tell me it’s ok to have a cheat meal without feeling guilty

trulyhealy

basically i’m craving a dominoes and if i don’t have a thing i’m craving for the most part i eat a lot until i get it. but my plan is to get a small pizza instead of a bigger one they i normally get and then chicken wings.

that including other food the total is like 1,500 calories. and i plan to do a workout dvd as i wait for the food to arrive because it’s fun and i might as well burn off some calories and then go to the gym as normal later

i know this isn’t a healthy mindset but what can i do to not feel guilty about eating a fatty meal like that?

Muscleflex79

IIFYM - eat whatever you like within your macros - enjoy the pizza!

nitalieben

It IS okay. If you want to do this sustainably, it has to be a lifestyle change. Want to have no pizza forever and ever? No? Then, take this opportunity to learn how to incorporate the things into your diet sensibly.

nighthawk584

Is it the best nutritional or calorie option, probably not, ok...no. That being said, there is nothing wrong with enjoying foods that you love. It's all about portion control and staying consistently in a calorie deficit. If you know you want a certain high calorie food, plan for it and eat sensibly. If it causes you to binge and eat till you're sick, you may want to stay away from it until you can resist binging.

sijomial

It's OK to eat your pizza without guilt.
It's also OK to actually enjoy your food.
It's OK to diet (verb) and not eat exclusively "diet foods".
It's also OK to think about your entire diet (noun) rather than over-analyse individual components.
It's OK not to try and balance your budget every day (many people prefer a weekly budget).

It's maybe also better to call it a treat meal - you aren't cheating on anyone including yourself, language matters.

PAV8888

OR you could get a medium and eat it over two days... Not sure where the wings go with the pizza... but I generally do not find them worth the calories... I would rather spend the calories on pizza and maybe add some chicken breast if I wanted extra protein!

ReenieHJ

Of course it's okay to indulge once in awhile!! You(we) deserve to. We're human and this is life, meant to be enjoyed. Get the pizza, do the exercise anyways, and stay on track most of the time! You'll still get to where you want to go! If the guilt is truly heavy to bear, just eat half now, half later. Who says pizza's not a breakfast food? Or invite someone over to share a pizza. Or can you order a slice to fulfill your craving? Just ideas....or you can order it, enjoy it, and stay on track the rest of the week.

missysippy930

You can certainly have whatever you want.
For me, all foods in moderation, with portion control, and staying within my calorie budget, for the most part. Choices, and making better ones, are a huge part of my strategy now. Free will. Whatever works for each of us is ok.

fitoverfortymom

It's okay to have a chest meal and not feel guilty.

MikePTY

It's okay to have a cheat meal without feeling guilty.

Guilt will be nothing but a detractor during your journey. Show that thing to the door and don't let it come back.

LivingtheLeanDream

I had Dominoes at the weekend, I enjoyed 3 slices, was actually full by slice no 2. and no guilt whatsoever - I bank calories for the weekend/eating out. Eat what you want if it fits in your calories or bank some calories in advance.

apullum

Not only is it okay to eat pizza, it’s also okay not to work out while you wait for it if you hadn’t already intended to do that workout. The mindset of “needing” to do additional, unplanned workouts because you ate more than you intended can cause many problems, including injury due to over exercise.

Eat your pizza, get back to your plan tomorrow. In the future, you can bank calories earlier in the week for a bigger meal.

aries68mc

If you allow yourself to eat what you like and keep within your calories/macros, then you shouldn't have to think of anything as a cheat meal, IMO.

knightmagic

trulyhealy wrote: »

basically i’m craving a dominoes and if i don’t have a thing i’m craving for the most part i eat a lot until i get it. but my plan is to get a small pizza instead of a bigger one they i normally get and then chicken wings.

that including other food the total is like 1,500 calories. and i plan to do a workout dvd as i wait for the food to arrive because it’s fun and i might as well burn off some calories and then go to the gym as normal later

i know this isn’t a healthy mindset but what can i do to not feel guilty about eating a fatty meal like that?

It's best to not look at food negatively because it builds a negative aspect when you "cheat" if you want that pizza you eat it. Food isn't evil it's just food. I struggled for YEARS with this and finally in the last 6 months I finally came to terms with it and I"m now down 50lbs and have my squat at 315lbs (5x5) and my deadlift at 315 (2x1). I've never been this slim and strong and i'm excited to see where I am at in 6 more months. If i can do this so can you. Just believe in yourself and don't beat yourself up to bad when you feel you "cheated" just enjoy the meal. That boost in confidence might be what you need to get to that next level.

NovusDies

When you call it cheating you are inviting guilt. It is just food.

You should be more worried about feeling deprived. It can really kill a weight loss effort.

Have your TREAT meal. I have eaten close to a 100 pizza and lost over 200 pounds doing it so that is 2 pounds per pizza! But seriously I would not have been able to go the last 2 years without pizza. I would have quit and then regained whatever I had lost like I have done every other time.

Go_Deskercise

Eat what fits into your calorie goal or make it fit.

I knew I would be having pizza this past Wednesday for dinner so I went light on the calories and moved more so I was able to eat 3 pieces of pizza (no toppings/extra cheese) and still be within my calorie goal.

edit: even if you go over your calorie goal, it's not the end of the world. Enjoy the treat and move on to the next day

bmeadows380

Like everyone else said - its not a cheat meal, its not a failure, its not a "sin". You're taking the right steps by reducing the size. One day once in a while is nothing in the long run and won't derail you unless you let it. And treating yourself is as much a necessary part of all this as losing the weight; after all, your mental strength is a huge part of the battle and vital to making a sustained, lasting lifestyle change.

