Cheat meals, how do you feel about them??

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yumi1
yumi1 Posts: 26 Member
edited July 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I don't eat cheat meals very often, but when I do, they are typically fast food items and then feel extremely guilty afterwards.
I pretty much feel that I still have quite a few more lbs to go about 45lbs and I have already lost a Total of 40lbs.

I went from weighing 220 to 178 in four months.

Should I be feeling extremely guilty after having a cheat meal?? For example today I ate super well, then I had a spicy chicken sandwich with a Mr pibb and french fries!! I rarely ever do this and yet I feel terrible for doing it!!!

I guess I feel Iike I'm going to gain some weight over night.

Any thoughts??!?
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Replies

  • yumi1
    yumi1 Posts: 26 Member
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    Error*** I went from 220lbs to 178lbs in 4 months
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,979 Member
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    I eat fast food pretty regularly. I just fit it in my goal so it isn't cheating. No need to feel guilty.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    I don't call it cheating. It's a splurge, or a treat. I just got back from two weeks of dealing with a family emergency, followed by a weeklong emergency. I ate well, and a bit too much, and that's okay. I know that now that I'm home and back in my comfort zone, I'll get back on track. And I can look back at that awesome burger and microbrew, and the blueberry pancake breakfast, and remember how good they tasted, and how much I enjoyed them, and not stress about how many calories were in them, or how much saturated fat. :)
    The trick, I think, is to accept that there will be times when you'll want to eat something that's not on your plan, and you eat it, enjoy it, remember it as something you really enjoyed, but not let it get you off track or beat yourself up over it.
  • kendahlj
    kendahlj Posts: 243 Member
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    For me, cheat meals aren't worth it. Very few options even taste good when it comes to fast food. They halt my momentum. I just avoid them. But guilt will destroy you so find a different emotion if you decide to partake once in awhile.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    I am not counting calories so I'm not entangled with the concept of "cheat meal". :)

    I could eat xxxx amount when good events and good foods are present or otherwise I eat less. For sure my weight can gain .2 to 4 lbs overnight after a serious meal but it can also drop immediately after a day or two with fasting. The body works very well with excess and deficits.

    That's how *I* feel about my gain and loss.

    Only you know your own discipline and eating behaviors. Only you could answer yourself whether you should feel guilty :)
  • BarbellzNBrotein
    BarbellzNBrotein Posts: 306 Member
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    Hey. Your feeling of guilt is a natural one, especially for a dieter. I stopped labeling it "cheat food" that created the "off the wagon" feeling which was annoying me and made me spin my wheels because I would say to myself, "ok I've cheated a little *I might as well go all out and start clean tomorrow*. After months upon months of repeating this cycle I decided to sit down and really ask myself if all of this intricate diet stuff is worth my sanity? The answer was a resounding no. From that point on I simply eat what fuels my body best.. HOWEVER if I want a something that fuels my body less efficiently I'll just eat it and resume to normal procedure the next meal. No biggie. At the end of the day as long you don't emotionalize your diet you'll be fine. Great job with your current weight loss. You're doing awesome.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Reserve the idea of "cheating and feeling guilty" for relationships with a human partner, don't apply it to your relationship with food. Work on your attitude. All food can be eaten, but calories add up, and you'll want to get in proper nutrition. How you go on doing that, will be up to you.

    Oh, and one pound of body fat equals and excess of 3500 calories above your maintenance needs.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    Cheat meals:
    Most horrific waste of 6 months of my life.
    Eating fast food, makes me crave more fast food the next day. Something about it.
  • Budjola
    Budjola Posts: 148 Member
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    the thing about cheat meal is to prepare for it, like have a good week of exercising, do your cardio, eat under maintenance then one day or one cheat meal wont do any harm to your body, its all about kcals in kcals out
  • candacem1991
    candacem1991 Posts: 19 Member
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    Budjola wrote: »
    the thing about cheat meal is to prepare for it, like have a good week of exercising, do your cardio, eat under maintenance then one day or one cheat meal wont do any harm to your body, its all about kcals in kcals out

    Agreed ^ I only have a "cheat" meal once a month (typically when I go on a date night with my husband) but I plan for it and work really hard that week so it doesn't mess me up too much.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    For me personally they are a required Evil. I can eat only so much "Healthy Food" before I snap. Now i will say that my Cheat Meals have changed by leaps and bounds over the past two years. But I still consider them Cheat Meals, and Still log them. Right now I try to keep it to about one meal per every two weeks.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I lost most of my weight eating fast food.. as long as it fits in your calories and you still have a deficit, who cares?
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    You can't cheat on food. You just eat it.
  • BarbellzNBrotein
    BarbellzNBrotein Posts: 306 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    I lost most of my weight eating fast food.. as long as it fits in your calories and you still have a deficit, who cares?

    Why not eat what best fuels you? Personally I feel more "alive" when I eat real food. Fast food has it's place but I don't see the benefit of it taking up the majority of your macros.

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