How often do you have a cheat meal?

erinlibke
erinlibke Posts: 144 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I would love one everyday but I'm wondering how often all you successful skinny people are having a cheat meal?
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Replies

  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    depends on your definition of cheat meal...

    A "go nuts and eat all the foods?" or "burger and fries for one meal", or "that's not paleo, but i ate it anyway"...

    I do a) at thanksgiving and christmas, b about once a week and C about once a day (though I despise paleo, just making an example from it).
  • _DaniD_
    _DaniD_ Posts: 2,186 Member
    I have an "Eat all the food" day once a week.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    I have an "Eat all the food" day once a week.

    I'm lucky if I eat less than 8000 calories in a "eat all the food" day. I can look at your picture and see that our definitions differ a bit (though you wouldn't know that by how I responded, just using this opportunity to clarify to the OP).
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    What's a cheat meal? I'm being serious...I eat anything I want...I don't deprive myself of anything. Yes, I generally make more nutritious decisions than I used to, but as long as it fits my calorie goals and macro goals (and a couple of my micros I have to watch), who cares.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    depends on your definition of cheat meal...

    A "go nuts and eat all the foods?" or "burger and fries for one meal", or "that's not paleo, but i ate it anyway"...

    I do a) at thanksgiving and christmas, b about once a week and C about once a day (though I despise paleo, just making an example from it).

    This. I don't eat paleo, either. I eat some loose version of clean, but am not adverse to using lean cuisine once in awhile, with all its added sugar and soy derivatives.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,984 Member
    Isn't cheating defined as using "unfair" tactics to win or obtain something?

    Personally, I "cheat" everyday with something. Be it candy, a Taco bell soft taco, a McD cheeseburger, chips, etc. One thing I always do it ensure that I get in the correct macro/micro nutrients each day, and stay within a calorie limit. WIN.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • erinlibke
    erinlibke Posts: 144 Member
    I know if it fits in my macros and blah blah blah... But what about those days when you skip the gym and go to a restaurant and order a big cheesy burger and fries with a few beers along with it and blow your macros out of the water? I feel if I don't plan for these then its really easy to say "ok this is my cheat meal this week" only for it to be followed by another. On the other hand, if I don't allow myself the occasional indulgence then I end up having an "eat all the food" day.
  • SandraNancy
    SandraNancy Posts: 127 Member
    I've been eating Paleo (oh, the dreaded Paleo!) for about 3 weeks now. I've been having 3 cheat meals a week, but since "cheats" can be as simple as having corn, I'm not going too wild. My biggest cheat has been a personal sized Hawaiian pizza-- cheese AND wheat, together in beautiful harmony.

    As a note, I've been maintaining for about 2 years, so I'm not in weight loss mode anymore. When I was, I think I was a little more stringent about cheats, and made sure that if I was going out for dinner or planning some decadence, I would work out that day. Earn it, you know?
  • erinlibke
    erinlibke Posts: 144 Member
    Isn't cheating defined as using "unfair" tactics to win or obtain something?

    Personally, I "cheat" everyday with something. Be it candy, a Taco bell soft taco, a McD cheeseburger, chips, etc. One thing I always do it ensure that I get in the correct macro/micro nutrients each day, and stay within a calorie limit. WIN.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I do find that it helps to have little treats everyday and make sure to fit them in my daily goals! It's nice to hear from someone who is educated in fitness and nutrition that they still can have a cheeseburger
  • shytrevoak
    shytrevoak Posts: 95 Member
    I stick to at least one cheat day a week. Where it doesn't matter what I eat, or going over on calories. It helps boost my metabolism for the week. I do cheat and drink wine couple days a week, but I make sure I workout and it won't effect my calories for the day. So hence, not really a cheat I guess...
  • AvsFreak
    AvsFreak Posts: 152 Member
    When I "cheat" I go over my total calorie limit. I wouldn't consider any food or meal a cheat, if it fit in your calories for the day. There is no food that will magically make you fat or not lose weight if you are still in a calorie deficit.

    Now that being said, I usually have a "cheat day" once a month.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    I try to limit it to once a week. Usually on the weekend. If I do slip one in somewhere else I usually try to compensate somewhere in the day if I can.
  • Dulcemami4ever
    Dulcemami4ever Posts: 344 Member
    I have one cheat meal on friday. I don't gorge, I just have something I really want and have the whole thing. This actually seems to help losing weight.
  • LadyJos
    LadyJos Posts: 29
    If I workout for 5 days and eat healthy, I give myself a cheat meal. for me a cheat meal would consist of maybe a burger, fries, soda and dessert at the end of my week. But when I do have the sweet cravings, I do "treat" myself to a small piece of dark chocolate or a health bar with chocolate in it and add it to my calorie count. Been working for me and keeping my cravings to minimal.
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
    Depends on what you mean by cheat meal. Instead of starving myself so that I can binge on a regular basis I'd rather run a reasonable deficit and eat the same all the time. I'm not cutting anything out, I'm not forbidden to eat anything. I just need to make it fit within my goals.

