How do you "cheat"

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  • Lovee_Dove7
    Lovee_Dove7 Posts: 742 Member
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    I party-ed with friends today, the food was so good! But it wasn't really planned, just spontaneous.
  • rpmuldoon
    rpmuldoon Posts: 1 Member
    edited December 2015
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    I cheat once a month in that we have a standing date for a monthly chef's tasting menu dinner. No way can I ask/remember/log half a dozen ingredients per sauce or relish when there are two or three such concoctions per plate, plus vegetable and protein, etc., in an eight course meal. I just log 3500 calories--these are "tasting" plates, not meals--and focus on enjoying the food and wine pairings. I also do heavier-than-normal exercise sessions the day before, the day of, and for two days after our meal. I never feel an ounce of regret or let the temporary blip in my weight bother me. In fact, I look forward to it.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    Wow, ask a community a question and then criticize their answers. You asked how people cheat and they are telling you. What exactly did you want to hear?

    I eat whatever I want within my calorie goal every day, I don't restrict any foods, so as long as I'm within my calorie goal it's not cheating.

    While I pay attention to my macros, I do it more to make sure I get enough protein and out of curiosity, so I don't consider not hitting my macro goals cheating.

    I have maybe one day a month that you could call a cheat day. I plan on eating more than usual, usually on holidays or a wedding or something like that. I still log as best I can, and I aim to stay within 500 cals of maintenance. I hate the concept of cheat days though, because it suggests feelings of guilt and judgement around food, which I don't believe is healthy. But it works for some people, so if it works for you, that's awesome.

    Not everyone will reach their goal the same way you choose to. Hearing all the different ways people approach their eating has helped me tremendously. Best of luck.
  • louislove17
    louislove17 Posts: 18 Member
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    I "cheat" a lot, as long as it fits into my calorie goals and I get enough nutrients that day. As far as going over, the only time I do that is on a holiday such as thanksgiving because I know the day after I can get right back to it.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,617 Member
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    For me, it's only cheating if I don't log the calories so, no, it's never planned because even if I have something I have no idea of the calories on , I log my best guesstimate. I suppose I'm cheating if I willingly underestimate it tho. :)

    And there are times I'll grab a couple handfuls of cereal or whatever and not log it.

    But no meals! :)
  • mellowadam
    mellowadam Posts: 114 Member
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    I just make sure to budget some calories to smash a 1200 cal chipotle burrito a couple times a week. I always log it and make sure to do a good workout on those days. I've failed miserably with cheat meals/days but I had a pretty poor realationship with food. I think most people who become morbidly obese struggle with that balance. At least I did. That's not to say it can't be done. I have friends who can pull off the cheat meal or day and swear by it.

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