What do you consider as a cheat meal?

fangmouse

I think eating a slice of pizza is considered as a cheat meal.

What's your definition of a cheat meal?

kristieshannon

NOTHING!!! I eat anything I want, in moderation. As long as I don't go over my base calories + my exercise calories per day I'm A-OK with it.

Donald_Dozier_50

Pizza isn't. A cheat meal is one that puts you over your calorie goal. If it fits in your goal, to me it is fine.

Ed98043

Pizza isn't. A cheat meal is one that puts you over your calorie goal. If it fits in your goal, to me it is fine.

Yep. It's not the "what", but the "how much".

michellekicks

NOTHING!!! I eat anything I want, in moderation. As long as I don't go over my base calories + my exercise calories per day I'm A-OK with it.

:flowerforyou:

michellekicks

What's your definition of a cheat meal?

Anything you pretend you didn't eat.

snazzyjazzy21

Nothing. If I can fit it into my calories for the day, then its a normal meal.

Kr1ptonite

For me it would be stuff like KFC, Pizza, Macca's, Ice cream and such. Even if i do fit it into my macros i still put it down as a cheat meal.

RaggedyPond

Over eating by 300 calories or more at the end of the day is a cheat day. Eat a slice of pizza is not. Just yesterday I had TWO slices and was still under. Oh bad me!

DawnieB1977

For me it would be something I don't usually have, so maybe a dessert like some cheesecake, or a take away curry. I wouldn't consider a slice of pizza a cheat because that's unlikely to put you over your calories, but maybe 4 or more slices (depending on how big they are!).

lovinmyselfagain

NOTHING!!! I eat anything I want, in moderation. As long as I don't go over my base calories + my exercise calories per day I'm A-OK with it.

^^^^This for sure! However, I've also learned that going over my calories one day or even two days is not a deal breaker. I just make up for it during the rest of the week. But, I didn't get that "relaxed" about my eating until I was over halfway through my journey. As you progress, you will figure out what works and DOESN"T work for you. I've never been a fan of the term "cheat" in reference to living a healthier life. I think putting certain things off limits completely, makes me(and I'm sure a lot of people) just want that forbidden item more. But you have to know your triggers and you have to be honest with yourself about your ability to have just one or two servings of something "not so healthy."

darkrose20

Most things at any chain restaurant. I've noticed every (ok, nearly every) meal is approximately 1,000 calories at places like Carrabas, Outback, etc etc. :explode: I'm NOT ok with only having 300 cals left in a day unless I exercise until I feel sick. :sick:

I really, really need to stop fantasizing about Pasta Weezie, et all. :grumble:

mmapags

NOTHING!!! I eat anything I want, in moderation. As long as I don't go over my base calories + my exercise calories per day I'm A-OK with it.

Totally this. Also, hitting macro targets is important. Other than that, I don't believe in the whole concept of "cheat" meals.

Sashoi

A cheat meal to me would be something u over indulged on that pretty much made u feel disgusted after eating it lol. So I don't have cheat meals I eat what I want n I'm always under.

DavPul

NOTHING!!! I eat anything I want, in moderation. As long as I don't go over my base calories + my exercise calories per day I'm A-OK with it.

This.

Plus a slice of pizza (or anything else) isn't a meal

TheDarlingOne

for me it's not so much about the 'meal' - it's about the #....but i guess that coincides with a 'meal' - because i know x-meal will put me over x-amount of calories so *tee-hee* i cheated lol.

Tessyloowhoo

A slice of pizza isn't a cheat meal.... but an entire pizza on the other hand....yeah that would work as a cheat meal.

Schlackity

Words like "cheat" and being "on" a diet are the reasons I never did well with eating healthier before. I grew up in a household where you were either ON or OFF a diet. Foods were GOOD or BAD. Good foods were healthy (veggies, fruit, boiled chicken) and bad foods were cheating (anything not veggies, fruit, or boiled chicken). I grew up in an obese household where eating was done more out of emotional need than basic necessity.

I've been trying to lose weight since I was 8 (I'm 46 now). I think one of the reasons I failed so many times was because I was convinced that bad foods meant I was cheating and therefore failing. Eating something classified as bad had negative connotations from the start. Over that many years, I think it wreaks havoc on your psyche. You eat something you enjoy and immediately feel guilty for it, and then because you eat emotionally, you eat more to stuff the feelings down.

Since I started MFP, I decided to take a leap of faith and eat not just foods that are good for me, but foods that taste good too, and keep them all within my macros and not feel guilty about it. I still have days where I feel like I goofed when I see that I'm over on protein or sodium or whatever, but I know I'm still learning and the weight is coming off, so I'm doing something right.

