Cheat meal once a week?

Brandon74

Whatever works for you. I do a cheat meal once a week or thereabouts.

It's all about moderation when it comes to food and dieting. I didn't gain this weight overnight by bad eating habits, so one cheat meal out of how many healthy clean eating meals isn't going to sabotage my weight loss goals. Just make sure you exercise on the day you decide to splurge on your diet and eat whatever you want to.

shorty35565

1) You are still subject to the calories that you eat during your cheat. These calories will offset the deficit you create during other days of the week.

2) Plenty of people incorporate this successfully by not allowing the magnitude of the cheat to exceed/undo the progress they make during the non-cheat days. You just have to make sure you don't do an all-out binge.

(EDIT: Frequency is also a consideration).

3) Some people have a hard time going back to their diet after cheating. Some people have a MUCH EASIER time sticking to their diet because they allow themselves to cheat. I think knowing where you land on this is very important.

food for thought.

I cheat, mostly for mental reasons (non-tracking days) since I don't eliminate any food that I enjoy, even while I'm in a deficit.
I recommend others do it but ONLY if they are capable of being mindful of the above, AND if they believe they can recognize the difference between "allowing themselves a break" vs using it as an excuse to not have willpower.

U look amazng, so his def means something coming from u!
I know cheating won't throw me off track, cuz as of now I cheat like once every couple months, very few and far between. Even then, I would never binge. Binging gets u like no where & just wastes time, which I HATE! I want this far too much to let myself get off track. Thank u

AlexandraLynch

I do 24 hours once a week where I don't count calories.

I'm still subject to the fiber, beans, cruciferous vegetables, fruit, and overall carb restrictions, but that's due to my medical issues. I do find that I lose weight better with one day a week that way, and it means that if I'm craving something seriously I can wait six days at most and have it on my free day. (I don't call it a cheat day, that messes with my head.) I still don't eat huge amounts, and I still log it because I am trying to get the extra calories so that I don't go into starvation mode, and I'm still feeling out the calorie counting way of thinking.

shorty35565

Every single time (three this month) I had a 'cheat' meal or day, I lost weight the very next day. I don't see the harm. It's all about everything in moderation, right?

That's a really nice to hear! Just 1 meal a week of something I actually like & I will be ok. I just need some reassurance. I'm very careful with all this.

I feel sad for you if you're thinking "a meal a week of something I 'actually' like"... I know I have a different perspective than some on here, but the same as others. Maybe because I'm only trying to lose a little more weight, or maybe because of what life has put me through...BUT if you are not liking what you're eating on a regular basis, it will not stick. I have begun eating much healthier than I did a year ago, but I've never told myself I "can't" eat something... I make smarter choices of foods that still satisfy my appetite, too. I don't log on weekends, because I don't want to get discouraged if I go over. I've lost about 10lbs total, and have another ten or so to go. I'm trying to incorporate a healthy lifestyle that's livable for me so I don't go back to how I WAS eating regularly.

I do however TOTALLY understand those that need to be more disciplined. Again, if you have a healthy perspective on food and find things you enjoy, it's all about moderation with the non-health foods (as so many have said)... you just have to find what works for you, keeps you going, and makes you HAPPY

It's not that I dont like what I eat. I'm a seriously picky eater, so I WONT eat things that I don't like. But I eat the same things ALL THE TIME, cuz it's so hard to find things I like. The foods I love just arent acceptable to have so often because they're bad for you. I tell myself no quite a bit & I believe ppl can stick to things like that, least I can and have. And honestly, if I kept on restricting, I could still do it. When you want something bad enough you'll do it, which I what I do.
I understand about wanting to do a healthy lifestyle that's livable, so you won't go back. That's what I'm doing. I'm very disciplined & there is no way I will ever let my weight come back on. Different things work for different people i think.

kstrunk1

My husband and I have a cheat meal once a week and it has worked for us ... I have lost 81 lbs. and he has lost 99.

blonde71

I don't see the harm in it...in moderation, of course. The weekends for me are hectic with family stuff so I rarely log and I do veer off-course from time to time. It's never hampered my progress in any way, shape or form.

mfpcopine

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Would cheat for 1 MEAL (not day) once a week be ok?

It's fine, so long as you know you can keep it to one meal. I personally could not do that. One meal would become two, a day, two days ...

Be honest with yourself.

This is not to say that I don't exceed my calorie goal reasonably often. But I view it as a departure from the norm, which is inevitable and acceptable. I try to make up for it soon afterwards. I wouldn't want on some level to regard the cheat day as the norm.

Mellie289

I have a cheat day about once a week in which I exceed my typical daily goal, but don't go over my TDEE, so I'm not going to put weight on. That's usually a day I eat out or get takeout, which tends to be much higher calorie than what I cook, so the treat is also the break from preparing a meal.

About once a month, that cheat day is over TDEE and I eat whatever I want no matter how unhealthy and high calorie.

I've been steadily losing about 4-5 pounds a month since starting (my goal), so I feel good about doing that and I don't feel like I'm suffering by depriving myself of things I like. To me, this is a lifestyle change, not a diet, so slow and steady loss and not feeling like I'm on a diet is a much better approach for me than dieting and trying to lose faster at something like 2 pounds a week, which would be a struggle for me.

shorty35565

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Would cheat for 1 MEAL (not day) once a week be ok?

It's fine, so long as you know you can keep it to one meal. I personally could not do that. One meal would become two, a day, two days ...

Be honest with yourself.

This is not to say that I don't exceed my calorie goal reasonably often. But I view it as a departure from the norm, which is inevitable and acceptable. I try to make up for it soon afterwards. I wouldn't want on some level to regard the cheat day as the norm.

I can keep it 2 1 meal. I've done it before
I NEVER exceed my cal goal. My friend says I suck as a cheater, because last time I cheated, I still stayed under my cal goal LOL

shorty35565

I have a cheat day about once a week in which I exceed my typical daily goal, but don't go over my TDEE, so I'm not going to put weight on. That's usually a day I eat out or get takeout, which tends to be much higher calorie than what I cook, so the treat is also the break from preparing a meal.

About once a month, that cheat day is over TDEE and I eat whatever I want no matter how unhealthy and high calorie.

I've been steadily losing about 4-5 pounds a month since starting (my goal), so I feel good about doing that and I don't feel like I'm suffering by depriving myself of things I like. To me, this is a lifestyle change, not a diet, so slow and steady loss and not feeling like I'm on a diet is a much better approach for me than dieting and trying to lose faster at something like 2 pounds a week, which would be a struggle for me.

I am relieved to hear this! I still lose slowly even when I haven't been cheating, less than a lb a month. I'm slowly closing in my deficit cuz I'm close to my weight goal & just wanna focus on body fat & inches. Thank u! Slow and steady indeed wins the race!

chatterbox3110

I have a relaxed evening (I don't call it cheating) once a week, generally the evening of my weighing in day - without that I know I would have struggled to stay committed. It's been invaluable in keeping me in control, knowing I can have that little extra just for one night makes me content to stay on track for the rest of the week.

Sometimes I eat 'naughty' but more often than not I only go over my calories for that day by no more than a couple of hundred. OK I know there are going to be those out there who say this is so wrong, but look at my weight loss ticker - it's working for me, so I'll stay with it until such time as it stops, then I'll have to re-consider.

I don't see MFP as a diet aid, I see it as an aid to a total change of lifestyle.