Cheat meals - OK or a no-no?

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  • spiregrain
    spiregrain Posts: 254 Member
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    Cool, I don't intend on having a cheat day, just a cheat meal with a dessert.

    Also do any of you find major fluctuations throughout the day?

    For example I weighed myself this morning and was at 160, then a couple of hours later down to 158, then back up to 161. This was with wearing the same clothes. I thought perhaps it was just my scales, but it does this on others too.

    I am only weighing in once a week so I don't know how accurate my weight will be if there are such fluctuations. I always weigh myself at roughly the same time in the morning before eating anything and after going to the toilet.

    My weight fluctuates up and down in a 6 pound range all day, so I weigh myself daily to get a sense of the average trend. This works for me cause I almost never get freaked out about the numbers, but for most people I think it's probably bad to do. I also try to weigh in at the same time of day each day so that I will have a better chance of being at the same level of extra water weight.
  • jutymo
    jutymo Posts: 162 Member
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    I don't. I'm trying to eat as I will when I'm done with weight loss. My caloric intake is the maintenance level of the weight I want to be. So my plan is to eat my goal weight maintenance and when I hit goal, I won't have to change ANYTHING because I'll have been eating maintenance for the entire weight loss period.

    If I put in scheduled cheat days, it tells me I can't have things except on those DAYS. I would plan, plot, think about all the possibilities for the 6 days before that cheat day. I am obsessed with food and I've found I can't limit myself. The only thing I deny myself on a regular basis is full sugar soda. And I still have it once in a great while.

    In some respects I cheat every day. I find recipes that make me drool and make them and eat them. I put them in my rotation and make them work with my daily caloric limits. Heavy calorie dish? Then skimpy breakfast or lunch so I can have that heavy calorie item. I'm trying to learn how to eat like a normal weight person and I don't think they usually have scheduled cheat days. I'm afraid it would backfire and I'd end up have 6 out of 7 days as cheat days. So for me, I don't do cheat meals or cheat days, at least not on purpose.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Seeing as you're undereating in the first place, the so-called cheat meal can only help you.
  • TexanThom
    TexanThom Posts: 778
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    I had three "cheat days" this week. I did not lose my 2lbs. for the week, but I did lose 1 and had some great food and great company. Everything in moderation.
  • jessicae1aine
    jessicae1aine Posts: 885
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    I don't know about your height/weight/etc, but are you sure that 1200 calories is the right amount for you? It rarely is for people, from what I've seen. You're best to use your TDEE for your goal weight.

    Aside from that, I don't ever schedule cheat days, but my calories do fluctuate - for example, I was about 1000 over on Friday, but over the course of the week it all balanced out so I was a little below my correct calories on average. Having a cheat day is fine, so long as you have the self control to go back to eating correctly afterward.
  • Brittonloves
    Brittonloves Posts: 60
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    Wednesdays are "free" days for me, where I allow myself to go over my usual calorie limit and eat/drink things that are not a part of my diet the rest of the week.
    A few Wednesdays ago, my calories for the day clocked in at almost 2,500 OVER my daily calorie limit (thanks to Italian night with family). This past Wednesday, I only went over by 300. So the indulgence of my Wednesdays definitely varies, but knowing that it's coming helps me throughout the rest of the week.
    I don't have any bro-science to back up my belief/love for my free Wednesdays, but I have my experience-- I've lost (and kept off) almost 35 lbs since last year and am hovering at my goal weight. So it works for me. If it works for you too-- why not?
  • Creativeballance
    Creativeballance Posts: 57
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    Cool, I don't intend on having a cheat day, just a cheat meal with a dessert.

    Also do any of you find major fluctuations throughout the day?

    For example I weighed myself this morning and was at 160, then a couple of hours later down to 158, then back up to 161. This was with wearing the same clothes. I thought perhaps it was just my scales, but it does this on others too.

    I am only weighing in once a week so I don't know how accurate my weight will be if there are such fluctuations. I always weigh myself at roughly the same time in the morning before eating anything and after going to the toilet.

    I find I weigh more on Monday-Tuesday on average. There's a 8lb difference in what I weigh first thing in the morning to how much I weigh before going to bed.
    My "logged" weigh-in is Wedsneday morning as soon as I wake up.

    ...and to the first topic, yes I do have cheat days. Special occasions, celebrations, etc, are too difficult to calculate and be social. I usually do a nice extra long run the next day.
  • Josephina57
    Josephina57 Posts: 170 Member
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    Every third Monday we go to a potluck function. Since it is impossible to have accurate calorie counts on food someone else prepares, I consider this my TREAT meal. I get some of everything that looks good to me and allow myself dessert. One thing, though, if it does not taste the way I though it would, I don't finish it. No more cleaning plates for the sake of cleaning them for me.
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
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    In my diet I plan on having 1 cheat meal a week. The portion won't be over the top, but probably a bit more than I should have. I also intend on having a dessert.

    My current plan is no more than 1200cals a day (normally a little less), exercise at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes and every meal is portion controlled, low in fat and calories.

