Do you plan your cheat meals/days?
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I don't understand why this woman is being bullied by the Diet Police. She did not say her diet was better; she said she was eating clean for her health, not just for weight loss, and___________________she was addressing one person.5
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Pattycake755 wrote: »I don't understand why this woman is being bullied by the Diet Police. She did not say her diet was better; she said she was eating clean for her health, not just for weight loss, and___________________she was addressing one person.
If I remember correctly, awhile back there was an influx of clean eaters on MFP. They tended to be extremely pushy and evangelical about it. Don't really notice it as much anymore, but I think what you see in some of the long standing MFP crowd is the residual feelings, especially if people think clean eating is the "only" way to lose weight or be healthy.
Didn't notice that here with OP so much, aside from the one implication.3 -
I think it's time to quit labeling foods "bad" and "good". The truth is you could eat anything and still lose weight. It's "good" to truly enjoy the foods you love, and it's tough to enjoy it if you believe it's "bad".
I used to have a very abusive relationship with food. I'd love it, hate it and then hate myself. Then I lost a bunch of weight eating anything I wanted one day every week.
Now, I'm of the opinion that all foods, even those high in calories and low on nutrients can serve a purpose. For example; the purpose of a donut is to taste mighty damn delicious.
The key is to be in control of what you're eating and your cravings.
So if you want a donut, have a donut, BUT have it on your terms. You want to make it clear to yourself that it's your choice not cravings or peer pressure.
Personally it was the "surprise" attacks that got me; like donuts at work. When I'd I give up "bad foods" in past diets and came across free and tasty goodies. I'd have an internal freak-out crisis. It was so hard to say no when I missed them dearly. Like the Mark Twain quote, "There's something about the forbidden that makes it completely desirable".
It's so true.
All food has a purpose, even if that purpose is simply pleasure.
Now when I bump into free and yummy donuts I have the power to say, "yep that looks awesome, so I will have one just like it on Saturday". I control what, I control when and nothing is off-limits.
I'm not trying to argue that all foods are equal. I'm just saying that you don't have to abolish any food or food group in order to lose weight.5 -
I plan a cheat meal for every Friday. Cheating to me is as much about quantity as it is about a particular food. Moderation has no place for me on Friday nights. That's for Saturday morning me to worry about.
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I don't consider them cheat days. If you plan to have these days of poor, or less than ideal, eating then it's not cheating. It's part of your plan. For me at least, "cheating " makes it sound bad and makes it easier to feel bad about it. I think it's better to just consider them a "rare and appropriate " meal (stole this idea from someone else).
When I was doing "cheat days" every week I found I looked forward to them and that didn't seem right considering my goal was to make it a habit to eat well. So when I changed how I thought about those less than ideal meals, it changed a whole lot.
I first started by calling them the "rare and appropriate " meals, and then not only pushed it back to once every 4 weeks, I also made it "at most once every 4 weeks." That means I didn't plan for it, and didn't schedule it to be right on the 4th week. If somethong came up where i could eat differently than normal, i would, but i didnt go out of my way to do it.
By the time I reached a point I would allow my R&A I found I didn't really desire it, and the cravings weren't there. Because of that, I'd go much longer without it. I could then use that if I went out with friends for a special occasion. But since it's habit now, even when I find myself in a position to have an R&A out with friends, I actually still look for a healthier option if available.
I think the last time I ate a "rare and appropriate " was a 2-3 months ago.1 -
Pattycake755 wrote: »I don't understand why this woman is being bullied by the Diet Police. She did not say her diet was better; she said she was eating clean for her health, not just for weight loss, and___________________she was addressing one person.
I think it is because the drama that the idea of a bite of a brownie was giving her led to comments about not demonizing food. If the idea of eating a piece of a brownie is going to cause someone to freak out, then maybe some ideas from others can help give some perspective for long term success.4 -
I'll add myself to both crowds after a fashion.
