Cheat meal once a week?
shorty35565
Posts: 1,425 Member
I'm normally pretty strict myself and rarely do I cheat, but I've been doing this weight loss thing for a year now and I'm getting to the point to where I tried of restricting ALL THE TIME!
Would cheat for 1 MEAL (not day) once a week be ok? When I say cheat, I don't necessarily mean always going over my calories, because if I can go to a place where I can count the calories, I will & I will try to stay under my goal. I guess that more goes under everything in moderation, but it still feels like cheating to me cuz it won't be a healthy meal u kno? My friend often tells me I suck at cheating lol Cuz when I cheated this week, I only got to 1940 cals haha But I did go over my sodium and carbs, so that constituted as cheating to me.
Opinions?
Would cheat for 1 MEAL (not day) once a week be ok? When I say cheat, I don't necessarily mean always going over my calories, because if I can go to a place where I can count the calories, I will & I will try to stay under my goal. I guess that more goes under everything in moderation, but it still feels like cheating to me cuz it won't be a healthy meal u kno? My friend often tells me I suck at cheating lol Cuz when I cheated this week, I only got to 1940 cals haha But I did go over my sodium and carbs, so that constituted as cheating to me.
Opinions?
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Replies
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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?0
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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.0 -
I think everybody reacts differently to such cheat meals. One swears it works the other one can't have one single extra thing without bad consequences.
Just have a look what works out best for you! :glasses:0 -
You seem to have the healthy perspective of "cheating", so go for it in *your* way.
If I cheat in the way my friends do, I would gain weight (like they do). They like to take the entire weekend off and just eat whatever, not exercise and then start again Monday-Friday. Unfortunately, our bodies don't care what day of the week it is LOL.
Anyway, you sound smart about it! Enjoy a cheat meal
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You seem to have the healthy perspective of "cheating", so go for it in *your* way.
If I cheat in the way my friends do, I would gain weight (like they do). They like to take the entire weekend off and just eat whatever, not exercise and then start again Monday-Friday. Unfortunately, our bodies don't care what day of the week it is LOL.
Anyway, you sound smart about it! Enjoy a cheat meal
I'm glad to be in tht mindset, it helps keep me in check. Entire weekends?! I can't even take a whole day off. I just want 1 meal LOL Even then, I'll be sticking to my 6 day a week exercise routine. My cheat day will fall on grocery day, because it's easier to eat out those days & I workout that day, so end up earning some extra cals for day.
Thanks u!0 -
LOL I know.. I can't do an entire weekend. I almost panic when we have to leave town for vacation. My first thought is, "What will we EAT?!" ;-)
Best of luck to you! It's a scary thing to enter the maintenace mode!0 -
Thats what i do, basically-one meal a week 'free'. I dont like to call it a cheat meal, kind of implies im doing something wrong by eating a yummy dinner, and thats not the attitude i want to have towards food. So yeah, m-sat, eat healthy, stay within calorie oal, and exercise. Sunday, i still log my food, but i usually dont exercise (although more often than not i end up walking a lot while out with my bf), and i eat a smallish breakfast, but have a starbucks if i want. I still dont snack, but if i want a glass of iced tea, i have one. On weekdays i only have one, with dinner. Then at dinner i have my free meal-eat out at a restuarant, order in pizza, ect. For dessert tho, i usually just have my regular 'diet' dessert, sugar free jello pudding or coconut milk ice cream or whatever. If i know that day i'm craving ben and jerrys i can have a pint-but that means eating a small low cal dinner-i usually dont have a big dinner AND a big calorie-filled dessert.
Doing this ive lost 34 lbs in four months. Like someone said above, i seem to lose weight after my free meal... Its weird.
A couple times a year tho, the bf and i go on a little vacation-tomorrow we're leaving for Reno and coming home monday. While i'm there i'm gonna eat whatever i want
. However, im not going to pig out for just the sake of it. Before, i'd think like that-its cheat day! Im going back to my diet soon, i better take this chance to eat as much good stuff as i can!. Now, i'm not on a diet-i'm just eating healthier, so theres no feeling of constant deprivation that makes me want to binge, 0 -
Thats what i do, basically-one meal a week 'free'. I dont like to call it a cheat meal, kind of implies im doing something wrong by eating a yummy dinner, and thats not the attitude i want to have towards food. So yeah, m-sat, eat healthy, stay within calorie oal, and exercise. Sunday, i still log my food, but i usually dont exercise (although more often than not i end up walking a lot while out with my bf), and i eat a smallish breakfast, but have a starbucks if i want. I still dont snack, but if i want a glass of iced tea, i have one. On weekdays i only have one, with dinner. Then at dinner i have my free meal-eat out at a restuarant, order in pizza, ect. For dessert tho, i usually just have my regular 'diet' dessert, sugar free jello pudding or coconut milk ice cream or whatever. If i know that day i'm craving ben and jerrys i can have a pint-but that means eating a small low cal dinner-i usually dont have a big dinner AND a big calorie-filled dessert.
Doing this ive lost 34 lbs in four months. Like someone said above, i seem to lose weight after my free meal... Its weird.
