MY THOUGHTS ON CHEAT MEALS

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  • Katbody10
    Katbody10 Posts: 369 Member
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    Where's the darn "LIKE" button .. so many comments I'd like to acknowledge without having to quote everything .. LOL
  • sagefitnessfanatic
    sagefitnessfanatic Posts: 75
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    LMBO luv this
  • sagefitnessfanatic
    sagefitnessfanatic Posts: 75
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    I not only have cheat meals, I have cheat days and cheat weeks!
    LMBO luv this
  • Coming4U
    Coming4U Posts: 93 Member
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    In my opinion there is no such thing as a "cheat meal" I mean who are you cheating on? Yourself?..makes no sense to me. If you burn off more calories then you consume you will lose weight. Now its totally your choice if you want to be a veggie, fruit, no glute, no carb person. Totally up to u. But I dont plan on living or eating that way until I die. I want to eat the foods I like in moderation..stay within your calories and you will lose weight. It has nothing to do with cheat meals. Its a lifestyle change..

    I hope everyone knows that every calorie is not the same. A 500 calorie burger from McDonalds doesn't have the same reaction that a 500 calorie salad does. You may need to re-evaluate your meal plan.

    Really, Mr. Wizard, tell us more. Perhaps you could include statistics, or articles, or perhaps a chart so I know the difference between say McDonalds, Jimmy John's and Papa Murphy's calories so I can properly plan my day. Or better yet, it sounds like you've stumbled upon the holy grail here....why not sell this monumental information to MFP?! You could become a ZILLIONAIRE!!!!!!!

    You dont have to agree with him, everyone has their own opinions, but you dont need to be rude. For the record I dont agree with him but would not at the same time set out to insult him for our different opinions.
  • techsupreme
    techsupreme Posts: 22 Member
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    Really, Mr. Wizard, tell us more. Perhaps you could include statistics, or articles, or perhaps a chart so I know the difference between say McDonalds, Jimmy John's and Papa Murphy's calories so I can properly plan my day. Or better yet, it sounds like you've stumbled upon the holy grail here....why not sell this monumental information to MFP?! You could become a ZILLIONAIRE!!!!!!!

    I figured out why you're mad. You've only lost 9 pounds. You most ONLY eat cheat meals. I'm sorry bro.
  • techsupreme
    techsupreme Posts: 22 Member
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    I don't understand why some of you get so angry at another strangers opinion on a subject. There is no right or wrong answers when it comes to opinion. What works for me may not work for the next person. One person said they lost 35 pounds by "cheating". I can't do that. That doesn't make him wrong or right. It worked for him. Whether you agree or disagree it's just an opinion. Do whats right for you. Now go out there and lose some weight. That's why we are here. Not to try to prove we are better than someone in a forum. Because more than likely you wouldn't act like that in real life. Only online.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    I've never had a cheat day or a cheat meal. Not once in just a smidge under 9 months. Never taken a day off either. The only person I would be cheating would be myself & I have no desire to do that. I've worked hard to get this far this quickly & I plan on keeping it that way. If I want something then I'm going to make sure I work it off 1st or go without.

    I got results....and fast. Very fast. All without sacrificing a damn thing.


    You don't cheat your way through life, you don't get a day off from life.... so why should exercise & eating right be any different?
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
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    I don't really "get" the idea behind cheat meals.

    I mean, cheating in a test deceives the examiner into thinking you're smarter than you actually are. You trick them, ha, you win, success... But, uh, if you've got a goal in mind to lose body fat or build muscle (I hate using the word "weight"), then aren't YOU the examiner? The only real person you're tricking is yourself. I figured that the reason you got into the situation you're in is because of these bad habits, so why would you have allowances for them? - I'd personally do my best to crush them so they never return. But then again, I've always been able to go cold turkey.

    Meh. IIFYM, then who cares, yeah?
  • retired_ron
    retired_ron Posts: 1
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    Years ago I read a book called "The Slim Gourmet." It was about losing weight while enjoying food. The message I took from the book (which I have unfortunately not followed well over the years and that's why I find myself here) was, "Don't deny yourself the foods you like. If you want something, eat it, but recognize that the quantity and frequency must be limited."

    I think the mindset of denial (I can never eat XXX again) is harmful and leads to obsessing about the thing you can't eat. For me, the denial and obsessing has led to binging in the past. It seems much better (for me, anyway) to accept that there are (junk) foods I enjoy and realize that _if_ I choose to eat them I must be careful about how much and how often. Further, I think this acceptance has made dieting easier for me. I know I can have something but it is my decision to have it or not. I find this very liberating.
  • TheSink
    TheSink Posts: 97 Member
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    I don't understand why some of you get so angry at another strangers opinion on a subject. There is no right or wrong answers when it comes to opinion. What works for me may not work for the next person. One person said they lost 35 pounds by "cheating". I can't do that. That doesn't make him wrong or right. It worked for him. Whether you agree or disagree it's just an opinion. Do whats right for you. Now go out there and lose some weight. That's why we are here. Not to try to prove we are better than someone in a forum. Because more than likely you wouldn't act like that in real life. Only online.

