Cheat meals?

Options
mindfulmama1977
mindfulmama1977 Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So i do a cheat meal one day a weeks either Saturday or Sunday and find this really helps me to stay I track all week. Rule is i can eat what ever i want for that meal. Not a creat day.
Does anyone else have any tricks like this?
«1

Replies

  • CiaraDaniielle
    CiaraDaniielle Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    I do. For me it takes the pressure off of feeling that I always need to eat clean. It puts normality back into dieting.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    I don't cheat. I live. Sometimes that includes indulgences. Calling it a "cheat" is weird to me. I don't cheat on my life.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Options
    Cheating on your diet and eating clean makes no sense to me :s

    I eat anything I want and usually in moderation, sometimes not, but it's no big deal. I eat a balanced and varied diet of mostly home cooked/assembled meals made up of foods from all food groups every day. Nothing is off limit, nothing has to be eaten, but I aim for food that is both nutritionally dense and tasty.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
    Options
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Cheating on your diet and eating clean makes no sense to me :s

    I eat anything I want and usually in moderation, sometimes not, but it's no big deal. I eat a balanced and varied diet of mostly home cooked/assembled meals made up of foods from all food groups every day. Nothing is off limit, nothing has to be eaten, but I aim for food that is both nutritionally dense and tasty.

    On 1200 calories I can't eat chocolate or cream even in moderation. If I did I had to stay hungry. With 1200/day I can only eat low calorie food for the fullness. (My TDEE is 1550 as I can't walk at the moment so not much space to go).
    So for me my cheat meal is a small dessert or extra cheese with the meal but still only a bit of it. But I don't do this regularly like every Sunday or something. Rather when I feel I need it to feel normal.

  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Options
    I prefer the term free day/meal as I'm not cheating on anything if the overeating was planned and accounted for. I will caution those who have a regular free day/meal that depending on how much you eat, you can potentially undue and entire week's worth of progress. The math all still applies. If you create a 500 calorie a day deficit Monday-Saturday and eat 1500 calories above maintenance on Sunday, you did away with half of your weekly deficit. If you eat 3000 calories above maintenance you did away with all of it. On the other hand, if a free meal causes you to eat at maintenance, you do not undo any of the work done during the week. I personally like my free days to be completely free and eat literally whatever I want in whatever amount I want. For that reason, I take them very infrequently. The more often you allow a free meal/day, the more careful you have to be not to go overboard.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    Options
    I have had a week of eating whatever I want... Next week I'll go back to a deficit. But I never cheat, except maybe when I drink too much beer.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    Options
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Cheating on your diet and eating clean makes no sense to me :s

    I eat anything I want and usually in moderation, sometimes not, but it's no big deal. I eat a balanced and varied diet of mostly home cooked/assembled meals made up of foods from all food groups every day. Nothing is off limit, nothing has to be eaten, but I aim for food that is both nutritionally dense and tasty.

    On 1200 calories I can't eat chocolate or cream even in moderation.

    I can. You'd be surprised at how satisfying one small piece of good quality chocolate can be. Totally do-able calorie-wise.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
    Options
    booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Cheating on your diet and eating clean makes no sense to me :s

    I eat anything I want and usually in moderation, sometimes not, but it's no big deal. I eat a balanced and varied diet of mostly home cooked/assembled meals made up of foods from all food groups every day. Nothing is off limit, nothing has to be eaten, but I aim for food that is both nutritionally dense and tasty.

    On 1200 calories I can't eat chocolate or cream even in moderation.

    I can. You'd be surprised at how satisfying one small piece of good quality chocolate can be. Totally do-able calorie-wise.

    I can't eat a small piece of chocolate without craving more for the rest of the day. I consider this a torture. I'd rather have none.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    Options
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Cheating on your diet and eating clean makes no sense to me :s

    I eat anything I want and usually in moderation, sometimes not, but it's no big deal. I eat a balanced and varied diet of mostly home cooked/assembled meals made up of foods from all food groups every day. Nothing is off limit, nothing has to be eaten, but I aim for food that is both nutritionally dense and tasty.

    On 1200 calories I can't eat chocolate or cream even in moderation.

    I can. You'd be surprised at how satisfying one small piece of good quality chocolate can be. Totally do-able calorie-wise.

    I can't eat a small piece of chocolate without craving more for the rest of the day. I consider this a torture. I'd rather have none.

    I used to think that too. But instead of just saying, "Nope! Can't do it!" I worked on it, and now I can.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Cheating on your diet and eating clean makes no sense to me :s

    I eat anything I want and usually in moderation, sometimes not, but it's no big deal. I eat a balanced and varied diet of mostly home cooked/assembled meals made up of foods from all food groups every day. Nothing is off limit, nothing has to be eaten, but I aim for food that is both nutritionally dense and tasty.

    On 1200 calories I can't eat chocolate or cream even in moderation. If I did I had to stay hungry. With 1200/day I can only eat low calorie food for the fullness. (My TDEE is 1550 as I can't walk at the moment so not much space to go).
    So for me my cheat meal is a small dessert or extra cheese with the meal but still only a bit of it. But I don't do this regularly like every Sunday or something. Rather when I feel I need it to feel normal.
    I eat chocolate or ice cream maybe twice a year. But that doesn't mean I don't get my chocolate fix, or that I feel deprived: I have nutritious, non triggering delicious foods insted: Cream, small amount in cooking, once a month. I have things like hot cocoa (cocoa powder, whole milk, sugar) and smoothies w/banana, peanut butter and cocoa once every fortnight. Yogurt w/nuts or nut butters, honey or maple syrup (1 kilo bucket of Greek yogurt lasts 8 days; I buy one every second month or so), or dessert cheeses with fruit. I feel very normal (or as normal as I can get, lol) on this diet of normal food. I eat porridges and pita bread, crispbread and toast, full fat meat and mashed potatoes, salmon filet and basmati rice, lots of fresh and steamed vegetables, and plenty of fruit every day.

    gebeziseva wrote: »
    booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Cheating on your diet and eating clean makes no sense to me :s

    I eat anything I want and usually in moderation, sometimes not, but it's no big deal. I eat a balanced and varied diet of mostly home cooked/assembled meals made up of foods from all food groups every day. Nothing is off limit, nothing has to be eaten, but I aim for food that is both nutritionally dense and tasty.

