Cheat meal/day?

elopez1998
elopez1998 Posts: 40 Member
in Introduce Yourself
It's been four days since I decided and took action to change my eating habits and lost 3 lbs. What's your opinion on a cheat meal/day?

Replies

  • patb987
    patb987 Posts: 44 Member
    Personally I have one a week on Saturdays, If you worked hard all week and made your calorie counts, why not, you deserve it!

    I still try to make sure I stay around my maintain calorie count of 2.5k rather than the 1.5k the other 6 days.

    Pat
  • JessieMin
    JessieMin Posts: 8 Member
    I was all for a cheat meal the past 3982748932 times I was on a diet... it just didn't work for me. I'd always gain the 2-3 lbs that I lost, get discouraged, and then go back to my old ways. This time around I'm just not going to prevent myself from eating something. That's not how I want to live my life. It's all about moderation and having a little bit of something rather than saying no and eating it all in one meal.
  • Spnneil06
    Spnneil06 Posts: 18,745 Member
    My cheat meal is always friday. Usually it's a big sandwhich or dinner out with my husband. I still stay under my calories because I adjust the rest of the day around it! love it!
  • farmers_daughter
    farmers_daughter Posts: 1,632 Member
    I'm not a doctor I've not lost any weight, but I do know how to drive myself insane and how to fail epically. And that's to not allow for any sort of "life" to happen.

    Following a healthy meal plan when that's not what you've been doing for the past many many years..... is HARD FRIGGIN WORK!

    So if you've exahusted most of the tips, like drink more water, take a walk, walk away, or whatever else is out there. Eat the cheat item. Eat it, love it, and know that you can keep going, you didn't fail becuase of it, and life goes on.
    Just remember that you did have it, log it or whatever you do. And remember that you can't do it often.
  • melissafaith24
    melissafaith24 Posts: 251 Member
    My cheat meal is always friday. Usually it's a big sandwhich or dinner out with my husband. I still stay under my calories because I adjust the rest of the day around it! love it!

    Ditto this!
  • nlbez
    nlbez Posts: 111 Member
    I always have a cheat day if you want to call it that but its not really a cheat day as i still log it all but its just a day where im in the red, overall i never go over my weekly calories so i figure im allowed it. I think it does you good to sort of have a day off it gives you something to look forward to. X
  • R_Bedard
    R_Bedard Posts: 94 Member
    I agree with the cheat MEAL not an entire day. Pick one day of the week (Saturdays for me) and allow yourself a cheat meal. Be careful not to eat a cheat day where you binge on junk ALL day and night. This is counter productive. I usually choose a meal out or something I have been craving all week ie. ice cream.
  • Seevan07
    Seevan07 Posts: 23
    I personally don't think a cheat DAY is the best idea, but a meal or item(s) in a day sounds fine. Some people go by If It Fits Your Macros. If what you eat doesn't go over those, then by all means! I also try to exercise in order to fit in a cupcake or cookies in my day!
  • Vinnie2shoes
    Vinnie2shoes Posts: 25
    I think everyone needs a cheat meal once in a while to prevent yourself going insane! I know many people who would be personal trainers and they say that if you are reducing you carbs quite a lot, you need 1 day a week where you "refeed" or increase you carb intake to help both boost ypur energy and speed up your metabolism :)
  • JustAnotherGirlSuzanne
    JustAnotherGirlSuzanne Posts: 932 Member
    I don't purposely have cheat days or meals, but if I do eat more than expected I log them on the following day and I eat less the next day to make up for it. I have a pretty high calorie goal right now though so it's not too difficult to stick to my calorie goal.
  • Barbellarella_
    Barbellarella_ Posts: 454 Member
    I don't find the need for that. I make sure I eat what I want any other day, and I fit it into my calorie goal.

    I find that the cheat meal mentality a counterproductive.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    i do have a larger meal once a week, about double my usual calories for a meal, but i skip the next meal so my end of day my calories are still on point. i eat 6 small meals per day, btw, so it's not hard to skip one. i don't think this counts as cheating since i budget the calories and don't go over.
  • jhilhan
    jhilhan Posts: 9 Member
    Friday night has always been our family pizza night in which we order pizza, eat in front of the tv and then do some gaming afterwards. Since my family looks forward to it so much, I have one piece of pizza with them. i just abstain from a snack later. A cheat meal is acceptable provided you can being yourself back from the brink. ;)
  • gaylebodine
    gaylebodine Posts: 1,689 Member
    I agree with the cheat MEAL not an entire day. Pick one day of the week (Saturdays for me) and allow yourself a cheat meal. Be careful not to eat a cheat day where you binge on junk ALL day and night. This is counter productive. I usually choose a meal out or something I have been craving all week ie. ice cream.

