Is anyone having cheat meals now and then?

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Replies

  • momma2azoo
    momma2azoo Posts: 50 Member
    I know it's just semantics to a certain extent, but I hate the term 'cheat' days.

    I love food. Without food, we'd all be dead. Eating isn't cheating. Eating is necessary and just a matter of choices. I choose to eat super healthy all week. On the weekends, I relax and eat what I want. I have no problem eating healthy and really cutting calories during the week so I can enjoy some less healthy more calorie dense foods on the weekend (or whenever, in my normal day to day life it works out well to relax on weekends). It's good for me physically because the vast majority of my diet is very healthy and it's good for me mentally because I have eliminated that burdensome feeling of being on an overly restrictive 'diet'. I'm in this for life, not for the duration of a 'diet'. There are a lot of (high cal, low nutritional value) foods I have no intention of giving up. It's my job to make responsible choices so I can incorporate those foods into my life and still be healthy and reach my goals.

    I'm almost 40lbs down and still loosing weight and gaining better fitness. I sure wouldn't push how I eat on anyone else. I don't have any eating disorders and I love such a huge variety of food (a curse and a blessing, ha) that it's easy for me to find a healthy balance. I'm also very, very numbers and goals oriented. I find having my cake, and getting to eat it too, as great and entertaining a challenge as running!
  • Aihs123
    Aihs123 Posts: 20
    My cheat meals are kinda spontaneous. I mean, I keep them to once a week, but I find it frustrating to plan (the anticipation). I would only log it to see how much damage I did, but it's not that important to me. It actually helps me lose weight most times. I workout some cheat days and not others. It's up to you.
  • ilmafirin
    ilmafirin Posts: 3
    About 5 years ago, I dropped 25 pounds in 4 or 5 months. I always had an "off" day, when I ate whatever I wanted without thinking about it, drank pop and everything. It never really affected my weight loss, and having a day when I could eat things that didn't fit into my diet always helped me stick to my diet because I never felt like I was deprived.
  • ThatSoundsHard
    ThatSoundsHard Posts: 475 Member
    I don't have "cheat" meals or days but there are plenty of times where I eat too much. It's all good.
  • lovelayla
    lovelayla Posts: 123
    I eat whatever I want daily,With the exception of booze. I try to limit my drinking to twice a week.
  • Laughter_Girl
    Laughter_Girl Posts: 2,226 Member
    I don't feel like I'm cheating, but I make a choice to eat what I like on Saturdays without actually counting the calories. I log every bite, and I do not overindulge. When I feel satisfied, I push my plate away.
  • ashleycde
    ashleycde Posts: 622 Member
    I personally do not believe in the idea of "cheat meals" or "cheat days" as I think the negative connotation surrounding the term "cheating" psychologically induces feelings of guilt and remorse. I am naturally a very goal oriented person, so I prefer to reward myself with decadent foods and wine because I am seeing results, as opposed to feeling that I have to "cheat" in order to satisfy myself. If I know I am going to have a bottle of wine while out for dinner that night, I make lighter choices throughout the day and work my buns off through high intensity exercise so that I deserve that rare steak and Merlot, and maybe some escargot in a garlic butter as well, or what ever it may be that I'm having. I try to always stay within my calorie goal, but I also don't kick myself if I go over sometimes because I know I am still remaining within a deficit overall. I also allow myself to eat what ever I want in moderation so that I don't feel the need to "cheat," as I also associate the term with dieting, and I prefer to think that I am making the necessary changes towards eating whole foods and living an overall healthier lifestyle, not "dieting."
  • x7xemilyx7x
    x7xemilyx7x Posts: 22 Member
    Hello :) I have a cheat meal about once every 3 weeks (sometimes turns into a whole day of eating what I like!) But I always go straight back to what I should be eating the day after.

    Do I feel guilty about it? No.
    Does it affect my weight loss? First few days is usually water weight but other than that I have not had any gains or problems with having a 'cheat' meal or day.

    Having these treats as part of my routine really helps me .. I get my food 'fix' and then move on :)

    Enjoy life!
  • ntftnm
    ntftnm Posts: 55 Member
    Yes, I have cheat meals, but even my cheat meals seem to be healthier than they once were...small sandwich instead of large, no fries, extra water. When I want something I try to stop and think about it first, do I really want that seen in my diary? Sometimes I am surprised when I have a cheat meal (often times its fast food) and am still able to fit it into my calories. I think that cheat meals do help me to lose weight, sometimes I like to not cook, or have to clean it all up, or plan ahead. Being a little more relaxed with my eating has helped make this a lifestyle change instead of 2 week torture and fail-thing like past attempts to lose weight. I say eat it, log it, learn from it, and change it a little next time...this is a time to be proud of yourself for trying to change, not torture. :happy:
  • jtyler83
    jtyler83 Posts: 28 Member
    Lol at all the PC bull****. It's a ****ing cheat meal. That what it is. Whatever you decide to call it doesn't change what it is.

