"Cheat Meal" vs. "Cheat Day"

RllyGudTweetr
RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I keep seeing folks talking about a "Cheat Meal" lately, and I admit it has me thoroughly confused.

What is the difference between a "Cheat Meal" and a "Cheat Day?" How is a meal that doesn't put you over your daily goals "cheating?" If your "Cheat Meal" does but you over goal for the day, isn't that a "Cheat Day?"

Replies

  • ngyoung
    ngyoung Posts: 311 Member
    Cheat meal is just one meal that you get your fix from. You eat healthy for the rest of your meals and you may be over your normal goals. Cheat day is going to town all day. Often times people that have a cheat meal end up throwing out all will power and it turns into a whole cheat day.
  • lysser
    lysser Posts: 15 Member
    I have a weekly "cheat meal" I guess you could say.. It started when I was in a weight loss challenge on Tuesday nights, where after our group we would go somewhere to eat and satisfy what we'd been craving all week. I'd originally managed to lose 70 lbs, but it's a slippery slope. I started dating someone who was also in the weight loss challenge, and our cheat meal turned into twice a week.. then three times a week.. and I have now gained a little over 20 lbs back. So.. while it can still work, despite being put over your goal for one day (which over the span of a week shouldn't affect you too much), it can be hard to keep it at once a week sometimes!
  • chelseascounter
    chelseascounter Posts: 1,283 Member
    My cheat day is the day I have my cheat meal.
  • silken555
    silken555 Posts: 478 Member
    Saturdays are my cheat day. I usually go to a lovely little restaurant for a large breakfast/brunch in the late morning. I tend to be pretty full for the rest of the day though so sometimes, I eat a smaller supper which ends up being fairly healthy. I'll also splurge on a little desert now and then on that day. It really depends. In the end though, I don't really go too far over my calorie intake for the day and my week is still under goal.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    If you eat one meal a day a cheat day and meal are synonymous / if you eat more than one meal a day than 2 > 1, therefore depending on your goals you could be taking one step forward and one step backwards if you go H.A.M. on your cheat day.
  • weberk
    weberk Posts: 34 Member
    For me, a cheat meal is eating something you really probably shouldn't have ate for a meal, even if it fits into your calories.

    A Cheat Day for me is going more the 200 calories over for the day.

    I try to save "cheat days" for things like weddings, birthday parties, etc.
  • rmaxwell142
    rmaxwell142 Posts: 11
    Cheat meal is just one meal that you get your fix from. You eat healthy for the rest of your meals and you may be over your normal goals. Cheat day is going to town all day. Often times people that have a cheat meal end up throwing out all will power and it turns into a whole cheat day.

    That's one reason I haven't allowed myself a cheat meal. I'm afraid that if I do, it'll be much easier to cheat the next day, and then the next day, and so on.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Cheat meal is just one meal that you get your fix from. You eat healthy for the rest of your meals and you may be over your normal goals. Cheat day is going to town all day. Often times people that have a cheat meal end up throwing out all will power and it turns into a whole cheat day.
    I do not understand. If you've gone over your normal goals for the day, isn't it a cheat day, regardless of whether you did it within the context of a single meal? It's not like eating "healthy" for the rest of your meals for the day resets or otherwise erases the fact that you went over your goals.
  • juncture
    juncture Posts: 129 Member
    Cheat meal is just one meal that you get your fix from. You eat healthy for the rest of your meals and you may be over your normal goals. Cheat day is going to town all day. Often times people that have a cheat meal end up throwing out all will power and it turns into a whole cheat day.
    I do not understand. If you've gone over your normal goals for the day, isn't it a cheat day, regardless of whether you did it within the context of a single meal? It's not like eating "healthy" for the rest of your meals for the day resets or otherwise erases the fact that you went over your goals.

    Having just the one "cheat" meal rather than a "cheat" day for most people probably means you will go less over your calorie goal for the day and it will have less of an impact.

    For example, if I know I'm going out for a meal one day in the week I'll make sure the rest of that day isn't an excuse to go completely overboard which in turn makes it easier for me to get back on track the next day :)
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Cheat meal is just one meal that you get your fix from. You eat healthy for the rest of your meals and you may be over your normal goals. Cheat day is going to town all day. Often times people that have a cheat meal end up throwing out all will power and it turns into a whole cheat day.
    I do not understand. If you've gone over your normal goals for the day, isn't it a cheat day, regardless of whether you did it within the context of a single meal? It's not like eating "healthy" for the rest of your meals for the day resets or otherwise erases the fact that you went over your goals.

    Having just the one "cheat" meal rather than a "cheat" day for most people probably means you will go less over your calorie goal for the day and it will have less of an impact.

    For example, if I know I'm going out for a meal one day in the week I'll make sure the rest of that day isn't an excuse to go completely overboard which in turn makes it easier for me to get back on track the next day :)
    I'm sorry, but to me, that logic sounds the same as "Honest, officer, I was only going over the speed limit for 5 miles; it's not like I was speeding for my entire 30 mile trip!"

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