The NOTORIOUS "cheat"

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  • shiftysheep
    shiftysheep Posts: 44 Member
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    It's not a "cheat" day, it's a re-feed & can help if your weight loss has stalled!

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-should-i-increase-carb-intake-for-weight-loss/
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I consider it kind of a break from the diet. It isn't a reward for being good. I don't have to be good 7 days to get a decent meal. Having the ability to eat more at certain times takes some of the stress of trying to be so good off, and quite honestly, I find that I don't really "cheat" all that much when I allow myself such a meal. I'll just eat a normal portion and still don't stuff myself. It's all about knowing I'm not really that restricted and can eventually have what I want.
  • Jkmumma
    Jkmumma Posts: 254
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    It's not really cheating, because I'm still WELL within my limits, but I'll plan a day for biking the capital greenbelt, or hiking it, or kayaking a part of the river, or something along those lines. These activities are HUGE calorie burns, so if I'm going to eat big, I'll do it on those days. Also: when I'm camping, I eat whatever the heck I want and in the proportions I darned well feel like, because I KNOW I burn it all off hiking.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    in the truest sense of the word, a "cheat" meal is one in which you (a) don't count calories (b) go over your macros and (c) just don't care what you eat :smile:

    I have to disagree. I associate cheating with lying. If you don't log it, then it's cheating. If you deliberately log something incorrectly, then it's cheating. Going over your calories or macros is a mistake, which is completely different from lying and cheating.

    But that's just my opinion. I hate cheaters, so I have a different perspective on it.
  • squirmmonster
    squirmmonster Posts: 98 Member
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    I disagree with cheating. I think a better strategy is just not to expect to eat healthy 24/7. Eat the things you like, calculate them into your daily calories, and keep going. I had fries yesterday afternoon. I would have had a chicken sandwich with it, if the F***ING MORON working the drive-thru wouldn't have given me a hamburger with thousand island dressing on it. (I hate thousand island dressing, so I didn't even get to eat the burger.) Even if I had had both, I wouldn't have broken my diet. I'd just have had less calories for dinner time.

    The best estimate of whether or not you're going to fail or succeed, long haul, is whether you have foods you "can't" eat. The answer should be, no, there aren't foods you can't eat. It's just what you choose to eat today. More than likely, most days you will want to choose to eat healthy food, because having a meal is better and more filling than having a single muffin most of the time. Sometimes, though, you want the muffin, and you will choose the muffin over the meal.
  • RobinvdM
    RobinvdM Posts: 634 Member
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    I can see where you're coming from but I don't agree with it. I read an article explaining the amount of calories required to gain a lb and the number was 5500. 2000 of which your body requires to maintain your current wait (maybe more depending in your muscle mass) sitting still. Another 3500 to equal that lb. 5500 calories is the equivalent of 9 pepperoni pizzas from Pizza Hut. So I don't think that one meal, even pigging out, would reverse all the work from the prior week. If I did it every day, then yes... Eventually those extra calories would add up. I don't know about you though, but I know I can't eat 9 pizzas... Even personal-pans.

    It isn't just calories that increases your weight the next day. Sodium is as notorious, if not more so (in the short term) One night of unadulterated cheese fondue indulgence got me from 246 to 251 the next day. I am still working it off, but I do not regret it for a minute. I just space out my fondue delights to bimonthly, or longer depending on the season (too warm a meal to have in the summer!) One night of chinese, even if under my calories = spike the next day in weight thanks to sodium. However, 3500 calories consumed is easily a pound gained, don't know where the 5500 came from- but if you eat 3500 and burn off 2000 you are probably going to see a weight gain. I am, by no means, an expert but common sense would seem to indicate that.

    Sustainable weight loss has to be something you are doing that you can KEEP doing long after your weight has come off and you reach your goal.
  • mommyshortlegs
    mommyshortlegs Posts: 402 Member
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    I once heard it put this way: "Don't reward yourself with food, you're not a dog."
  • _Wits_
    _Wits_ Posts: 1,286 Member
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    I don't understand this train of thought at all.


    I just eat what I want, try to be mindful of macros, and try like hell to stay within my calories.


