Why I hate the word "cheating."
FitFabFlirty92
Posts: 384 Member
There are a few threads up right now about "cheating" on your diet. Whether or not you should do it, how often you've done it, how it affected you, etc. But the terminology in and of itself has serious flaws.
First of all, in my opinion losing weight long term is about making a lifestyle change, not going on a diet. Making this something you're going to do FOREVER, not just for a month or two or to get slim for an event, means including some of the foods that brought you to your highest weight in your current meal plan. It's not about eliminating foods or food groups -- just eating them in a different way. It's about having half a portion when you eat out instead of the whole plate. It's about loading up on fruits and veggies first and then indulging in your protein of choice. If it fits into your calories for the day and you're still managing to get the nutrients your body needs, YOU ARE DOING FINE.
To say that you've "cheated" because you've had the cheeseburger instead of the salad, or just had to have that bowl of ice cream after your healthy dinner, sounds like a really unhealthy mindset to me. You're splitting foods up into "good" foods and "bad" foods, and associating shame and guilt with the "bad" foods instead of learning to eat ALL food in moderation. It doesn't sound realistic for long term weight loss, and it makes this process harder than it has to be.
Am I the only one who feels this way? I don't mean to offend anyone, this is just a trend I've been noticing for awhile on here and it seems to me a lot of people on here would have a much easier time with losing weight if they weren't stressing this so much.
First of all, in my opinion losing weight long term is about making a lifestyle change, not going on a diet. Making this something you're going to do FOREVER, not just for a month or two or to get slim for an event, means including some of the foods that brought you to your highest weight in your current meal plan. It's not about eliminating foods or food groups -- just eating them in a different way. It's about having half a portion when you eat out instead of the whole plate. It's about loading up on fruits and veggies first and then indulging in your protein of choice. If it fits into your calories for the day and you're still managing to get the nutrients your body needs, YOU ARE DOING FINE.
To say that you've "cheated" because you've had the cheeseburger instead of the salad, or just had to have that bowl of ice cream after your healthy dinner, sounds like a really unhealthy mindset to me. You're splitting foods up into "good" foods and "bad" foods, and associating shame and guilt with the "bad" foods instead of learning to eat ALL food in moderation. It doesn't sound realistic for long term weight loss, and it makes this process harder than it has to be.
Am I the only one who feels this way? I don't mean to offend anyone, this is just a trend I've been noticing for awhile on here and it seems to me a lot of people on here would have a much easier time with losing weight if they weren't stressing this so much.
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I totally agree! It is all about moderation. I can eat cheesecake and still stay within my calorie limits if I am eating properly and working out. I think people get frustrated because they are too hard on themselves and then they just give up trying. My motto is, "life is too short to be fat, but its also too short to be strict with your diet all the time" most of all....work out.....work out.....and work out some more:)0
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The word "cheating" is like the word "diet". Used a bit out of context. If you aren't "dieting", you aren't "cheating".
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I agree who wants to be on a diet their whole life! I want to eat want I want when I want it. But I know that I cannot do that everyday or at every meal. I need to make better choices but that does not mean that I cannot have snacks or junk food. I also know that I have to keep my body in motion if I want to feel good. The number on the scale does not define or control me.0
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The word "cheating" is like the word "diet". Used a bit out of context. If you aren't "dieting", you aren't "cheating".
Exactly right! Diets don't work long term, because when they end, you'll start eating the way you did before and gain it all back. However, eating everything in moderation and moving around more DOES work and is much more sustainable.
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I don't cheat. I indulge. But for me its cheating on my "no flour/no sugar" rules. I rarely go over my calorie goal0
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I agree! It's healthy to have something to indulge in every once in a while. If it's not all the time then there's no way it's cheating!0
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I think it's a process people go through.
I am way down the road. I hot my GW a couple of times and keep going. Now shooting for a super ultimate goal weight.
I call it cheating and dieting. It's cheating because it off the grid. It's not part of the plan. I mentally know what I am going to eat, then suddenly, I change my mind, ditch my plan, and do something naughty. It's cheating. Call it what ever you want to make yourself feel better. But, for me, it's cheating on myself, on my plan, and it is a disappointment that I didn't stay on track.
It's a diet because that's what it's called. There are good diets and bad diets, but it's a diet.
I am not sensitive to words. I am not PC because I don't feel the need to mince up terms. I know what I mean and I know what I am doing. If you need to soften the blows, go for it. I know what is good for me and I know what is bad for me.0 -
Should be renamed "rewarding". If I'm in the gym 6 out of 7 days a week busting my butt and eating hitting my calorie/macro numbers for the week, why is it considered "cheating" if I have a couple slices of pizza or something? I earned it. Plus, for people losing weight, its actually good to replenish glycogen levels and refresh your mind.0
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i agree with you, though i still think that going 2000 calories over my budget is cheating. Not cheating on some silly diet, but cheating myself out of a healthy day. I don't need 2000 extra calories of muffins, but i also don't need 2000 extra calories of carrots. I'm not on a diet, i'm eating the way that i should be eating for the rest of my life. that means cookies and soup and salad and lattes and bananas and soda and everything else, just in moderation.0
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I think it's a process people go through.