    On 1200 calories I can't eat chocolate or cream even in moderation.

    I can. You'd be surprised at how satisfying one small piece of good quality chocolate can be. Totally do-able calorie-wise.

    I can't eat a small piece of chocolate without craving more for the rest of the day. I consider this a torture. I'd rather have none.

    This :#
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
    Options
    I don't define a cheat day or meal, but if it happens then I don't get worried or upset.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    Options
    booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Cheating on your diet and eating clean makes no sense to me :s

    I eat anything I want and usually in moderation, sometimes not, but it's no big deal. I eat a balanced and varied diet of mostly home cooked/assembled meals made up of foods from all food groups every day. Nothing is off limit, nothing has to be eaten, but I aim for food that is both nutritionally dense and tasty.

    On 1200 calories I can't eat chocolate or cream even in moderation.

    I can. You'd be surprised at how satisfying one small piece of good quality chocolate can be. Totally do-able calorie-wise.

    I can't eat a small piece of chocolate without craving more for the rest of the day. I consider this a torture. I'd rather have none.

    I used to think that too. But instead of just saying, "Nope! Can't do it!" I worked on it, and now I can.

    Chocolate used to be a huge trigger for me too, but it isn't anymore. It can be worked on.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Options
    melonaulait wrote: »
    booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    booksandchocolate12 wrote: »
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Cheating on your diet and eating clean makes no sense to me :s

    I eat anything I want and usually in moderation, sometimes not, but it's no big deal. I eat a balanced and varied diet of mostly home cooked/assembled meals made up of foods from all food groups every day. Nothing is off limit, nothing has to be eaten, but I aim for food that is both nutritionally dense and tasty.

    On 1200 calories I can't eat chocolate or cream even in moderation.

    I can. You'd be surprised at how satisfying one small piece of good quality chocolate can be. Totally do-able calorie-wise.

    I can't eat a small piece of chocolate without craving more for the rest of the day. I consider this a torture. I'd rather have none.

    I used to think that too. But instead of just saying, "Nope! Can't do it!" I worked on it, and now I can.

    Chocolate used to be a huge trigger for me too, but it isn't anymore. It can be worked on.

    I really don't care all that much about chocolate anymore. Do I have to? :p
  • ashleyjongepier
    ashleyjongepier Posts: 130 Member
    Options
    Once a week or once every two weeks we have an over indulgent meal, could be pizza, could be something more healthy just more calories than normal. Sometimes we full on pig out. Whatever works!
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    I don't cheat. I live. Sometimes that includes indulgences. Calling it a "cheat" is weird to me. I don't cheat on my life.
    Same here. A cheat meal or cheat days can screw up my deficit for the week... Not worth it.

    I *gasp* eat an entire chocolate bar.
    If it fits, I eat it.


  • mindfulmama1977
    mindfulmama1977 Posts: 24 Member
    Options
    Its just what i call it. :)
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    Options
    I rarely cheat and cheat for me means to go significantly above planned calorie count for the day. I try to make lower calorie versions of the stuff I might cheat with, smaller portions, fat free cheeses or less of it for pizzas and burgers; slicing and baking potatos in lieu of fries, etc.
  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 798 Member
    Options
    I haven't felt the need for a cheat meal so far..I guess if I want it I figure out a way to eat it in my calorie limit:) (smaller portion, fewer calories in other things eaten that day, more exercise)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,180 Member
    Options
    Cheat days were how I got here in the first place.

    I ate fairly well during the week, and would lose a little bit of weight during the week ... then I'd eat whatever I wanted on the weekends figuring a bit extra exercise would cover it, and I'd gain back what I lost + a little tiny bit.

    Years went by and slowly, gradually, all of a sudden I was overweight.

    So when I set about losing the weight here, I did not take cheat days or meals or anything. I stayed within my calorie limit the whole time until I reached my first goal.

    Happily, exercise does allow me to eat extra and yet stay within my calorie limit ... if I exercise enough. Tracking both my food and my exercise has been helpful.



    I do, however, take diet breaks after I reach certain goals. For example, my first goal was to drop 15 kg. I did that in 16 weeks, and then I took a 1-month diet break (and travelling holiday) during which time I didn't log my food and I ate whatever I wanted, but I exercised a lot ... much more than usual. Interestingly "whatever I wanted" changed. I couldn't eat as much as I thought I would ... and some foods like donuts and potato chips weren't as nice as I remembered them. And I found myself ordering salads with meals.
  • Day_knee
    Day_knee Posts: 85 Member
    Options
    I don't cheat. I don't like the word cheating when it comes to a healthy way of life. I am not one to talk as I am still over weight..however I have been logging for 75 days and I have lost almost 13/14 pounds. I stick to my weighing of my foods and I eat what I want as long as it fits into my daily allowance of 1350 calories. I exercise 4 days a week but it's pretty moderate. I walk on my treadmill at 3.5 mph and try to burn some calories. I eat back 25% of my exercise calories. I still have wine, bread, dessert, whatever I want but it has to fit into my calories. :)

Categories