1 Cheat meal a week?

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  • SimonLondon
    SimonLondon Posts: 350
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    I have a cheat evening every Friday because I have a very long drive home. I stop off at the services every Friday and grab a KFC and a couple of redbulls to keep me going.

    Even though I was in lifestyle-change-mode I was still having the full meal (zinger burger, 2 hot wings, fries and coke) but then I thought "If I eat a good salad in the afternoon I'll be fuller and salad has so few calories it won't impact the calorie count". So because of the Salad 3 hours earlier I'm a lot fuller so all I fancy now is just the burger on its own.

    I'm sneaky like that :wink:
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    I've heard that if you eat well 6 days a week and have 1 entire cheat day, then you're more likely to succeed on your diet. Don't be so rigid with yourself - that sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.
    I can agree with this to a point, bout you have to be a little careful with it. I normally eat right around 2K cals a day, plus a little if I exercise. When I do my cheat meal It's usually on a weekend day when I had a light breakfast late in the day and then snacked on fruit. There also might be some exercise fun in there, especially if I can get out on the bicycle. Then finish that up with pizza & beer, maybe some wings or something and that's my cheat. Total for the day - 3K calories. It's over, but not crazy over and not enough to undo my week.
    Some folks might declare a 'cheat day' and eat 6 or 7,000 calories that day - just totally go nuts. It's easy to do,,, a hostess fruit pie os 500 cals,,, stuffed crust pizza is 700 cals a slice. I really would not recommend anyone go that far - you can undo your whole week.
  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
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    Thanks Everyone!!! Just what i wanted to hear. and that is a fab idea! to only eat half of it and then enjoy the other half later on or the next day. 2 meals in one baby! now the tricky part....deciding on what i want to eat this weekend lol
  • SHAMEKALACHELLE
    SHAMEKALACHELLE Posts: 25 Member
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    me too!!! I don't do it every week, but yes my weekends tend to be a bit more laxed. I did weight watchers a few yrs ago, worked out all week, ate great, and almost every weekend went to Olive Garden. I lost weight every week and it didn't affect me. So reward yourself, within reason : ) Gotta live and be happy doing it. I'm having some famous BBQ this weekend from a local favorite, so I'm gonna be extra good this week!
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    I don't call it a cheat meal. Cheating implies that it's not allowed. It also implies that I am trying to "diet" but that's not what this journey is about. This journey is not just about losing weight, but learning how to fuel my body properly. It's also about learning how to do so while also enjoying the sweets and less-healthy meals within reason. You can't just say "I'm never going to eat Mexican again." You know that you will! You've got to learn _now_ how to incorporate a high-calorie meal into your life without going off the road and into a week of poor food choices.
  • SHAMEKALACHELLE
    SHAMEKALACHELLE Posts: 25 Member
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    Hey, I think I like what hill242 said best!!! I'm gonna work on adopting that attitude.
  • twilight1542
    twilight1542 Posts: 403
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    My advice! Don't do something just because someone says to....Do what works for you. Some people can't "cheat" once a week b/c then they go overboard afterwards too....Others can. Personally, I'm most successful when I allow "cheats" here and there..not a set day or meal just when I really want to like when I'm craving pizza. It's worked great for me. So try it out & see how it goes.

    Just be careful eating out because sodium content can be extremely high in restaurant food....High sodium equals water retension which equals bloated weigh in numbers...So I tend to skip my weekly weigh in if I've recently eaten out b/c no matter how much water I drink I always seem to have no weight loss that week only to lose a couple extra lbs the week after....so keep that in mind when planning weigh ins
  • somigliana
    somigliana Posts: 314 Member
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    My family are big on eating out together after a hectic week. I just find myself making better and better food choices at restaurants the further into my new lifestyle I progress. So I do count them as "cheat meals" even though they rarely put me over my daily target. If I do go over my daily target, though, I make sure not to overshoot my maintenance calorie level.
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    Hey, I think I like what hill242 said best!!! I'm gonna work on adopting that attitude.

    Thanks Shameka. It is not easy to adopt this approach overnight, and I will admit I have to work hard on it still. But I really feel like it is starting to "click" for me and I am very optimistic about maintenance based on this attitude. I have lost the weight and regained before -- so I know where my pitfalls lie. Taking on this approach is my response to correcting those pitfalls.
  • Lparault
    Lparault Posts: 100
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    I don't know about everyone, but I have had a few "cheats" along the way, too. When I had craved Zingers for 3 days, I finally ate a pack because nothing else was doing it for me. I still stayed under my goal with exercise.

