Not able to handle a cheat day - someone help me relax...

kroonha

I've been watching what I eat and counting calories religiously for just over three months now. I don't usually have 'cheat days' and I have an occasional 'cheat meal' for which I save calories for & generally that cheat meal is something more indulgent in a restaurant or just plain nachos with home made salsa (not that bad).

Today, I ended up at McDonald's for lunch. I had a medium quarter pounder menu with fries & water. Totalled at almost 1,000 calories.
It leaves me with 350 for the rest of the day & I'm going to the gym later but I just feel so guilty. I'm not sure what hit me, I haven't had McD's in months and months, mainly because it makes me feel like crap after but yet today I ended up there.
How can I feel better about this? I know that this won't throw me off my constant streak of being within my calories and working hard but yet I feel like I've put on a kilo in weight.

How can I feel positive about today? Does anyone have some tips? And no, I don't intend on going to McD's again - I'm already comforting myself with that thought.

melaniecheeks

One day will not ruin all your hard work.

It's likely after your gym session that your net calories will not be that far off your target.

Guilt is a very destructive emotion and will serve you no good. You had your meal, it isn't a disaster, and it hasnt dreailed your long term plan.

Swissmiss

Leave this in the past. Nothing you can do to change it. Now...what about today? This is where you need to keep your attention. One day at a time and you will do fine. Just, please..do not allow the McDonald's meal to ruin all your hard work by putting you on a guilt trip.

mikeschratz

Stay where your feet are.... everything is ok right here right now.... just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Put the stick down (quit beating yourself up) and get positive....

Good luck!

beachlover317

If you're saving up calories for an occasional cheat meal, I fail to see the problem. It's one meal. Unless you get sick from eating it, enjoy it and move on. Log it tonight after the gym and it will be a blip on the radar.

Oh yeah - and relax already!

livingleanlivingclean

the stress is probably doing more damage to your results than eating the meal, moving on and making choices for the rest of the day that meet your goal.

_Zardoz_

One of the problems I see is your using the word 'Cheat'. What are you cheating against? As far as I see what you are doing is eating generally within your calorie goals which is what you do everyday. So why is it different that it's a Macdonalds? You want to do this long term you wish to keep the weight off so day to day we all don't eat 'Healthy' food all of the time. The way to make it work is to be able to occasionally have things like McD without stressing about it. I look at my Calorie allowance as a guide it's not set in stone if I occasionally go over that's fine because the majority of the time I'm under. One day wont destroy months or weeks of hard work

You need to work on your mindset otherwise long term you will struggle. We all live in the real world and sometimes the occasional McD or whatever floats your boat is fine. What is important is what you are doing consistently and how you can sustain it. You do not have a 'Cheat' meal you just have a meal. It's all food in the end lableling foods with terms such as cheat or good and bad just leads to problems.

kroonha

Thanks everybody - guess I just need to adjust to this calorie bomb and forget about it - Tomorrow is a fresh start and tonight I can have a killer gym session!
I failed to put this one flop into the bigger perspective & focused too much on just one day.

I appreciate these uplifting comments

msf74

but I just feel so guilty.

Guilt is the reaction to feeling you have done something you should not have done. It makes you feel like you have failed and which therefore lowers your sense of self worth. Lowering self worth makes it more likely you will unnecessarily restrict even further making it even more likely you will fall off your plan.

The antidote to guilt is forgiveness and being kind to yourself. You are a human being, not a robot. Human beings are meant to be imperfect and different. That's what makes us beautiful.

In addition, if you change your thinking you will see that this was not a failure in any degree. You are still meeting your calorie deficit, this meal will not set you back on iota in the long term, and there is no such thing as a "cheat" or a "treat" - just food which either meets the plan or not. You are still meeting that plan

prattiger65

Take a slightly longer term view of your calorie goals, try to look at it more as a weekly goal, that's really closer to how it works anyway. I try to hit my daily goal, but the weekly goal is most important to me.

abadvat

Make that "cheat meal" fit your macros and live happily ever after! - IIFYM -

alechua

I've been there. Before I don't allow myself to have cheat meal because I'm afraid I'll gain back all the pounds. But then I became unhappy, and deprived. I usually make excuses whenever my friends invite because I know it would mean having to eat high calorie foods and I'll became fat again. Though I still don't consider cheat day, I allow myself to a cheat meal and enjoy the food I want. A bit guilty still, yes, but I'm happy! I just make sure I don't eat crazy like eating above 3000 calories that day. Don't be hard on yourself.

