Cheat meal/day???

rwehly2018

GO AHEAD AND CHEAT YOURSELF TO MOTIVATE UR BODY WEEKLY BY REWARD MEAL

DarrFitness1

The "cheat" mentality has to die. If you want to make this sustainable and a lifestyle, you must make the mindshift. I used to make a game out of how many calories I could eat on a "cheat" day. It was almost like bragging rights. But, once I made the mind shift, my fitness went to a whole different level. I was able to sustain this a lot easier. I HIGHLY recommend reading "The Guide To Flexible Dieting" by Lyle Mcdonald. GAME CHANGER!

ThinnerLiz

I’ve lost successfully and consistently by incorporating treats and variations along the way.

I agree with what gallicinvasion said above.
Finding a routine that works 90% of the time, with built-in opportunities to enjoy what life has to offer—why not?
If you’re one who slips a little with a slice of cake and ends up eating the whole thing, then this approach is not for you.
I understand that a lot of us have unhealthy relationships with food and eating which make sticking to one slice difficult!
You have to know what you can handle, and you need to plan ahead.

I’m taking a trip to Japan in ten days and you can bet I’m going to try all the goodies!
I’m not going to go crazy; I’m still going to be mindful and make sure I stay active. But I want to enjoy the experience on all levels, culturally and socially. And food it part of that.

So I have a plan (avoid fried/fatty foods and sweets, have small amounts of rice/fruit for carbs, and stick with fish and veg mostly. Easy on the alcohol; maybe one drink a night if at all.
And I expect to gain a pound or two—even if it’s just water/bloat. Once I get home, it’s back on the wagon where I’m very strict and exercise more than usual. A couple of weeks and that weight will be gone.

It’s a matter of sticking to a long range, overall plan that’s sustainable for you. I couldn’t do it if I never enjoyed any of my favorite things.

WinoGelato

Others have covered the mental angle of calling it a “cheat” meal. I fully agree it implies that you’re doing something sinful and that’s really not how I want to approach my weight management, fitness and overall approach to health.

First, I’ve been on MFP for 6.5 years. First to lose weight, then maintain, and now trying to lose a little of the maintenance creep that came back the last year or so.

During that time, I ate what I want, in moderation, fitting it in when I could. Some foods fit easily every day. A piece of chocolate or a serving of ice cream after dinner. Some foods fit in weekly, especially when planning ahead. Friday night pizza with the family or Sunday football with nachos and wings. I often Bank calories during the week to have more to use on the weekends for the more indulgent meals.

Then you also mentioned holidays. In 6.5 years I’ve seen a lot of holidays and vacations come and go and seen a lot of people agonize about these days. What I can tell you is that I’ve logged and tracked my intake on those days, making no efforts to limit my intake and it never caused my weight loss progress to halt. Sure you might see temporary blip from consuming more sodium or carbs than normal but with a long term plan this is just temporary water weight gain.

Lastly though, I wanted to mention you said you’re at 1200 cals for your plan. This is the lowest recommended for women and not always necessary to go that low. If you are cutting to the minimum you may feel deprived and the concept of “cheating” may get away from you. With your stats how much weight are you trying to lose? Should be no more than 1 lb/week and the 1200 is also a NEAT goal meaning it doesn’t include exercise. If you do exercise you should log and eat back those calories as well. By having a more moderate calorie deficit you may be able to fit in more of the foods you would feel tempted to “cheat” with and then build a more balanced plan instead of going overboard on special days.

koalathebear

I think the nomenclature is irrelevant - call it a cheat day, extra food day, maintenance day etc ... The issue is, whether or not on the day you're not actively tracking, you are able to have enough restraint to not eat so many calories in excess of your allowance that it could derail a week of careful eating. If that's the case, then I'm all in favour of cutting loose with caution for a day especially if it goes people a psychological boost.

The better approach is probably to save the 'extra food' days for when you know you can do more exercise - either on those days themselves or on either side of those days.