Will 1 cheat meal hurt my diet?

lovinmamaxo

I have been on my "change of life" since March 31st i haven't had junk ONCE besides skinny cow ice cream, Weight watchers ice cream, and WW frozen meals. Besides that it's been subway 6" all veggies with oven roasted chicken NO cheese and no mayo. I am wanting something relatively healthy and a treat but not something HORRID for me.. i worked too hard to get where i am and i don't plan on ruining it with 1 meal. But i've been good and i think i am at the point where i can control myself with these foods that made me fat to begin with. I was thinking a slice of pizza or a chicken sandwich meal from Wendy's? And maybe my nestea still sitting in my fridge from weeks ago... i wanted some insight. Will 1 meal kill my change of life? I love my new life but i don't feel like i should be depriving myself the way i have been either.

lsd007

Nope, I do it from time to time and I'm doing fine.They key is just to be sure you don't turn every meal into a cheat meal.

reese66

It doesn't hurt to live it up every once in a while...

Glucocorticoid

No it will not.
You need to eat more protein though. How much weight have you lost so far in these 3 weeks?

JatieKo621

One cheat meal won't kill you-but do it smartly. Instead of a fast food sandwich + fries + a soft drink, JUST get the sandwich. Or if you really want something unhealthy, work out a little more to help burn it off. If you eat a piece of pizza, go for a walk when you are done to jump start your metabolism. If you deprive yourself of everything that you feel is tasty, it will be even harder to stick with it.

My inspiration for not wanting junk food is working out. After I burn 400 calories for an hours worth of sweating, I don't want to blow it on just a side of fries- I'd rather be able to eat a baked chicken breast, a salad, lots of veggies, AND a glass of V8. It puts calories into perspective so that you don't want to do all of the work just to make it worthless.

Good luck!

navs52

Dunno if 2 weeks is long enuf to say you can control yourself but having something "bad" every once in awhile won't hurt. Especially if you make sure you dont' go over calories.

lovinmamaxo

No it will not.
You need to eat more protein though. How much weight have you lost so far in these 3 weeks?

I have lost almost 21 lbs.

Jenn421

dont sweat it i cheat atleast onces a week lol. and i been losing weight pretty good.

eeeekie

no but be aware (because i wasn't) that you may weigh the next day and be up more than 1lb but it's all sodium and will leave in a day or 2. I weighed a day after a birthday and was up (i think 1lb) and I weighed the next day and it was gone. I had a FREAK OUT when I weighed the day after but was reassured it would come off because it was all sodium. make sure you drink lots of water!

allornothinggrl

So you are about 3 weeks in...I say get off of those frozen meals...full of SODIUM!! You can make healthy pizza at home or a chicken sandwich...the other day I made Parmasean Chicken and whole wheat spagetti and was well within my calories! My advice is to figure out what you want and then tweek it healthy with real food girl...you can only live on those frozen meals and subway for so long...I know... i tried frozen meals a few years back...i don't think I could look at another one.
All recipes.com is a fabulous site! Every now in then it is ok to have a higher calorie day to shock your metabolism...but only if you think you can bounce back the next day! If you eat fresh, whole foods you can eat much more! If you don't have one, invest in a food scale...it is worth its weight in gold...no more guessing at how much a piece of meat weighs or fruit/veges...I find when I was guessing, I was grossly under estimating...I can eat so much more now! Good Luck :happy:

LovelySnugs

most of the people around here get comfortable enough to allow themselves 1 free meal a week. i, personally, have "screw it" days. but don't risk that. i'm a little goofy about stuff like that, and they usually spawn from depression anyway.

ONE free meal won't undo the entire 20 lbs you've lost, unless it causes you to lose control and go on a helpless downward spiral. however, you've said you feel like you're in a place where you can limit yourself - and that's a good thing.

but if it makes you feel better, figure out how to work it in under your calories, or decide "i'm gonna let myself go 200 calories over my target today". remember, if you have your goals set at lose 1 lb a week, you can go over your MFP-dictated target by as much as 500 calories and still not technically gain - even if you do see some salt and water weight for a few days.

lots of luck on the rest of your journey. i'm sure you can make it!

Crystal817

Have your cheat meal and enjoy it, but make it worth it!! For me, fast food is not worth the calories. I would rather go to a real restaurant and have a grilled chicken sandwich and fries. But that's me! If Wendy's is your thing, then go for it! Don't feel guilty, just enjoy it.