    I agree, that occasional cheat meal rather than cheat day is where it's at. Plus there are days like yesterday when I got stuck in traffic and didn't have time to have the meal I planned before I had to be at work.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    A true lifestyle doesn't need cheating on. I naturally incorporate indulgences into my life.
  • Kaylee11133
    Kaylee11133 Posts: 31 Member
    I always could reason with myself on diets that I deserved a cheat day, but for me.. It really just caused me to eat a ton of calories and i'd always end up screwing up my diet. The next day i'd decide well i'll just eat some more bad stuff and then start tomorrow! Yeah, never happened. So, for me, I've learned that I just can't do it. I have to stay on track.
  • F00LofaT00K
    F00LofaT00K Posts: 688 Member
    I don't deprive myself of any food or food group, I just reduce my calories while maintaining a healthy ratio of macronutrients for my lifestyle (see my diary for examples). So for me, a "cheat day" isn't called a "cheat day," it just means something happened where I went over my calorie goal. Like yesterday, the pastry arts students at my school had some kind of competition and my class was invited to help eat the leftovers. This will only happen four times in my life and I love desserts. . . so I just bit the bullet and ate whatever I wanted. I will do the same for holidays too. It's the only time of the year when I ever have some foods that I love, so I just enjoy it. It's not feasible for me to never exceed my calories. I don't know anybody who never does. . . but as for scheduling a cheat day every week or something? It's not for me. I don't deprive myself where I feel the need to "cheat." I don't follow a diet, I have made some permanent lifestyle changes that I can continue with throughout my life. I've tried diets where I felt deprived and had "cheat days" and they have always failed me. This has been working for almost a year now and I haven't even thought about giving up. It hasn't even been difficult. But for some people, they insist that cheat days/meals/what-have-you work for them. I can't think of any longitudinal studies I've come across that look at whether or not cheat meals do or don't help in weight loss and maintaining that loss, so who am I to tell you not to? They're definitely not for me though.
  • b4tb4t
    b4tb4t Posts: 30
    Every week either Sat or Sun when I happen to be out with my husband a day after I worked really hard, I end up eating over my deficit as I end up being too tired that day to do anything.. haha.. so I guess that's my cheat day? But usually it just puts me at my maintain, so I guess it's not too bad? I don't know. Though I tend to make up for it during the week as I just eat less during weekdays for some reason. I still log everything though, it all gets accounted for!
  • hannah4412
    hannah4412 Posts: 11 Member
    I like the idea of a cheat meal, but doesn't work for me. Every time I have made the decision to lose weight and started seeing progress I would give myself a cheat day..which turned into a cheat week..then the whole depressed feeling. It works better for me to say when I lose x pounds i get a cheat meal( i know people say not to use food as a reward, but it works), but have to walk for an extra 30min so I can balance everything. If you have the disciple to do a cheat day in moderation I think they are good..everyone needs a break once in a while.
  • atreides42
    atreides42 Posts: 51 Member
    My cheat meal is always friday. Usually it's a big sandwhich or dinner out with my husband. I still stay under my calories because I adjust the rest of the day around it! love it!

    This strategy doesn't sound like cheating to me!
  • BuddhaMom74
    BuddhaMom74 Posts: 147
    I also find the cheat meal/day a counter productive strategy. One of the things I love about MFP (and Weight Watchers while I was doing it) is that you can literally eat anything you want - it simply requires an adjustment of your food intake for the rest of the day. I'm going to Rib Fest next Friday...so, that means extra exercise on Friday morning and reduced caloric intake throughout the day. THEN....I will enjoy every bite of every rib!! :)
  • GrandmaJackee
    GrandmaJackee Posts: 46 Member
    I am not really strict on my food diary. I like to exercise cause it means I can eat more! I love to eat!! If I go over here or there I do not stress about it. I usually go over my calories almost every other day, most times only by a little, but I am still losing weight. Well only been doing this for 10 days, but am down 3.2 pounds or some thing like that. I am amazed by how many calories some food has. Went to a graduation party ate less than what I normally would and when I typed it in the food diary it was like 1600 calories, I was like holy sh**! Oh well, learning a lot on little ways to cut down on calories. :happy:
  • gaylebodine
    gaylebodine Posts: 1,689 Member
    It is a surprise what some foods cost in terms of calories. But you are right, tracking food sure gives me a better idea of what my better food choices are!
  • gaylebodine
    gaylebodine Posts: 1,689 Member
    That's what I liked about weight watchers too--along with the bonus points (what were they called?) for the week, really liked those. Prob would still be doing weight watchers except really prefer the MFP free online tracking and support. Just can't afford the WW monthly dues. But WW taught me that I can eat anything, just need to fit it into the plan.

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