Cheat or not to Cheat?

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  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    I usually work it into my weekly calories. On weekends, I don't cook, so my husband and I eat out quite a bit. I tend to "save" my exercise calories so I have about 4000 calories to work with over the course of the weekend. This past weekend, I had Chinese food, McDonalds, Arby's, and a big bowl of frozen yogurt and I still met my weekly goal. I've been doing this since I started and have been losing weight consistently. I don't sacrifice meals during the week to "cheat" on weekends, either. I eat about 1550 calories on weekdays and I'm never hungry.

    I have one "fat weekend" (as I like to call it) per month. I still log, but I don't worry about going over my weekly goal. I try to make it work so my average daily intake is at maintenance, but it doesn't always work out that way. Cheat weekend is usually on period weekend, which works out nicely. I had one of these weekends two weekends ago, it totaled about 8000 calories over the course of two days, and ended up "gaining" 0.8 lb by the end of the next week, but I suspect it's mostly water weight. I don't worry about it too much, because I'm not in this for quick weight loss - this is just how I eat now. If I have a tiny set back according to the scale, it's fine. I never have a problem getting back on track on Monday and it all tends to even itself out in the end. You've got to enjoy life. I love food and sometimes I want to eat my body weight in tasty, fattening foods without worrying about calorie goals - and dammit, I'm going to do it from time to time.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I don't cheat, I just eat. :tongue: And I eat what fits into my cals for the day, occasionally going over because that's life.
    a nice steak dinner, with baked potato, salad, and an appetizer.
    That sounds a normal dinner that would fit into my goals....maybe without the appetizer, but depends on what it is and how much I'd already eaten that day.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    From time to time I will indulge in an over the top junk food day! Generally they never seem to live up to the hype I give them in my mind.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    That is the question =)

    Do you guys/gals ever take a cheat day? I am not suggesting shoveling Big Macs down your throat but more of a nice steak dinner, with baked potato, salad, and an appetizer.

    What is wrong with a Big Mac (or 3)?
  • TheIrish1981
    TheIrish1981 Posts: 35 Member
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    Some people say that don't consider a steak dinner cheating. Perhaps I should clarify. I'm talking about a 16 oz steak, Salad with honey mustard dressing, baked potato loaded, and an order of Pepper Poppers. We are talking about a 1500 calorie meal. If that isn't a cheat meal.....I don't know what is
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Some people say that don't consider a steak dinner cheating. Perhaps I should clarify. I'm talking about a 16 oz steak, Salad with honey mustard dressing, baked potato loaded, and an order of Pepper Poppers. We are talking about a 1500 calorie meal. If that isn't a cheat meal.....I don't know what is

    Still not cheating. If it fits your calories, nothing wrong with it *shrug*... Most of my dinners are 1000+ calories. :ohwell:
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
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    That is the question =)

    Do you guys/gals ever take a cheat day? I am not suggesting shoveling Big Macs down your throat but more of a nice steak dinner, with baked potato, salad, and an appetizer.

    Sounds like a pretty regular dinner to me.


    What this dude said. What did I miss? I am supposed to be eating knat's knees and fleas feet or something?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    I don't. I don't always stick to my 1400-1600 range, but I don't see it as cheating. Sometimes I aim to eat at maintenance (2-3 times a month) which means an extra ~500 calories for the day. And sometimes I eat higher and have a more active day to still hit my deficit.

    Bottom line: I keep my long term goals in mind and eat what I want, but sometimes what I want is modified by those goals.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Now I want steak for dinner... and it's frozen. :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad:
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I am not suggesting shoveling Big Macs down your throat but more of a nice steak dinner, with baked potato, salad, and an appetizer.

    There's absolutely nothing wrong or unhealthy about that meal. What kind of plan are you on that having a meal like that can only happen as a "cheat"?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    PS-a nice steak dinner w/ potato & salad fit within my deficit. Though I usually do not do the baked potato at a restaurant, too hard to measure/gauge how much I've eaten. I'll go for the steamed veggies instead. Usually do not go for an appetizer (I'm cheap lol) but will have a slice of bread.
    That is the question =)

    Do you guys/gals ever take a cheat day? I am not suggesting shoveling Big Macs down your throat but more of a nice steak dinner, with baked potato, salad, and an appetizer.
  • TheIrish1981
    TheIrish1981 Posts: 35 Member
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    Also, I don't want to seem obsessed. I just want to know what will work in the long run and what will not. I am 5'10 and 272 pounds. So I am extremely big and not training myself in the correct way to do this now will only result in failure later. So I was generally looking to hear from people who have had success and whether or not they ever cheated. It is extremely hard to get use to how i'm eating now vs what I was eating, but I am on a 14 day streak of going under my allotted calories every single day. Usually I eat all my cals plus half my exercise cals.

