Cheat Meals - Your Experience

Options
dfonte
dfonte Posts: 263 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm looking for your own actual experience with cheat meals and whether or not they helped out out and if so...how (mentally, metabolically, etc.)?

I'm not looking for links to studies here, just people's actual experience.
«13

Replies

  • storm15918
    storm15918 Posts: 88 Member
    Options
    It really depends on the person and the way their mind works. For me personally, I plan them into my calories, workout extra hard that day, and enjoy it! It helps me not blow everything by snapping and eating a whole pizza. Having a slice every few weeks helps keep me sane. It's also been helpful for keeping me from getting too hard on myself about going over calories sometimes. As for metabolism, there was a short period of time where my weight sort of stalled out, and after totally indulging on my birthday (half a pizza and a slice of cake), my weight started dropping again. People say that having a day of going over can help restart things if you plateau. I don't know how true it is, but it seemed to happen to me. Overall, if you can control yourself well enough, 'cheat' meals are awesome.
  • RandomMiranda
    RandomMiranda Posts: 298
    Options
    Mentally it helps me because there are high calorie foods I love, and if I thought I could never have them again I'd probably just throw in the towel completely. I plan around that meal so it fits in my calories for the week. This is truly just 1 meal per week where I get whatever I want. I still log it, and I don't trick myself into thinking I can do that 3 or 4 times per week.
    It has seemed to help my weight loss in the past. I don't know if the confusing your body idea holds water, but it makes sense to me. Last year around this time I went out of town for a conference and ended up having several days of high calorie meals. I thought I would undo all my progress, but my weight was stable that week and I lost the following week. Last week I had a "cheat meal" on Friday and I still lost weight at my Monday weigh in. I had my cheat meal last night and I will find out tomorrow morning whether it effected my progress.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    Options
    What is a cheat meal? I'm always baffled by this term. Eat food...meet your calorie goals. I personally like my diet to consist of 80-90% nutrient dense whole foods, but nothing is off limits. Your diet (noun) should be lifestyle sustainable.
  • storm15918
    storm15918 Posts: 88 Member
    Options
    What is a cheat meal? I'm always baffled by this term. Eat food...meet your calorie goals. I personally like my diet to consist of 80-90% nutrient dense whole foods, but nothing is off limits. Your diet (noun) should be lifestyle sustainable.

    I'm not a fan of the term, but there's nothing wrong with people having a meal that's more about enjoyment than nutrients. If they want to see it as a 'cheat', then let them. Eating well most of the time and having one 'bad' meal every so often is actually very sustainable, and that's the whole point of it. Eating healthy 100% of the time isn't sustainable for most, hence why 'cheat meals' exist.
  • dfonte
    dfonte Posts: 263 Member
    Options
    Some people say it's just 'unhealthy foods' they eat, but still fit into their goal net calorie intake.

    Some people say it's a meal where you just don't count calories at all regardless of how much you may be over your goal intake.

    Some people do whole days without counting calories.


    My maintenance is still hard to gauge after even logging calories for months because of body composition. By the online calculator standards, it should be around 2100. This week I'm averaging a net of 2400, but maintaining my weight and more importantly to me...my body composition. I had 2000 calories over my maintenance last night, which didn't affect water weight at all. I always throw them into a very active day and they do work for me.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Options
    What is a cheat meal? I'm always baffled by this term. Eat food...meet your calorie goals. I personally like my diet to consist of 80-90% nutrient dense whole foods, but nothing is off limits. Your diet (noun) should be lifestyle sustainable.
    I agree the term cheat meal or day is in some ways encouraging people to go off track. I work on the theory that nothing is off limits as long as it's within my goals. I stick to the healthier options the majority of the time but will occasionally have something that is counted as bad for me but in moderation. My food intake (I'm not on a diet) is for my sustainable long term future. As soon as you tell yourself you are cheating you are not considering what you are doing as a lifestyle but a short term diet which imo is where a lot of people fail.
  • healalllevels
    healalllevels Posts: 2
    Options
    I researched with hundreds of people who wanted to lose weight. It was true for most that having a cheat day was helpful but not for all. Leaving one day for a cheat DECREASED deprivation and provided more success. There were a couple who needed to go all or nothing, so it actually depends on the person. If you are an all or nothing, black and white issue person cheat days may not be for you. You may feel you slipped. If you are completely honest with yourself you will find the truth for you. We are all different. My approach is psychological since everything starts in the mind as well as metaphysical (all about being balanced physically, emotionally and spiritually.)
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    Options
    What is a cheat meal? I'm always baffled by this term. Eat food...meet your calorie goals. I personally like my diet to consist of 80-90% nutrient dense whole foods, but nothing is off limits. Your diet (noun) should be lifestyle sustainable.