NoPyForYou

Definitely indulge yourself every once in a while, otherwise, it's a diet. Denying yourself everything that might be considered "bad" isn't a long term solution. In the beginning, it's easier for almost everyone to cut those things out cold turkey, because they trigger our body's pleasure response. Once you've broken the addiction that response (and the time of that is different for everyone), then re-introducing those things, slowly and in moderation is a GOOD thing. You won't feel as though you're being deprived of anything.

Case in point - my husband LOVES his once weekly fast food/pizza. I've learned to make better choices for myself at those places so that I'm not denying either of us that weekly indulgence. Usually, I can plan my meals in such a way that I can have foods I like at those places without exceeding any of my calorie or fat goals.

When you're talking about a life change, there has to be moderation. Life happens. Your family is going to want to eat out, you're going to have a bad day and crave those foods. It's about learning to moderate your intake without denying yourself those little luxuries.

yannethfr

You should absolutely not feel bad for having one "cheat" meal. In fact do not deprive yourself that only makes it harder to stick to the plan. Just be more careful of your choices. I agree with the other poster who suggested you expand your diet more. Try different food and try to make them more healthy. And don't feel bad about that Chocolate Cake or burger you have. If you want a sundae and feel bad then go for frozen yogurt instead and save on the calories. The exercise does help A LOT!!! So be sure you are keeping that up. This is a life-style change that we MFPers are doing here. We are learning how to enjoy the food we eat and love and not feel guilty because we have a cookie every once in a while. So keep up the good work and enjoy your food....sensibly.

Best of luck!

pixietoes

Opening a hole in the floodgate can lead to major water damage if you aren't prepared for the onslaught that my occur. You have spent weeks and or months making good choices for yourself, you won't undo all of that in one meal, calorie wise, but you can set yourself up for cravings and backsliding. It's not a reason to not do it, just steel yourself, the subconscious cannot be mocked.

Also, when you come to the day in question, eat throughout the day. Don't try to save up all your calories for the binge. Better to keep feeding your metabolism and have one meal that sends your calorie count out of bounds than to starve yourself all day and then slam a bunch of not so good for you food into your belly. Keep in mind, too, that your ability to cope with high fat, high salt, and high sugar foods may well have diminished. Bring some TUMS.

Plan a great workout for the next day and get right back on the wagon.

JessJoJell

if you dont splurge everyonce in a while you will go crazy!! enjoy your 20lbs lost!!! give yourself one meal and then get right back on track

wildon883r

I will go over today. Party time and maybe once on the weekend but come Monday i regroup and still lose lbs 1-2 lbs a week. Moderation means you can have your cake and eat it too.

PaulaDDN

Look, i cheat on my diet 1 meal every week, i need to do it if not i get bored and i dont want to diet at all, i dont say its good, im sure i would loss more weight if i wouldnt cheat that meal but i know my self and if i dont take a break one meal a week i get really bored and in a bad mode

webbstace

You need to indulge every once and a while...as long as it is not your pattern you...I find the more I deprive myself of something the more I want it and thats when I have the tendancy to overdo it. I also find that my "cheat" meal is not near as bad as some of the regular meals I used to have normally. You are doing great! A small reward won't hurt

Glucocorticoid

No it will not.
You need to eat more protein though. How much weight have you lost so far in these 3 weeks?

I have lost almost 21 lbs.

How much do you weigh now? And what is your height?

runningfool9

I'm a "good boy" all week, but on Friday's, my fiancee and I have our "date night". I allow myself some flexibility on my diet on Friday evenings. I might allow myself a long island ice tea, and maybe a small cut steak, etc. I try not to go over my maximum calories by too much.

If I really enjoy myself, I'll just make sure I work it off, the next day

NowGoWorkout

Depends on what you mean by hurt. If one french fry in the past led to a whole large fry, or one sip of a soda led to drinking a large fountain pop, then why risk it? You're making a life change here, you said it, I didn't. If you want a full on life change, then do that. Don't half *kitten* it. It's tough for tiger's to change their stripes...you're doing a great job of changing yours, but ditching those old habits isn't easy.

Next, you've already had your 'cheat meals'. Skinny cow isn't that skinny. It's just pretty much straight sugar. If they help you survive this process, then use them judiciously. BUT, if you want real progress, real fast, real healthy, cut out the refined / processed foods. Be an *kitten*-kicking tough girl...workout harder, ditch the processed foods, and get to your goal.