I am way down the road. I hot my GW a couple of times and keep going. Now shooting for a super ultimate goal weight.
I call it cheating and dieting. It's cheating because it off the grid. It's not part of the plan. I mentally know what I am going to eat, then suddenly, I change my mind, ditch my plan, and do something naughty. It's cheating. Call it what ever you want to make yourself feel better. But, for me, it's cheating on myself, on my plan, and it is a disappointment that I didn't stay on track.
It's a diet because that's what it's called. There are good diets and bad diets, but it's a diet.
I am not sensitive to words. I am not PC because I don't feel the need to mince up terms. I know what I mean and I know what I am doing. If you need to soften the blows, go for it. I know what is good for me and I know what is bad for me.
There's nothing wrong with sticking to a plan and being focused on your goals. You do what works for you. What works for ME, and MY lifestyle, is eating what I want with more fruits and vegetables mixed in. And I lost plenty of weight doing so. It's not about "making myself feel better," it's about doing this in a way that works with my life and my goals. I don't believe being overly restrictive is the ONLY way to lose weight. It's one way, and it does work for some, but it's not something everyone has to do.0 -
Lol. You are awesome. Just thought you should know. Congrats on your weight loss! 0 -
To be honest, I know it's true. But I find it hard to let myself "cheat". I've been craving some falafel but really, now the image I get in my head is deep frying and oil. I think that eating fast food won't really be so good because the mental picture I have in my head is much worse than how nice it might taste.0
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I agree. I am working hard on changing my thinking lately. I find myself telling my kids or husband that I can't have something. But now i correct myself and say "I choose not to have that right now". I really want to think of this as a lifestyle.0
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I agree with 100% of what you said! It truly is a lifestyle change and "cheating" doesn't make it sound like that. Everything in moderation is truly the answer.0
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I agree. I am working hard on changing my thinking lately. I find myself telling my kids or husband that I can't have something. But now i correct myself and say "I choose not to have that right now". I really want to think of this as a lifestyle.
Great idea. I'm like that with fast food now. It's not an off-limits food that I can't have, it's something I choose NOT to have because I just don't crave it much anymore. 0 -
I agree. I don't have cheat days or cheat meals. I do sometimes have non-logging days, where I just eat whatever I want (usually because of a social occasion, but sometimes just because I feel like it), but I don't consider it "cheating," because I don't consider myself to be on a diet.
I try to model myself on healthy friends of mine, all of whom seem to eat whatever they want in moderation and do fine with it. I try to do the same, using MFP to make sure my idea of "moderate" actually is!0 -
The word "cheating" is like the word "diet". Used a bit out of context. If you aren't "dieting", you aren't "cheating".
Exactly! I'm not on a diet...ive changed my relationship with food and my body...and if I want a cheeseburger today, ill have one!0 -
I'm with you! Cheating implies you are trying to get away with something. Or you are not playing by the rules. I also hate the word "diet" to refer to eating in deficit. Everyone has a "diet" whether you are eating in deficit or not. I am currently not but when I am, there are days I chose to ea at maintenance or surplus. I am not "cheating". I am deciding! Everything we chose is a decision and we are all responsible for our own decisions.0
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I totally agree. Why do some people feel the overwhelming need to label something that is completely normal and acceptable as cheating?
Predators have a diet of meat., cattle a diet of grass and foliage. I have a diet of all the food groups including chocolate, burgers, fries, pizza and occasionally soda. The only difference between now and before I wised up is portion size. That's what a balanced diet actually is.
I was told by an eminent sports doctor who trains Olympic athletes, that the best diet is one where you eat all foods in moderation. If you remove all chocolate from your diet then you are more likely to overindulge when you finally give yourself permission to have some. I had a chocolate bar once a week as my reward for an on target week.
Some people through necessity have a more restrictive diet so that they can manage a condition. The only condition I am managing is the tendency to want to overindulge without working out.
And I really like the Ops' way of thinking about choosing not to have that particular food. If I can make it at home then that's what I'll do so that I can still have all those fast food favorites but it tastes way better and is much healthier. But if I'm on the move with little or no options then I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'm just gonna have to work out harder the next day.0 -
I agree. I don't have cheat days or cheat meals. I do sometimes have non-logging days, where I just eat whatever I want (usually because of a social occasion, but sometimes just because I feel like it), but I don't consider it "cheating," because I don't consider myself to be on a diet.
I try to model myself on healthy friends of mine, all of whom seem to eat whatever they want in moderation and do fine with it. I try to do the same, using MFP to make sure my idea of "moderate" actually is!