MommyToAllieB

I try to feel positive about stuff like this by reminding myself that perfect eating is not something I will be able to maintain 100% of the time long term. So, I see the "cheats" as an opportunity to get back on track afterwards, since they will inevitably happen from time to time and I need to be able to deal with them when they do. Good luck-- one meal, one day or even one week is not going to throw you off in the long run if you are able to get back on track after it happens! I think that is actually one of the biggest tests regarding whether someone will be successful long-term, because a lot of people seem to fall off the wagon completely after a cheat.

alisonlynn1976

I know it's a common term in the fitness world, but I disagree with the concept of calling it "cheating". I think it's a mistake to assign moral values to food. If you ate more than you planned to eat today, just get back on track tomorrow. If you really like the food you are too much of, go ahead and let yourself have it occasionally, but try to budget it into the amount of calories you want to eat. A lifetime of restriction is no fun, and this good food/bad food mentality is a contributing factor for why so many regain the weight after losing it. Don't do that to yourself.

Greytfish

Let it go. Seriously.

Eating one really calorie dense meal that deviates from your normal eating makes no appreciable difference in the long term, unless you make a habit of overeating.

When that happens, just forget about the calorie count for that day and focus on your macros. Maybe you're over on calories and sodium for the day, but is your protein low?

Greytfish

I know it's a common term in the fitness world, but I disagree with the concept of calling it "cheating". I think it's a mistake to assign moral values to food. If you ate more than you planned to eat today, just get back on track tomorrow. If you really like the food you are too much of, go ahead and let yourself have it occasionally, but try to budget it into the amount of calories you want to eat. A lifetime of restriction is no fun, and this good food/bad food mentality is a contributing factor for why so many regain the weight after losing it. Don't do that to yourself.

I don't "cheat." I have an open relationship with food. :happy:

randomtai

I know it's a common term in the fitness world, but I disagree with the concept of calling it "cheating". I think it's a mistake to assign moral values to food. If you ate more than you planned to eat today, just get back on track tomorrow. If you really like the food you are too much of, go ahead and let yourself have it occasionally, but try to budget it into the amount of calories you want to eat. A lifetime of restriction is no fun, and this good food/bad food mentality is a contributing factor for why so many regain the weight after losing it. Don't do that to yourself.

I don't "cheat." I have an open relationship with food. :happy:

QFT! I never understood beating yourself up over food.

Quieau

Work it in! Do this at least once a week!

I'm by no means close to my goal, but I early on adopted the habits that I read gave people the most success ... and food! I almost got a weight loss surgery but then found it would inhibit my eating! Seriously, did you know that those occasional veers from austerity actually HELP your weight loss? True! Hormonal celebrations of good times! You might take a pound or two of water if you're not used to the salt, but all my research (and experience thus far) indicates that you have to eat more to weigh less (to SOME extent ... not go crazy!)

Are you eating at least at your current BMR? If not, you are going to be prone to making decisions in haste like the one yesterday that blew your mind and almost knocked you down. If you incorporate some of those things, they aren't cheats. They are just life.

I'm not at goal, but while my friends with surgery are eating less than 1,000 calories a day and losing lean muscle mass like crazy (that helps you burn more 24/7), I am losing AT THE SAME AVERAGE RATE eating 2,000-2,500 and moving more, eating more ...

I read that even close to goal, those who follow this philosophy rarely if ever have to dip below 2,000 calories a day as their muscles and workouts keep them burning ... something to consider ...

laurelboynton

I know it sounds cheesy but You Only Live Once.. You WILL eat McDonald's again, you WILL have extra servings etc..

But you WILL also make lots of healthy choices and that's what counts. Make the healthy choices as often as you can, then over time, the 'bad' choices will reduce because your body won't desire those foods anymore.

Also, I find hot tea, green tea or water with lemon always makes the bloating and sluggish feeling go.. That and a jog!(when the food has settled)

Don't worry! We all do it!

TavistockToad

one mcdonalds meal wont make you fat, just like one salad wont make you thin....

personally i hate the phrase 'cheat meal', i just follow IIFYM, so i eat plenty of nice food in my daily calories and dont feel the need to 'cheat'.