    Having "cheat" meals is what helped pack on 100 pounds, at least for me. No food is a "cheat" food anymore so I enjoy what I want in moderation.


    And food is not a reward...
  • shunggie
    shunggie Posts: 1,036 Member
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    Like many have said, I "cheat" on occassion but "budget" for it. I like the idea of doing it for breakfast, that gives me all day to burn it off. This morning for example I went to Panera for a low fat high calorie bagel but ended up with a high fat and even higher calorie egg souffle. I already knew breakfast would come in around 450 calories (normally I try to keep it around 300), but marketing works and I bought the souffle anyway. When I got to the car and pulled it up on my phone- 560 calories!!!!!!!!!!! I won't lie I did have a momentary freak out, then remembered I have all day to eat right and exercise. It's 560 calories not 5600....this is doable and I really enjoyed the souffle. With the right food the rest of the day and a good walk tonight I will still be around 1200.
  • RobinvdM
    RobinvdM Posts: 634 Member
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    It's not really cheating, because I'm still WELL within my limits, but I'll plan a day for biking the capital greenbelt, or hiking it, or kayaking a part of the river, or something along those lines. These activities are HUGE calorie burns, so if I'm going to eat big, I'll do it on those days. Also: when I'm camping, I eat whatever the heck I want and in the proportions I darned well feel like, because I KNOW I burn it all off hiking.

    Winning attitude right there, lol :) Next year is MY hiking year!! Woo hoo!
  • sariannach
    sariannach Posts: 32
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    I certainly do TREAT myself to a favorite less-healthy meal on occasion--not once a week, but maybe once every 3-4 weeks. It's a treat--not a cheat or a reward. I didn't earn it, I don't inherently deserve it, but I gift it to myself.

    My boyfriend and I will have been dating for four years as of next week and we're going out for sushi. The particular restaurant we're going to is the really nice one--the one we go to maybe once a year if it's in the budget. Am I going to hyper-analyze the nutrition? Nope. It's a treat. Will I log it? Hell yes. Will I give up on my lifestyle changes and live off Twinkies after that? No way!

    I see the occasional treat--whether it's food, a new electronic toy, half an hour at the hot tubs, or a day trip--as an important part of self-care. I'm not denying myself the things I love to live healthier. I'm choosing moderation.

    When I had very little money, I didn't skip giving Christmas/birthday presents to the kids in my life. I just didn't buy them the fanciest, most expensive ones available--I bought or made ones I thought they'd especially like AND that fit with my budget, even if I had to stretch it a little. Now I'm doing that with my food--I'm having fewer big treats, but that makes them more valuable to me, and more worthwhile as they fit better in the "budget" of choosing to live healthier.
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
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    I don't understand this train of thought at all.


    I just eat what I want, try to be mindful of macros, and try like hell to stay within my calories.


    Having "cheat" meals is what helped pack on 100 pounds, at least for me. No food is a "cheat" food anymore so I enjoy what I want in moderation.


    And food is not a reward...

    I agree...Rewarding myself got me here!
  • shiftysheep
    shiftysheep Posts: 44 Member
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    It takes overeating for a long period with no exercise to gain weight (unless you have a hormone issue), so I wouldn't worry about 1meal or 1day & as people have said you can eat what you enjoy & factor it in & just be sensible with it.

    I'm currently bulking, I'm 5 feet 9 150lbs & eating on average 4000 calories a day (some days 6500) & still gaining weight slowly. So I wouldn't worry about gaining weight off one meal or day. It can actually help keep your leptin levels higher.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,324 Member
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    i am not a dog.
    food is not a reward.
    i eat what i want, when i want, and kick *kitten* in between.

    to reward myself, i might rub 2 out instead of 1.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
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    I don't have to "cheat". I simply train harder. There's a reason my long runs are on the weekend. I operate in margarita math, which means if I run 7+ miles, I can have at least 2 or 3 margaritas, based on calories burned.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
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    i am not a dog.
    food is not a reward.
    i eat what i want, when i want, and kick *kitten* in between.

    to reward myself, i might rub 2 out instead of 1.

