Cheat or not to Cheat?

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  • beckyjeanleemaddox
    beckyjeanleemaddox Posts: 154 Member
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    I had cake last night but it made me feel awful until I exercised. I pretty much stay away from sugar b/c I noticed I didn't get fat until I started eating sugar every day. I ate a steak and veggies for lunch but fit it into my calories. I weighed the steak so I knew how much I was eating calorie wise. Generally I eat about the same things all the time. Occ I eat a Mcdonald's hamburger which is like a cheat for me b/c I don't eat bread usually. I just try to have a calorie deficit and eat what I want but I have cut down on bread, sugar, potatoes, corn, chips and all pastries. Way down. I think if you want something every now and then that you consider cheating is okay. I, personally have to be careful b/c carbs, chips and sweets trigger binges for me so I generally stay away from it.:smile:
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
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    I don't have days where I set out to cheat, in general. But I do sometimes have days where, if I eat more than my daily goal, I don't sweat it.

    That's usually how I handle unplanned meals, such as when someone from the office retires or is transferring out. I may be going to places where I can't get an accurate calorie count, or to places that mean even just my pre / post workout protein shakes are going to put me over.

    On some occasions, it extends to periods of multiple days, such as when I went on a cruise earlier this month (and actually managed to NOT gain any weight while also enjoying the food).


    But I've still never really approached it from a day where my aim is to eat more than my suggested goal. My goal remains at the "maintenance" level, no matter what day it is. For me, it's all about not kicking myself for going past it.



    Now, if you're talking about eating certain foods qualifying as cheating, I can't really cheat because I don't have any "must not eat" foods. I can generally work them into my daily calories, even if that means ending the day feeling hungrier than usual because I enjoyed some empty calories earlier in the day.

    Thanks for the input my friend. I guess I am simply having a hard time because I am only allowed 1790 calories per day when I'm use to eating about 4000 calories day, so I am simply trying to get the most bang I can for my calorie buck. For instance, I know I could have a Big Mac but i'd be hungry again in an hour, so instead I try to get something with more substance and less calories to free up some snacking later on in the day. I do fully understand I can eat what I want if i'm under my calorie goal, I guess i'm just confused if I should look at my calorie goal by the day....or by the week

    It is definitely a shock when you find yourself paying attention to your calories.

    But to answer your query in the last sentence, the key is to have that defecit over time. Generally, part of why I can go easy on myself for going over one day is that I'm usually under my goal on others. So if you go 200 calories over your goal today and then are 200 calories short of it, tomorrow, or if you eat 200 fewer calories today so that you can have 200 more tomorrow, the overages and shortfalls will cancel each other out.

    The main thing is figuring out a timeframe you can effectively manage. Many find it easier to just go day by day and focus on that, yielding a "take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves" effect. They focus on maintaining a 500 caloie a day defecit for losing one pound a week. Alternatively, you might find yourself in a situation where worrying about the weekly defecit is easier, such as if you're in a position where you plan out all your meals for the week beforehand and can plan out having a 3500 calorie weekly defecit by eating more on some days and less on others.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I don't recommend them really, they slow your weight loss down. I do have them though, on Holidays or other special days, but typically I'm too stuffed to eat more than 3500 calories or so anyway.

    Typically I eat what I want within my calories (or try to) and try to keep my protein up. If we go to that awesome restaurant we only go to once every 3 years or something though... I don't really care if I go over (but I'll make sure I really get something that will be worth it and that I can't get elsewhere). My downfall is dessert though and it's really tough to fit that in my calories when we go out...
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 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.

    Since when is a steak considered cheating? I'm not sure if you're serious...
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I actually did reply. If you go back and read you will see that I am referring to a meal at my favorite steak house which consist of about 1500 calories.

    That is not the question you originally asked. A normal portion size steak-based meal is not 1500 calories. What you are talking about is pigging out.

    If you want to eat 1500 calorie meal on a 1700 calorie budget, your options are obviously going to be extremely limited. And yes, your weight loss will slow down (or worse) if you eat more than you're supposed to.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,088 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

    Yes!.
    this is a much better way to do it IMO - go by your weekly goal - ie some days will be under and some days will be over and as long as the weekly amount is close to goal it will even out.

