cheat meal advice

Cindy393
Cindy393 Posts: 268 Member
in Food and Nutrition
ok, I guess I'm due for a cheat meal. I usually stay around 1200 calories a day, but the scale isn't budging.

Would I kill my carbs if I had a pint of house fried rice? Really need some advice......
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Replies

  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
    Why not add it to your diary and see?

    One meal isn't going to sabotage everything anyway. Enjoy. :drinker:
  • ritmeyer
    ritmeyer Posts: 136 Member
    I eat whatever I want, one meal a week. I still lose, and I actually think it helped my plateau. Not only that, it keeps me sane. That said, last weeks meal was whole wheat pasta, homemade sauce, one slice of garlic bread, 1 homemade chocolate chip cookie with 1 cup of vanilla ice cream & some hershey's chocolate sauce. This week we will do homemade pizza with whole wheat crust. Homemade brownie sundae's...ok, now I'm hungry...
  • Cindy393
    Cindy393 Posts: 268 Member
    I did try that-there are so many variations it's too hard to tell!

    Maybe I'd be better off with a happy meal lol
  • poppyloganriley
    poppyloganriley Posts: 44 Member
    Why not add it to your diary and see?

    One meal isn't going to sabotage everything anyway. Enjoy. :drinker:

    Yes, it won't kill you and unless you eat until you explode you shouldn't gain weight either. I often have to boost myself (about every two weeks or so) to remind the scale what it should be doing.
  • Cindy393
    Cindy393 Posts: 268 Member
    I eat whatever I want, one meal a week. I still lose, and I actually think it helped my plateau. Not only that, it keeps me sane. That said, last weeks meal was whole wheat pasta, homemade sauce, one slice of garlic bread, 1 homemade chocolate chip cookie with 1 cup of vanilla ice cream & some hershey's chocolate sauce. This week we will do homemade pizza with whole wheat crust. Homemade brownie sundae's...ok, now I'm hungry...

    oh geez, now I"M hungry too! Guess I'll get that rice after all!
  • Captain_Spatchcock
    Captain_Spatchcock Posts: 136
    please, don't ruin your "cheat meal".
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I do a couple cheat meals a week and it as never hurt my weight loss.... Your one meal is not going to make or break you, I say give it a try and see..... Best of Luck
  • _Wits_
    _Wits_ Posts: 1,286 Member
    I'm willing to bet if you bumped up your daily calorie goal to say...1400... the scale would budge again.

    Just my two cents.


    So yes, eat the rice.
  • porcelain_doll
    porcelain_doll Posts: 1,005 Member
    These are also known as "spike meals" and I do not know the science behind them, but many swear by them, saying it helps kick up their metabolisms. I'm helping myself to a "spike meal" tonight at an Italian restaurant with bruschetta, house salad, either chicken or veal, and some kind of Italian dessert. Oh, and a glass of wine, too. :)

    Enjoy that fried rice!!!
  • nrbromert
    nrbromert Posts: 44 Member
    I say go for it. For me its all about making life changes not DIETING. If I cont allow myself days to eat what I really want then its not going to work. The reality is before I would have those "cheat meals" and just consider them my normal meals. The thinking has already been changed to the idea that its not the way I want to eat or live anymore so I am cognizant of what I am putting in my body. So enjoy you have already made progress to stop and realize you dont want to do this everyday.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    What are you 'cheating' by having a nice meal?! That term really frustrates me.... It's not cheating, for most people a meal out eating yummy food is part of a healthy lifestyle... Just don't do it every day!
  • Dayna154
    Dayna154 Posts: 910 Member
    I would log it before and see what happens you could eat or not eat it then..
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    One meal won't hurt anything. Eat what you want. The reason it's a "cheat" or treat is because you aren't worrying about sticking to your calorie goal or meeting your macros. You're eating what you want because it's what you really want.
  • acstansell
    acstansell Posts: 567 Member
    Eat something you've been dying to have and haven't allowed yourself.
  • GeorgiaElliot
    GeorgiaElliot Posts: 24
    ok, I guess I'm due for a cheat meal. I usually stay around 1200 calories a day, but the scale isn't budging.

    Would I kill my carbs if I had a pint of house fried rice? Really need some advice......

