Cheat meals

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ashleesaid
ashleesaid Posts: 50 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How do you handle cheat meals, if you do them? Do you try to count any calories or just completely let it go for that meal?

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  • bennett180790
    bennett180790 Posts: 20 Member
    edited August 2015
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    i log everything but do not feel guilty for what i have consumed as i worked for that treat meal. i makes me realise how calorie dense some foods are and how easy it is to go from 0 - 300000000 calories :wink: some people think you shouldnt but you do what works for you because in this world were damned if we do and damned if we dont :)
  • ForestFairy022
    ForestFairy022 Posts: 99 Member
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    I work them into my calories. I don't do them too often though. Just once or twice a week. Mine usually involve sweets and if I have one I crave them for the next 3 days. Which results in me buying a whole box of chocolates and eating the whole thing at once.

    (But I've struggled with compulsive overeating so might not be the same for you)
  • ashleesaid
    ashleesaid Posts: 50 Member
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    I struggle with overeating as well, it's my biggest downfall but I've been doing great since I joined MFP almost 2 weeks ago, now I have actual numerical accountability. Problem is, we eat out a lot on weekends and it's hard to log calories when you eat at a restaurant that doesn't provide nutritional info, so I have no idea if I've consumed 1000 or 3000 cals for a cheat meal.
  • ForestFairy022
    ForestFairy022 Posts: 99 Member
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    ashleesaid wrote: »
    I struggle with overeating as well, it's my biggest downfall but I've been doing great since I joined MFP almost 2 weeks ago, now I have actual numerical accountability. Problem is, we eat out a lot on weekends and it's hard to log calories when you eat at a restaurant that doesn't provide nutritional info, so I have no idea if I've consumed 1000 or 3000 cals for a cheat meal.

    I've been binge free for 2 days... (massive accomplishment for me :weary: )

    Maybe try to eat more at home then? Or just save some calories each day of the week? Or guess how much you ate with a substitute entry on mfp. What I usually do is eat half and eat the rest at another meal, that tends to balance it out slightly. :)
  • sjohnson__1
    sjohnson__1 Posts: 405 Member
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    ashleesaid wrote: »
    How do you handle cheat meals, if you do them? Do you try to count any calories or just completely let it go for that meal?

    Cheat meals are a tough subject. Sometimes you have to say "screw it" and eat the entire pizza to satisfy that craving. But MOST of the time, you should stick to a more structured refeed day or two days when dieting to lose weight. Keep fats low (20-30g) and eat up to or 150-300 kcals above maintenance increasing carbohydrates (essentially this carbo-heavy refeed is used to raise leptin, refill muscle and liver glycogen, as well as providing sanity release from dieting as your body is temporarily thrown into a state of metabolic balance; I suggest doing it at minimum once every 10 days and more frequently the leaner you get).
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,024 Member
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    I've been doing this for over 2 years.

    I don't use the term cheat meals myself but I do eat out quite often and I estimate the calories by picking something similar in the data base and estimating the size.
    I think this makes it more accountable than just not logging it.

    Cheats, treats, estimations, whatever you want to call them - are fine as long as you don't blow your weekly calorie limit with them.
    Of course, being an estimate, you won't know exactly whether you have gone over calories or not - but if you go by results ie by whether you are losing weight ( or maintaining if that is your aim) you will.
  • bellesb169
    bellesb169 Posts: 41 Member
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    ashleesaid wrote: »
    I struggle with overeating as well, it's my biggest downfall but I've been doing great since I joined MFP almost 2 weeks ago, now I have actual numerical accountability. Problem is, we eat out a lot on weekends and it's hard to log calories when you eat at a restaurant that doesn't provide nutritional info, so I have no idea if I've consumed 1000 or 3000 cals for a cheat meal.

    This is my biggest issue with the weekends. As a matter of fact on one of my food logs I just created an entry titled "Everything but the kitchen sink".... I logged it in at 2500-3000 calories. Because I just know it was a full days calories in just that one meal. LOL

    I regret those days, because it takes a full week to make up for those unnecessary calories, water retention, and sodium.
  • krdews
    krdews Posts: 124 Member
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    I swear I'm not trying to be a smart-*kitten*; but I see regular post inquiring about cheat-meals or cheat-days etc. I personally do not plan them as I consistently try to CICO and incorporate some kind of workout daily; if I have a meal or a day of overeating - so be it, it's a lifestyle. But, the bigger question I have who are you actually cheating and what is the gain or goal behind cheating? I don't get the concept of planning to cheat, it's like saying I'm going to run up this hill and my goal is to get to the top; but along the way I'm going to trip myself.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,024 Member
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    Krdrews whilst I don't like the term cheating- planning to eat out or to have other occasions where you must estimate or planning for special treats - this is not a big question of ' who you are actually cheating' - the goal is to fit such occasions within your weekly calorie limit, ie to have logging work within real life scenarios such as going out to restaurants or having coffee and cake with friends or attending birthday parties etc.
  • 6502programmer
    6502programmer Posts: 515 Member
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    "Cheat meal" is an emotional term. It sets the stage for something forbidden. That's not what food is supposed to be. Which is more commonly accepted: "That girl that Jimmy's shacked up with that he's living in sin with," or, "Jimmy's fiancee, whom he lives with"? Both are technically correct, represent the situation, and are accurate.

