Cheat Day, or Cheat Meal?

TGSpecialist

Note: I posted this on Yahoo Answers earlier, but I wanted to see what MFP says too. I don't really eat "clean" (I still have processed foods and not many fruits and veggies), but I'm under my calorie goal and under my macros. I have been eating the same stuff for about a year now, and I need some junk, so I was wondering if I should allow myself to have a cheat day, or just one cheat meal a week. For a cheat day, I would stay under my calorie goal, but go over my macros. I'm 17, work out 5 days a week, and weigh around 150-ish (I don't have a scale,so I have no idea what my exact weight is.)

zericaaaaa

Note: I posted this on Yahoo Answers earlier, but I wanted to see what MFP says too. I don't really eat "clean" (I still have processed foods and not many fruits and veggies), but I'm under my calorie goal and under my macros. I have been eating the same stuff for about a year now, and I need some junk, so I was wondering if I should allow myself to have a cheat day, or just one cheat meal a week. For a cheat day, I would stay under my calorie goal, but go over my macros. I'm 17, work out 5 days a week, and weigh around 150-ish (I don't have a scale,so I have no idea what my exact weight is.)

i've found a cheat meal to be better. either a cheat meal with no workout or a cheat day with a workout. but whatever works best! regardless, i would suggest a cheat SOMETHING every now and then

pds06

Go for it. Meal.

nixxthirteen

Meal. Less likely to ruin a whole week's progress in one go.

fitness_faeiry

Meal

A whole day has no limitations!

chadya07

i have a meal out once a week where i buy what i want not what i should, although usually it doesnt end up too much of a cheat because i plan for it all day, and usually do it on fridays which is when i have body pump class which is like 600 calories burned and whatever i do in the half hour before class at the gym...

i dont know if i believe in a cheat day anymore. i have what i want but i just make sure it fits. junk or not. tonight i had a crazy donkey carne asada burrito and it was supposed to be a cheat. but then when i tallied it all up i STILL had 600 calories left... (i have my activity set at sedentary and eat back half to 75% of my exersize calories... )

why cheat if you can plan?

stephe1987

Meal. It allows you to go out every once in a while and not worry about ruining your progress. A good thing is to not eat or only eat a snack early in the day so that you don't go too far over your goal (or if you're lucky you won't go over at all).

PapaChanoli

I just plain cheat occasionally. My week always averages under anyway: it's he cheats that make the overall program successful for me.

Today was a cheat. I had KFC original dark meat. The three pieces were the cheat. The next two were a plain old splurge. I was only 250cal over my daily goal and still had a 750cal deficit. Why feel bad for that?

I am not sure I should even call it a "cheat." It's more like a "sanity meal."

TGSpecialist

Thanks everyone for the help! I think I'm going for a cheat meal tonight.

Advaya

I do cheat meal and still try to log as best I can.