    I quickly learned that I'd rather eat a second sandwich then have a 400 cal cookie. I don't eat cake unless it's good cake so that cuts out the work celebrations. Yeah I deal with the pressure to have a piece but it's easy to turn down and since I work in computers often times they say that they should skip the cake as well but they don't and they don't stop pressuring me to have just a small piece.

    Expensive donuts don't even taste good anymore. I had one recently and that ended up being most of my lunch calories. I was hungry that day which is something I generally avoid by eating foods that fill me up. I go by the philosophy that If I'm hungry I'm doing it wrong.

    Most processed food today is engineered to make you want to eat more of it. Lays potato chips "You can't eat just one", is literally engineered to make you eat more of them and not feel full.

    Healthy eating feeds on itself. The more you eat of better food the more you'll crave the things that are good for you. If you cut out the processed crap it will be less desirable to you. I can't even eat a burger at McDonalds any more, it tastes like cardboard. There is to much good food out there that tastes good, to eat anything that doesn't taste good and is good for you.
  • Bonny619
    Bonny619 Posts: 311 Member
    TOO often lately.
  • JamieM8168
    JamieM8168 Posts: 248 Member
    Probably about twice a week i'll have a cheat meal.
  • Tuala42
    Tuala42 Posts: 274 Member
    I generally go just a little under my calories during the week, and a little over on weekends. But I try and stick to just one meal that's really cheating, on weekends.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I have an "Eat all the food" day once a week.

    As do I! :)
  • horseplaypen
    horseplaypen Posts: 442 Member
    I have cheat 'meals' and cheat 'days'.

    Cheat 'meals' are foods that I don't consider to be as healthy as things I normally eat - things that are high in sodium or sugar or wheat (which I personally choose not to eat much of). I have cheat meals maybe once a week, but it depends - sometimes I go two weeks without a cheat meal, other times we'll get invited out for restaurant dinners multiple times in a week. My cheat 'meals' always fit into my calorie limits though.

    Cheat 'days' are days when I ignore my calorie limits and eat whatever I feel like, in whatever quantities. Sometimes I know in advance it's going to happen, like Christmas. Other times I just have hungry days, or binge days, or lack of self-control days. Again, sometimes it's only once a week, sometimes less, sometimes more.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    weekends,.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    I try to limit it to once a week. Usually on the weekend. If I do slip one in somewhere else I usually try to compensate somewhere in the day if I can.

    Also, even if I have a cheat day, the MOST calories I will take in are around my maintenance levels instead of my weight loss levels. So calling it a true "cheat" is a bit of a misnomer.
  • sharmaineclement
    sharmaineclement Posts: 6
    I dont think its a cheat meal every day, its like a cheat day! So I usually pick one day a week, varies, to have something I am craving or want. Like pasta, or ice cream. It helps for your cravings and also is not going to ruin your weight/diet plan. I usually exercise that day as well.
  • beckimj
    beckimj Posts: 186 Member
    I don't. I work it into my daily allowances. As long as it fits, it isn't a cheat. It might mean more working out. It might mean cutting somewhere else. I figure I want to be able to handle this for the rest of my life and this seems to be my best fit. I also can't see, for myself, busting my tail all week, to blow it on one meal on the weekend. For me, it would set off a very unhealthy binge cycle.
  • agoofynut
    agoofynut Posts: 101 Member
    I only track calories and so as long as I have the calories (and yes, I eat back exercise calories) then I will have something if I want it. The only exception I have made in the last 15 or so months has been Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. I tracked on Thanksgiving, my birthday, etc,etc.
  • Haiir0
    Haiir0 Posts: 21 Member
    I have an "Eat all the food" day once a week.

    As do I! :)

    So do I!
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    On Sundays I have a good old fashioned British "Sunday Roast" where I don't omit anything fro my plate and eat until I'm bursting.

    BUT - I log the calories accordingly as usual. I usually get a nice long work out in in the morning or have a very light breakfast in order to get some calories "in the bank" so I can go all out and enjoy the meal.

    I generally don't ever ignore my daily intake. I haven't been logging long enough to say what I would do over the Christmas holidays though haha!
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    erryday. i eat what i want!

    but over time, i stopped enjoying salty/sugary foods. so my hunger trends towards healthier foods now.
  • AggieFan2011
    AggieFan2011 Posts: 551 Member
    As other people have said I think it depends on your definition of a cheat meal. If you're referring to a meal that puts you over for the day that's totally different to me than a meal that just isn't very healthy. If it's the latter option, then that happens quite often, but is typically unplanned in that I'll get a craving for something and go out to eat. Whereas a meal that will push me over for my calories for the day due to my not exercising, or maybe it just being that high in calories, that happens a lot less often. I'd say holidays are the most common time for this and maybe occasionally when I decide to go out to celebrate or because I've had a rough day or week. It also often isn't planned though. I honestly think it's less about having cheat meals and days and more about focusing on the days when you are eating healthy. Throwing some "bad" eating in there every once in a while isn't going to kill your progress... it just becomes slower depending on how often you choose to throw those times in the mix.
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    i dont think of foods in terms of "cheating" but the other night i had a bacon angus cheeseburger from mcdonals after a good hard workout. Skipped the fries and i never drink soda- still came in under calorie budget

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