Is it a Cheat Meal or Cheat Day?

Laquincy
Laquincy Posts: 76 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My friend and I were talking. He told me originally it was considered a cheat meal and not a entire cheat day. Anyone have any input to this? Do you have a cheat day or cheat meal?

Replies

  • 365Keto
    365Keto Posts: 15
    When I used to work out seriosly I took a cheat day, it's easier than restricting it to a single meal. After that day I could keep a strict diet without feeling the usual cravings.
    It might not be every week, but it's good to have one every once in a while.
  • GemmaRowlands
    GemmaRowlands Posts: 360 Member
    None - I just made sure my weekly calories were within my limits. Sometimes I wouldn't count exercise cals on the day I did the exercise but instead at the weekend, or on a day I knew I was going out.

    That way, even though it may be going over calories on one day, I would know I wouldn't gain weight because I'd already thought of it in advance.

    I've always been very money minded, and managed to think of it almost like finance in a way.

    Anyhow, it worked, and I've now successfully maintained for over a year.
  • rxqueen81
    rxqueen81 Posts: 3 Member
    I say cheat meal. But I also agree with 365Keto.
  • Dawn810511
    Dawn810511 Posts: 98 Member
    I would say cheat meal instead of cheat day. And the way I do it is I will have a cheat meal whenever I reach an individual goal, like for example, my first goal is to reach 150lbs. I'll have a cheat meal then, like maybe go out to eat at a nice restaurant or something like that. Then when I reached my next goal, then my next goal, then the next goal, and so on.
  • dc1745
    dc1745 Posts: 69 Member
    I like to think of it as a "Free Meal" or "Free Day", not a cheat meal. Cheating denotes something forbidden.
  • Laquincy
    Laquincy Posts: 76 Member
    When I used to work out seriosly I took a cheat day, it's easier than restricting it to a single meal. After that day I could keep a strict diet without feeling the usual cravings.
    It might not be every week, but it's good to have one every once in a while.

    Thanks for the advice
  • BurnTheFatFeedTheMuscle
    BurnTheFatFeedTheMuscle Posts: 4 Member
    I generally have 2-3 cheat meals a week to eat "normally" with friends, take care of cravings and remind me how crappy I feel when I have crappy food. I'll do cheat days for special occasions such as Thanksgiving, Super Bowl Sunday, etc.
  • Laquincy
    Laquincy Posts: 76 Member
    I would say cheat meal instead of cheat day. And the way I do it is I will have a cheat meal whenever I reach an individual goal, like for example, my first goal is to reach 150lbs. I'll have a cheat meal then, like maybe go out to eat at a nice restaurant or something like that. Then when I reached my next goal, then my next goal, then the next goal, and so on.
    Cool, so a reward system. Makes it that much better.
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
    I have a cheat meal every few days.. I input my food before I eat to see if I have room to play around and also helps me stick to it. I also allow room for snacks etc. I make sure plenty of vegetables go with dinner which might be a couple of pieces of southern fried chicken or add loads of mushrooms to my pasta if I'm having a cream-based sauce. :)
  • hilts1969
    hilts1969 Posts: 465 Member
    My friend and I were talking. He told me originally it was considered a cheat meal and not a entire cheat day. Anyone have any input to this? Do you have a cheat day or cheat meal?

    Live like a nun Monday through Friday and like a devil at the weekend, cheat weekends are ace
  • Fit2Strip
    Fit2Strip Posts: 280 Member
    It's only cheating if you get caught.
  • thegilly6
    thegilly6 Posts: 137 Member
    I tend to go bigger than that. I like cheat events, a vacation, a birthday week, the Christmas break. I make sure I eat everything I've been craving those weeks then it's full "game-on" come Monday morning. Sure, I put on a few pounds. Most of it seems to be water weight because it drops off so quickly but I get back down to where I was in about a week's time.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Whatever you want. I can't really recommend cheating and eating too much all day long though.
  • binniesmart
    binniesmart Posts: 74
    [/quote]

    Live like a nun Monday through Friday and like a devil at the weekend, cheat weekends are ace
    [/quote]

    I tend to do this, but try and make one day good and one day relaxed. I log religiously mon-fri, then relax a bit at the weekends, safe in the knowledge I have exercise calories or a little slack from though the week. All goes to pot on holidays/xmas etc. Need to work on those longer spells of indulgence...
  • rgrange
    rgrange Posts: 236 Member
    Cheat month. I do it hardcore.
  • Amym26
    Amym26 Posts: 83 Member
    I do a cheat meal not an entire day. But, I suppose it depends on each person individually and how well they can handle the extra calories. I do a cheat day once every few months for special occasions only.
  • SexKittenlovesitrough
    SexKittenlovesitrough Posts: 486
    to be honest I don't think it matters, being over on calories is being over on calories...

    some days for me that equates to a cheat day because I choose to graze my extra calories...

    some days it's a meal because I make arrangements to have a meal that is over on my calories...

    lets put it this way...

    Saturday you conspire to eat your regular food however on Saturday A you munch on cheez it's all day to the tune of a 300 calorie overage...

    Saturday B you choose to eat within calorie limits and then choose to have a burrito bowl at your favorite place for an overage of 450 calories...

    either way you shake it...day/meal...

    both days you were willingly and purposefully over by 300/450 calories and as such had a "cheat"

    it's really in how you look at it.

    some would say that making it a cheat "meal" over a cheat "day" helps them to keep a binge in check, that could be true...but I think as long as your cheats are constructively planned to be enjoyable, fulfilling and within a moderate cheat ratio (aka not more than a 3500 (one pound gain) differential on TOP of your daily allowance.

    you can call it/do it, how you want.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    I'm in keto so cheating for me means eating carbs. I am doing a carb up day every week or so now. if something special is going on (like new years or christmas) I consider it a totally free day within reason. no ridiculous stuffing of self but eat what I want. Maybe I'll go a couple hundred calories over, maybe I won't. my normal carb up day I try to eat within my calorie allotment but whatever I want to eat within that scope.
  • Benphi91
    Benphi91 Posts: 31 Member
    Cheat day.

    I save them for nights out drinking.
  • airdiva1
    airdiva1 Posts: 198 Member
    When I started out, my cheat meal was planned for twice a month.
    However, I only did one that first month.
    I allow myself one day a month to enjoy whatever. But I still exercise.
    If I do have a craving for something on a non cheat day, I balance it out with extra exercise. If I want an extra tablespoon of almond butter? Walk an extra mile! Want a sweet potato? Walk extra
    One day I wanted a 16 oz steak. I walked 7 miles in addition to my normal walking. That way I balanced it out.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    Neither. I have "eat to maintenance days," and occasionally even "eat over maintenance days," so long as the week is at or under maintenance (in actual practice, I don't think I've had a week where my deficit was less than about 1700 calories since I started logging on MFP, although the stuff I eat on "maintenance" days tends to give me a lot more sodium than I usually consume, so I have occasionally had a higher weigh-in after a week with maintenance days).

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