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

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    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?

    Formally, when I was premenstrual, I used to crave a 1200 or so calorie pint of Ben & Jerry's, and eat a whole one in a day, and maybe another one the next day. I eventually realized I just need a few hundred more calories at this time, and if I just ate a little more of regular food, that would do the trick.

    Sadly, I am not able to moderate any Ben & Jerry's but the 1 C cups, which do not come in my favorite flavors.
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    Here's my concern (for me) about cheat meals. Am I having one cheat meal or am I slipping overall and this is simply a sign of it? If it's the first, it all depends on the level. Does it simply mean I'm not at as big of a deficit for today? Maybe it just takes me to maintenance (so today I'm simply breaking even). And even if above maintenance, its probably small in the grant scheme of things. Remember, it takes 3500 calories OVER MAINTENANCE to gain one pound. So again, is this one cheat meal or the beginning of a pattern.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    edited January 2020
    richardgavel wrote: »
    Here's my concern (for me) about cheat meals. Am I having one cheat meal or am I slipping overall and this is simply a sign of it? If it's the first, it all depends on the level. Does it simply mean I'm not at as big of a deficit for today? Maybe it just takes me to maintenance (so today I'm simply breaking even). And even if above maintenance, its probably small in the grant scheme of things. Remember, it takes 3500 calories OVER MAINTENANCE to gain one pound. So again, is this one cheat meal or the beginning of a pattern.

    Yep! This is my biggest fear when my mind starts going to that place of treating myself which is why I try to avoid it. :/ But if you're not that person, then a treat is fine, should be included and enjoyed. I just know me and how easily I succumb to temptation. That's why as tempted as I am to buy a pint of ice cream(Halo's or otherwise) I can see myself falling off track so easily. What can I say, I'm pathetically weak. :blush: It took me a lot of self-talk and time to climb back out of the over eating I did during the holidays.
  • amfmmama
    amfmmama Posts: 1,420 Member
    most times I plan a cheat meal, and I include my exercise in my calories, I enter it and I barely go over
  • geraldaltman
    geraldaltman Posts: 1,739 Member
    Denying yourself will create a degree of angst or unhappiness which will negatively affect your efforts. If you avoid deviating from everything else you do, then have the meal, enjoy it then move on.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Free yourself. Self-induced food prisons contain words like cheat, cringe, guilt, regret. Assigning moral judgments to food is the process that leads to self-recrimination. Food rules and regulations are not food freedom but a self-induced food prison.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,985 Member
    The IDEAL way to sustain a decent weight and lifestyle is to be able to eat what you want. JUST DON'T GO OVERBOARD. Anyone can lose weight on ANY DIET PLAN if they follow it. Problem is most people diet just to lose weight and don't WANT TO STAY ON THAT PROGRAM once they meet their goals. Meet your goal by just learning how much you need to eat each day.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • s_rivera_92
    s_rivera_92 Posts: 92 Member
    I allow myself to have a cheat day/meal once a week. I may not always use it every week, but I think it's good to give yourself the option so that you don't feel discouraged/overwhelmed. Just cheat a little and then go back to your usual food the next morning. :) Don't beat yourself up over it.
  • s_rivera_92
    s_rivera_92 Posts: 92 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    stefa_roth wrote: »
    I allow myself to have a cheat day/meal once a week. I may not always use it every week, but I think it's good to give yourself the option so that you don't feel discouraged/overwhelmed. Just cheat a little and then go back to your usual food the next morning. :) Don't beat yourself up over it.

    Or... don’t follow a plan that is so restrictive that you feel overwhelmed and discouraged in the first place. Many successful people eat all the foods they enjoy, fitting them in their calories, without ever feeling like a “cheat” is necessary.

    Good advice. I was referring to the OP of this post more than myself. I enjoy all the food I eat. My problem is I'm never hungry and have to force myself to eat to reach my calorie goals. My "cheat days" still leave me at my calories needed for the day. I'll just have a bowl of white rice instead of brown rice when I "cheat".

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