Please stop calling it a "cheat meal!"
Replies
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mrsnattybulking wrote: »You want to know why I'm concerned? Here's why: Anyone who's been on this forum for any length of time has read any number of posts by incredibly vulnerable people. People who are at the mercy of the diet industry, people who are at the mercy of the food industry, people who don't have the "will power" that others do, and feel victimized by food. Food is our friend not our enemy. And I worry about the vulnerable people who fuss so much over their "cheat days." These forums are a village where we come for support. And there are people in this village who could definitely use the support of not calling these "cheat days" and feeling the guilt that comes with that designation. Loving ourselves and each other up is my point.
these same people have a problem with being 'on a diet' which some people use to describe calorie restriction, myself included. If you feel guilty about a cheat day, your problem is not with the language, your problem is your relationship with food and calling it anything else is not going to help. they should seek therapy.
I both agree and disagree. The problem is with the relationship with food and the language is the symptom. That is what I have a problem with the negativity and guilt in the "cheat" terminology. If you can't take a day off calorie restriction without guilt and having to negatively label it something, that may well indicate an issue.
To use your earlier example, if it is your bank account, who are you cheating?
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mrsnattybulking wrote: »You want to know why I'm concerned? Here's why: Anyone who's been on this forum for any length of time has read any number of posts by incredibly vulnerable people. People who are at the mercy of the diet industry, people who are at the mercy of the food industry, people who don't have the "will power" that others do, and feel victimized by food. Food is our friend not our enemy. And I worry about the vulnerable people who fuss so much over their "cheat days." These forums are a village where we come for support. And there are people in this village who could definitely use the support of not calling these "cheat days" and feeling the guilt that comes with that designation. Loving ourselves and each other up is my point.
these same people have a problem with being 'on a diet' which some people use to describe calorie restriction, myself included. If you feel guilty about a cheat day, your problem is not with the language, your problem is your relationship with food and calling it anything else is not going to help. they should seek therapy.
I both agree and disagree. The problem is with the relationship with food and the language is the symptom. That is what I have a problem with the negativity and guilt in the "cheat" terminology. If you can't take a day off calorie restriction without guilt and having to negatively label it something, that may well indicate an issue.
To use your earlier example, if it is your bank account, who are you cheating?
This. It bothers me because the word cheat implies guilt, and guilt, to my mind, is counter-productive when it comes to diet & health. We have a lifetime of choices to make... the goal is just to balance them out as best we can.
As to how it effects me, or why it's any of my business, it just makes me cringe every time I see it, which is constantly.5 -
I call it "eating".1
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MontyMuttland wrote: »If you've committed yourself to a diet plan in order to lose weight and you decide to throw it aside for one meal/one day/whatever, then you have cheated on the diet plan, it's really that simple.
Who are you to decide the parameters of someone else's commitment? I decide what my rules are, and they don't preclude eating more for a particular meal or day or whatever. I don't call it cheating when I do it, because I don't have a rule against it.
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »MontyMuttland wrote: »If you've committed yourself to a diet plan in order to lose weight and you decide to throw it aside for one meal/one day/whatever, then you have cheated on the diet plan, it's really that simple.
Who are you to decide the parameters of someone else's commitment? I decide what my rules are, and they don't preclude eating more for a particular meal or day or whatever. I don't call it cheating when I do it, because I don't have a rule against it.
Agreed. BS. It's not about 1day. It's about a week, a month, a continuum of time and life habits.2 -
I call it a cheat meal...2
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I call it a cheat meal and my relationship with food is fine, and i have made progress with my weight that im proud of.4
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Goober1142 wrote: »It's def a cheat day! Cheat cheat cheat!
Exactly3 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I would call last Sunday a cheat day, I cheated on my diet. I went to an all you can buffet and ate over 3,000 calories! Calling it a cheat day doesn't trigger any psychological issues for me, so that's what i call it.
Refeed day
IDGAF day
Not counting calories today day
Maintenance day
Cheat day
They all mean the same thing to me, no matter what term you attach to it.
The 4th Sunday in June is my family reunion, cemetery association, outdoor potluck picnic in a graveyard celebrate my crazy family day. It just isn't done that one eschews any of the things.0 -
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i stumble on a what you would call a cheat meal by accident. I realize i ate more than i planned.. so i say heck with it, i overate a little, looks like i enjoyed more food today than i planned. And i dont worry about it, i just go on the next day trying again.2
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Call it what you want. Why is this an issue? Live and let live. You can't control others.
cheat day or not it's just people trying to eat what is pleasurable. Let's stick to those positives 4 -
I'm wondering if the people who take issue with the word 'cheat day' have had long histories with dieting/weight loss/ yo-yoing/food guilt etc etc
Like i said in my previous post, using this term doesnt affect me psychologically or cause me to spiral down in despair with guilt ridden angst. If it did do any of those things, then i would totally reassess my relationship with food.
