Cheat meal or not to cheat meal.. that is the question

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  • menotyou56
    menotyou56 Posts: 178 Member
    What is "healthy"?
    Well correct BMI for age, sex and height is right? I can only hope to "cheat" like you OP because it will lead me to a healthy outcome. :)
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    carolynmo1969 wrote: »
    I hate the word cheat. It is a filthy word that implies you are doing something insidious. I prefer "treat" or "splurge" or "celebration." Savour the flavour, the textures, the company you are breaking bread with if applicable.

    So much this.

    I log everything. Certain days I'll give myself a free pass on going over, but I still log and count it. And, you know what? Even after big food days or weekends (Thanksgiving in Georgia with family dinners and big southern breakfasts? Oy.) I have always netted a deficit at the end of a week.

    I say, log it all, (your body will, even if you don't put it on MFP) and look at your weekly stats. It's not a "cheat," it's balancing out your weekly caloric budget, no different from saving a few bucks here and there so you can splurge on that new limited edition vinyl box set you have your eye on.
  • LindaMc6262
    LindaMc6262 Posts: 23 Member
    I love the OP's approach! You earned that meal! If it helps you stick to your weight loss/control plan than it's all good. I "calorie shift" too. I eat less during the week, more on weekends, but keep my average daily calories low enough to lose weight. It works and is something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life.
  • SandyBVTN
    SandyBVTN Posts: 367 Member
    I have no problem with the word "cheat" here. I don't mind "diet" either though I know it can ruffle feathers.

    My take is that as long as I'm still losing weight (because that's my goal) and feeling good (nice amount of energy, not deprived, generally getting *kitten* done), then flexible meals and days are absolutely fine, and for me they feel necessary. I don't exercise but I'm fairly low cal (1200-1300) most days, so I can afford the calories.

    One thing I do try to do is not use this flexibility for emotional or stress eating. For me this may start a stress/eat/guilt cycle and I might end up seriously derailed.
  • eyecandyrayce
    eyecandyrayce Posts: 260 Member
    SandyBVTN wrote: »

    One thing I do try to do is not use this flexibility for emotional or stress eating. For me this may start a stress/eat/guilt cycle and I might end up seriously derailed.

    That is something I had to learn over the last year. If I get emotional, I try to suck down some more water to keep myself from stress eating.
  • Victoriamrs
    Victoriamrs Posts: 99 Member
    cheat
    tʃiːt/Submit
    verb
    1.
    act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage.
    "she always cheats at cards"
    gain an advantage over or deprive of something by using unfair or deceitful methods; defraud.
    "he had cheated her out of everything she had"
    synonyms: swindle, defraud, deceive, trick, dupe, hoodwink, double-cross, gull; More
    informal
    be sexually unfaithful.
    "his wife was cheating on him"
    synonyms: commit adultery, be unfaithful, stray, be untrue, be inconstant, be false; More
    2.
    avoid (something undesirable) by luck or skill.
    "she cheated death in a spectacular crash"
    synonyms: avoid, escape, evade, elude, steer clear of, dodge, duck, miss, sidestep, bypass, skirt, shun, eschew; More
    noun
    noun: cheat; plural noun: cheats
    1.
    a person who behaves dishonestly in order to gain an advantage.

    indulge
    ɪnˈdʌldʒ/Submit
    verb
    1.
    allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of.
    "we indulged in a cream tea"
    synonyms: wallow in, give oneself up to, give way to, yield to, abandon oneself to, give rein to, give free rein to; More
    antonyms: stifle
    become involved in (an activity, typically one that is undesirable or disapproved of).
    "I don't indulge in idle gossip"
    informal
    allow oneself to enjoy a particular pleasure, especially that of alcohol.
    "I only indulge on special occasions"
    synonyms: treat oneself, give oneself a treat, luxuriate in something, give oneself up to pleasure; More
    satisfy or yield freely to (a desire or interest).
    "she was able to indulge a growing passion for literature"
    synonyms: satisfy, gratify, fulfil, satiate, quench, appease, feed, accommodate; More
    2.
    allow (someone) to enjoy something desired.

    Just saying.
  • eyecandyrayce
    eyecandyrayce Posts: 260 Member
    I love how people are obsessing over the verb I used rather than the message. Hopefully I helped someone out there. I'm out.
  • SarahKhristan
    SarahKhristan Posts: 134 Member
    I absolutely love the idea of a cheat meal! I have one about every two to three weeks. I know that one naughty meal isn't going to kill my weight loss, and that it helps those "naughty cravings" that we all get from time to time. I usually have a cheat meal for lunch though. I've noticed that I sleep better without eating crappy food at night, and at least if I eat a load of calories earlier in the day, I've given myself some time to burn some of those calories off.