    Will having one cheat meal a week to keep me sane ruin my efforts?

    Do you have cheat meals? Do you think they help keep you going or do you think they have a detrimental effect?


    If it's a Lifestyle Change...why cheat when you can TREAT?! It is not natural to eat the Same amt of calories Every day, so why not BUILD in days where you give yourself a little more or whatever you want. There are days where I KNOW I am eating something sweet or will have pizza...My goodness why do I have to "cheat?" Who am I cheating, or fooling...all you do is PLAN! Use COMMON SENSE in this WALK.

    Common sense tells us to do what is Moderate and to listen to our Body and higher self. Foolishness, extremes, our lower self=greed, lust...told us to do/eat as much as possible... It also tries to make us believe that we have to "cheat" in order to SUCCEED. No, you don't have to cheat or steal...to Succeed. Try It, You may like it.
  • joanneonline
    joanneonline Posts: 158
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    Don't call it a cheat meal. It's a meal that purposefully fits into your lifestyle change, whether it be for glycogen replacement, hormone recovery or psychological reasons. It shouldn't have a negative label, as you won't feel like you've done something wrong for having eaten it.

    ^^^^^THIS! If you want to make lasting changes, you will learn to healthy most of the time and choose to eat other things in moderation. You may want to exercise more that day, or eat lighter in the morning.....the point is, you'll figure out what works to still make meals like these part of your healthy lifestyle. Then, it's not "cheating" just purposeful eating :smile:
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
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    No food is a cheat for me, but I plan for when I'll eat the tricky stuff ....... if I go to a ballgame, then I want a hotdog or pizza or chips, but hopefully not all three LOL During the summer my town has a carnival ........ my husband will want to go and eat "dinner" there, so I just eat light those days ..... or go to the gym ..... or do both :drinker:

    Years ago I had to take diabetic meds ....... don't want to do that again ....... so it's a habit to think twice about the foods I eat, especially sugars & carbs.

    Happy losing & best of luck !
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    i tend to cheat once a month
  • TravisBurns
    TravisBurns Posts: 353 Member
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    Absolutely okay in my opinion. I dropped 80 lbs in just a few months and I had cheat days on a pretty frequent basis.
  • DakotaKeogh
    DakotaKeogh Posts: 693 Member
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    Personally I don't do cheat days or the get me wanting more all the time. The main thing is to find what is sustainable for you. We're all wired differently. Take the time to try different things and see what works for you without driving yourself crazy.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    Cool, I don't intend on having a cheat day, just a cheat meal with a dessert.

    Also do any of you find major fluctuations throughout the day?

    For example I weighed myself this morning and was at 160, then a couple of hours later down to 158, then back up to 161. This was with wearing the same clothes. I thought perhaps it was just my scales, but it does this on others too.

    I am only weighing in once a week so I don't know how accurate my weight will be if there are such fluctuations. I always weigh myself at roughly the same time in the morning before eating anything and after going to the toilet.

    Your weight will change 3-5 pounds over the course of a day depending on food, hydration level etc. Just weigh in once a week at the same time, and don't worry about the fluctuations. You are looking for overall trends, not ounces.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    You're already eating very little, so adding one slightly larger meal a week is probably only getting you closer to a healthy calorie intake.
    (I'm the same height and similar weight - if I was eating less than 1200 cals/day I would be SERIOUSLY grumpy).
  • Ke22yB
    Ke22yB Posts: 969 Member
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    I find having CHEAT meals days whatever is an absolute no no I say that because I never cheat there are days I eat more some days less I may go out for dinner with friends and eat more or be home on a cheat day meal and not have anything worth cheating with My point is people that are living a normal life dont think they are cheating so why should we just because we are working on weight loss and fitness think that we are cheating because we have a meal we enjoy or enjoy to much so we do it again the next day. Live life make tghe right choices but never cheat or cheat yourself
  • MrsBully4
    MrsBully4 Posts: 304 Member
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    I don't want to deprive myself all week and then reward myself with a food blowout, so no, I don't do cheat meals. At least for me, they're not a good idea.

    Instead I have dessert every day within my calorie budget.
  • mlbrowninsc
    mlbrowninsc Posts: 22
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    I basically do a 80/20 plan. Five days a week Mon-Fri I am strict to my lifestyle and on Sat and Sun I loosen up the rules a bit and if I want to go out and get a burger and fries then so be it. I generally still track as much as possible those days as well. I generally lose 1 to 2 pounds a week and going by weekly number rather than daily are under my calorie goals most weeks. Works for my, your mileage may vary.
  • HealthyLivingKathy
    HealthyLivingKathy Posts: 204 Member
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    I find it more helpful for me if I think of all food as "healthy" vs "less healthy." I can choose to eat very healthy or choose to eat less healthy. The word "cheat" puts such a bad connotation on the food for me. I'm changing my relationship with food and working on changing how I "label" or think about food.

    When I did cheat days in the past, it became an excuse to eat anything and everything. Now I may choose to have a mini blizzard, on occasion within my calories. IMO this is helping to train my mind and body for the long run.

    {{{HUGS}}}

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