THEN, go into maintenance. Watch your bf% and scale AFTER you get to your goal. Add those 'fun' things in, or better yet, eat more of one of your healthy treats. Mine is a triple portion of my favorite protein powder, with 2% milk, a scoop of malted milk powder, a 1/2 banana, a drizzle of sugar free chocolate and some ice blended up. It's almost 600 calories. That's my reward for two-a-days completed, and when I'm at or close to my goal weight.

Give yourself an inch...and you'll take it a mile...

MB_Positif

I have made some choices along the way that were not fantastic, but I've been on here since January 27th and I have done all I can to avoid having a full on cheat meal and while I do think it's ok to do, I would carefully consider what it is. If it's something that you can not make yourself eat in moderation once you get that taste again, I would not do it. One of my friends told me it takes 40 days to break a bad habit and 21 to make a new one....so you are right there, at the 3 weeks or 21 days point...you've already made a good new habit, but haven't made it the 40 days to break the old one. So...when I eat something that I wouldn't consider a typically "safe" choice I don't do it "full force," like when I do eat at Wendy's I get the chicken sandwich as a combo but get the side salad instead of the fries and have iced tea instead of a soda. You can still make reasonable choices during a cheat meal You have done so well over the last 3 weeks and I hope that you'll keep it up!

k2d4p

EATING IS NOT CHEATING!!!!!!! <----My opinion and sorry, but I feel very strongly about this. My blog is in my signature and I have a big paragraph about my feelings on using the word cheat to describe anything food related. Please click if you would like to read my full opinion. I hate the word cheat. I do not cheat when I eat unhealthy food. <--again, my opinion.

spookiewon

I lost 100 pounds simply eating healthy, no calorie counting. I'm now at a point where I need to monitor my calories a little. But while losing the 100 pounds I had a "cheat day," if that is what you want to call it, EVERY SUNDAY. And by "cheat" I mean I ate anything I chose at all, in any quantity. So, by all means, a "cheat meal" won't hurt. It will probably help, in fact, by preventing your body from interpreting your lowered caloric intake as starvation, and by helping you feel less deprived.

That said, you'll probably have better luck overall if you give up the Weight Watchers' meals and Subway sandwiches and eat real food rather than the highly processed foods you are eating. The Weight Watcher's name doesn't mean they're healthy, and Jarad may have lost weight on a diet of Subway, but health is more important than weight loss, and the "Subway Diet" is NOT healthy. Losing weight is less important than establishing healthy eating habits. How about some fresh fruits and vegetables? Did you know you could have 3 CUPS of fresh strawberries for the calories in one Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich? THREE CUPS! (And frozen WHOLE UNSWEETENED strawberries are just as healthy and low cal, and WalMart has frozen unsweetened strawberries in a four pound bag for under $8). Put them in the blender with a little skim milk and a little natural stevia and you have a DELICIOUS shake! I took me three hours to eat three cups of strawberries while I watched TV last night. Veggies have a similar ability to fill you up for just a few calories, IF they're fresh. Eggs are a good high-protein food with few calories. Even meat is surprisingly low cal and high in protein. The key to healthy is that food be natural, whole, and processed as little as possible. And health is far more important than weight.

Think healthy lifestyle, not diet.

gardea

I cheated last week. We went to applebee's for hubby's birthday. I went over my calories and I don't even like to think about my sodium intake that day, but the next morning I went right back to my regular routine. I worked out a little more that day too. I myself am not on a "diet". I am just choosing a better lifestyle. As long as you know you can control yourself, you will be alright. I figured I blew my diet that night and have lost 2.5 pounds in the last two weeks. I haven't cheated since then and haven't wanted too. It's all up to you. You know you best.

calliope_music

definitely not! it's important to treat yourself. i have a cheat meal at least once a week. also, build it in - balance that slice of pizza with some salad.

kteej

I agree as I do two cheat meals a week. Only a meal - not a day. The other days, I am very good, and stick to a bit lower calorie count. The cheat meals are more like extra calories (I don't count them) than true junk food - usually going out to eat (and a couple of drinks). I have completely eliminated fast food from my diet. By knowing that I can relax & enjoy when I go out, I can stick to my everyday diet. I also find that my cheat meals aren't as bad as I thought they'd be. For so many years I immediately gave up after 'breaking' my diet. It's much better incorporating it into the plan.