    My last cheat meal was a homemade double bacon cheeseburger. And it was AWESOME. I'm looking forward to my next big cheat: PIZZA!
  • mnayyar
    mnayyar Posts: 3 Member
    edited February 2015
    cotewalter wrote: »
    You know what? You are doing this for you and not for your MFP or any other friends. I think we all do what works for us. MFP is a tool and people use tools what works for them and the desired results. If something is working for you then so be it. If it isn't working then you get advice if you want it. Call it a cheat meal. Call it Fred. You do what you need to do and congratulations on your continued success. We are here to support each other and achieve our success!! Kudos to you!!

    lol @Fred, LOVE this! Very true. Thanks for posting OP. I might try your method as I also love food (and, frankly, looking forward to things) so it just makes sense. I've just started out with my weight loss so I am also finding it difficult, as someone earlier posted, to stop the ball once I get it rolling.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    eyecandyrayce wrote: »
    I love how people are obsessing over the verb I used rather than the message. Hopefully I helped someone out there. I'm out.

    High five!
  • snarlingcoyote
    snarlingcoyote Posts: 399 Member
    eyecandyrayce wrote: »
    I love how people are obsessing over the verb I used rather than the message. Hopefully I helped someone out there. I'm out.
    It's because that verb implies a moral judgement. The word cheat has a very specific, negative meaning for many people, especially those with a long history of personal food stuff to work.out. (Like me!)
  • KatieLK14
    KatieLK14 Posts: 90 Member
    Love me some cheat meals. I have a cheat meal once a week. Honestly, one bad meal isn't going to change anything. Its worth it for me, I can eat healthy 95% of the time then go for one niiicccceee treat.
  • aquinoz
    aquinoz Posts: 182 Member
    I have my cheat meals on special occasions, and stick to carb refeeds on days when i feel like poop.
  • Papatoad194
    Papatoad194 Posts: 251 Member
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    In the end, the numbers and math will win out. If your 'cheat meal' (when averaged out with your other days) puts you into an overall caloric surplus, then it's going to be counterproductive. If you can still, over the long term, stay in a deficit, no prob.

    He's my hero............. Math is your friend!
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    The need for a cheat meal may just indicate one is dealing with a food addiction or just has not found a healthy eating lifestyle that they want to stay married to over the long haul. Another thing is they may be under eating in an unhealthy manner. Cheating is often associated with a lack of being satisfied when it comes to basic needs too.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    is there a question, or are you just making statement OP???

    I don't believe in "cheat" meals because that implies that some foods are "bad" while others are "good"…I just work what I like into my overall calorie/macro/micro goal for the day. If I want pizza, I have pizza; if I want ice cream, I have ice cream. This way I do not have to worry about a complex tracking system to fit in foods that I like…

    but whatever floats your boat….
  • Victoriamrs
    Victoriamrs Posts: 99 Member
    The reason behind my post was this.

    The word cheat and yes it is just a word but it is a powerful one. The word implies, being dishonest, lying as I posted earlier and honestly if you are declaring what you eat in your diary then you are neither being dishonest or lying but back to my point. With the word cheat comes feelings of guilt, shame, embarrassment, failure and many more I am sure. I just am of the opinion that maybe we should think about the words we use for ourselves or others.

    I have noticed on my news feed and many of the forums people use this phrase 'I cheated' and then gone on as if it is the end of their world. They breakdown, go into a state of depression, beat themselves up, call themselves all kinds of names surely this is not healthy? When you say you cheated it implies you did something wrong, it might encourage you to hide what you did as you don't want to feel judge or shamed. This for me and I am sorry if it sounds extreme can begin the journey into an eating disorder or if not at least unhealthy eating.

    Wouldn't we be better to say that we indulged or over indulged? If you are over indulging too often (I used to eat at least 3000 calories or more at least two to three times week if not every day) then maybe you need to look at a way to improve your lifestyle and make some different food choices especially if it is affecting your weight and health. However indulging once in awhile with your slice of chocolate cake or slice of pizza or whatever you enjoy, surely all we have done is ate something that gave us pleasure that made us feel good and do you know what for me personally that is okay. All we have to do now is go out for a walk, climb some stairs, do a run, go for a swim whatever floats your boat and burn off the calories.

    As another poster said food is not good or bad (ok yes some are high in calories and laden with fat) it is simply a case that many people just eat too much of it and then don't exercise to burn it off. To me it is that simple, if I eat it then I need to burn it off especially if it is out of my calorie goal for the day or week.

    Bottom line for me is that I must try not to over indulge as I view that to be unhealthy for me, instead I love to indulge every now and then and afterwards I love to go for a walk. This journey I have embarked on is about a lifestyle not a diet, it is about a balance everything in moderation. In the words of my nan, a little of what you fancy can do you the world of good.

    :)

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