    Have the fried rice. Enjoy. Move forward. Don't call it a cheat meal. Call it a Luxury meal :)
  • exacerbe
    exacerbe Posts: 447 Member
    I don't believe in cheat meals. I do believe in eating whatever I want... just as long as I hit the macros and within calorie range.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    I think you're probably not seeing much budging on the scale because 1200 calories are far too few calories to feed your body's needs with.

    To give you an idea, I am 5'11, started out weighing around 235 lbs and moderately active. My calorie recommendation on here was 1200 when I started. I didn't lose a single lb the first three months, not to mention that I was cranky, overtired, miserable and hating on everyone and everything who got to eat more than I did and actually enjoy life.

    Fast forward to now. I'm still 5'11, weigh around 215 or so now (stopped weighing more than once a month), very active now, consuming between 2000 and 2400 calories a day. I don't deprive myself but I make damn sure the things I do put in my body are good, wholesome and meet my needs. I'm losing at a steady rate judging by inches coming off. I never feel the need to "cheat". Because it's not a diet. This is just how I live my life now.
  • mandersatx
    mandersatx Posts: 86
    I like to think of getting rid of my weight (losing implies that I'll find it again - HA!) as a lifestyle change. Healthier eating is wonderful, but making a lifestyle change means reality has to weigh in (<--- see what I did there - HA!) and that means eating fried rice or pizza or ice cream or ribs or _______ occasionally. Find out what the calories come to, divide by three, and burn the extra amount of calories the day before, the day of, and the day after. You're not cheating, you're living that way!
  • VeganZombie13
    VeganZombie13 Posts: 297
    It's cheat day yes? Have what ever you want.. I pig out on my cheat day and don't gain any lbs. I keep losing, go for it have fun. Enjoy your day..
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
    If you're going to have a cheat meal, at least make it something worthwhile, not a godd*** happy meal
  • ritmeyer
    ritmeyer Posts: 136 Member
    I'm also with others about the term "cheat meal". I just eat very healthy Sunday-thursday and don't crazy myself out on the weekends. If I want some cake, I'll eat it. One meal won't kill you...it's eating like that all day, every day that's the problem. Deprivation will cause failure, in my opinion.
  • 160Mooney
    160Mooney Posts: 5 Member
    1200 calories is a lot of calories if you are able to eat the right foods. I have 2-3 small snacks in addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner under 1200 and I have a ton of energy. It is plenty of food to sustain my light activity. I take two half hour walks a day and do a little bit of strength training. If you want to eat something unhealthy, I would try and put it as early in the day as possible and eat healthy the rest of the day vice versa. I see nothing wrong with it. I had some pasta yesterday with a lil bit of chicken and olive oil and didn't feel I was cheating. :wink:
  • Cindy393
    Cindy393 Posts: 268 Member
    you guys are awesome! I'm loving all these responses! The problem is I haven't been craving anything, believe it or not! I do think I need to up my daily calorie budget a bit.

    And oh--what's wrong with a happy meal????? that made me laugh!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    1. you should be eating about 1600 calories a day
    2. Why do you reward yourself with food - isnt that like celebrating a marathon by running away from the finish line when you get to the end?
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    I'm willing to bet if you bumped up your daily calorie goal to say...1400... the scale would budge again.

    Just my two cents.


    So yes, eat the rice.

    ^^This! 1200 is too low for most people. And yes, have the rice!
  • likemeinvisible
    likemeinvisible Posts: 309
    Actually rice isn't that bad if you won't add too much oil. Load on carbs one day and work extra the next. You might even perform better.
  • Cindy393
    Cindy393 Posts: 268 Member
    Tomorrow will be day 6 of level 1 of the 30 day shred. I'll definitely add extra cardio to my workout!
  • phoneman16
    phoneman16 Posts: 11
    I say chinese!!!
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    It's not a cheat meal if you're being careful about the calories in it...
  • Cindy393
    Cindy393 Posts: 268 Member
    1. you should be eating about 1600 calories a day
    2. Why do you reward yourself with food - isnt that like celebrating a marathon by running away from the finish line when you get to the end?

    My doctor had wanted me on a 1200 calorie a day diet.

    I'm not rewarding myself with food-I'm trying what seems to have helped everyone else on plateaus. Even Bob Harper advises this!

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