Question about cheat meals and cheat days...

hollakris
hollakris Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
Is it still considered a cheat meal if you still eat a lot less than your maintenance calories?
For example, I eat clean for 5 days and on the weekends, I kinda eat anything I want for one or two meals. I try to keep it healthy as possible but after calculating the cheat meal intake, it is usually still below my maintenance calories or right around my maintenance.

Is it still cheating regardless if I go over or under my daily caloric intake?

Replies

  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Eat what you want, hit your macros, keep it within your calorie goal.

    problem solved.
  • 2dogzrule
    2dogzrule Posts: 245 Member
    I'd say not cheating if you are under and cheating if you are over. I have a cheat meal once a week too, although, I have to say, this week with the holiday was more than one : )
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    No, that just means you loosened up on your arbitrary definition of "clean."
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,994 Member
    No such real thing as bad food. If one is still in calorie deficit, then weight/fat loss is still being instituted regardless of eating regimen.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    I'd say you're cheating on your clean eating plan, but not on your diet overall.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    The aim of the exercise is to MEET your calorie goals, so technically you're cheating every time you go under or over. As long as you balance out over the week it shouldn't make any difference. Who/what are you cheating anyway?
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Is it still considered a cheat meal if you still eat a lot less than your maintenance calories?
    For example, I eat clean for 5 days and on the weekends, I kinda eat anything I want for one or two meals. I try to keep it healthy as possible but after calculating the cheat meal intake, it is usually still below my maintenance calories or right around my maintenance.

    Is it still cheating regardless if I go over or under my daily caloric intake?
    Why do you need to consider eating as "cheating" in the first place? Just eat. Log. If you're not making progress you want to make, then adjust. Rein things in if you need to. You don't have to label it as cheating. (Unless you actually enjoy that "on a diet" mentality.)
  • hollakris
    hollakris Posts: 3
    Is it still considered a cheat meal if you still eat a lot less than your maintenance calories?
    For example, I eat clean for 5 days and on the weekends, I kinda eat anything I want for one or two meals. I try to keep it healthy as possible but after calculating the cheat meal intake, it is usually still below my maintenance calories or right around my maintenance.

    Is it still cheating regardless if I go over or under my daily caloric intake?
    Why do you need to consider eating as "cheating" in the first place? Just eat. Log. If you're not making progress you want to make, then adjust. Rein things in if you need to. You don't have to label it as cheating. (Unless you actually enjoy that "on a diet" mentality.)
    I consider it cheating because the food I eat would be more on the bad side like ice cream, cookies, fried chicken etc compared to the regular chicken breast, oatmeal, nuts etc.


    thank you for the response everyone
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I guess if you want to get technical I cheat every day. And it's awesome. And I lost weight. And I've maintained it. I highly recommend cheating a little every day!

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