    Here's why I get angry. You come on a forum designed to help people, through a post out there (with your title IN ALL CAPS) as if what you have to say is so important, everybody should read it. Then after reading your nonsense, it is evident that you're just some goof who lost a bunch of weight and now wants to tell everybody why they shouldn't do something like eat what they want to so long as it's within a specified goal. Then you rattle off more BS about how one calorie is different than another (note to you, YOU'RE WRONG) and you don't provide any scientific evidence, articles, or the like to prove your point. And you do this all to promote your ridiculous blog, and not to help people.

    And FYI - I didn't blow up like you did, so I only needed to lose 10 pounds. And even that I didn't need to lose. So I guess "neener neener neener".
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I don't like to call it 'cheating' because I'm not on a diet. There's not an end and then I'll go back to doing what I was doing. That's what got me here.

    I have days where I don't eat as healthy as I'd intended, and there are days when I overindulge and stray from my plan. I wish I could find another word rather than "cheating".

    How about "splurging" or "indulging?"


    Better!

    That's how I think of it. Cheating is breaking the rules, but in my diet and exercise regime, *I* make the rules. Occasionally indulgence is good for the soul. :flowerforyou:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    In my opinion there is no such thing as a "cheat meal" I mean who are you cheating on? Yourself?..makes no sense to me. If you burn off more calories then you consume you will lose weight. Now its totally your choice if you want to be a veggie, fruit, no glute, no carb person. Totally up to u. But I dont plan on living or eating that way until I die. I want to eat the foods I like in moderation..stay within your calories and you will lose weight. It has nothing to do with cheat meals. Its a lifestyle change..

    I hope everyone knows that every calorie is not the same. A 500 calorie burger from McDonalds doesn't have the same reaction that a 500 calorie salad does. You may need to re-evaluate your meal plan.

    Really, Mr. Wizard, tell us more. Perhaps you could include statistics, or articles, or perhaps a chart so I know the difference between say McDonalds, Jimmy John's and Papa Murphy's calories so I can properly plan my day. Or better yet, it sounds like you've stumbled upon the holy grail here....why not sell this monumental information to MFP?! You could become a ZILLIONAIRE!!!!!!!

    You dont have to agree with him, everyone has their own opinions, but you dont need to be rude. For the record I dont agree with him but would not at the same time set out to insult him for our different opinions.

    The OP's whole tone and all CAPS title was rude.
  • corrinnebrown
    corrinnebrown Posts: 348
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    I don't call it cheating. I eat healthy all the time. So if we go out for a special occasion I still log but I may have something that doesn't stay in my calorie range. Now I don't agree with a cheat meal once a week. Maybe and I said maybe once a month.

    I will tell you this though, when I cheat. My body wants to reject it. lol. I feel blah.....
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    And FYI - I didn't blow up like you did, so I only needed to lose 10 pounds. And even that I didn't need to lose. So I guess "neener neener neener".

    neenerneener.jpg
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I don't "cheat" .. not in my meals .. not with my friends and neighbors.. not the proverbial "system"

    First of all .. I'm starting to believe no one knows the true meaning of the word "CHEAT"

    cheat/CHēt/
    Verb:
    Act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, esp. in a game or examination: "she cheats at cards".
    Noun:
    A person who behaves dishonestly in order to gain an advantage.
    Synonyms:
    verb. deceive - swindle - trick - defraud - fool - bamboozle
    noun. fraud - swindler - humbug - deceiver - trickster


    No one here cheats .. unless they are totally lying about their food diaries and success/failure/sob stories. Then shame on them for suckering us into their schemes for whatever reason (attention?). As far as eating more than I should on a given day (holidays/special occasions) .. that can happen to anyone. I've seen the key word here is DISCIPLINE .. and I fully agree.

    Don't go stuffing yourself with the worst foods possible .. i.e. You like to sit and eat a tub of lard for a snack. It's everything in moderation and being honest with YOURSELF. No one is answering to anyone else here but themselves.. and possibly their doctors/nutritionists.

    I call my one day a week or whenever I feel like it my Splurge Day. I don't go out of my way to splurge and indulge all the extra calories I burned and deficit-ed. I still log everything .. to the best of my ability (usually because I went out to eat at a Sushi bar and I'm guessing on the very high end, how many calories I ingested)

    Everything in moderation - and that should be always. whether or not you spend the rest of your life logging every single calorie or not. I believe the point of this site (or similar sites) is to make a permanent lifestyle change. Make healthy eating and exercising your norm.. something you do without thinking. Without having to log and compare if you stayed under or went over. When you're trying to lose weight .. yes .. you need to keep an eagle eye. Trying to gain .. same thing ..

