Cheat meal/day confusion

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tjsims88
tjsims88 Posts: 45 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Like if I'm under my caloric goal and I have room to eat 2 Oreo cookies, am I cheating?
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  • kmorgan221
    kmorgan221 Posts: 206 Member
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    No
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
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    If you have the room, then eat it. It's not going to kill you.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    Like if I'm under my caloric goal and I have room to eat 2 Oreo cookies, am I cheating?
    LIke, really, no.

    You can eat 20 oreos if it has you under your calories.
  • tjsims88
    tjsims88 Posts: 45 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?

    Broscience
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    If it is under your calorie goal, it isn't cheating.

    Some people want you to follow macros more closely, but I'm not as concerned about that as the total calorie goal.

    With that said, some people don't have the same definition of cheating. When I give myself a "cheat day" (I've been going since June 2, and won't get one for a few weeks, so it isn't often), I am telling myself to eat whatever I want and as much as I want. I'm not just going to go 200 calories over. I'm going to be thousands of calories over. I have a specific weight to achieve before I can have a "cheat day." After that "cheat day," I will probably gain a few lbs. But here is what I plan to eat:
    -2 lbs. (pre-cooked) spaghetti, with sauce and meatballs
    -2 (or maybe 3) large pizzas - taco and pineapple
    -A pan of brownies
    -A cake
    -Maybe some chocolate chip cookies as well

    THAT is a cheat day! It isn't easy to eat as little as I have been, so if I do that every 4-5 times every year, I don't feel bad at all.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?

    I think it is about getting the right vitamins and minerals through food.
  • accelerashawn
    accelerashawn Posts: 470 Member
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    No
    qft
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?

    If you hang around the boards long enough, you are going to find several schools of thought here. Those who put emphasis on clean eating will say that it's not all about calories. But many of them also advocate an 80/20 lifestyle, where 80% of your food is clean and 20% falls into the "junk" or treat category.

    On the opposite side of the spectrum you'll find those of us who advocate calories in/calories out or IIFYM. The idea being that calories are what matter for weight loss but getting enough lean protein, fat, and veggies is important. Many of those who advocate IIFYM or CICO also maintain an 80/20 sort of lifestyle, where 80% of their calories come from lean meat, clean fat sources, and veggies with 20% cheats.

    Really, it tends to be a matter of semantics and where you put the emphasis. But the treats won't undo a day of healthy eating.

    tl;dr version: a diet of oreos would be bad. a few oreos made to fit into your nutrition goals is fine.
  • accelerashawn
    accelerashawn Posts: 470 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?
    Foods generally considered to be "clean" and "healthy" are not calorie dense. They are nutrient dense though. So if you eat clean and healthy stuff you can eat what feels like a boatload.

    junk foods and "dirty" foods are calorie dense and not nutrient dense...so you end up hitting your calorie goal way early and you wont feel like you ate much.

    At least thats how it works for me...except for peanut butter...i love that **** and its got way too many calories for a tablespoon. dammit.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?
    For the same reason why people thinkyou need to eat every two hours, or that you have to eat breakfast, or you cannot eat after a certain time, or that fats are bad, or that carbs are bad, or that gluten is bad.

    There are just so many diet myths out there.

    Now that doesnt mean that healthy eating is bad. Probably a better, healthier, idea to eat a chicken breast than the equal amount of als in oreos. WIll get more sustaining food, more nutrients, etc, but for a stricly weight loss for MOST people it is CICO.

    Now when you get down to the nity gritty and body sculpting you want to pay alot more attention, buf if your goal is strictly weight loss and you ahve a good amount to go then it doesnt matter.

    Fit and skinny people at ice cream, oreos. etc. They dont avoid those foods.

    So..if you have room..eat those damn oreos.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?

    i'm going to stay away from the "clean eating" portion, but i think - in general - you get more food if you eat fruits and veggies for the amount of calories. For example: 2 1/2 apples = a candy bar as far as calories.

    but it is all about calories as far as weight loss is concerned. i mean, yesterday, I had enough calories to eat Taco Bell, and I sure took advantage of that.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,266 Member
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    junk food doesn't fill you up and leaves you feeling empty physically and nutritionally. That is the main reason you should stay away from junk food. Having an oreo or two for a small treat is more than okay every once in awhile. As long as you are within your calories goals then you did good.
  • starznholes
    starznholes Posts: 170 Member
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    Birthday Cake Oreos are my favorite.
  • McCluskey1128
    McCluskey1128 Posts: 88 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?

    Broscience

    Wrong. It's not "Bro-Science" It's the FACT that there are nutrient dense foods and calorie dense foods. You can eat whatever you want as long as your under your calorie goal but eating calorie dense foods will not provide your body the fuel it needs. It is also linked with over indulging. And ultimately, you can't obtain the quantity of food with "junk" food you can with "clean" food, so you'll be hungry constantly.
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?

    Broscience

    Wrong. It's not "Bro-Science" It's the FACT that there are nutrient dense foods and calorie dense foods. You can eat whatever you want as long as your under your calorie goal but eating calorie dense foods will not provide your body the fuel it needs. It is also linked with over indulging. And ultimately, you can't obtain the quantity of food with "junk" food you can with "clean" food, so you'll be hungry constantly.


    You're somewhat right. There are nutrient dense foods and not so nutrient dense foods. Oreos help me hit my carbs and fat goals that I need for the day. While Oreos don't have the best micronutrients, they have great macronutrients. I also ALWAYS make sure I wash my Oreos before I eat them, so they are "clean".

    There is no such thing as clean food and junk food. Only nutrient dense and not so nutrient dense.

    So, you're WRONG!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?

    do you really think that if you're otherwise hitting your nutrient requirements that somehow a couple of oreos is going to undo all of that...I mean just from a pure common sense POV?

    The answer to your why is because a lot of people lack the aforementioned common sense and fail in being able to view their overall diet as a whole.

    It's good to get your nutrition in...but having some "junk" here and there doesn't magically undo that nutrition.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    So, If it's all about calories and not where it comes from, why is there so much focus on eating clean and staying away from "junk" food?

    Broscience

    Wrong. It's not "Bro-Science" It's the FACT that there are nutrient dense foods and calorie dense foods. You can eat whatever you want as long as your under your calorie goal but eating calorie dense foods will not provide your body the fuel it needs. It is also linked with over indulging. And ultimately, you can't obtain the quantity of food with "junk" food you can with "clean" food, so you'll be hungry constantly.
    giphy.gif

    Calorie dense foods don't provide my body fuel? And "junk" food will leave me constantly hungry? Are you sure?
  • ginam87
    ginam87 Posts: 2
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    Except that there are nutrient- and calorie-dense foods, which are just as good for you, like avocados, nuts, lean meat, etc! I hate the terms "clean" and "dirty" eating. Not only does it stress people out, but it shames people who don't subscribe to this way of thinking. As a Dietitian, I say, eat what makes you feel good, eat nutrient-dense foods as often as you can, and don't feel guilty over junk food unless you killed someone for it. Just enjoy the hell out of it and move on! :)

    Here's a link to a recent blog post I wrote about nutrient and energy density:

    http://www.ginamonk.com/blog/energy-dense-or-nutrient-dense

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