A cheat day or one cheat meal?

sijomial wrote: »

Taniab43 wrote: »

jnv7594 wrote: »

4theking wrote: »

If you are in it to win it, you don't ever cheat. If you want to eat something and it is within your allotted calories, eat it. I am not a cheater. I am a winner.

^^^This. I just fit what I want into my calories. Sorry but the words "cheat day" or "cheat meal" are one of my biggest pet peeves. And OP, if you are fitting these meals into your calories, then it's not really a cheat anyway.

I say cheat day because everyone knows what it is.

No they don't. I certainly don't.
You have also had loads of people questioning how is it cheating if you haven't gone over your calories.
You have also had lots of people who disagree with the idea that eating is cheating.

When I chose to go over my calories I still don't consider it cheating. When I eat a meal purely for enjoyment I still don't consider it cheating.

To me it sounds very much like an unhealthy attitude to food and weight maintenance. It doesn't seem to be making you happy either..

Your words - "I always feel bad too, and do some extra cardio!"

I still fail to see how it's unhealthy to feel guilty if you eat over your calories. Heck I'd be worried if I stopped feeling bad about it... it would be the first sign of getting back to fat Fran.

It doesn't mean I don't enjoy a 1500 calorie meal from time to time, or that I punish myself if I go a bit over my calories, but I do have to realize that it can't be a regular occurrence or I will gain weight. So yes... if I go too much over, I consider it cheating, because I will have to make up for it at some point if I don't want to gain weight. I'm not one of those people who can eat 1500 calories over my weekly maintenance and not gain weight. I stretch my calories as much as possible in order to maintain with how many calories as possible, but it means that if I go over, it's going to show up on my hips, lol.

Taniab43 wrote: »

jnv7594 wrote: »

4theking wrote: »

If you are in it to win it, you don't ever cheat. If you want to eat something and it is within your allotted calories, eat it. I am not a cheater. I am a winner.

^^^This. I just fit what I want into my calories. Sorry but the words "cheat day" or "cheat meal" are one of my biggest pet peeves. And OP, if you are fitting these meals into your calories, then it's not really a cheat anyway.

I say cheat day because everyone knows what it is.

That only works in the real world. Here cheat meal, cheat day, cutting out, good food, bad food, junk food, toning, eating healthy and clean eating are all concepts that a good portion of MFP forum regulars claim to not know what you're talking about. They can't figure it out (even in the context of your posts) and if you explain what you mean they'll still say they don't know what you're talking about. lol You can't win.

For me, I'm not concerned about the calories so much as a pattern of eating. So anytime we have take out food, special occasions or anything that isn't part of our normal, everyday diet I use a blue highlighter and mark it on the calendar with an X. That way I can tell at glance if I'm starting to fall back into bad eating habits. If the X's start to add up -- independent of calories or weight -- I know we need to reign it back in before it gets out of control.

My cheat day(eat whatever day consists of one large feast usually at a buffet once a week same day every week, but I still pick healthier food choices, just eat an excess in calories

I've said it before I'll say it again (for what seems like the 100th time) - It's not cheating if you log it. You bite it, you write it - it's you living your life, making decisions and accepting the consequences of those decisions. If you don't log it then, as others have said, you are only cheating yourself.

It's only a cheat if you do not log it and pretend that it was never eaten. I always allot myself at least 100 calories a day for a treat to avoid the feeling of being deprived. It is a psychological thing because more often than not, I don't eat that treat I allow myself. If I do, it is typically a square of dark chocolate or a Popsicle made from real fruit.

I rarely have a spontaneous night out so typically, I plan a restaurant meal in advance so I know what I am going to eat. I research the restaurant and look up their menu. If there is something I really want that is fattening, then I plan what to eat in the days leading up to and following so I can eat that fattening meal with no guilt. My last meal like this was all fried - fried shrimp, fried catfish, fried crawfish, hush puppies, and french fries. I probably won't eat anything fried for six months now!

triciab79 wrote: »

Cheating is stupid. You will only increase your cravings for things or quantities that you should not have. Cheating makes it harder to have a real lifestyle change.

People have different priorities and different needs. Food is part of what makes holidays and some occasions special for me. I love these foods, have good memories associated with them and look forward to them but even if I didn't it would upset and worry my friends and family if my "lifestyle" meant I couldn't eat and celebrate with them.

If it's important to you, if it makes your life richer and more enjoyable it is absolutely not stupid, IMO. I accept I'll have cravings for a few days afterwards but I suck it up and get back to my normal everyday diet (taking the steps above to make sure it doesn't get out of control). It's absolutely worth that extra bit of effort and willpower to me.

triciab79 wrote: »

Cheating is stupid. You will only increase your cravings for things or quantities that you should not have. Cheating makes it harder to have a real lifestyle change.

Obvious trolling attempt but I can't pass it up...

So your lifestyle now is to never have any treats or eat a bit too much? Holidays must be sad at your house.

when I cheat it is always on the weekends- i just lessen the portion I would normally have eaten and I still count it cuz seeing myself go over on one of my categories reminds me how easily bad habits can add weight back on and i have worked too damn hard to get it off. my biggest weakness??? coca cola- my gateway drug

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Taniab43 wrote: »

Is a cheat meal considered a cheat only if you to over your macros or calories for a day? Or can you still cheat a couple of times a week if you stay within your calories? I have several cheats over the coarse of a weekend and usually stay within my daily calories. I just increased my calories this week and am on maintenance mode, so I don't want to gain back what I have lost.

Thanks

If you stay within your calorie goals, I don't really consider a meal or a day a "cheat" as much as a "reallocation of calories". If, at the end of the day, you're meeting your goals, who's to say if you can or can't have more calories in one meal than in another, or that you can't deviate from a planned menu?

I "cheat" daily with ice cream bc cheating always got me good results in HS.... losing fat, maintaining lean muscle, and eating ice cream on the daily makes for a great cut! (and it's not really cheating)

I allow for "bad" foods as I know that if I deprived myself from them I would binge. I also have days where I go over my goal, sometimes well over. Sometimes I am under my goal. As long as everything works out over time I don't focus too much on day over day.