Is anyone having cheat meals now and then?

caramammal
caramammal Posts: 147 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My first 'cheat meal' is coming up on Saturday, i've looked at the restaurant menu, decided what i'm going to have and plan to have a longer workout in the daytime, before the meal. Also planning some wine (hell yeah).

How does everyone else plan for a cheat meal? do you log it? Does it stall your weightloss?speed it up?
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Replies

  • greytniki
    greytniki Posts: 51 Member
    I have to be honest I hate the term "cheat" meal. It makes it mentally seem like you are doing something "bad". You are cheating. Life is about choices. If one day you make a choice or plan to make a choice to go over your normal intake allotment then its an ok choice. You can plan for it by doing extra exercise. By eating lighter for other meals in the day. By adding extra activities during the week. Or by doing nothing at all. Every 2-3 weeks I have a day where I make a choice to eat whatever I want. Sometimes that means I don't really eat any different then I do on regular days. Sometimes that means I eat 500-600 more calories then I would normally in a day. I adjust. Long term it hasn't made any difference in my fitness journey. Life is always going to bring days like that every now and then. How you approach them, view them and handle them afterwards will go along way in your success.
  • caramammal
    caramammal Posts: 147 Member
    I have to be honest I hate the term "cheat" meal. It makes it mentally seem like you are doing something "bad". You are cheating. Life is about choices. If one day you make a choice or plan to make a choice to go over your normal intake allotment then its an ok choice. You can plan for it by doing extra exercise. By eating lighter for other meals in the day. By adding extra activities during the week. Or by doing nothing at all. Every 2-3 weeks I have a day where I make a choice to eat whatever I want. Sometimes that means I don't really eat any different then I do on regular days. Sometimes that means I eat 500-600 more calories then I would normally in a day. I adjust. Long term it hasn't made any difference in my fitness journey. Life is always going to bring days like that every now and then. How you approach them, view them and handle them afterwards will go along way in your success.

    Thats a great approach and how i will be living every day once i'm at my 'goal' :) As for the 'cheat' in 'cheat meal' i do plan on doing something bad, it will involve sugar, fat and alcohol :)
  • timrpm
    timrpm Posts: 57 Member
    I think the term 'cheat meal' is borderline disordered. You're having one high calorie meal. Enjoy it, and don't feel guilty about it. If you want to stay on budget, go for a nice long run or bike ride that morning and stay disciplined am. and pm. that day.
  • cici1028
    cici1028 Posts: 799 Member
    Sugar, fat and alcohol are all delicious in moderation. Enjoy.
  • DrJenO
    DrJenO Posts: 404 Member
    The only cheating would be if you didn't track it in your food diary.

    I enjoyed my bourbon last night, but I tracked it :)
  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
    I have to be honest I hate the term "cheat" meal. It makes it mentally seem like you are doing something "bad". You are cheating. Life is about choices. If one day you make a choice or plan to make a choice to go over your normal intake allotment then its an ok choice. You can plan for it by doing extra exercise. By eating lighter for other meals in the day. By adding extra activities during the week. Or by doing nothing at all. Every 2-3 weeks I have a day where I make a choice to eat whatever I want. Sometimes that means I don't really eat any different then I do on regular days. Sometimes that means I eat 500-600 more calories then I would normally in a day. I adjust. Long term it hasn't made any difference in my fitness journey. Life is always going to bring days like that every now and then. How you approach them, view them and handle them afterwards will go along way in your success.

    I don't call them cheat days because it makes it sound like I'm overeating.
    I call it "maintenance days" because I know that I'm really just eating at the calorie amount I would be getting on maintenance (roughly 500 calories over my daily intake since MFP is set to sedentary.)

    Since my husband and I are on this journey together we usually plan our maintenance day to be Sunday which is our day out. :)

    Does it slow my weight loss down? For me yes, because I don't always burn the extra intake.

    BUT for me and my personal history I would rather lose slowly (8.4 lbs since 9/2/13) in a way that I can maintain than lose too quickly and not know how to maintain once I'm at my goad.
  • caramammal
    caramammal Posts: 147 Member
    Wowser - 'cheat' is a loaded word eh...but really, you think it's borderline disordered? Are you having a laugh?

    Just to be clear, i'm not on a lifestyle change, I'm on a diet, one that will result in fat loss. So when i dont stick to said diet, that means i'm not following the dieting rules which result in the fat loss i want, therefore i am cheating on the diet.