    Carry on.

    pretty much agree with this. if you're cheating, you're cheating.
    it's not necessarily a bad thing, but it definitely goes against your diet!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Lol at all the PC bull****. It's a ****ing cheat meal. That what it is. Whatever you decide to call it doesn't change what it is.

    Carry on.

    pretty much agree with this. if you're cheating, you're cheating.
    it's not necessarily a bad thing, but it definitely goes against your diet!

    Yep, lol. I've said it before, but I think it's good to call it 'cheat'. It doesn't normalize it, and puts the emphasis on the 'it shouldn't happen all the time' part. Although for me it's only cheating if I go over my TDEE anyway.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,268 Member
    My first 'cheat meal' is coming up on Saturday, i've looked at the restaurant menu, decided what i'm going to have and plan to have a longer workout in the daytime, before the meal. Also planning some wine (hell yeah).

    How does everyone else plan for a cheat meal? do you log it? Does it stall your weightloss?speed it up?

    well this sounds like a planned meal instead of a cheat meal. when I hear cheat meal I picture someone just binging on tons of fried foods and cheese crap and eating like 4000 caories... its stupid to me. now on the other hand pre planning a night out is just part of the weightloss and new lifestyle change journey. I see it as practice for the maintenance stage of it. If I bite it, I write it...even if it put me over my calories. If I go over I just chalk it up to a leaning process of how not to do that in the future. if you cheat, you are only lying to yourself and the scale will know. hwy : have yourself a guilt free and preplanned night out at dinner,. then log it or pre log it.. and move on
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    Once a month, give or take, hasn't hurt me a bit
  • GummyBears7779
    GummyBears7779 Posts: 35 Member
    Hehehehe, well i had two chocolate bars and a handful for alien lollies for lunch on Friday cos of an english party and felt sick afterwards. I dont think those lollies liked me vry much XP
  • Natmarie73
    Natmarie73 Posts: 287 Member
    I don't have "cheat" meals or days but there are plenty of times where I eat too much. It's all good.

    This!

    I don't plan to overeat, but when I get together with friends and a nice bottle of wine or two it just happens.
    I don't track it but I make up for it on other days with either more excersise or eating very light for the next couple of days.
    I tend to average calories out over a week anyway, not just day by day so I'll have some blow-out days and some fast days.
    .
  • lauraf130490
    lauraf130490 Posts: 12
    I have them fairly often, usually a few times a month. I think whether you should call them cheat meals or not is a personal thing and depends upon your goals. For me, it's a lifestyle change, my social life revolves around eating and drinking, it's not going to change any time soon. So if I call them cheat meals I end up feeling guilty about them and not enjoying spending time with my friends and family. If you're not trying to change your life style, i.e. you're just on a short term diet, then it probably works better to call them cheat meals so you'll be more strict about it because they obviously do affect your progress.

    I don't go crazy and binge eat, I just choose food I want to eat and enjoy it in moderation. If I want to go and eat steak and chips, have a pudding and a few glasses of wine for my friend's birthday then I will. I'm not going to beat myself up over it, I'll just make sure I don't eat a lot the rest of the day, go an extra day to the gym and be strict the rest of week to make up for it a bit. Yeah it does slow my weight loss down, but I'd rather lose weight slowly and be happy than be miserable and losing quickly.

    At the end of the day, what are you going to do once you've lost all the weight? Live your whole life feeling guilty every time you have a nice meal or take away? As long as it's not a regular thing i.e multiple times a week and is in moderation it's not going to make you fat if the rest of time you're eating healthy and exercising.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    I just eat food. I don't get hung up on whether they're "cheat" food or not, "good" or "bad" or "naughty" or "healthy" or "dirty". I eat food I like, I aim to hit certain nutritional goals, and meet my calorie goal. Some days I don't quite meet my calorie goal (under or over) and some days I don't hit my nutritional targets, so I just try to do better the rest of the time.

    I don't eat at restaurants very often and when I do, I don't log (not may places here have published nutritional info). I almost certainly don't stick to my goals on those occasions, but it's not "cheating", it's just part of life.

    I don't know why you need to label it cheating just because you're eating at a restaurant, especially since it sounds like you're going to meet your calorie goal anyway. Have you enforced strict rules on yourself about what you can and can't eat usually?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Going over your goal = cheating for me. It has nothing to do with what I eat.
  • JimiB73
    JimiB73 Posts: 34
    <~~~~~~~~this guy cheats! I think as long as you are consistently hitting your goals then cheat meals once in a while are ok. I'd go crazy if I didn't indulge once in a while.
  • elbaldwin0525
    elbaldwin0525 Posts: 159 Member
    RIGHT...what he said.....but to add my two cents, I eat whatever I want for a meal, enjoy, and get back on the healthy living wagon
    Lol at all the PC bull****. It's a ****ing cheat meal. That what it is. Whatever you decide to call it doesn't change what it is.

    Carry on.

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