Even my 22 year old body building son has a 'cheat day', these day's are the highlight of his week, something he really looks forward to.3 -
natashab61 wrote: »Call it what you want. Why is this an issue? Live and let live. You can't control others. cheat day or not it's just people trying to eat what is pleasurable. Let's stick to those positives
I agree1 -
MontyMuttland wrote: »If you've committed yourself to a diet plan in order to lose weight and you decide to throw it aside for one meal/one day/whatever, then you have cheated on the diet plan, it's really that simple.
Call a spade a spade, why hide from what you're doing? Do you want someone to congratulate you for failing to stick to your resolve?
Then next time you're about to cheat, ask yourself do you really want to stay fat?
It's a meal, not a marriage! It's a doughnut, not a divorce!
All you need is a reasonable calorie deficit and you can have days that you go over as long your balance over time keeps you under your maintenance!
I don't normally call that perfectly reasonable pizza I had last night a "cheat meal" but if that's what I call it who cares?4 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »MontyMuttland wrote: »If you've committed yourself to a diet plan in order to lose weight and you decide to throw it aside for one meal/one day/whatever, then you have cheated on the diet plan, it's really that simple.
Who are you to decide the parameters of someone else's commitment? I decide what my rules are, and they don't preclude eating more for a particular meal or day or whatever. I don't call it cheating when I do it, because I don't have a rule against it.
I haven't decided the parameters of anything - commitment is a word with a definition that you can look up if you're not sure of the meaning.
I said "IF you've committed..."
If you haven't committed to it, then you can't expect much.
Do half a job, expect half a result.
Suck it up or stay fat.0 -
Can't speak for others but not true for me. Never been more than 25 or 30 over my ideal weight and have been within 15 or 20 lbs of it for most of the last 30 years (I'm 66). As is evidenced by the number of posters that don't like the term, it is an off putting term to some. I wouldn't go making a lot of broad speculations as to why.Christine_72 wrote: »I'm wondering if the people who take issue with the word 'cheat day' have had long histories with dieting/weight loss/ yo-yoing/food guilt etc etc
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mrsnattybulking wrote: »You want to know why I'm concerned? Here's why: Anyone who's been on this forum for any length of time has read any number of posts by incredibly vulnerable people. People who are at the mercy of the diet industry, people who are at the mercy of the food industry, people who don't have the "will power" that others do, and feel victimized by food. Food is our friend not our enemy. And I worry about the vulnerable people who fuss so much over their "cheat days." These forums are a village where we come for support. And there are people in this village who could definitely use the support of not calling these "cheat days" and feeling the guilt that comes with that designation. Loving ourselves and each other up is my point.
these same people have a problem with being 'on a diet' which some people use to describe calorie restriction, myself included. If you feel guilty about a cheat day, your problem is not with the language, your problem is your relationship with food and calling it anything else is not going to help. they should seek therapy.
I both agree and disagree. The problem is with the relationship with food and the language is the symptom. That is what I have a problem with the negativity and guilt in the "cheat" terminology. If you can't take a day off calorie restriction without guilt and having to negatively label it something, that may well indicate an issue.
To use your earlier example, if it is your bank account, who are you cheating?
If it's a bank account you're still not cheating regardless of what you call it. You're purchasing on credit and whether you pay now or pay later eventually you'll have to repay what you overspent.0 -
Guess it is not a cheat or treat meal if one knows they're going to eat something over their normal calories and prepare ahead of time. I usually know for the next week where my food is coming from and rarely surprised; if there is going to be a calorie heavy day I usually reduce my previous 2-3 days by 50-100 calories each to make room for that heavy calorie day. Also, I insure the food being ingested does not exceed what maintenance would be for my current weight, and even then it is easy to stay under that goal.1
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It's my meal, I will call it whatever I want....8
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I can them "normal" days aka the weekend. As in people who eat normally don't count calories or macros and just exercise common sense and a little discipline in food and beverage choices.