I still haven't told my mother (I live in PA and she lives in FL) that I'm eating healthier, because either out of jealousy, fear that she'll lose her eating buddy, or motherly concern, she will get into my head and start using words like "diet" and "cheat" and refer to foods as good and bad, and I'm desperately working on reversing that way of thinking. I won't likely see my mom until the spring when she comes up to visit, and by then, I hope to have my new habits pretty engrained in my head.

So what foods are cheat foods? None. What foods are good and bad? None really. Are some foods healthier than others? Sure. Should we avoid the less healthy foods at all costs? I don't think so, personally, but that's everyone's own choice.

It's an absolutely beautiful day outside, not a cloud in the sky and it's a perfect 68 degrees right now. I'm going for a long walk with my iPod. I can't remember the last time I was excited to go outside and exercise. What a nice feeling! I hope everyone else has equally nice weather and can enjoy the weekend. :-)

BeckyMBisMe

I think eating a slice of pizza is considered as a cheat meal.

What's your definition of a cheat meal?

WHAT!? NO, NO! Eating half the deep dish, extra cheese pizza is a cheat meal! :sick:

Actually, I now consider any time I don't choose "wisely" cheating. For example: last night for dinner I had 3 chunks of left over dipping bread from "Bravo!". I buttered them on the side and sprinkled each with a nice bunch of grated parm cheese and zapped it in the microwave. Not healthy but delicious and I managed not to go over my intake limit for the day. And that dear children is a cheat meal because it wasn't the "best" choice for me!:bigsmile:

fangmouse

Okay wait I change my initial statement. I feel like I've eaten a cheat meal when I've eaten things that I normally do not eat during the week, like for example during the week for my lunches, I'll eat salads only. And in the weekend, meaning Saturday and Sunday, I'll eat like a sandwich or something and even though it's healthy, it's still above my caloric goal for that particular meal, so I'll call it a cheat meal.

Also, if I've eaten anything less healthy like chocolate or a slice of cake, I'll call that a cheat meal too.

JeralynSh

My husband and I have a seasonal cheat meal.

Our Autumn cheat day is coming up, and we'll have my homemade chicken parmesan with garlic fettuccine, a loaf of artisan bread (using lots of butter) and a bottle of a nice red wine.

This will put me waaaaaaay over my caloric intake, but since we're only now doing meals like this 4 times a year, I don't feel guilty anymore.

cwolfman13

There is no such thing as a cheat meal or cheat day or whatever...if you have a "cheat" then that means you most likely have a very unhealthy relationship with food in general.

CrazyVulcanLover

I don't view pizza or any food a "cheat" item, if I eat well, exercise and it does not put me over my calorie goal. I personally think that if you view any food as a cheat -- you are more likely to feel deprived and deprivation leads to failure. I do believe in "cheat days" here and there and for me--that is a day when I do not stress my calories and portion sizes. I allow myself one once a week--but don't always USE it.

ClementineGeorg

A cheat meal is a meal very rich in calories in my opinion.

A big lunch containing one slice of pizza and a salad is just another lunch of a great day. It can be easily fitted in ones calories. A whole big pizza... well that's a cheat meal.

taiyola

Words like "cheat" and being "on" a diet are the reasons I never did well with eating healthier before.

A slice of pizza is about 250 calories - definitely not anything to bloomin' cry about. I eat what I want, but plan ahead. I ate over 3000 calories Tuesday without exercising - and what?!

taiyola

There is no such thing as a cheat meal or cheat day or whatever...if you have a "cheat" then that means you most likely have a very unhealthy relationship with food in general.

Exactly. What exactly are you 'cheating'? Your 'diet'?

*puts head in hands*

Mr_Knight

What's your definition of a cheat meal?

Anything you pretend you didn't eat.

QFT!

ereck44

pretty cool! Is Thanksgiving dinner a cheat meal? just need some clarification!

ereck44

My husband and I have a seasonal cheat meal.

Our Autumn cheat day is coming up, and we'll have my homemade chicken parmesan with garlic fettuccine, a loaf of artisan bread (using lots of butter) and a bottle of a nice red wine.

This will put me waaaaaaay over my caloric intake, but since we're only now doing meals like this 4 times a year, I don't feel guilty anymore.

Pretty cool!

hotmomma0612

A cheat meal for me would be going out to a restaurant and ordering a regular meal (not a "healthy" one) and eating it all.

Nikoruo

candies, icecream, chips kinda stuff. Anything that isn't worth the calories it consumes (that being, not filling and likely raises your macros a lot)