What do you consider a cheat meal

Squeaky_XO
Squeaky_XO Posts: 29 Member
edited November 24 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm a long distance runner. 6 sometimes 7 times a week. I'm a vegetarian as well. I eat healthy and at a healthy weight.

I try to treat myself once a week. However one girl I know apparently considers cheese ravioli a cheat meal? But it's healthy carbs so how is that a cheat if you eat a healthy amount?

Replies

  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    I do not have "cheat meals".
    Sometimes, life happens and my daily calorie intake goes beyond my target. I log it, own it and go back to my nutrition plan as soon as physically possible. Move on.
    Good luck in your healthy journey
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
    A cheat meal for me would be one where I "PLAN" to go over and above my calorie threshold that I've set for myself. Otherwise it's like @socioseguro said...sometimes life happens and you just own it. I'm much more of the IIFYM camp so no food is off limits and as long as you're under you calories, I wouldn't consider cheese ravioli a cheat meal.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    If you remain within your daily or weekly calories ... you're not cheating.

    I also do not have "cheat meals".

    I do have celebration meals. For example, on my husband and my anniversary, we went out for Chinese food, and I went slightly over my calories for that day (but not for the week).

    I also have holidays. When I reached my first goal, I took a 1-month break from logging and tracking and ate whatever I wanted while I travelled in Canada. Funny thing was, I found myself ordering salads, and sides of steamed veggies, and things like that in restaurants anyway.

    Otherwise, I eat a variety of food and remain within my daily calorie limit. :)
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    edited September 2015
    Mmmm...cheese ravioli with meat sauce and more cheese on top would be a lovely cheat meal for me! My cheat meals mean I don't have to try to fit them in my calories. A good ravioli meal like I mean would probably have 800 calories or so :grin:
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    cheese ravioli for me would only be a 'cheat' if I ate a nice big huge portion of it, whilst washing it down with some red wine and nibbling on a side of garlic & herb bread.

    Otherwise - if it was my weighed out 150 grams of pasta, 25 grams of cheese and what have you - it would not be a cheat.

    Yum. Now I am hungry.
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    I don't do a cheat meal but occasionally slip. I also will occasionally go over knowing that I'm going to do that. That's rare though.
  • scottver2
    scottver2 Posts: 53 Member
    Cheat meal every Friday with my gym buddy. Our macros and routine is usually spot on during the week, so we splurge on Friday night. Recently it's been Blaze pizza, because an entire pizza is only 780 calories! And, I continue to lose weight...
  • G33K_G1RL
    G33K_G1RL Posts: 283 Member
    Cheat meal for me is any meal that will be seriously over calories and/or seriously off macros. One cheat meal that I plan a few times a year is poutine- high in carbs and fat, almost no protein.

    Since I'm limiting my extravagant meals, I find I appreciate them so much more :)
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 609 Member
    agree with others, anytime you go over your calories count. Sunday I had a Iced honey bun, banana, Steak n Shake single burger fries and shake and was under by 1200 calories, but all what some consider cheat foods. It all depends on what you're counting and how you feel about it.
  • oilphins
    oilphins Posts: 240 Member
    ScubaSteve1962 wrote: »
    agree with others, anytime you go over your calories count. Sunday I had a Iced honey bun, banana, Steak n Shake single burger fries and shake and was under by 1200 calories, but all what some consider cheat foods. It all depends on what you're counting and how you feel about it.

    I disagree somewhat here. I have a cheat meal every week on Saturdays only, usually pizza or a burger but there are times I've gone over my calorie intake during the week by eating healthy. Just because you've gone over your calorie intake doesn't mean you cheated that day. I need my calcium everyday and two glasses of skim milk is almost 180 calories. And an apple, banana and say a cup and a half of peas is close to 280 ( according to mfp ). But yes portion sizes do matter for sure.
  • PAtinCO
    PAtinCO Posts: 129 Member
    I have a "cheat meal" after a big hike, like climbing a 14er or something similar. Usually burgers or pizza and beers.

    Of course those hikes are 1500+ calorie burns so it's not really cheating.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    Cheat meal or snack for me would be one w excess. like a 1 oz bag of doritos is fine but a 16 oz is not. or a cup of ice cream is fine but eating the entire box is not. a portion of raviolis w salad etc is good but a huge plate full w 1/2 a loaf of italian bread loaded w butter and cheese is not...
  • trisnic
    trisnic Posts: 7 Member
    Anything with saturated fat, sugar or gluten. Bread would be major cheating
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I've never had a meal that I considered to be "cheating" anything. i'm not scared of certain foods or macros and occasional over indulgences are pretty much meaningless in the grand scheme.
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