Cheat meals

vanessagoh
vanessagoh Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've read on an article somewhere that if the body gets too comfortable with the calorie deficit for prolonged periods of time, it'll make losing weight harder, and so they sort of recommended cheat meals once a week, to get your body out of the calorie deficit mode, and therefore burn more calories and fat. My question is that does anyone around here have cheat meals? And if so, how often do you have them, and how many percent more calories do you take it as compared to the usual MFP calorie target.

I'm terrified that with every extra calories that I take in during those cheat meal days, my weight will just shoot back up!!

Replies

  • zozzabubba
    zozzabubba Posts: 137 Member
    I don't do cheat meals, but I do tend to mix up my foods and calorie intake a lot because I burn different amounts every day. So some days I'll burn nothing or very little, and eat about 1600 cals, other days I'll burn 1000 and eat maybe 2300, or some days I'll burn a lot but still eat just 1600-1700...so my total calorie intake, AND my net calories are constantly changing...so I don't think my body is getting a chance to get used to them. Also, the types of workouts I do to burn cals is ALWAYS changing, so my body won't be getting used to that either.

    I'd say, go for a cheat meal if you want to, for your own sanity or because you think it'll help you stay "good" the rest of your meals...but if you don't want to then you definitely don't need to if you're switching it up a bit in other places :)
  • Krisstah
    Krisstah Posts: 136 Member
    well, if thats the case, i just had a cheat meal right now LOL.. but this is the first time in one month, ive had something from take out.. im trying to enjoy the fact that i allowed myself to have it, as apposed to thinking im going to gain everything ive lost back... since clearly i havent eaten 73,000 calories today lol
  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,296 Member
    It won't. I have a cheat meal everytime I lose 10lbs. I eat whatever the heck I want, but I try not to go into overload mode where I'm so stuffed I don't want to move...although, the first couple of times I did and felt miserable. I eat higher on the weekends, but I still have a limit.

    When I do have a cheat meal, I always overestimate or do a quick add of calories unless the restaurant info is on the database.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    I don't do cheat meals just because it's an excuse to pig out. If you eat what you want as long as you fit into your goals for the day that's better. The other thing is to don't be constiant with your calories mix it up some. Don't be constitant with your execise, mix it up also. This way there is no need to cheat.
  • AReasor
    AReasor Posts: 355 Member
    I don't really do a whole cheat day, but Saturdays I tend to pay less attention. I may have a beer after dinner. Sometimes my husband and I will share a dessert. I only end up over about 500 calories. Since I exercise regularly, I'm not too concerned.
  • kjw1031
    kjw1031 Posts: 300 Member
    I'm trying not to feel so hungry or so deprived that I feel like I have to "cheat".

    That said, I do stick to my calorie limit and try to eat within my macros on a daily basis and then when something unexpected happens (spontaneous dinner out or a cocktail), I just go with it and don't feel like I have to get upset.
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
    Every meal is most likley a cheat meal for me long as I can fit it in my daily fat/chol/carb limits MFP gives me =)
  • Danam48
    Danam48 Posts: 129 Member
    If I have a deficit for the week happening, I will not think so hard about what I eat on a Friday night. Especially since I tend to crack into a bottle of Chardonnay after work and like to enjoy some snacks with my vino. I went over for the day, but am still under for the week.
  • Snail313
    Snail313 Posts: 214 Member
    I have cheat meals when I am craving something. I ate mexican a few days ago. It was so damn good too. I dont over eat but i got what i wanted and stopped when i was full. I still only ate around 1600 calories that day so it wasnt too bad.
  • clbowman11
    clbowman11 Posts: 117
    I have cheat meals occasionally. But, I haven't in awhile actually. Even passed up a fattier cut of steak the other night at family's house. I brought my own food. lol. But, my cheat meals are usually like turkey bacon ranch whole grain wrap from arby's and I usually can only eat about 1/2 of it at a time. I love turkey. So, any chance I get that I'm craving it I'll go to subway or go to arby's. lol. I crave it constantly since my pregnancy. Anyways, another reason they say have cheat meals is that if you feel to deprived you might mess up and binge eat and then be too guilty and end up quitting. Also, I noticed 2 days I had one of those wraps and I split it as 2 meals and I lost more weight. Who knew? Anyways, they say to make it a 10% thing. Like 10% of your weekly diet (so not often) and 10% of your daily calories and no more. They also say you can go by the 80/20 rule (eat good 80% of the time and cheat 20%) to me that's too much.

    An interesting fact though, my boyfriend works at Sonic Drive-In and I love grilled chicken wraps! He says that they are made on the griddle and have grease on them. But, yet they have 1/2 the calories that a turkey wrap does? And the chicken wrap has ranch as well. So, there's a nice cheat meal (: I think there is like 490 cals in the chicken wrap at sonic and there is around 800 in the turkey bacon ranch wrap at arby's. (the market fresh sandwich on bread has way more calories though so watch out.)
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    A single meal won't do an appreciable job of upregulating hormones that effect metabolism.

    That being said, I think cheat days or cheat meals or days where you just unplug and don't track every flippin calorie, are very good for mental reasons.
  • jshinoff
    jshinoff Posts: 25 Member
    I've read on an article somewhere that if the body gets too comfortable with the calorie deficit for prolonged periods of time, it'll make losing weight harder, and so they sort of recommended cheat meals once a week, to get your body out of the calorie deficit mode, and therefore burn more calories and fat. My question is that does anyone around here have cheat meals? And if so, how often do you have them, and how many percent more calories do you take it as compared to the usual MFP calorie target.

    I'm terrified that with every extra calories that I take in during those cheat meal days, my weight will just shoot back up!!

    There is no utility to a "cheat" meal, it is just an excuse to go off plan. If you want a big meal then earn it by creating the caloric deficit through eating less beforehand and exercising.
  • clbowman11
    clbowman11 Posts: 117
    A single meal won't do an appreciable job of upregulating hormones that effect metabolism.

    That being said, I think cheat days or cheat meals or days where you just unplug and don't track every flippin calorie, are very good for mental reasons.

    agreed. one meal isn't going to throw you completely off track and take away months of work or weeks whichever. No matter what it is. The most affect it will have is on your mind if you let it. And you shouldn't. You put all this work into dieting and exercise if you want something else sometimes it's okay. As long as it's not an all the time thing of too large of proportions. (: I had a very small (the smallest in the box) slice of pizza the other day and I didn't gain anything from it.
  • smaschin
    smaschin Posts: 91
    I have a fry up every saturday morning (greasy calorie filled extra large) at my mates cafe. And rest of day i eat what i want, i made a spinach and muschroom quiche this afternoon which tasted great but will save for tomorrow as i am just about to eat a chinese (fully loaded)

    I have one or 2 days a week like this and still lose around a 1/2 lb a day give or take.

    I train f****** hard so i can eat easy ! ;-)

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