    THIS

    If I'm eating something "unhealthy' I just make it fit in my calories... end of story.
  • sarahann513
    sarahann513 Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    I don't do cheat meals because for me, it sets me back in terms of my self control with food. Once I have one bad meal I feel like I can have another, and another... I may eat what I want on a special occasion- my birthday, etc... but I don't have regular "cheat days".
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Options
    I don't do cheat meals that go over my calories, only cheat meals that ignore my macros, and only occasionally. I can't binge and feel at all good about myself afterward, and that feeling can last for days.
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    Options
    I dont really do a cheat meal. I eat poorly at times but I try to stay within my calorie allowance. I try to think of it like shopping. You have to have enough money to buy things just like you have to have enough cals to eat things you enjoy. I try to eat more good than bad and watch portions. If i am going to do this, i still want to be able to have my wings every now and then!!
  • chrislynn_marie
    chrislynn_marie Posts: 77 Member
    Options
    For me, I do a cheat meal every one-two weeks. I don't include it in my calories but I will work out more the next day. They keep me on track with eating clean the rest of the time because I know I'll be able to splurge soon enough. I've lost 40 pounds doing this so it's worked for me.
  • jodigirl03
    jodigirl03 Posts: 111
    Options
    Just my thoughts ....
    It's not a "cheat" if you allow room for it in your calorie budget. A cheat meal or a cheat day is when you allow yourself to eat TDEE or above. For some, they allow one day per week that they simply don't count calories at all. Some say 80/20. If you eat right, (healthy, nutrient rich foods) 80% of the time, you can eat junk 20% of the time. Dr. Oz promotes this. However, everyone's goals are different here. Some are eating donuts for breakfast, fast food for lunch & dinner and still making their calorie goal. Others will not put anything into their body that isn't natural, whole, unprocessed, organic ... etc.
    So rather or not you call it a cheat and how you cheat is going to be different for everyone.


    Me personally, I def have a cheat day once a week. It's not a day full of cake and donuts or pizza and beer, (although it may be ONE of those on occasion or two glasses of wine with my smoked salmon dinner.) But it's one day a week that I allow myself to eat at TDEE and for me personally it doesn't seem to have an affect on my metabolism or rather or not I'm going to get back on track the following day. I personally look forward to them. It's kind of a reward for a very disciplined week. :)
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
    Options
    Everyone is different, but I think they're a bad idea for people with binging issues.

    It makes the cheat meal a binge in disguise.

    If you're trying to fix your relationship with food, especially in regards to binging, I don't think cheat meals are the best... You should focus on incorporating a little treat every day, meeting your calorie goals, and not stressing if you go over your calories every now and then!