It doesn't mean I don't log food or eat crazy... it just means I'm going to eat more liberally and not worry about restricting myself. I'm drinking a rum smoothie (homemade) right now loaded with strawberry, mango, raspberries, and blackberries. I'm sure it's about half of my 1200 calories for today. But am I going to skip dinner and ice cream later? Of course not. I'll simply lose less this week and move on with my life if I don't make it up restricting/exercising during the week.0 -
MontyMuttland wrote: »If you've committed yourself to a diet plan in order to lose weight and you decide to throw it aside for one meal/one day/whatever, then you have cheated on the diet plan, it's really that simple.
Call a spade a spade, why hide from what you're doing? Do you want someone to congratulate you for failing to stick to your resolve?
Then next time you're about to cheat, ask yourself do you really want to stay fat?
A lot of people get to the really high weights because they don't have much portion control. For them it's healthier to stick to a diet, have a day off, then get back straight on the horse. The mentality must be that one off day won't derail the end goal & no you won't stay fat if you start restricting again asap.0 -
I just call it a treat day if I had one1
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MontyMuttland wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »MontyMuttland wrote: »If you've committed yourself to a diet plan in order to lose weight and you decide to throw it aside for one meal/one day/whatever, then you have cheated on the diet plan, it's really that simple.
Who are you to decide the parameters of someone else's commitment? I decide what my rules are, and they don't preclude eating more for a particular meal or day or whatever. I don't call it cheating when I do it, because I don't have a rule against it.
I haven't decided the parameters of anything - commitment is a word with a definition that you can look up if you're not sure of the meaning.
I said "IF you've committed..."
If you haven't committed to it, then you can't expect much.
Do half a job, expect half a result.
Suck it up or stay fat.
Thanks, I met and surpassed my goal using my rules, not yours.
You have decided that a commitment to a diet plan precludes eating more for a meal/day/whatever -- you have a preconception of what a diet plan must be, and you label anyone who doesn't adhere to your conception a cheater and someone who will "stay fat."3 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »MontyMuttland wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »MontyMuttland wrote: »If you've committed yourself to a diet plan in order to lose weight and you decide to throw it aside for one meal/one day/whatever, then you have cheated on the diet plan, it's really that simple.
Who are you to decide the parameters of someone else's commitment? I decide what my rules are, and they don't preclude eating more for a particular meal or day or whatever. I don't call it cheating when I do it, because I don't have a rule against it.
I haven't decided the parameters of anything - commitment is a word with a definition that you can look up if you're not sure of the meaning.
I said "IF you've committed..."
If you haven't committed to it, then you can't expect much.
Do half a job, expect half a result.
Suck it up or stay fat.
Thanks, I met and surpassed my goal using my rules, not yours.
You have decided that a commitment to a diet plan precludes eating more for a meal/day/whatever -- you have a preconception of what a diet plan must be, and you label anyone who doesn't adhere to your conception a cheater and someone who will "stay fat."
Yep, totally... I must have missed all those diets out there that include cheat meals/days/etc in them!
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It's not a diet, still eating whatever desired but being more mindful about portions, total calories,.. how it fits in macro's over time..
Including foods which keep satisfied the most.
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MontyMuttland wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »MontyMuttland wrote: »If you've committed yourself to a diet plan in order to lose weight and you decide to throw it aside for one meal/one day/whatever, then you have cheated on the diet plan, it's really that simple.
Who are you to decide the parameters of someone else's commitment? I decide what my rules are, and they don't preclude eating more for a particular meal or day or whatever. I don't call it cheating when I do it, because I don't have a rule against it.
I haven't decided the parameters of anything - commitment is a word with a definition that you can look up if you're not sure of the meaning.
I said "IF you've committed..."
If you haven't committed to it, then you can't expect much.
Do half a job, expect half a result.
Suck it up or stay fat.
Well, I lost weight to my goal nearly 4years ago and have kept it off since then.
Happy to admit I did 'half a job' - I logged loosely and I had meals/ days, occasionally even weeks,when I did not log at all.
So, if you use the terminology, you would say I had chest meals, days, weeks.
But I did not stay fat or get half results - obviously because, averaged over time, I kept to my appropriate calorie amount.
Point being: everyone who doesn't do it your way does not fail.
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I have pig out days, love them.2
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I don't call it a cheat meal because I don't think I have anything to cheat on. I'm not following a set of rules or a specific way of eating. I haven't made a promise to anyone. I'm just eating stuff, less than I was before. I eat different amounts every day and use a weekly calorie goal so I'm not even sure I could identify a "cheat" day - they all work out under the weekly goal in the end.0
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