    I just want to get the weight off and keep it off. Also to the individual that said you can't cheat because you aren't in a relationship with food.......I disagree. While you may not be, there are many of us who do have somewhat of a relationship with food. It may sound sad but years and years of relying on something to get you through the day and then take that away and it poses difficulties. I certainly appreciate the helpful comments but there seems to be some here who lost weight and forgot what the struggle was like. That is pretty sad. I promise that I will lose this weight and when I do, I will try my best to help the newcomers on the journey
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    I just want to get the weight off and keep it off. Also to the individual that said you can't cheat because you aren't in a relationship with food.......I disagree. While you may not be, there are many of us who do have somewhat of a relationship with food. It may sound sad but years and years of relying on something to get you through the day and then take that away and it poses difficulties. I certainly appreciate the helpful comments but there seems to be some here who lost weight and forgot what the struggle was like. That is pretty sad. I promise that I will lose this weight and when I do, I will try my best to help the newcomers on the journey

    :huh: :huh: :huh:
    You assume a lot about people and what their personal struggles are on a daily basis. People on this thread are trying to tell you because they have been there. Until you are ready yourself, you will see things like this as a personal attack. Oh well good luck on your journey. :flowerforyou:
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Each of use has a different relationship with food - and if that's something you recognize then its something you can work on. Don't expect habits to change overnight, as they didn't form overnight. Look for alternatives. Exercise or some other activity for stress relief, for example.

    Personally my 'crutch' if you will is that I NEED to log. I've been on & off again with this journey for many years. Where I fall apart is when I take a few days off from logging. A few days may become a few months or more. Does that mean I'll log forever? Not sure, but I'm not ruling it out either. So for me, its not a problem with what I choose to eat (I do always see it as a choice) but being accountable to myself by logging even if I'm having a higher calorie day. And its not like I always decide in advance and plan it out. Sometimes plans change as the day progresses - and for me, that's ok.
  • TheIrish1981
    TheIrish1981 Posts: 35 Member
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    Well for someone to say a 1500 calorie meal isn't a cheat meal just seems absurd to me. Also as far as fitting it in to my daily plan of 1700 calories, that simply can't happen unless my other 2 meals are just vitamins and bean sprouts. Yea, that won't happen. Again, thanks to everyone who provided relevant responses. I sincerely appreciate it.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Well for someone to say a 1500 calorie meal isn't a cheat meal just seems absurd to me. Also as far as fitting it in to my daily plan of 1700 calories, that simply can't happen unless my other 2 meals are just vitamins and bean sprouts. Yea, that won't happen. Again, thanks to everyone who provided relevant responses. I sincerely appreciate it.

    What exactly were you expecting when you post on a public message board? :huh: :laugh:
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    I'm not sure what all was said - don't want to get in the middle of it - but a steak dinner can be had for less. I go to Longhorn, get a 6 oz sirloin, salad, green beans, and with a slice of bread & some butter its about 500-600 calories. I do leave the cheese/croutons off the salad and get the light raspberry vinagrette dressing. Baked potato instead of green beans would perhaps be 200-300 depending on how its topped. (Potatoes get a bad rep, but I think the issue is how much is put in them.)

    Well for someone to say a 1500 calorie meal isn't a cheat meal just seems absurd to me. Also as far as fitting it in to my daily plan of 1700 calories, that simply can't happen unless my other 2 meals are just vitamins and bean sprouts. Yea, that won't happen. Again, thanks to everyone who provided relevant responses. I sincerely appreciate it.
  • TheIrish1981
    TheIrish1981 Posts: 35 Member
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    Well, I was expecting answers to my questions and I got that from some helpful people. I know how the world is. I know there are always a few jack***** out there and I try my best to call them on it =) Have a good day
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Sure. It's not cheating if you log it and work into your week. You're going to do this the rest of your life.
  • TheIrish1981
    TheIrish1981 Posts: 35 Member
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    I fit it into my calories. I calorie cycle, so I'll have some low cal days followed by a high cal day or two. This week I've had pizza, chinese and a roast pork and gravy roll (with crackling) and I'm still expecting a loss.

    And hell, a steak, baked potato and salad is a normal dinner at my place...

    So if you go under calories one day or more in the week, do you then use them on another day? If that is possible that might make things a little easier because I could squeeze a cheat meal in every week if that is something that you have done and yet have still had success

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