    My input :smile:
  • TheDarlingOne
    TheDarlingOne Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    I prefer to call it my "casual day" - as oppose to "cheat day". that seems to trigger my head to say - okay sure have the few oreos and maybe a slice of pie after dinner - but not go hog *kitten* wild and throw the whole day lol.
    My whole life up to this point has been a 'cheat day' lol - so now I have 'casual day'
    whatever helps the mental ya know? haha.
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
    Options
    Another thing.. for CLEAN EATERS, .THEY should have a cheat meal.. otherwise that means that they'll live their entire lives missing out on certain foods and not eating certain foods EVER again... such as, ice-cream :tongue:
  • storm15918
    storm15918 Posts: 88 Member
    Options
    I prefer to call it my "casual day" - as oppose to "cheat day". that seems to trigger my head to say - okay sure have the few oreos and maybe a slice of pie after dinner - but not go hog *kitten* wild and throw the whole day lol.
    My whole life up to this point has been a 'cheat day' lol - so now I have 'casual day'
    whatever helps the mental ya know? haha.

    I really like this!
  • lisahewitt22
    lisahewitt22 Posts: 102
    Options
    I've struggled a lot with binging in the past and I've tried to just once in a while have a nice cheat meal but sadly it just makes it hard for me to stay on track and instead of having a cheat meal I eat my entire fridge and then just start to give up all together. But, I think, if you can handle it and it doesn't ruin your whole fitness mentality then they're a great.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    Options
    What is a cheat meal? I'm always baffled by this term. Eat food...meet your calorie goals. I personally like my diet to consist of 80-90% nutrient dense whole foods, but nothing is off limits. Your diet (noun) should be lifestyle sustainable.

    I'm not a fan of the term, but there's nothing wrong with people having a meal that's more about enjoyment than nutrients. If they want to see it as a 'cheat', then let them. Eating well most of the time and having one 'bad' meal every so often is actually very sustainable, and that's the whole point of it. Eating healthy 100% of the time isn't sustainable for most, hence why 'cheat meals' exist.

    That's my point. I'm a foodie...all of my food is about enjoyment. I think people get into the mind set of this is bad and that is good, etc...when in fact, even something as "junky" as pizza has essential fats, protein, and carbs. I think the mindset of this is good and that is bad is what leads people to binge and "cheat" or whatever.

    If I've gotten all of my nutrients in for the day and hit my protein goals and viatamins and minerals in check, then how would a slice of pie or ice cream for desert be "cheating" so long as I'm hitting all of my goals? If I'm going to have a big, high calorie meal on a given day, I make it fit...I made it fit when I was losing and I make it fit at maintenance, nothing has really changed in terms of my overall diet (noun)...except the amount of calories. I'm eating the same stuff either way.
  • Happygohippy
    Happygohippy Posts: 2
    Options
    I think my biggest problem is holding out until the next meal! I seem to have windeled my lunch down to half
    A sandwich made with one slice of bread filled with ham, together with celery, a sliced tomato with a little salt
    Tangerine and apple. My mother makes my packed lunch before I go to work which is sweet of her. When I'm
    Not working I find it more difficult to stick to this little as I get easily bored and convince myself it is ok to eat
    More. Mum told me just now that I have suddenly come out of a psychological phase where I could not control
    My eating and now she can really see a difference. I find it hard watching my parents eat if I visit them and I
    Have to tell them I have already had a meal. I find it easier and more relaxing eating alone and I know that I dip
    Out of family meals too often to try to save on calories. This is fair enough but I need to get through say six
    Hours without eating at all. Mum says one oat biscuit is ok! Yes this tends to stave off cravings to stop making
    Another meal. I honestly don't know what I would do without my parents that I can talk to plan meals with and
    Rely upon for moral support. I have finally realised what's making me so unhappy that I really would love to have
    A best friend and a fan/ moral supporter as a married partner. I have been treated badly by men in the past in business
    Uni all walks of life and am looking for a partner with a difference but am drastically scared who will find out and
    What questions I will be asked. I have tried cutting communication drastically to try and partner myself with someone
    But I'm dreading things going dreadfully wrong as I know people see me as an individual. My fatness has become
    My identity I would love to get out of people expecting to see me a certain fatness and weight. I was eating extra meals
    And cheat meals to fulfil a visual expectation by people when they see me. I am now focusing on trying to hook up with
    A magical damson and forget everyone else if this is possible!!! I simply need to cut eating and not eat the food in the
    First place!

Categories