Cheat Meal

It depends on your discipline.

I just went to Hometown Buffet for lunch with my family, the only place that my daughter would eat in peace. I ate happily and not a care in the world. I won't eat another thing for the next 24 hours! I have done this many times. It's like one step back, two steps forward. It's been great for my weight loss. I'm feeling super energetic now.

On those day I want to cheat, I have a very small meal or snack for lunch that way I can enjoy a 500-700 calorie dinner. It's been working for me. Just don't make it a habit. Make sure you are taking a multivitamin and mineral.

I don't cheat

It can be tough eating out when trying to eat at a deficit. But I can usually make it work just fine.

I eat lighter throughout the day and choose an entree that I know I can split in half and save for later. Pasta dishes and wraps reheat wonderfully in most cases.

This usually allows me to enjoy going out to eat without feeling guilty about "cheating."

~Lyssa

I guess it depends if you really want a "cheat" meal or are trying to make a meal with higher than normal calories fit into your daily calorie goal. Personally, I don't have "cheat" meals, but if I know I'll be going out for something special which entails extra calories, I'll stretch my meals out a bit and eat a little less during the day so I can save up 600-700 calories for that special dinner. This is not too hard for me since I usually eat 5 small meals a day, so I can skip two of those and still not starve myself. Instead of breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, I'll just take out the snacks. And then I'll end the day having had something super tasty and feeling satisfied that I didn't blow all my hard work by overindulging or thinking of it as a cheat day or meal/free for all.

Making peace with cheat meals and ENJOYING meals out with family/friends has been one of the most difficult aspects about my journey. It was true during my 150 lb weight loss, and it has remained true for the year and a half since I met my goal. But, I can tell you that when I give myself permission to enjoy my cheat meal and the corresponding time with family/friends, it is empowering. I think if you take your week in total - 7 days of calories - and not just focus on a single day, it works out fine. If you're within your total calorie limit for the week, regardless of ebbs and flows of the individual days for that particular week, you should stay on track. Applebees does post their nutrition facts on their website, so plan ahead and figure out what you'll eat. I find that also takes the stress out of the process because I go in the restaurant with a plan, not wide eyes.

my personal trainer recommends ONE cheat meal a week, so I enjoy it but in moderation still. I won't have two pieces of dessert, just one. This weekend for Easter my cheat meal is Sunday, I will enjoy turkey, stuffing, buns, mashed potatoes AND pie, but I won't go back for seconds, especially not the carbs, maybe more protein and veggies. I still try to be good during my cheat meal without feeling deprived. If you want to have a burger go ahead, just have a salad with it instead of fries

Applebee's is one of my favorite places when it comes to staying on plan because they have a light menu where all the meals are under 600 calories. They list the calories for each meal in the description. They have the menu on line so you can choose ahead of time and plan accordingly for the rest of the day.