Cheat meal yes or no?

Nelly_Ohhh

So I have been eating really clean and losing weight but for the last few days my weight loss has stalled. I honestly do not like cheat meals since it makes me feel nasty and sluggish. It sort of depresses me. I forced a cheat meal to get things going again. Would you guys recommend to avoid unwanted cheat meals? And what can I do to help with plateaus. Please share experiences! I am down 31lbs and want to lose another 33lbs. Thank you

Ready2Rock206

Why would you do something that makes you that unhappy?

A couple days is not a plateau. You shouldn't expect to lose weight every day. A few months is a plateau and even then I have never seen a plateau that wasn't actually due to logging issues.

Nelly_Ohhh

Because I know my body gets used to the my diet and that's when I stall. Has happened plenty of times before.
Thank you very much! I will keep going at it!

Chadxx

Cheat? No

Budget what you want? Yes

Plateau is just a fancy way of saying you aren't maintaining a calorie deficit. I have dropped 152 pounds with no plateaus and many others have done the same.

A few days is nothing. Weight loss and fat loss is not the same. Relax and let the process work.

Chadxx

saintor1

Yes once by 2 weeks.

malibu927

Nelly_Ohhh wrote: »

Because I know my body gets used to the my diet and that's when I stall. Has happened plenty of times before.
Thank you very much! I will keep going at it!

That's untrue. Weight loss is not linear, and your body is advanced enough to not get used to diet/exercise and stop losing weight.

jennybearlv

If you don't like cheat meals don't eat them. If anything they would cause a plateau, not break one. I've been maintaining my weight for three months because I've been too lazy to log most days. That's a plateau, not three days. You don't need a cheat meal to reset your metabolism or any nonsense like that. Eat the calories MFP gives you. Eating fewer calories is what causes weight loss, not how clean your diet is.

vismal

Nelly_Ohhh wrote: »

So I have been eating really clean and losing weight but for the last few days my weight loss has stalled. I honestly do not like cheat meals since it makes me feel nasty and sluggish. It sort of depresses me. I forced a cheat meal to get things going again. Would you guys recommend to avoid unwanted cheat meals? And what can I do to help with plateaus. Please share experiences! I am down 31lbs and want to lose another 33lbs. Thank you

Many red flags here. First of all cheat days do not "get things going". Eating clean is meaningless and isn't what accounts for weight loss. Stalling can't happen over the course of a few days. Weight loss is non-linear. For many, especially if they have a lot to lose, weight seems to come off the scale every time they step on it when they begin dieting. This is due in large part to water weight losses. This all of a sudden comes to a halt and things slow way down. A stall isn't really a stall until several weeks have gone by with no losses. This happens when you are no longer consuming fewer calories per day than you burn. The "cleanliness" of your food won't affect weight loss in the long term. It's all calories in vs calories out. Adding more calories through a cheat meal will not cause you to be in a deficit and will not help with fat loss. Some people notice weighing less after a cheat day but this is again due to water weight. Prolonged dieting increases stress which causes water retention. A cheat meal can alleviate some of this and cause water weight losses. This is mostly meaningless as people are concerned about losing fat not losing water.

Nelly_Ohhh wrote: »

Because I know my body gets used to the my diet and that's when I stall. Has happened plenty of times before.
Thank you very much! I will keep going at it!

No it doesn't. Your body never "gets used" to a calorie deficit. If you eat less than you burn you will eventually lose weight. If aren't losing weight in the long run, you aren't in a deficit. This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

"I've been in a calorie deficit for a couple of months and I haven't lost any weight"
-Someone who hasn't been in a calorie deficit for a couple of months.

nomorepuke

You WILL crave junk food and sweets at some point. Our society is filled with processed food aka junk food and there's no escape.
Cheat meal once per week helps tremendously in the long run if you want to stick to your diet for the rest of your life. Personally, a cheat day is a must.
Disclaimer: By all means, just because I say so, it's not the ultimate proven concept.

middlehaitch

Have you been into your goals and reassessed your intake since you have lost the 31 lbs?
As you lose weight you need fewer calories. What you are eating now, if still the same calories as when you started, may be close to your maintenance, therefore your loss will be slower.
1 lbs a week is good for your last ~30lbs.

