how to save up calories for a cheat meal?

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Shampres
Shampres Posts: 64 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've read some here in the message boards about saving calories for a cheat meal. What does this mean, exactly? I've been on MFP for a while, but I don't really understand this concept.

Thanks,
Shannon
«13

Replies

  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    Doesnt work that way.

    How much fat do you have?

    How much are you eating every day?
    Whats TDEE?
    BMR?
    Routine?
    Occupation?
  • Shampres
    Shampres Posts: 64 Member
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    I'm not sure what TDEE is.
    I'm 5'2, 124 lbs,body fat 21%-ish, BMR is about 1600, I eat between 1200-1400/day, weights for 30-40 minutes three/four days a week and I am usually in training for a half marathon. My occupation is a desk jockey, very sedentary.

    I'm mostly happy with my progress (I've plateaued recently), but I just don't understand saving calories for a cheat meal. It doesn't seem like it would be beneficial, but since I don't get it, I'm just trying to understand what it means.
  • smokinjackd
    smokinjackd Posts: 341
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    Before I started working out again I had to do this once in a while, if I was craving , let's say pizza for instance and I wanted to keep within my 1480 calorie goal I would not eat until pizza time. A lot of people are going to come on here and start pontificating about that's evil, wrong, dangerous, unhealthy, blah, blah, blah, but I satisfied my craving without blowing my eating plan and then was ble to get back into my routine the next day sans craving. Didn't happen often but sure did the trick when I needed it,
  • ksavy
    ksavy Posts: 271 Member
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    If I know I am going to be going out for a favorite meal later in the week, I will eat a couple hundred less than normal each day earlier in the week so I have the extra calories come time for that meal. Plus try to get a good workout in that day.
  • Aventuria
    Aventuria Posts: 151
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    Don't cheat. :sad:
    Either substitute part of the meal with a healthier choice (Baked potato or salad instead of fries).
    Or only eat half a portion.
    It helps to drink a lot directly before you go, too. That way you're not as hungry.
    Or do an extra cardio session to earn more calories.

    Usually you get around being over the limit quite comfortably... :wink:
  • marvelscale
    marvelscale Posts: 135
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    Don't cheat. :sad:
    Either substitute part of the meal with a healthier choice (Baked potato or salad instead of fries).
    Or only eat half a portion.
    It helps to drink a lot directly before you go, too. That way you're not as hungry.
    Or do an extra cardio session to earn more calories.

    Usually you get around being over the limit quite comfortably... :wink:

    Why not? It's okay to "cheat" every now and then. It won't kill your goal. :)
  • smokinjackd
    smokinjackd Posts: 341
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    @aventuria
    For the drinking a lot part, would you reccomend beer or vodka, either one helps me forget about food....lol....jk
  • liz97373
    liz97373 Posts: 2
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    You eat light healthy food to save most of your calories for your cheat meal and make sure that you're doing some sort of exercise to balance it out.
  • marvelscale
    marvelscale Posts: 135
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    @aventuria
    For the drinking a lot part, would you reccomend beer or vodka, either one helps me forget about food....lol....jk

    vodka has less calories :wink:
  • jesusHchris
    jesusHchris Posts: 1,405 Member
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    Doesnt work that way.

    For someone who is dressed up as a video game character, you sure do a good job at destroying people's dreams.

    It sure does work that way, by the way. Also, your normal calorie goal for the day is probably around 500 or so less than you would eat to remain the exact same weight. If you want to splurge and go over one day on the weekend or something, just do it - it is not going to throw off your routine.

    If you want to stay exactly on target, pig out a little bit today and eat less tomorrow. The food in constantly moving through your digestive track, it does not reset at midnight just because your MFP ticker does.

    I have heard time and time again from fitness experts that cheat days are essential to maintain your sanity and keep you on track for your goals. "Essential" is probable the wrong word, but you get my drift.

    Enjoy.
  • Aventuria
    Aventuria Posts: 151
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    @aventuria
    For the drinking a lot part, would you reccomend beer or vodka, either one helps me forget about food....lol....jk

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
    Okay, that was a good one...
  • Aventuria
    Aventuria Posts: 151
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    @Marvelscale

    What I meant with don't cheat is more of a you don't necessarily have to with all the tips and tricks. In the end nobody ever does not exceed his limits from time to time. That is absolutely true! :wink: :blushing:
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I don't call it a "cheat" meal, I call it a free meal or free day. Maybe "wild card" might be a good term as well. You just kind of get a pass if you do this once or twice a week. You could probably even go totally crazy and eat 4000+ in a single day without doing any permanent damage.