The only time it becomes wrong is if you do the same thing tomorrow, then the next day, then the next day, then the next day......Enjoy the pizza and determine that its a special once-in-a-while treat and get back to it tomorrow, and you'll be fine.

amusedmonkey

It's okay to have a day every now and then where you eat more calories than usual. It's not just okay, it's normal. It's not even "cheating". If you're losing weight and wish to continue maintaining it, days like this are very important because they teach you the value of balancing your food, your life, your desires, and your goals. It teaches you that diet (and weight management in general) isn't a bubble on some uninhabited island. Things happen, you have desires, plans don't always turn out the way you expect them to, and that's all okay, it's called life. If you take that food guilt with you into maintenance you're likely to struggle and burn out.

cwolfman13

Food is food...I never think of eating anything as "cheating". What I'm doing most of the time is what matters to my overall health and fitness. I eat pretty well most of the time...but I also like to nom some pizza or get some pub grub or whatever sometimes. People aren't unhealthy or overweight because they overeat sometimes...they are overweight and unhealthy because they overeat most of the time.

I also don't go around doing unplanned/unscheduled exercise because I overindulged.

CSARdiver

I'm questioning many of your "knowns".

What isn't healthy about this mindset?

What rules are you breaking that this is cheating?

What is your daily caloric budget and how does this compare to this meal?

If your plan doesn't allow for food you love, then it's a sure sign that such a plan won't work long term. Time to dump some myths on "good" and "bad" foods.

cupcakesandproteinshakes

Eat the pizza. And the wings if you want. Then move on.

magnusthenerd

Might help to call it a large meal instead of a cheat meal. Calling it cheat has a moral implication, and there's tendency to carry that moral implication to yourself.

If instead, you just think you're having a large meal right now because you feel like that is more beneficial than the little day or two longer it might take to reach some loss, there isn't a moral implication - it is just a choice between desires. You can't be guilty of having the wrong preference of what you want for your self at a given moment.

thenewkayla

If I want a higher calorie meal I eat a light lunch and breakfast and save about 1,000 calories for dinner about 200 for breakfast and 300 for lunch. 200 for snack. But if it was me I'd get the pizza or wings. Tonight I spent 900 calories on dinner but didnt go over due to eating light all day!

rheddmobile

Once you have sufficient nutrition you don’t get extra credit for more broccoli. Unless you have a health condition which says you shouldn’t eat it, enjoy your food. If you go outside your calorie budget, log it and move on. A little extra exercise to offset the extra calories is fine, but don’t punish yourself. You made a decision to eat something you are craving within moderation instead of blowing your diet on a binge. That’s great!

Reserve feeling guilty for actions which hurt people. Life is too short to feel guilty over food.

lgfrie

Binges happen. Your brain is telling you (pretty loudly) that it wants a break. Better to listen to it than to fight it. Powerful hormones and neurotransmitters are demanding a time-out, and the tiny inhibition center in your 3mm thick neocortex cannot win that battle. So go enjoy your pizza and wings. Then get up tomorrow and weigh in, eat right, log everything, and work out. It's what happens the day after the binge that matters.

adoucet15

It is 100% okay. Thanks for sharing. I too have been dealing with the same issues. But like nost have already said, fitness is about a lifestyle and mindset change.

Are you making smart/healthy food decisions 7-8-9 out of 10 times?

If so than a cheat/treat meal is okay. We have to learn not to be so hard on ourselves.

P.S. pizza is too good to avoid for long periods of time.

ReenieHJ

Ever since I first read this post, I've been wanting to buy a pint of Ben and Jerry's. But I know what will happen if I indulge in ice cream.

nighthawk584

ReenieHJ wrote: »

Ever since I first read this post, I've been wanting to buy a pint of Ben and Jerry's. But I know what will happen if I indulge in ice cream.

I know it's not Ben & Jerry's, but Enlightened Ice Cream is a pretty good lower calorie option. I love the Salted Caramel. The whole pint is 320 calories. (yes, I ate THE WHOLE PINT as a treat the other day)

Viking_Dad

I don't think it's ever ok to feel guilty. About anything. Guilt is a worthless and negative emotion.
It's much healthier to feel regret, then move on. Regret is somewhat more positive and it jelps you to not repeat what causes it.
Guilt just drains you.

gradchica27

Totally fine to eat the pizza. As others have said, you are changing your eating habits, but this is a life long change. So how will you fit pizza into your overall diet?

Many people find it stressful to eat “perfectly” (however they define it) and eventually they crack, leading to a binge. If that seems like how you’re looking at things, maybe reconsider how to incorporate your favorite higher calorie foods.

My personal strategy is eat a big salad and 1-2 pieces of pizza. I get pizza, I get full, but I haven’t eaten 5 pieces and a big cheesy bread. And I generally (physically) feel better later....too much cheese and grease wreak havoc on my insides.

Maybe save the wings for another night, when you can pair them with some high volume veggies or something to help fill you up without a big additional calorie hit?

WinoGelato

Perhaps if you didn’t view pizza as some forbidden food to feel guilty about, you wouldn’t even need to eat a medium pizza in order to feel satiated. I often eat 2-3 pieces, with a salad, and some wine, and still stay within my calories for the week.