What do you consider as a cheat meal?

Options
24

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    Options
    There is no such thing as a cheat meal or cheat day or whatever...if you have a "cheat" then that means you most likely have a very unhealthy relationship with food in general.
  • CrazyVulcanLover
    CrazyVulcanLover Posts: 23
    Options
    I don't view pizza or any food a "cheat" item, if I eat well, exercise and it does not put me over my calorie goal. I personally think that if you view any food as a cheat -- you are more likely to feel deprived and deprivation leads to failure. I do believe in "cheat days" here and there and for me--that is a day when I do not stress my calories and portion sizes. I allow myself one once a week--but don't always USE it.
  • ClementineGeorg
    ClementineGeorg Posts: 505 Member
    Options
    A cheat meal is a meal very rich in calories in my opinion.

    A big lunch containing one slice of pizza and a salad is just another lunch of a great day. It can be easily fitted in ones calories. A whole big pizza... well that's a cheat meal.
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    Options
    Words like "cheat" and being "on" a diet are the reasons I never did well with eating healthier before.

    A slice of pizza is about 250 calories - definitely not anything to bloomin' cry about. I eat what I want, but plan ahead. I ate over 3000 calories Tuesday without exercising - and what?!
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    Options
    There is no such thing as a cheat meal or cheat day or whatever...if you have a "cheat" then that means you most likely have a very unhealthy relationship with food in general.

    Exactly. What exactly are you 'cheating'? Your 'diet'?

    *puts head in hands*
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Options
    What's your definition of a cheat meal?

    Anything you pretend you didn't eat.

    QFT!
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    Options
    pretty cool! Is Thanksgiving dinner a cheat meal? just need some clarification!
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    Options
    My husband and I have a seasonal cheat meal. :wink:

    Our Autumn cheat day is coming up, and we'll have my homemade chicken parmesan with garlic fettuccine, a loaf of artisan bread (using lots of butter) and a bottle of a nice red wine.

    This will put me waaaaaaay over my caloric intake, but since we're only now doing meals like this 4 times a year, I don't feel guilty anymore.

    Pretty cool!
  • hotmomma0612
    hotmomma0612 Posts: 651 Member
    Options
    A cheat meal for me would be going out to a restaurant and ordering a regular meal (not a "healthy" one) and eating it all.
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    Options
    candies, icecream, chips kinda stuff. Anything that isn't worth the calories it consumes (that being, not filling and likely raises your macros a lot)
  • PippiNe
    PippiNe Posts: 283 Member
    Options
    I can't say I call pizza a cheat meal either. A splurge maybe, as I can easily fit 2 small slices of veggie or hamburger pizza in my days' calories.

    This past week I celebrated my birthday and our wedding anniversary. We went to dinner at our favorite restaurant. I had a shrimp linguini pasta dish. Now THAT is a cheat meal. Soaked in a "white sauce" (read: BUTTER) it was sooo tasty. I have no way of calculating the calories I ate in that dish alone (not including the Caesar salad and dinner roll and dessert). Pretty sure I ate three days worth of calories in one meal. Definitely not the way a want to eat everyday, but Once in a great while, it just feels good to eat whatever you want without regret.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    Options
    candies, icecream, chips kinda stuff. Anything that isn't worth the calories it consumes (that being, not filling and likely raises your macros a lot)
    Those things would probably not raise your protein a lot, just carbs, fat, and calories.
  • Mad_Dog_Muscle
    Mad_Dog_Muscle Posts: 1,251 Member
    Options
    NOTHING!!! I eat anything I want, in moderation. As long as I don't go over my base calories + my exercise calories per day I'm A-OK with it.

    ^^This^^
  • runlilyrun
    runlilyrun Posts: 140
    Options
    Over eating by 300 calories or more at the end of the day is a cheat day. Eat a slice of pizza is not. Just yesterday I had TWO slices and was still under. Oh bad me!

    This is my philosophy - and since MFP builds in a 500 calorie deficit I try to just not go over maintenance calories on a 'cheat day' - I look at it as keeping my metabolism high and therefore a necessary part of the process!
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    Options
    I don't believe in "cheat" meals. I usually fit my macros and stay at my calorie goal for the day and I get 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. If I do that, and then occasionally choose to eat something that goes way over my calorie goal, that's fine. I'll still average a deficit overall. And by occasionally, I mean about once every two weeks. Keeping my daily calorie goal pretty high seems to mean that every other week is enough to keep me from having burnout and giving up. That works for me. Find what works for you.
  • PippiNe
    PippiNe Posts: 283 Member
    Options
    pretty cool! Is Thanksgiving dinner a cheat meal? just need some clarification!

    Thanksgiving could go either way depending upon your willpower. Turkey breast (w/o gravy), peas & carrots, fruit salad or jello salad are all very healthy, low fat choices. You can easily eat your fill of those items and not destroy your diet for the day. You could even manage a small piece of dessert if you stick with just those meal items on your plate. However, throw in mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and multiple desserts - then it becomes a cheat meal. It's up to you to decide.
  • kuroi19
    kuroi19 Posts: 45
    Options
    Anything not recorded is for me a cheat meal :) unless it's insignificant 1-10 calories from a tea or something that I usually don't bother with.

    Last time I had a cheat meal was at a party, ate in moderation but so many various things and so many things I wouldn't guess the name and quantity of I just gave up on counting for a day =p
  • eloisenetball
    eloisenetball Posts: 13
    Options
    I ate a chocolate souffle, with chocolate sauce, raspberry sorbet and vanilla salt the other day in a restaurant it went over my base and exercise goals, it was DEFINITELY a cheat meal I adored it, and logged it, so I do not feel bad for it!
  • runlilyrun
    runlilyrun Posts: 140
    Options
    pretty cool! Is Thanksgiving dinner a cheat meal? just need some clarification!
    I would plan ahead to have a 'cheat day' on the day I'm celebrating Thanksgiving (or in my case Christmas - I'm in the UK) with my family - trying to keep the mince pies, chocolate etc in moderation for the rest of the holiday season. What this means for me is that for that day I just don't stress how much I'm eating - I still try to make *relatively* healthy choices, like loading up on yummy yummy veg, but I don't log and I don't feel bad.

    And then the next day I go back to normal without feeling guilty. Cassey Ho from Blogilates calls these YOLO days :D
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
    Options
    lol, i ate a small cheese pizza last night, had a couple gin and tonics and a chocolate chip cookie. went over, yes. but cheating? no. just a great friday!

Categories