"Cheat Meals" - Are they ever okay?

as long as you are not depriving yourself of foods you love you should not really need a cheat meal. The only thing I eliminated in my weightloss was second helpings.

If you goal is 1200 net for the day, one 1500 calorie meal isn't going to derail anything, as long as you aren't doing it every day. Chances are, if you look at your calorie intake over the week, then spread that 1500 calories out, you'll still be averaging out at a caloric deficit (I can't math, so don't expect any more of an explanation than that).

Back when I tracked my calories, I would track each day, then use a spreadsheet to track my calories over the week, purposely eating a bit less Monday - Friday to allow me to loosen the reins on Saturday and Sunday. If I hadn't done it that way, I don't think I would have had half the success I have.

I'd say if it keeps you sane, keeps you from falling off the wagon, then do it. I've had some of my most effective weight loss while still allowing cheat days every once in a while. Just track what you do eat so you don't lose the habit.

Whilst the odd day of going over calories won't suddenly make you gain weight, I think the idea of 'cheating' promotes a mindset of extremes. I think you should just eat what you like in moderation, balance is key.

I love good food so being able to splurge is necessary for my sanity. Have you considered trying out healthier versions of your favorites?

Thermodynamics. It'll only derail you if you've eliminated your calorie deficit.

I have to be careful with the idea of "cheat" meals or days because I have a tendency to try and justify more and more of them and then give up on my goals completely....I have yet to do that while using MFP, but every other attempt to lose weight and get in shape has ended up this way.
Logging everything, even my screw ups, has kept me honest and helps me see what I can and cannot get away with. It has helped keep me exercising more too because if I want to eat a delicious dinner of my regular, favorite foods, I had better burn some of what I have already eaten that day to allow room for it. Utilizing this site has made me think more logically about what I eat and when. Like I said, it has kept me honest.
So have that potato soup....just make sure you eat a little less the day before and the day after while continuing to exercise, and you will be just fine!!

I have relatively a lot of cheat days, but you and I may define cheat days differently. For me, it's not a full on binge, or a free for all... but once in a while I'll let myself go a little over, or I'll have a special treat on top of my usual calorie amount.

Yesterday was my birthday, and I had a lot of plans, so I didn't track. I didn't go nuts, I didn't stuff my face... but I did have some bacon with my usual toast & eggs breakfast, and I had a big-ish (but healthy) meal out, and I had a piece of pie from my favorite bakery at the end of the day. This morning, though, I did my best at entering all the food I ate yesterday, and while I didn't maintain my planned deficit, I did end up eating about at maintenance for the day. Overall, I only ended up about 400 calories over what I usually eat, and most of what I ate was pretty healthy.

A day like that, once in a while, will not derail progress much at all... theoretically, I'll reach my goal weight one day later than I otherwise would have because of how I ate yesterday. (If only we could track so precisely!) I really don't advocate for binge days, though. There's a difference, in my mind, between a treat or a cheat and a binge.

It completely depends on you, how you define "cheat meal", how you set up your diary, your deficits and your goals. It also matters what your TDEE is and how your MFP goal lines up. You can go over your MFP daily goal without damaging your overall goal but it is dependent on how much cushion room you have, someone else called it bank.

My burn is around 2120 cals per day. I eat between 1600 and 1900 calories most days because my goal is to lose 1/2 to 1 lb per week. Some days I splurge on calories, some days are lighter days. The range takes the pressure off for me. Its actually not called a bad day in my books until I hit 2500 cal intake. I can recover from a 2500 cal day as long as it doesn't happen too often. This lets me go for coffee with coworkers, or order a pizza on a Friday night without putting myself into a downward spiral of self-hatred or shame. If you can build a framework that allows for cheat meals and continued weight loss, then do it.

As long as you are progressing over the long run, of course they are OK.