What is a cheat meal for you

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yanicka
yanicka Posts: 1,004 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Yesterday, I went to eat to the restaurent with friends. I was thinking of using it as my cheat meal , I am pretty sure I wrote everything I eat in my diary but it is hard to tell since I didn't make it myself. At the end of the day I was still around my 1200 cal.

So for you, what is a cheat meal. One were you eat without counting and go over your cal for the day? Or one where you eat something you would not usually eat? (for exemple, yerterday It was asian food and it has MSG in it. I usually avoid MSG since they make me retain water like crazy... up to 2 pounds more!!!!)

Replies

  • CassieH818
    CassieH818 Posts: 221 Member
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    I absolutely love caesar salads, so I usually cheat with a small salad with as little dressing as possible!
  • modernfemme
    modernfemme Posts: 454 Member
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    I'm an all or nothing kind of gal. If I'm going to cheat it's 3 pieces of pizza and with fries or something scandalous.
  • n3rdybird
    n3rdybird Posts: 3 Member
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    Pasta and garlic bread. So delicious! At least now, I don't eat as much as I used to portion-wise, so that makes me feel a bit better when eating it. :3
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I'm an all or nothing kind of gal. If I'm going to cheat it's 3 pieces of pizza and with fries or something scandalous.

    I'm pretty much the same way. While my mother in law was in town this week we went out to eat a few times and I definitely made the most of it! 8 enchiladas and two Cokes at lunch one day, pizza that night, chicken fried steak and an ice cream soda for dinner the next night.
  • chacaruso
    chacaruso Posts: 261 Member
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    Nacho platter or macaroni and cheese!!!!
  • JaneZv
    JaneZv Posts: 200
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    For me it has to be cold beer and some extra cheesy pizza, had that last Saturday evening! :bigsmile:
  • bfrederick3015
    bfrederick3015 Posts: 33 Member
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    My two: homemade Alfredo pasta and Welsh rarebit. I used to feel really guilty about having them, so I just wouldn't make them... finally I've made some small tweaks to both recipes to make them not nearly as terrible as the original versions. Now, if I work out a little extra then I can still make them whenever I get a craving and stay within my calories.
  • vanillasugar
    vanillasugar Posts: 246 Member
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    For me, a cheat meal is one where I know I'm going to go over my calories that day (or at least more than likely go over). I DO log it, and it's usually Mexican :happy: mmmmmmm Mexican food.....:heart: Oh wait, where was I? Oh yea, lol, I usually try to only do it once every other week. I don't think I go all out, and like I said, I do log it, but I have been known to go over my calories by 1000. Ouch. I also try to "make it up" somewhat over the next few days, keep my cals under by a couple hundred over the next few days.

    But, I don't try to sweat it too much. I'm looking at this a healthier lifestyle overall, so if I have a bad day, have a cheat day, whatever, I don't let it get to me. I just get right back to healthier eating the next day. And I can live the rest of my life like this. That is what is important to me. I know there are things I'm going to never give up - mexican food, chinese food, sweets, whatever. Just now, I"m trying to eat them in moderation. Treat myself once in awhile instead of every day or every other day. And getting right back on the wagon after I treat myself. It's working wonderfully so far. :flowerforyou:
  • Godsflower1789
    Godsflower1789 Posts: 90
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    anything italian. OM-GOSH! drooling just thinking about it. HAHA
  • WalkingGirl1985
    WalkingGirl1985 Posts: 2,047 Member
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    A few slices of pizza..sometimes i go a bit crazy. :happy:
  • jac777
    jac777 Posts: 13
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    a cheat meal every month is a great thing for me because 1) i plateau and need one to jump start things again and 2) i always make sure i exercise it off and usually do a little overkill so i end up burning more calories than i would have. my cheat meal is usually a cheeseburger from in-n-out. i'm planning to have one on wednesday night actually, and i had never looked up the calories before now and it's only 670! sure, it's all bad for you, but that's pretty guiltless in my book.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    mine is the beef bento box from Tokyo Express with 6 extra pieces of avacado maki rolls...it's almost 1200 calories...I've had it twice since August lol and i cherish every bite
  • PhreeThePharmer
    PhreeThePharmer Posts: 8
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    Eggplant Parmesan and 3-4 glasses of Red Zinfandel or Petit Syrah.... and dessert. Preferably dense and chocolatey!!
  • ccrawshaw
    ccrawshaw Posts: 166 Member
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    For me, a cheat meal is one where I know I'm going to go over my calories that day (or at least more than likely go over). I DO log it, and it's usually Mexican :happy: mmmmmmm Mexican food.....:heart: Oh wait, where was I? Oh yea, lol, I usually try to only do it once every other week. I don't think I go all out, and like I said, I do log it, but I have been known to go over my calories by 1000. Ouch. I also try to "make it up" somewhat over the next few days, keep my cals under by a couple hundred over the next few days.

    But, I don't try to sweat it too much. I'm looking at this a healthier lifestyle overall, so if I have a bad day, have a cheat day, whatever, I don't let it get to me. I just get right back to healthier eating the next day. And I can live the rest of my life like this. That is what is important to me. I know there are things I'm going to never give up - mexican food, chinese food, sweets, whatever. Just now, I"m trying to eat them in moderation. Treat myself once in awhile instead of every day or every other day. And getting right back on the wagon after I treat myself. It's working wonderfully so far. :flowerforyou:

    I agree wholeheartedly!!! This is how I'm going to eat for the rest of my life and some things are just not feasible to give up forever, but in moderation.... I can definitely do that!!!
  • pinecone
    pinecone Posts: 28 Member
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    Wow.

    See, I wouldn't count pasta (so long as it's not in a creamy/cheesy sauce), or a slice of pizza as cheating, really. I've gotten so used to only eating meals under 450 calories that I have no idea what I'd eat outside of that.
  • GrandmaCarolyn
    GrandmaCarolyn Posts: 27
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    Kroger or Fred Meyer sell a really good thin crust pizza called premium quality Private Selection. They make Pepperoni, Cheese, chicken Alfredo, and a couple others. They are really large pizzas and you can eat quite a bit more than most because they are lower in calories. They are so good I would choose them even if I weren't dieting. So I do count the nutritional values. But they are still high in salt.
  • Nurse_Christy
    Nurse_Christy Posts: 276 Member
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    I'm an all or nothing kind of gal. If I'm going to cheat it's 3 pieces of pizza and with fries or something scandalous.

    Love it! That sounds like me. Make it worth it!
  • EmpressB
    EmpressB Posts: 36 Member
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    I consider a cheat meal something that may have alooot more calories than I would normally allot to one meal: so for example, a meal that is 900 plus calories or something, is a cheat meal. I usually try to still remain within my calorie allowance when I cheat though so something 1600 plus would probably not make the cut. Fast food is a cheat in my mind as well, as a) it usually has more calories than I'd allow in one meal and 2) I don't eat it regularly and most times it isn't good for you, so when I am eating healthy everyday it does feel like a cheat.

    Otherwise I eat "non-diet food" all the time, so long as it is not 1/2 or more of my calorie allowance. Calorie counting was the best thing to happen to me lol, because my diet has not changed drastically and I don't feel tied up with rules. I eat more vegetables, whole grains, proper portions and the like but I feel better knowing I have the freedom to have that cake or whatnot so long as I count it in my calories. It's been working!

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