Cheers, h.

ravengirl2014

I will throw my .02 in here.... I personally think that my one "relax" day (I refuse to call it a cheat because it is planned, earned, and I don't feel one bit guilty for anything that I plan to eat) helps me feel normal throughout this sometimes difficult process. My Trainer has me off as much added sugar as possible...limited but not low carb and I don't eat a lot of some of my favorite foods on this plan. For me...eliminating them for most of the week has helped me to gain control over myself with them. My tastes have changed a lot since I started this new lifestyle. Some things I used to enjoy don't seem worth it anymore...some do...I am still learning which is which...I do try to keep to my calorie count below my goal but don't beat myself if I don't... I feel like this way of eating will allow me to finally get to my goal weight and more importantly stay there... A calorie deficit is the only thing that is needed to lose weight. Some people can eat chocolate, bread, whatever and fit it into their day and it works for them... For me I do eat "clean" during 6 days of the week. Clean to me is very little to no added sugars...lots of vegetables...no junk...lots of water etc. etc. It is working for me...I feel satisfied and mostly not hungry and enjoy what I am eating...and then on Sunday (for now) I plan for 2 or 3 special "treats" that I have been craving and I enjoy them fully!! Bottom line to all this is you are going to have to figure out what works for you...makes you happy, satisfied, and able to continue to lose... We can give you ideas but you will have to figure it out! Good luck!!

Nelly_Ohhh

Thank you very much everyone! I have been on a calorie deficit as I have been losing, been decreasing. I will definitely take everyone's advice into consideration. Will mainly stick to my meal plan as I am getting accustomed to it and it is fulfilling.

tiffaninghs

just saw someone say eating clean is meaningless.. some of yall are scary and now i know why hospitals are filled with sick clueless ppl who think diet cokes are healthy.. sigh...

nutmegoreo

tiffaninghs wrote: »

just saw someone say eating clean is meaningless.. some of yall are scary and now i know why hospitals are filled with sick clueless ppl who think diet cokes are healthy.. sigh...

People say eating clean is meaningless because there is no one definition of it. What it means to one person, someone else will disagree. Some people would say eating fruits, vegetables, and lean meats is eating clean. Vegetarians would likely disagree. It's a term that is so specious, that it has no real meaning.

As for a cheat meal, I don't have cheat meals. If I want to eat over my daily calories one day, then I will do that. No need to add terms that make it feel like I'm doing something wrong.

mperrott2205

tiffaninghs wrote: »

just saw someone say eating clean is meaningless.. some of yall are scary and now i know why hospitals are filled with sick clueless ppl who think diet cokes are healthy.. sigh...

Oh please. Diet cokes are perfectly fine within moderation, just like everything. Having a can a day isn't going to kill you.

If you want to eat clean, good for you. However, I'm going to stick to my calories and my macronutrient split, and if I can fit a McDonalds into that once in a while, you better believe I'm going for it.

slimgirljo15

I prefer to call it a treat meal , and have one once a week.

livingleanlivingclean

tiffaninghs wrote: »

just saw someone say eating clean is meaningless.. some of yall are scary and now i know why hospitals are filled with sick clueless ppl who think diet cokes are healthy.. sigh...

Eating "clean" doesn't mean you're healthy, or going to avoid time in hospital.

I don't "eat clean". It doesn't mean I don't care about nutrition and health, in fact, I turned my back on "clean eating" after it made me the most unhealthy I have ever been (both physically and mentally).

OP, I don't do cheat meals either.... But I don't have any negative food associations and will quite happily fit a delicious burger and fries (often homemade) or pizza in to my calories. Or gelato. Or a fancy restaurant meal. (I might be a giant foodie who wishes I could financially and physically afford to eat out at amazing places regularly ... But that's not going to happen!)

MysticGoalie

Calories = Have any foods desired. Seeing how it fits in the calories, how it affects macro's. Adjust a bit if needed.

Enjoy

malibu927

tiffaninghs wrote: »

just saw someone say eating clean is meaningless.. some of yall are scary and now i know why hospitals are filled with sick clueless ppl who think diet cokes are healthy.. sigh...

There isn't even a clear definition of eating "clean". But correct, it doesn't matter if you do or not when it comes to weight loss. All that matters is CICO. The types of foods you eat matter to getting in proper nutrients and body composition.

savithny

tiffaninghs wrote: »

just saw someone say eating clean is meaningless.. some of yall are scary and now i know why hospitals are filled with sick clueless ppl who think diet cokes are healthy.. sigh...

When you find me 10 people who totally agree on what it means to "eat clean," maybe it won't be meaningless.

But as I've heard it described as everything from vegan to paleo, I'm going to say it has very little actual meaning.

I've seen people say that you MUST give up dairy and wheat to be "eating clean," or that only keto is "clean." For some people, "organic food" means "clean." I've seen people claim to be "eating clean" while subsisting on protein powder shakes - about the most processed food there is. I've been told that the polenta I ground myself from whole corn "isn't clean" because -- corn? grain? grinding=processing? I really wasn't sure.