    Your relationship with food is what you make of it. Personally, I strive to make my macros and micros while enjoying what I eat--Always. I log accurately and honestly, and a consistent weight loss bears witness to those efforts. MFP, my waistband, and trendweight all line up with each other and show that I'm eating at a deficit, I'm eating slightly under that deficit on a week-over-week basis, and that measuring what I can, estimating what I can't, and logging everything is working.

    While I really don't view it as work, I don't want to undo my efforts to cut 3500 calories in a week by going 2000 over maintenance in one day. That one indulgence undoes half of my week's planned choices and concerted effort. Sorry, but I really don't need three beers, cheese fries with bacon, and some wings all that badly.
  • ashleesaid
    ashleesaid Posts: 50 Member
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    6502programmer wrote: »

    While I really don't view it as work, I don't want to undo my efforts to cut 3500 calories in a week by going 2000 over maintenance in one day. That one indulgence undoes half of my week's planned choices and concerted effort. Sorry, but I really don't need three beers, cheese fries with bacon, and some wings all that badly.

    Yeah, I'm starting to adapt that mentality after reading everyone's explanation that you basically need to cut calories before to prepare and/or restrict after the "cheat meal" to make up for it. I don't think I'll be planning any cheat meals.

  • 6502programmer
    6502programmer Posts: 515 Member
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    ashleesaid wrote: »
    6502programmer wrote: »

    While I really don't view it as work, I don't want to undo my efforts to cut 3500 calories in a week by going 2000 over maintenance in one day. That one indulgence undoes half of my week's planned choices and concerted effort. Sorry, but I really don't need three beers, cheese fries with bacon, and some wings all that badly.

    Yeah, I'm starting to adapt that mentality after reading everyone's explanation that you basically need to cut calories before to prepare and/or restrict after the "cheat meal" to make up for it. I don't think I'll be planning any cheat meals.

    I still splurge, but I plan for it. If I'm going to have a steak and sausage sandwich with greasy house-made chips for dinner, I'll opt for veggies instead of rice in my bowl for lunch. Simply put, I don't cheat. I choose. Sometimes I make good, responsible choices (lots of veggies in a burrito bowl instead of lots of cheese in a burrito wrap), sometimes I make moderate choices (greasy cheeseburger with chicken instead of beef), and sometimes I make bad choices (a bacon cheeseburger and fries), but I always stick to my limits. Twice in six weeks I've gone over my loss amount, and even then I still didn't exceed maintenance. Doing that, I'm losing weight EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Even when I went over my goal, I still was in a deficit for the day.
  • ashleesaid
    ashleesaid Posts: 50 Member
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    6502programmer wrote: »
    ashleesaid wrote: »
    6502programmer wrote: »

    While I really don't view it as work, I don't want to undo my efforts to cut 3500 calories in a week by going 2000 over maintenance in one day. That one indulgence undoes half of my week's planned choices and concerted effort. Sorry, but I really don't need three beers, cheese fries with bacon, and some wings all that badly.

    Yeah, I'm starting to adapt that mentality after reading everyone's explanation that you basically need to cut calories before to prepare and/or restrict after the "cheat meal" to make up for it. I don't think I'll be planning any cheat meals.

    I still splurge, but I plan for it. If I'm going to have a steak and sausage sandwich with greasy house-made chips for dinner, I'll opt for veggies instead of rice in my bowl for lunch. Simply put, I don't cheat. I choose. Sometimes I make good, responsible choices (lots of veggies in a burrito bowl instead of lots of cheese in a burrito wrap), sometimes I make moderate choices (greasy cheeseburger with chicken instead of beef), and sometimes I make bad choices (a bacon cheeseburger and fries), but I always stick to my limits. Twice in six weeks I've gone over my loss amount, and even then I still didn't exceed maintenance. Doing that, I'm losing weight EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Even when I went over my goal, I still was in a deficit for the day.
    Right on man! That is a good way of looking at it.
  • LolaKarwowski
    LolaKarwowski Posts: 217 Member
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    I eat stuff I want daily. No need for cheat meals.

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