Love this ^^^^. Totally agree too.0 -
Hi!
Very well put. I would not call it cheating, but rather making food choices that maybe were not a real healthy one. I am making this a lifestyle change, so will need to have the treats or selection of different foods for this to continually work for me.
A diet for me also means temporary and this for me is a lifestyle change. That being said cheating also makes me feel that some food is forbidden rather than all is allowed in smaller amounts0 -
@FitFabFlirty9 What a great thread and totally agree.
I have never cheated, I have occaisionally "fallen off the wagon", something I can rectify by adhering to my calorie and exercise goals.
I have an overall goal and I have hit many of my targets on the way, but if in getting to my goal I take an occaisional detour there is no harm done to the end result.0 -
The only thing I'd call "cheating" is when people don't log stuff that they eat. Otherwise the concept of "cheating" and having "cheats" seems like a cop out to me. You make a *decision* to eat something you shouldn't. Be a grownup and own up to it!0
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I agree. I am working hard on changing my thinking lately. I find myself telling my kids or husband that I can't have something. But now i correct myself and say "I choose not to have that right now". I really want to think of this as a lifestyle.
This!!! This is how I do it! I know I CAN eat all foods but some I just chose not to because I know they will trigger overeating. It's all about finding a way to do this forever!!0 -
I guess it depends person to person...
Personally, for now, I'm losing weight. So I'm dieting, and if I over-indulge I'll call it a cheat.
However, once I'm at my goal weight and maintaining, that's a different matter.0 -
di·et1 [dahy-it] Show IPA noun, verb, di·et·ed, di·et·ing, adjective noun
1. food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health: Milk is a wholesome article of diet.
2. a particular selection of food, especially as designed or prescribed to improve a person's physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease: a diet low in sugar.
3. such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight: No pie for me, I'm on a diet.
4. the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group: The native diet consists of fish and fruit.
5. food or feed habitually eaten or provided: The rabbits were fed a diet of carrots and lettuce.
Like it or not, everyone is on a diet. Even people who habitually eat McDonald's. They eat a diet of McDonald's.
I don't mind the word "cheating" because it is simply a word. It gets across the point of "things that I know I shouldn't eat habitually, thus aren't a part of my diet." That said, I don't use it because my diet consists of whatever the hell I want to eat in the amount I want to eat. Last night, at 11 PM I got a chocolate craving and made brownies and had two even though I was at my goal, so I put myself over. Most days, I don't crave chocolate so much and I don't do those things, but I don't call it cheating because to me it is just me making a choice to put X into my body, knowing the consequences.0 -
di·et1 [dahy-it] Show IPA noun, verb, di·et·ed, di·et·ing, adjective noun
1. food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health: Milk is a wholesome article of diet.
2. a particular selection of food, especially as designed or prescribed to improve a person's physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease: a diet low in sugar.
3. such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight: No pie for me, I'm on a diet.
4. the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group: The native diet consists of fish and fruit.
5. food or feed habitually eaten or provided: The rabbits were fed a diet of carrots and lettuce.
Like it or not, everyone is on a diet. Even people who habitually eat McDonald's. They eat a diet of McDonald's.
I don't mind the word "cheating" because it is simply a word. It gets across the point of "things that I know I shouldn't eat habitually, thus aren't a part of my diet." That said, I don't use it because my diet consists of whatever the hell I want to eat in the amount I want to eat. Last night, at 11 PM I got a chocolate craving and made brownies and had two even though I was at my goal, so I put myself over. Most days, I don't crave chocolate so much and I don't do those things, but I don't call it cheating because to me it is just me making a choice to put X into my body, knowing the consequences.
Agreed. I guess my issue with the word depends on the context. A lot of people here say they cheated and then go on to berate themselves and talk about how horrible they feel for indulging in whatever it was they ate. They become obsessive about not having those foods and that sounds so unhealthy to me. In some cases, it sounds like the beginning of an eating disorder.0 -
Preach it sis! I agree with you. Most people do hold the words in the context your referring to. And yes to me it's a life long adjustment and I don't think people should slap your hand if you choose to have a little ice cream one day. That can be healthy too, as long as it's in your calorie count. :ohwell:0
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Agreed. I guess my issue with the word depends on the context. A lot of people here say they cheated and then go on to berate themselves and talk about how horrible they feel for indulging in whatever it was they ate. They become obsessive about not having those foods and that sounds so unhealthy to me. In some cases, it sounds like the beginning of an eating disorder.
I agree! Especially with the last 2 sentences. The whole binge guilt thing just sounds like a very unhealthy thought pattern. If you lost a little self control one day, okay. Get your mind right and get back on plan the next day. No need for all the angst and drama. It's not the end of the world or some reflection on your worth. You just didn't maitain self control. It happens sometimes. And if you are obsessing because your eating plan is so restrictive that you can't occaisionally enjoy a certain food, you need a better plan.0
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