A couple times a year tho, the bf and i go on a little vacation-tomorrow we're leaving for Reno and coming home monday. While i'm there i'm gonna eat whatever i want. However, im not going to pig out for just the sake of it. Before, i'd think like that-its cheat day! Im going back to my diet soon, i better take this chance to eat as much good stuff as i can!. Now, i'm not on a diet-i'm just eating healthier, so theres no feeling of constant deprivation that makes me want to binge,
I dont look at mine as a diet either, it's a lifestyle change. But with my lifestyle change, I've thrown a LOT of things I love because I want to be healthier. When I eat unhealthy, I feel like I'm cheating, because it's not part of my lifestyle anymore. And I used to just deprive myself of those things & it didn't make me want to binge. it still doesn't because I know it's not gonna get me anywhere. I want this far too much to do anything like tht. I would just enjoy having a cheat meal. It's nice to know ppl who cheat and it's not doing bad things to them!0 -
I do a treat meal or snack once a week. I don't use it as an excuse to eat whatever, I still stay within my normal portion size.0
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Everyone definitely does cheating differently, if they cheat, but I think it's really important to do, especially when dieting, to reward your body, basically. For instance, I'm a pescatarian and the only meat I eat regularly is fish, but on my cheat days, I allow myself to have other meats like beef or chicken. Ideally, I should only do it for one meal, but sometimes I allow it the entire day. My cheat days aren't any particular day in the week, just any day I feel like taking if I haven't taken another one in the past week.
So for anyone else, a cheat meal could be a meal with meat, if they don't normally eat meat, or it could be dessert if they've denied themselves sweets most of the time. It could be a day to go over their calories without working off the excess. You just have to think about what exactly you want in a cheat. Sometimes it may just be a treat rather than a cheat (kind of like the dessert I mentioned) just rewarding your body and keeping yourself from getting burned out on your diet.0 -
It can actually be advantageous to have one fatty meal per week. It's called cycling and it's a technique that many gym junkies and body builders use because it is supposed to help you lose weight. How ? If you constantly deprive your body of fat, your body will attempt to keep any fat it has and can eat away at muscle instead - which is bad. Muscle is not only what bodybuilders want more of, but the more muscle you have (or lean body mass) the higher your basal metabolic rate will be. Basically, muscle burns fat. So by cycling in one fatty meal per week your body won't panic and will continue to burn off fat. Pretty cool huh. Just don't go ballistic on the fatty meal.0
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Hi!
In my experience this is perfectly possible! :-) From time to time I go to burger king because my boyfriend loves it (I must say that here in Sweden they are pretty good... We tried them in the US and they were kind of terrible!). Anyway... I just go and order a whopper jr meal, which is kind of small but I do get to eat some fries and a hamburger!!! I also like to buy very very small ice cream portions (about a 100 kcal) or small chocolate pieces. Of course I don't eat like that every day and I always keep those things between my daily calorie allowance... I've also found pretty great low cal muffin recipes! And I do recommend muffins (or at least having them in portions from the very beginning) so you can control the size.0 -
I also want to say that fikas (some sort of dessert + coffee during the afternoon kind of gathering) are extremely popular and everyone looks at you kind of weird if you don't eat a thing so... I just try to eat a very small piece and I'm really happy tasting a good dessert, but then again, I just keep it small. I must add that I keep about 200-300 cal a day for snacks and so I just use those snacking calories and maybe some from another meal to have something sweet.0
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As long as you eat it in moderation then go for it:)0
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As long as it's in moderation then I don't see why not. Fried food is delicious I will save or workout extra calories just to have some every couple of weeks it's like a treat for me, I just don't go crazy and eat like 5 pieces of fried chicken or 2 large orders of fries.0
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Also worth considering doing some exercise before/after the 'cheat' meal.
Yesterday I had a pretty nice home made 'hunters chicken' with wedges. Not up to the levels of macro nutrients pre-being good, and used weight watchers cheese (30g protein, 10g fat; melts weird but tastes good), but still 800 calories total.
However, I cycled 12 miles in the morning, did two and a half hours rock climbing in the afternoon and a 4.5 mile dog walk in the evening - meaning I could justify the nice food with the exercise.
Fried chicken and bacon this morning, but a 7.5 mile run after it and I've not even covered the calories burnt yet!
However, even without that, I've found the OCCASIONAL cheat meal has done me fine, providing I keep it to that one meal and don't make it a day, then a weekend then a week.0 -
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.0 -
It's all about doing what works for you. I relax my diet a bit on Saturday and Sunday... I don't gorge myself and go crazy (unless it's my birthday. I gorge myself on my birthday), but I eat a little bit of the stuff I wouldn't eat during the week. This works really well for me because if I get a craving during the week I can tell myself I'll just have it on the weekend and that deals with the craving. I have it to look forward to, and sometimes the waiting makes it go away all together. I make sure I always work out on my "cheat" days, and that it's a more intense workout than I would do during the week. For me, it really works.0
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I don't log on weekends. I don't consider it cheating, because most of the time - when I'm not invited to a party or something - I'm eating within my calorie goal. It's more of a mental reset to keep me from getting too obsessed with numbers.
I blogged about it here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/LorinaLynn/view/to-log-or-not-to-log-that-is-the-question-415713
When I was still actively losing, I took one weekend day off a year. Since reaching my initial goal, I took both weekends and any day-off holiday or vacation, and some random time off here and there for various reasons from injury to apathy.
To give myself a little more wiggle room for summer parties, I'm eating just below maintenance, and even eating what I want on weekends, still losing the predicted .25 pounds a week.0 -
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 0 -
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.0 -
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 0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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. 0
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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.0
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I'
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.0 -
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.0 -
I'
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 LOL0 -
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!0
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