    Simple, now, does anyone want to answer the actual question or is being controversial so much more important than being supportive?
  • catherinemaxwell566
    catherinemaxwell566 Posts: 75
    I have a whole 'cheat weekend' and find that because im allowing myself it I never go crazy n never really more than 1700 cals. if I didn't let myself have the weekend I think id find the 1400 week day cals a lot harder.
    I moved from UK to USA 2 months ago and my family send me English chocolate so I save that for weekend rather than cramming it in all week, we also tend to go out for lunch at weekend and id rather not be panic reading the menu on my day off. still losing weight n toning up nicely tho so don't worry
  • caramammal
    caramammal Posts: 147 Member
    I have a whole 'cheat weekend' and find that because im allowing myself it I never go crazy n never really more than 1700 cals. if I didn't let myself have the weekend I think id find the 1400 week day cals a lot harder.
    I moved from UK to USA 2 months ago and my family send me English chocolate so I save that for weekend rather than cramming it in all week, we also tend to go out for lunch at weekend and id rather not be panic reading the menu on my day off. still losing weight n toning up nicely tho so don't worry

    I'm in the UK..are you from the North, Lancs? Yorks?
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
    I stuffed myself full of pizza last night and then sulked for three hours if that's what you mean :P
  • catherinemaxwell566
    catherinemaxwell566 Posts: 75
    I have a whole 'cheat weekend' and find that because im allowing myself it I never go crazy n never really more than 1700 cals. if I didn't let myself have the weekend I think id find the 1400 week day cals a lot harder.
    I moved from UK to USA 2 months ago and my family send me English chocolate so I save that for weekend rather than cramming it in all week, we also tend to go out for lunch at weekend and id rather not be panic reading the menu on my day off. still losing weight n toning up nicely tho so don't worry

    I'm in the UK..are you from the North, Lancs? Yorks?

    South east actually, Margate to be specific, and now I live in Southern California so no excuse to not be healthy anymore lol sunny every day
  • jclist1
    jclist1 Posts: 87 Member
    I don't really consider them "cheat meals" or days or anything like that. I make sure it fits within my macros and enjoy it. You sound like you are doing it right, looking at the menu and knowing what you are getting nutrition wise. Plan it out accordingly and you will do fine.
  • caramammal
    caramammal Posts: 147 Member
    I have a whole 'cheat weekend' and find that because im allowing myself it I never go crazy n never really more than 1700 cals. if I didn't let myself have the weekend I think id find the 1400 week day cals a lot harder.
    I moved from UK to USA 2 months ago and my family send me English chocolate so I save that for weekend rather than cramming it in all week, we also tend to go out for lunch at weekend and id rather not be panic reading the menu on my day off. still losing weight n toning up nicely tho so don't worry

    I'm in the UK..are you from the North, Lancs? Yorks?

    South east actually, Margate to be specific, and now I live in Southern California so no excuse to not be healthy anymore lol sunny every day

    Ha, i wasnt even close! S.California, lucky you, i bet you are missing the british weather SO much! haha
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    The only cheating would be if you didn't track it in your food diary.

    I enjoyed my bourbon last night, but I tracked it :)

    I don't keep a food diary or calorie count.

    Am I cheating?

    :devil:
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    I usually have cheat weekends (if you like using the whole "cheat" saying)

    Swim 5 times a week (unless I'm working away) and track my calories, then eat pretty much whatever I like at weekends.

    Works well for me.
  • nomad1000
    nomad1000 Posts: 206 Member
    I log everything - the good, the bad, the ugly. If you don't log it, how will you know what these types of meals are doing to your body and your weight loss? For example, I know that days when we have Chinese take away, my weight will be up the next day, not because I went over cals but because I went (waaay) over on sodium.

    And I don't call them "cheat meals" either. :) Some days I am over, some days I am not. I do try to stay under my maintenance level on the over days, though. I have also found that if I have a really under cal day, the next one will tend to be over cals (or vice versa) and it all evens out by the end of the week.

    Hasn't impacted my weight loss much. Losing on average 2 lbs a week.
  • caramm1
    caramm1 Posts: 22 Member
    Hi I overindulge most weekends but so long as you accurately record it you will probably make up for it the days after! It may slow you down slightly but you will still lose as this is what I am doing - so don't worry and enjoy you still need to have fun and enjoy what your eating or in my case drinking!!! :drinker:

    Have a brill weekend!
  • catherinemaxwell566
    catherinemaxwell566 Posts: 75
    I have a whole 'cheat weekend' and find that because im allowing myself it I never go crazy n never really more than 1700 cals. if I didn't let myself have the weekend I think id find the 1400 week day cals a lot harder.
    I moved from UK to USA 2 months ago and my family send me English chocolate so I save that for weekend rather than cramming it in all week, we also tend to go out for lunch at weekend and id rather not be panic reading the menu on my day off. still losing weight n toning up nicely tho so don't worry

    I'm in the UK..are you from the North, Lancs? Yorks?



    South east actually, Margate to be specific, and now I live in Southern California so no excuse to not be healthy anymore lol sunny every day

    Ha, i wasnt even close! S.California, lucky you, i bet you are missing the british weather SO much! haha

    ha cant even pretend I miss it lol, in England I was always cold so couldn't b bothered to do anything but here I have so much energy, only problem is American food has a lot more secret bad stuff in it so u hav to be more careful
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
    I don't have cheat meals, cheat deserts, cheat drinks or anything - it's all just a part of my day. If I want Big Mac for lunch - I better plan a skimpy dinner and add some extra exercise - or maybe only eat 1/2 of it. If I want a glass - or heck the whole bottle of wine - I just allow for it - same with ice cream or whatever.

    As long as I can fit it into my calories I eat, drink, or be lazy or work out as necessary for the day. It's life and you have to learn to live while you are on this journey. If I said NO every time something came up - or called it a cheat and went over - I'd never have fun and never lose weight.

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