    Once you get to maintaining .. it shouldn't be a huge effort or occasional days of guilt trips. It's benignly monitoring your weight every few days to every few weeks to make sure you aren't trending into an unhealthy range (whichever end you're on .. under or overweight)

    Exactly! People like the OP have a very *weird* definition of "cheat."
  • Fat2Fit145
    Fat2Fit145 Posts: 385 Member
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    I think whether or not "cheat" meals are a good idea depends on a lot of things. Not everyone has the same goals, not everyone has the same psychological response to food, and certainly not everyone got here from eating fast food. Personally, I don't have cheat meals because I don't deprive myself from eating what I want through the week. I eat what I like, in appropriate portions, I manage to keep to whatever calorie deficit I choose at the time, and I'm pretty good (getting better) at hitting my macronutrient goals. Could I have lost fat quicker and had better physical results from eating 100% "clean" - only lean meats and green veggies? No doubt. However, my goal isn't to have the perfect body, but to be a smaller size than I was, look better than I did, be in good physical health, and good mental health. And whatever I lose, I want to be pretty sure that I'm going to keep it off forever. I never would have lasted this long without eating the food I like, so my diet of moderation is what works best for me. Some people find incorporating cheat meals is what works best for them. Each to their own. I admire your (OP's) discipline, I just don't aspire to it! :smile:

    WELL SAID!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I don't understand why some of you get so angry at another strangers opinion on a subject. There is no right or wrong answers when it comes to opinion. What works for me may not work for the next person. One person said they lost 35 pounds by "cheating". I can't do that. That doesn't make him wrong or right. It worked for him. Whether you agree or disagree it's just an opinion. Do whats right for you. Now go out there and lose some weight. That's why we are here. Not to try to prove we are better than someone in a forum. Because more than likely you wouldn't act like that in real life. Only online.

    I just get annoyed when people make up their own definitions of common English words. It's a grammar nazi thing as much as anything else.

    480px-Meme_-_Grammar_Nazi.png
  • LeighAnna115
    LeighAnna115 Posts: 149
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    This topic is brought up a lot. In the end I just think it is just impossible to generalize it. There is no right or wrong. We all have our opinions and various methods to achieve our goals. I personally don't use cheat meals, but a VERY fit friend of mine does and they clearly work for her. Live and let live. As long as you are doing what's right for you, who can tell you it's wrong?
  • Coming4U
    Coming4U Posts: 93 Member
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    I don't understand why some of you get so angry at another strangers opinion on a subject. There is no right or wrong answers when it comes to opinion. What works for me may not work for the next person. One person said they lost 35 pounds by "cheating". I can't do that. That doesn't make him wrong or right. It worked for him. Whether you agree or disagree it's just an opinion. Do whats right for you. Now go out there and lose some weight. That's why we are here. Not to try to prove we are better than someone in a forum. Because more than likely you wouldn't act like that in real life. Only online.

    Here's why I get angry. You come on a forum designed to help people, through a post out there (with your title IN ALL CAPS) as if what you have to say is so important, everybody should read it. Then after reading your nonsense, it is evident that you're just some goof who lost a bunch of weight and now wants to tell everybody why they shouldn't do something like eat what they want to so long as it's within a specified goal. Then you rattle off more BS about how one calorie is different than another (note to you, YOU'RE WRONG) and you don't provide any scientific evidence, articles, or the like to prove your point. And you do this all to promote your ridiculous blog, and not to help people.

    And FYI - I didn't blow up like you did, so I only needed to lose 10 pounds. And even that I didn't need to lose. So I guess "neener neener neener".

    Honestly you really need to grow up and act mature. If this is a support site like you said then why are you acting like a 5 year old and making fun of people who have to loose weight and you dont? On second thought who looses 10 pounds they dont need to loose? You kind of just made yourseldf invalid by how you handled yourself.
  • Coming4U
    Coming4U Posts: 93 Member
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    In my opinion there is no such thing as a "cheat meal" I mean who are you cheating on? Yourself?..makes no sense to me. If you burn off more calories then you consume you will lose weight. Now its totally your choice if you want to be a veggie, fruit, no glute, no carb person. Totally up to u. But I dont plan on living or eating that way until I die. I want to eat the foods I like in moderation..stay within your calories and you will lose weight. It has nothing to do with cheat meals. Its a lifestyle change..

    I hope everyone knows that every calorie is not the same. A 500 calorie burger from McDonalds doesn't have the same reaction that a 500 calorie salad does. You may need to re-evaluate your meal plan.

    Really, Mr. Wizard, tell us more. Perhaps you could include statistics, or articles, or perhaps a chart so I know the difference between say McDonalds, Jimmy John's and Papa Murphy's calories so I can properly plan my day. Or better yet, it sounds like you've stumbled upon the holy grail here....why not sell this monumental information to MFP?! You could become a ZILLIONAIRE!!!!!!!

    You dont have to agree with him, everyone has their own opinions, but you dont need to be rude. For the record I dont agree with him but would not at the same time set out to insult him for our different opinions.

    The OP's whole tone and all CAPS title was rude.

    Maybe it was to you and maybe not to others who knows. It is his post with his opinion. Just respect each other. It is important to him and thought it could help others.

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