    Oddly, our physiology seems to function better if we have the occasional high calorie meal or day. That could be why humans of every culture have developed such ornate eating rituals around holidays, it's good for you!
  • Pedal_Pusher
    Pedal_Pusher Posts: 1,166 Member
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    Go for it
  • Shampres
    Shampres Posts: 64 Member
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    I think I didn't ask the question clearly. I understand cheat meals, and I think they are necessary if only so that we keep our sanity intact. But, what does working out Monday-Thursday and saving those workout calories have to do with a cheat meal Friday night? It seems that some people believe that you if you create a calorie deficit days prior to an indulgence then the indulgence doesn't quite count or do as much "damage" as if they hadn't "saved calories" for that particular event. It's as if they work on total calories for the week instead of the day, and I've been just going day-to-day instead of weekly. So in that regard, does total weekly calories mean that you can save workout calories for a cheat meal?

    I cheat. But I don't call it cheating. I call it eating....I know I can't be 100& discliplined all the time, and I don't beat myself or even feel a little guilty for an indulgence. I've still lost twenty pounds, so I know it works for me. But I've plateued, so I wonder if this approach, the weekly calorie approach is something I need to try.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    I don't call it 'cheating' either. I call it.. My Mom's birthday dinner is on Sunday and we are all going to Red Lobster :) I already know I'm going to be eating at least 1000 calories so I ate a little less yesterday - had about 600 calories left over which I will then eat on Sunday. I average my calories over a week and since I only weigh in once a week it makes no difference if I have 1100 calories one day and 2300 another.

    This is also why I don't stress if I eat too much on one day because I know the next day I will eat less. I plan to be doing this for the rest of my life and quite frankly if I have a special occasion or feel like going out for a nice meal I refuse to stress out about it if I happen to go over or have a slice of cake for desert.
  • chanson104
    chanson104 Posts: 859
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    I've been successfully doing this for a while, and I've allowed myself "cheat" meals/days. I hate using the word cheat so recently I have started counting my calories by the week. My goal is that my total calories are under for the week. That way if I don't feel like eating much today that's okay, and if I'm having a special meal tomorrow and eat more that's okay too. I just average it out. I've read that varying your calorie intake is a good way to avoid/break plateaus. I haven't been doing it long enough to determine if that will be the case for me; however, I can tell you that it has been freeing because I'm not obsessing about eating enough or too many calories!
  • jenneal89
    jenneal89 Posts: 243
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    I think I didn't ask the question clearly. I understand cheat meals, and I think they are necessary if only so that we keep our sanity intact. But, what does working out Monday-Thursday and saving those workout calories have to do with a cheat meal Friday night? It seems that some people believe that you if you create a calorie deficit days prior to an indulgence then the indulgence doesn't quite count or do as much "damage" as if they hadn't "saved calories" for that particular event. It's as if they work on total calories for the week instead of the day, and I've been just going day-to-day instead of weekly. So in that regard, does total weekly calories mean that you can save workout calories for a cheat meal?

    I cheat. But I don't call it cheating. I call it eating....I know I can't be 100& discliplined all the time, and I don't beat myself or even feel a little guilty for an indulgence. I've still lost twenty pounds, so I know it works for me. But I've plateued, so I wonder if this approach, the weekly calorie approach is something I need to try.

    I read in the August edition of Health & Fitness magazine that overindulgence in food creates weight gain more rapidly than once thought. It used to be thought that if you eat well and over eat only once in a while you won't gain weight because you aren't constantly over eating. This isn't entirely true. A study at Oxford showed that within 3 hours of overindulging, fat droplets deposit themselves onto your adipose tissue. So, if you don't burn those extra calories you will gain some weight. Operating on this research, saving calories during the week for a day in the future won't work but eating a bit less before you have that big meal couldn't hurt.
  • ebony__
    ebony__ Posts: 519 Member
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    I'm really interested to hear more about If people are sticking to a daily goal or prefer a weekly goal.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Don't cheat. :sad:
    Either substitute part of the meal with a healthier choice (Baked potato or salad instead of fries).
    Or only eat half a portion.
    It helps to drink a lot directly before you go, too. That way you're not as hungry.
    Or do an extra cardio session to earn more calories.

    Usually you get around being over the limit quite comfortably... :wink:

    Seriously... This is a lifestyle change. People want to eat like a normal human sometimes instead of eating healthy food 24/7.

    To OP:
    My take on this.. eat what you want, when you want. As long as it fits your macro's/calories, then you are good.

    Even if you do go over by a few, it won't make much of a difference since it takes 3,500 calories extra to lose/gain a pound.

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