the horse the next day and try not to do it too often or let it get me down to the point where I give up.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    When I sit on the couch with a box of____________(whatever, usually crackers), and just eat and not count it and then look down and the box is empty. That's what makes me upset, and then I have to go workout extra the next day.
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
    Over my calorie goal or over my carb goal.
  • shirleygirl910
    shirleygirl910 Posts: 503 Member
    When I sit on the couch with a box of____________(whatever, usually crackers), and just eat and not count it and then look down and the box is empty. That's what makes me upset, and then I have to go workout extra the next day.

    Good example of cheating. Not paying attention to what you are eating, lying to yourself about what you ate or how much. If you are trying to stay around your daily calorie number, trying to eat as clean as possible, doing at least 30 min of exercise a day, then you are not cheating.
  • peeaanuut
    peeaanuut Posts: 359 Member
    I dont concider anything cheating. I am not doing a test here. I am just living mylife and trying to do it better. So if I make a high calorie choice I just know that I need to alter the rest of the day, or even sometimes I plan for a higher calorie meal. Bad meals or bad foods happen. Dont let it kill your day. 1 every now and then is good for the sanity. The real trick is to learn to not even want to eat poorly. Making eating good and healthy is the ultimate goal but it doesnt happen overnight.

    Even on the higher calorie days when I just eat poorly, I log it. Its good tohelp me visualize what I am eating and make better choices. Smaller stakes, only 1 side, no bread or rolls, 1 soda or no soda, etc. a bad meal here and ther is better than the way i used to eat all the time so its always an improvement.
  • CookNLift
    CookNLift Posts: 3,660 Member
    A day i am out having fun an living life without letting my food intake and calorie counting bother my good time, I try and keep a record of what I eat or drink, but when I want to have fun, one day every once in a blue moon won't hurt my weight loss.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    I don't consider it "cheating." I think that sets a bad tone to apply to eating and could lead to an unhealthy mindset.

    Unless you're over your calories by enough to make you over your maintenance calories, it's not detrimental. Being over or under by a few calories every so often isn't going to ruin your progress.

    Don't stress about it! :flowerforyou:
  • adlace
    adlace Posts: 375 Member
    Hawaiian bread got me today. Was 133 over my calorie goal. But after logging out it said "If every day were like today....you would weigh such and such in five weeks" I still would weigh less in five weeks than do now. So no, a little over will make weight loss slower but not totally blow you out of the water. I just don't want to make it habit. But the bread was tasty and I do not have to go over my calories again tomorrow.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    Topic: What do you consider cheating? (food wise that is )

    Once I ordered a martini and it was served with vodka instead of gin.

    I felt very very cheated :(
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Nothing that I can think of, actually.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    If you eat food with a person you are committing adultery with, then it's considered cheating. Anything else is fair game.
  • glutesandabs
    glutesandabs Posts: 68 Member
    Substituting cauliflower for anything is cheating, I am sure people get divorced over this.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    Substituting cauliflower for anything is cheating, I am sure people get divorced over this.

    That Helen of Troy.. that was a myth. It was actually Pizza of Troy, being cheated and switched with cauliflower.
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    Substituting cauliflower for anything is cheating, I am sure people get divorced over this.

    Truthfact
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    No particular food; 'cheating' for me is just, getting off track one day, and having it run into another, and another.

    One day or meal 'over' is fine as long as the next few are on track.
  • Janice2Shakira
    Janice2Shakira Posts: 257
    Topic: What do you consider cheating? (food wise that is )

    Once I ordered a martini and it was served with vodka instead of gin.

    I felt very very cheated :(

    *gasp* I would cut a bartender...
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Substituting cauliflower for anything is cheating, I am sure people get divorced over this.

    The other day I was in the store buying pepperoni. I tried make some smalltalk with the guy at the deli counter.. "Yeah, so I'm making pizza tonight". He says, "Oh yeah, what kind?". "Um, pepperoni". Then he started going on about how a few weeks ago he and his wife made cauliflower pizza and it was really good and I should try it. I just turned and left.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
    I have been trying to figure out how it is possible to cheat on myself.....and I can't find an answer.
    I think cheating is always done on another person.....like giving her a diamond engagement ring and in reality it's cubic circonia, or serving someone " gras foie " and in reality it's chopped liver . But cheating on myself.......no, I don't think it can be done. And that also includes food....
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    Substituting cauliflower for anything is cheating, I am sure people get divorced over this.

    The other day I was in the store buying pepperoni. I tried make some smalltalk with the guy at the deli counter.. "Yeah, so I'm making pizza tonight". He says, "Oh yeah, what kind?". "Um, pepperoni". Then he started going on about how a few weeks ago he and his wife made cauliflower pizza and it was really good and I should try it. I just turned and left.

    Break into his house and leave a note in his kitchen cabinet saying "I have picked one item in your entire kitchen and rubbed it all over my naked body" and walk out.

    Seems like an appropriate punishment I think
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    Cheating to me is not logging some food or drink in the diary - any food or drink.
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
    Cheating to me is not logging some food or drink in the diary - any food or drink.

    Ditto that.
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
    Eating dairy. But, that's just because I am trying to avoid dairy products. Still if it's a choice between eating and not eating when I am hungry that cow is gonna get milked.

    The non food cheat is when you don't log stuff. But, it doesn't matter if you do or don't as far as your body is concerned those chips are logged.
  • swhiteism
    swhiteism Posts: 71 Member
    Cheating is not counting my calories or actually, not giving a f--- if I go over my calories. That's the point, though. I do it on purpose. I like at least one a day a week to just relax and enjoy some bad food. Even then, I don't binge or go extremely overboard. Usually one bad meal, like some Chinese or a huge platter at my favorite local restaurant.
  • brookielaw
    brookielaw Posts: 814 Member
    I only consider it cheating if I don't log the food (or drink). Otherwise, I call it life. Don't get me wrong, I'll be disappointed in myself if I go crazy over TDEE but I figure if I at least admit it on my open food log, it's not cheating it's a bad decision.
  • Senneth12
    Senneth12 Posts: 72
    I don't consider any foods as cheating, although I do consider some better than others. I lost 30lbs six years ago, and I've kept it off. One of the things that has made maintenance doable is that while I was losing, I learned that moderation is much more important than cutting out trigger foods completely.
  • aarar
    aarar Posts: 684 Member
    Cheating to me is not logging some food or drink in the diary - any food or drink.

    Ditto that.

    Ditto too

    As long as you're being accountable for what you're eating, you're not cheating regardless of how many calories over you are.

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