    I am not talking about silly extremes like only eating few hundred calories some days and pigging out others - but if you are planning to go out for dinner or have a big meal one day of the week, shave, say, a hundred calories per day off the other days to bank up for it.
    That approach works much better than feeling a compulsion to be under every single day - and it is the average that matters, not the amount from every individual day.
  • Keepcalmanddontblink
    Keepcalmanddontblink Posts: 718 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:
    Perhaps the clarification should be that, you calorie limit doesn't support a 1500 calorie meal unless its the only meal you are eating all day? (I don't know what your calorie limit is. Mine is 1500 before workouts.) If I am really craving something, I will skip lunch (not recommended), or workout big time and earn the extra calories, (totally recommended), so I can enjoy the meal without feeling guilty.
  • ravenmiss
    ravenmiss Posts: 384 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.

    I thought the same. I can easily fit that into my calories.

    As for "cheating" then no, I want to see results not stall them. If by cheating you mean being out of a deficit for the week.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
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    I eat what I want, just fit it in my calories.... rarely go over but if I do, I just watch my weekly intake and never go over on that. Cheating can wipe out a deficient but I have never been one to binge so I also have no understanding of that desire either. The only thing I have done that I viewed as cheating was.....I went to a casino buffet with family and had no way to log. That really upset me and I put down 1000 calories for that dinner. Most likely it was less because my choices were healthy and the main was grilled salmon. To me if you are honest and record everything and eat within your calories there should not be a need to "cheat'.

    If I went on vacation I most likely would eat near maintenance for that time frame.
  • sfhudgens
    sfhudgens Posts: 123 Member
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    Every day is a cheat day :) yummy!!! But only if I have the calories left....
  • rrlwelter
    rrlwelter Posts: 40 Member
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    I know it works for some people - but I just cant get on board with this cheating thinking.

    I have days when I am over calories and days when I am under calories - as long as the weekly average is round about the weekly goal, it is fine.

    and occasionally I have a really over day which sends the week way over - like Christmas, a special party etc - as long as it is occasional and not thousands over, it still works out ok.

    and little treats and foods I enjoy - like chocolate, pizza or in your case steak and baked potato, - they are just part of my overall plan and as long as they fit within the weekly calorie allowance I consider them fine and part of the plan and not cheating at all.

    This.

    I don't sweat the daily calorie goal as long as I'm not more than about 100-200 over, because i know that over the course of the week, it'll even out. No cheating, just an understanding that some days will be bigger than others and that's ok.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    I had steak... and margaritas....and a baked potato... I regret nothing. :laugh:
  • figuu
    figuu Posts: 20
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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.
    You have quite a pitiful idea of a cheat meal.
    I just eat healthy 80% of the time and if I see something good along the way I'll eat it.
  • TheIrish1981
    TheIrish1981 Posts: 35 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.
    You have quite a pitiful idea of a cheat meal.
    I just eat healthy 80% of the time and if I see something good along the way I'll eat it.

    Perhaps it is good that I am over concerned. I'm down 10 pounds in 3 weeks =)
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 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.
    You have quite a pitiful idea of a cheat meal.
    I just eat healthy 80% of the time and if I see something good along the way I'll eat it.

    Perhaps it is good that I am over concerned. I'm down 10 pounds in 3 weeks =)

    Good for you! Lose too fast and you get to deal with loose skin. :flowerforyou:
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
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    I don't have cheat days, but I don't over-restrict myself. For example, on Saturday nights I'll have a couple beers, and log them. I love ice cream and will have that if I really want it. No matter what you eat, log it, so you can see how your habits are affecting you.
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
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    i think ive been here too long...
  • chrissythepoet
    chrissythepoet Posts: 19 Member
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    In one of my Bariatric support meetings, we were talking about when you just want to binge but you can't. I have a suggestion for everyone here and that's called self talk. Basically, when you are confronted with the food (in my case ice cream) then you tell yourself the reasons you eat healthy. I told myself that I would really regret eating it and that I just had a filing dinner.

    I haven't had surgery yet, but I still don't want to binge because then I will not eat healthy until next monday which is sometimes a long ways away.
  • d3m1urge
    d3m1urge Posts: 38
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    i have cheat snacks, not meals. and i make sure they fit into my calories or don't make them go into crazy numbers

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