Should I eat vegetables with my cheat meal?

xosunny520

So, I’m feeling a cheat... I have been craving some fried chicken from one of my favorite spots in the neighborhood for a week now, so I think I am going to cave.

Should I eat some sweet potatoes and green beans
with my chicken and fries? Or should I avoid adding any more calories to the meal? And, does a cheat meal not count if it fits in my allowable calories?

I am asking this not only for this situation, but for future ones!

bbell1985

Why would it be cheating either way? You're either in a deficit, at maintenance, or in a surplus for the day. And regardless of the day, you can still be in a deficit for the week. Weightloss happens when you are in a deficit for weeks at a time.

Eat veggies if you want. Or don't. Personally I'd have the fried chicken, skip the fries, and eat the veg...but that's how I get my fix and meet my goals at the same time.

xosunny520

bbell1985 wrote: »

Why would it be cheating either way? You're either in a deficit, at maintenance, or in a surplus for the day. And regardless of the day, you can still be in a deficit for the week. Weightloss happens when you are in a deficit for weeks at a time.

Eat veggies if you want. Or don't. Personally I'd have the fried chicken, skip the fries, and eat the veg...but that's how I get my fix and meet my goals at the same time.

I was thinking of doing this exact thing with the veggies and fries! And I guess I feel like eating any less-than-whole food is cheating haha.

Alatariel75

Eat what you want. Do you want veg? Do you want fries? Are you willing to take the calorie hit?

Questions like this are why I dislike the concept of "cheat meal". I'm either eating within my calories (and if I'm in my calories, it doesn't matter what I ate for a specific meal in the context over my overall diet) or I'm over and I cop it on the scale.

The concept of a "cheat meal" "counting" is completely up to the individual because it's a purely psychological rationalisation.

Obviously, a "cheat" in your head is more than just going over calories, it's eating food that you consider to be cheat food (and therefore, I presume, unhealthy or undesirable in terms of your plan). I choose not to think of foods as good or bad, or cheating - I may have a lazy day, I may have a day where I don't eat veggies, but they aren't cheating - they're just life.

kimny72

A "cheat meal" isn't a thing with one specific meaning. Are you trying to stick to a plan that requires a cheat meal? Is there something you want it to do for you?

I just fit what I want into my calories every day, so I don't really know what the trending idea about cheat meals is right now. It really depends what you think it will do or why you are doing it.

Calories are what counts for weight loss. The other stuff is just finding what helps you stick to your calorie goal enough to lose weight.

bbell1985

xosunny520 wrote: »

bbell1985 wrote: »

Why would it be cheating either way? You're either in a deficit, at maintenance, or in a surplus for the day. And regardless of the day, you can still be in a deficit for the week. Weightloss happens when you are in a deficit for weeks at a time.

Eat veggies if you want. Or don't. Personally I'd have the fried chicken, skip the fries, and eat the veg...but that's how I get my fix and meet my goals at the same time.

I was thinking of doing this exact thing with the veggies and fries! And I guess I feel like eating any less-than-whole food is cheating haha.

You can cut about 400-600 calories this way. Depends on if it's worth it to you.

You gonna consume completely whole foods for the rest of your life? Doesn't sound like it from this post. Might as well get used to the fact that we're human and we like highly palatable food. And that's okay, especially if a good 80-90% of our diets come from whole, nutrient dense food.

Enjoy the fried chicken for me though.

JMcGee2018

Agree with the previous answers, but will add my own opinion by saying anything goes as long as it fits into your deficit. Obviously a diet consisting purely of candy and soda isn't healthy long-term, but you'd still lose weight if you stayed at a deficit with it. Chicken and fries sounds delicious, enjoy it however you want.

anubis609

The term "cheat" usually is associated with doing something "naughty" and some people take that as permission to go to a buffet and eat as much as they can at one time - which, let's be clear, can absolutely derail a week or two of hard work depending on the type of meal you eat.

For a better term looking at the same meal, just call it a "free meal" or a "structured refeed" as opposed to a cheat. It just sounds much more productive and you might just include vegetables to make it wholesome.

Does a cheat meal count? Yes. All meals count. Every time. Any meal either adds to a surplus or is fit into your goal of a deficit.

Now, will one meal absolutely destroy ALL of your hard work? No. If you're consistent 80% of the time, then 20% of slips aren't going to hinder your progress.

Another way to look at free meals is allow yourself a food that you've been restricting while on your diet. Let's say you've cut out refined food and desserts for 6 weeks, and you go out for a free meal, well then get your normal restaurant food you'd normally get for your deficit, but feel free to order a dessert - it's completely your choice to order the ultra deluxe 10 layer chocolate fudge cake or to maybe get a slice of strawberry cheesecake or something. Voila. You've eaten a nutrient dense meal and allowed your dessert to satisfy that craving.

However you want to do it, as long as you're in a deficit on average, you will lose fat over the long term.