    ^awesome
  • FitBeto
    FitBeto Posts: 2,121 Member
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    What I do is on days i do have to go out and eat outside the norm - i make the best of it. Foe example, tonight i am going to Golden Corral with an old friend. I'll just avoid the foods that i normally wouldn't eat on a daily basis. And if i do have a craving for something against the norm 1 spoonful of it is not gonna make me fat.
  • moonspells
    moonspells Posts: 126 Member
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    My fiance and I have been on MFP for six and a half months; I've lost 42 lbs. and he's at almost 50. We decided from the beginning that we would do a monthly "indulgence" day as a reward/motivator IF both of us log EVERYTHING every day for the rest of the month and neither of us EVER go over our calories in between (if we did go over, we would start the clock over at zero until the next indulgence). It has since turned into an indulgence weekend once a month because he is on nights and we were having trouble finding one day that works for both of our schedules.
    I think the key is attitude; if you want to do this on the fast track or 100% clean etc., then indulgences are probably not the way to go. However, for us, it is working really well. I don't have any issues getting back on track afterwards and it helps me stay motivated to stay under calories in between. And any food items that I would have trouble fitting into every day life become tasty treats to enjoy once in a while instead of some forbidden fruit I can never have again.
    You have to do what works for you...best of luck in your journey! :o)
  • SimplyKry
    SimplyKry Posts: 36
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    A question for the OP and I promise I am not being mean in any way; the question is borne of sincerity: I just noticed your ticker and saw it says "0 lbs lost." It made me wonder what you want to "reward" yourself for?

    Please don't take any offense.

    I'm not offended by your question at all. My ticker says "0" because I just started on Sunday last week. I'm weighing in, on the 1st and 15th of the month. If I do it more frequently, I become a slave to the scale. I did sneak yesterday and saw amazing progress I am proud of but I'm not posting it until the 1st of October.

    As for this thread I created, I appreciate all the input, everybody's opinion or point of view is important. I guess what I am "rewarding" myself for is staying on track.

    I don't think I really explained myself well though. I don't feel the NEED to do this, I was simply given advise that "fat loading" was beneficial in weight loss. I've heard people say the same thing and I've heard people say its not true. I was told it also helps control cravings. Of course if you are following a strict "carb" diet or "sodium" diet then of course it would be silly to load up on either of those, but there are delicious other food which you could have.

    I don't know, I think that calling it a "reward" would depend on the person. We aren't children or dogs, so I believe that we have a bit more common sense and we would understand that "food" is not the reward. There shouldn't be a problem with associating food as a reward. We have to eat, so we arent changing anything, except what we eat. im not saying to throw an extra pig-out meal in because you did well, just eat something you WANT instead of what you were normally going to eat. If I do really well at the gym, I'm not gonna run home and have a piece of pie as a reward. That's just common sense.

    I think someone said it in here. The reward is the break from counting and analyzing. It's basically a pat on the back saying, you did well ALL week... Now take a break. Like I said, one meal. I don't believe stuffing your face is a good "reward/cheat" meal but if you want to have that burger instead of a chicken salad (like you do every time) then do it. That's it. Have a salad on the side, maybe skip the bun for those on a carb thing. Just take a break.

    So... Revising my question, has anyone heard of "fat-loading" being a success? Do you think a "break" from counting for one meal a week if you were strict all week is acceptable?
  • SimplyKry
    SimplyKry Posts: 36
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    Maybe no one is really READING the post about 5500 calories, or I didn't explain it well.

    Let me break it down (I'm not saying I agree or disagree, just explaining the article)

    Your body, right now, not moving is burning calories. While you sit at work or lay in bed, or sit on the couch flipping through channels, you are burning calories. That is how your body works. Plain and simple. So... In the article it says that in order to maintain your current weight, approximately 2000 calories need to be consumed (I am assuming this is an average)... So, we start off with a 2000 base just to "not lose" any weight. Then we have a 3500 calorie pound. Those two numbers equal 5500 calories needed to be consumed in one day to gain a lb.

    First we replenish the 2000 our body burned just by being our wonderful selves, then we pack on the extra 3500. That's 5500 a person would have to consume to gain a lb.

    That's the equivilant to 750 Cheetos, 9 pepperoni pizzas, etc.

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