Cheat Meal/Meal that Shocks your Body and Helps you Lose weight

Options
Wtn_Gurl
Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi - Have you heard of eating a cheat meal that has the effect of shocking your body into losing weight in this way (dont' know how else to explain it). Lets say I am eating within my calories and macros all week. Weight stays pretty much the same or losing 2 pounds a week. Now, on the weekend I go out and eat a great meal and not worry about the calories per se, however, I try to choose a healthier choice. Like I ate steak fahitas last weekend and this weekend ate shrimp tacos and some chips and salsa. Another time went to a family dinner and ate a bunch of food. Each time I got on the scale and did not gain, in fact, lost weight.

so is this perhaps I really am still under my macros or does this "cheat" meal cause your body to know that it doesn't have to hold onto fat because I am showing it I am not eating too low calories and it kinda shocks the body to lose weight.

My question is - why is it that I eat this cheat meal which I am positive its going to hurt me macro-wise but it does not.
«13

Replies

  • mallory_2014
    mallory_2014 Posts: 173 Member
    Options
    I don't think it's the large meal that is doing it. Changes in weight are due to a lot of things... remember, correlation doesn't equal causation.

    On the weekends do you still exercise? If you don't, the loss could be due to your body letting go of the extra water weight it was holding onto to repair muscles after exercise.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Options
    Nope. It's CICO. You would have lost as much, and probably more, without that cheat meal.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    Options
    what is CICO? and yes, it may be the water weight that the increased exercise is doing, I walk around a lot on the weekend.
  • The_Weaze
    The_Weaze Posts: 511 Member
    Options
    CICO = calories in versus calories out

    Starvation mode as frequently mentioned on this site doesn't exist.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    Options
    Oh, thank you for that. I'm doing well, just I noticed this co-incidence on the weekend. I think I'm going to gain, but I do not. Was not sure why that is, I think I am going to gain weight but instead, do not. so the cheat meal does not hurt me per se. Actually I do not put in as my goal a cheat meal, but it happens that when im out, there are special occasions and I want to enjoy them reasonably.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    Options
    Yes.. Sorta.....

    Its not one meal but more like one day (or more) or even a week. At some point your body adapts to the lower calories (slows down to conserve energy) and a good way to 'trick' it is to feed it more.

    I cannot find the reference for this advice at the moment. Later tonight (or tomorrow) when I'm not as busy I will see if I can dig it up (assuming no one else finds it first).
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    Options
    Dewd - ah yes I believe that is what I remembered reading awhile ago.
  • shrinkingletters
    shrinkingletters Posts: 1,008 Member
    Options
    dewd2 wrote: »
    Yes.. Sorta.....

    Its not one meal but more like one day (or more) or even a week. At some point your body adapts to the lower calories (slows down to conserve energy) and a good way to 'trick' it is to feed it more.

    I cannot find the reference for this advice at the moment. Later tonight (or tomorrow) when I'm not as busy I will see if I can dig it up (assuming no one else finds it first).

    This sounds like just another way to word "starvation mode".

    OP you didn't gain perhaps because despite your one cheat meal, if you've stayed within your deficit for the whole week, you might not have have eaten enough calories at your cheat meal to truly put you over. That's all. There's no tricks.

  • shrinkingletters
    shrinkingletters Posts: 1,008 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    In other words: OP keep doing what you're doing. Stay within your calorie range and enjoy your cheat meal so long as it doesn't put you over your weekly caloric intake and you're golden.

    Just remember it's all CICO, no starvation mode, no resetting, no shocking the system or confusing your body.
  • jfitnessguru
    jfitnessguru Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    Definitely agree with the poster above. If it ain't broke don't fix it!!!! As long as your within your caloric range and haven't exceeded your targets you have nothing to worry about enjoy the meal. IMO cheat meals are beneficial in a diet especially if you have been dieting for 24+ weeks.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    Options
    So its just a coincidence then why I can eat a large bunch of food on the weekend and it does not have a weight gain? Sometimes I have sort of plateued, stayed the same for a few days, then I eat this large meal on the weekend, and then magically (it seems) the weight goes down again. I'm trying to see if theres a correlation. How can i test this? What if I ate like usual all week and then on the weekend, do not eat the large meal and then see what happens (the other thing is i tend to do extra housework/walking on the weekend, and that may really be what is happening - the little bit of extra exercise.

    By the way, i have begun back on my diet, since June 1, i spent the month of June trying to go from food addict to just trying to find the discipline to change my eating food choices, and then i see what food works best for me, is the most satisfying, is the type of eating that I can live with, and also does not upset my stomach from eating too heavy food and/or too much fat in the food, so what is best for me is lower/moderate carbohydrate. That is the type of food that seems to work for me in every way. And I also have to watch the sugars because I am a bit pre-diabetic, (sugars were 97 in June). So I have lost 23 pounds since June 1, 2015.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Options
    Nope . it always comes down to cico. But since weight loss isnt linear, we can't always predict that we will weigh in each week with an exact -2 lb loss.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    Options
    OP, there are plenty of people on MFP who don't do cheat meals and have lost a lot of weight. There are also lots of people here who do cheat meals and have lost a lot of weight. There are people here who do low carb, low fat, intermittent fasting, big breakfast, no breakfast, lots of exercise, no exercise and have lost the weight.

    All that matters is finding a way to eat less calories than you burn and get the nutrition and fuel you need.

    There is no scientific reason why eating a larger than usual meal would cause your body to lose weight. The body isn't a robot. It doesn't gain or lose weight immediately after what caused it. There are so many factors that contribute to what you weigh at any given moment, and there is no way to precisely measure them all.

    So if you are having success while having a cheat meal every week, and you are happy eating the way you are, then keep doing it and don't worry about it! Good luck :drinker:
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    Options
    I am of the opinion that it more relates to Cortisol. You are dieting (raises cortisol), exercising (raises cortisol), not enough sleep (raises cortisol), stresses of life (raises cortisol), etc... So depending on how you personally handle stress in your life, having a "cheat meal" offers many people stress relief, thus lowering cortisol levels thus many people have a whoosh effect of weight loss shortly after. Lyle McDonald has discussed this some and goes into this in this article of his.
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html/
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    Options
    oh true! One of my most helpful tools in this battle is the need to keep stress down. Because i am a stress eater. If i keep my temperament at a moderate level, dont get stressed out, dont turn to food for self-medication, then this will eliminate the need for me to stress-eat. One day last week i was severely stressed out, and my reaction was "i need a pastry to handle this" then i caught myself and said no i dont want to screw this up, so i chose not to eat that, and the stress i was feeling went down by itself. That was a huge battle won that day.! :) And you are right, i choose to eat that large meal so i will enjoy life and not feel deprived. Then, just carry on as usual the next day.
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
    Options
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/

    I've had it with an increased carb day (unintentional) and alcohol.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    Options
    Here is one article on the subject (not the actual research I am looking for but good info anyways).

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/metabolism-and-calorie-adaptation.htm

    And it is not as simple as CICO as many want to to believe. Your body does adapt (it slows down and becomes more efficient).

    http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/weight-loss/why-do-diets-stop-working

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/biggest-weight-loss-myth-revealed
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Options
    dewd2 wrote: »
    Here is one article on the subject (not the actual research I am looking for but good info anyways).

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/metabolism-and-calorie-adaptation.htm

    And it is not as simple as CICO as many want to to believe. Your body does adapt (it slows down and becomes more efficient).

    http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/weight-loss/why-do-diets-stop-working

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/biggest-weight-loss-myth-revealed
    Which changes CO, right?

Categories