    I don't trust myself yet to have a cheat day, I will probably have a cheat meal when my son graduates, or at my friend's wedding reception.

    I have talked to some folks who do/have done WW. The points system gives you 35 or so extra for he week; most of the people I talked to say if you eat all of the points every week you lose MUCH more slowly than if you don't.

    Others I know would fast all day on the day they weighed in, go out to eat after and start over the next day.

    Good Luck!!
  • Lparault
    Lparault Posts: 100
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    You should have 1 cheat meal (or day even) evrey week- it tricks your body. i have a cheat day on the weekend & it works well for me.

    Tricks your body into what, exactly?
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    I have talked to some folks who do/have done WW. The points system gives you 35 or so extra for he week; most of the people I talked to say if you eat all of the points every week you lose MUCH more slowly than if you don't.

    I would rather lose more slowly and learn how to incorporate indulgent foods into my life rationally, than to lose fast on a "diet" I couldn't maintain. That is just how I am wired. Others may do better without any "cheating". I just hope they can sustain that after they reach their goal.
  • amillionmegs
    amillionmegs Posts: 59 Member
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    This is the best idea I've heard all day! 100% healthy eating for a week then rewarding yourself with a "cheat meal" (and possibly a little more exercise?) ...Sounds good to me!
  • tex43
    tex43 Posts: 229
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    I have a "Cheat Weekend" every week,I know that sounds terrible,but it's within reason.I still watch my calories even on the weekends but on ocassion depending on the social calender I may go over a little both days or a lot one day and pull it back the rest of the weekend.The problem that got me over weight was not being aware that I was going way over both days,and sometimes even during the week.Now that I watch my cal count and see that I'm going over I know to pull it back.Also I try to keep even my cheat meals as healthy as possible,again within reason.Sometimes it's just not possible,so when it's truly going to be cheat food I try to really limit my portions and make up for it the next day with diet and exercise.I have been consistently loosing 2 to 3 lbs. per week for 6 weeks now,so it's working for me.I think the shock/trick to the body is good,not to mention what it does for my sanity.
  • paulreese
    paulreese Posts: 10
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    also just by eating out does not mean you are cheating. Personally i eat out all the time ( it fits my lifestyle mostly on days that i work) You just have to choose the right food items not always what you WANT to eat.

    I agree, going out to eat doesn't have to mean cheating. Try to make the best food choices you can for the place you are at. Most importantly don't let it destroy your drive to keep eating right, when you can. Basically a "cheat meal" is ok now and then, just don't let it become the norm.
  • crystalpistolball
    crystalpistolball Posts: 13
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    Well I can tell you that cheating on your diet always has consequences but sometimes it can provide a little boost to your metabolism. My suggestion when you go out for Mexican food is to give yourself a portion of chips that you set away from the basket and eat only those. I always count out 7 chips and eat them slowly until my meal comes. Sometimes my food gets there before I finish them. Sounds a little obsessive but it keeps me from downing a whole basket of chips without realizing it.
  • hamton
    hamton Posts: 245
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    I've been seeing more and more articles saying it is actually good to cheat roughly once a week. I believe the I just saw one in the current Muscle and Fitness magazine. They all mention something about metabolism or burning out. So, I guess it's not a bad thing at all if you just do it once a week. I'll see if I can find the articles.
  • LETIN1
    LETIN1 Posts: 38
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    I have one day to cheat. Usually Saturdays. But never during the weekdays. My brother in law suggested this. He does it and still maintain himself fit.

    So enjoy!
  • thenebean9
    thenebean9 Posts: 216
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    if i'm planning on going out one night, i do it on a night where i have enough calories to do so - like a day when I've done a lot of exercise. that way, i can still enjoy myself, but not be going over on calories. other days, if i have a craving, i find a way to incorporate a little bit without blowing my day. hasn't failed me yet :)
  • aerobicgirl
    aerobicgirl Posts: 354 Member
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    before i read any of these comments im gonna tell you that i just told this to my husband on saturday, because friday we had mexican then saturday we have been told about this sushi place so we went to try it out then on sunday after church we go eat breakfast. so i told him we have to cut down to friday or saturday not both one it gets to expensive and well now im feelin it. so im glad we are on the same boat. let me know how things work out. its impossible to cut out going out to eat. bc my husband deosn't beleive in sandwiches for dinner or just having a salad or even a bowl of cereal and i can. so he is always like lets go get something or do you wanna order pizza. i feel you.

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