In my normal diet, I'll include whatever treats I feel like into my daily plans - my only idea of "clean eating" is "five second rule".
On very particular occasions (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) I have no planned meals, and eat what I like. Sometimes too much, but they are a few specific days per year only.4 -
rankinsect wrote: »I'll add myself to both crowds after a fashion.
In my normal diet, I'll include whatever treats I feel like into my daily plans - my only idea of "clean eating" is "five second rule".
On very particular occasions (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) I have no planned meals, and eat what I like. Sometimes too much, but they are a few specific days per year only.
This and this!0 -
I plan mine, every 2 weeks or so. It gives me something to look forward to, Not just because I'm eating something i usually avoid, I also look forward to the feeling of not having to worry about every single calorie/macro i consume that day, it's very freeing.
This is not to say i have a free for all and stuff my face til I'm sick.. I usually hover around maintenance calories, or a little over.0 -
Every week. Yes, I plan them. 99% of the time it's Saturday. I love Saturdays. I swap a latte for a mocha with whip, salad for pizza and fruit for ice cream. I don't eat any exercise calories during the week, "banking" them for Saturdays. It works for me.2
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I don't plan. ***Kitten* happens.
I'm in this stage right now. I prep meals 2x / week and try to log all my meals in the am so I know what calories I have to play with. Usually I have 300-500 snack calories / day (depending on activity). I always eat my cal goal and am trying to net 500 calls/ day for 2lbs loss / week. I don't have a whole lot of room for Big cheats. Right now I am trying to stay away from triggering foods. So no "cheat days" I'd be afraid to fall off the wagon (only day 41)
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I planned to have a big meal on July 22 because that was my wedding anniversary. I did have a big meal on July 22. But since I planned it I don't think of it as a cheat. Cheating is when you don't plan, don't stop, don't admit and then ask us why you're not losing weight.5
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I like to plan my meals out a couple days in advance (speaking of which I need to do that right now) and I always leave some calories available for treats. Like wine.
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To be honest.... I don't believe in cheat meals or cheat days! The moment you start thinking 'cheat' it becomes something 'bad'. There is no bad food in moderation. I went out to dinner recently and there was tiramisu on the menu - didn't plan on having it but did and I enjoyed every mouthful. All I did was ensure that I returned to my clean eating. I don't indulge every time I go out or at every special occasion so when I do it's a 'me treat'.1
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^^^ This is why i prefer to call them my IDGAF days
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I don't cheat. If I go over my budget, it's an accident, & I make it up in the next few days.2
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I don't cheat because I think that sets me up for failure. If I want to eat something special, I budget for it with calorie banking and exercise. That way I never feel deprived or like I'm "cheating" or eating something "bad." That's what got me into trouble in the first place. It's how I've been able to keep off 125 pounds for over a year.5
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I always choose a day & plan for it. If you wait until your cravings take over, you may not come back at all it it may take a long awhile before you come back! Never deprive yourself. You can have what you want just make sure you have it in moderation & watch your portion sizes. Dnt wait until you binge....usually that's when bad things happen (I know from experience). Prepare & plan a cheat day! Plus it's always nice to have a cheat day enjoy & good luck! 0
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I plan deficit days and maintenance days. I never call eating cheating. It's either a deficit, maintenance, or over maintenance, and we are meant to enjoy all the food.4
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I used to do cheat days, but I felt like I was undoing the work I did for the week. Instead, I find things that I can have and easily fit into my calories for the day. For instance, a Starbucks ice cream cone cookie is only 250 calories and a double shot on ice is only 100 calories. I can make that work once a week.1
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I love Cheeerio's, the amount i want doesn't fit well in a deficit. I usually have around 200g plus pb2 and full cream milk. So i save it for an every now and then treat, rather than suffering through a piddly serving size everyday which only makes me want more..0
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Actually I never understood the concept of "cheat days".
Why should I want to cheat myself?1 -
I personally find scheduling in a cheat day makes me behave the rest of the week, although if I have an immediate craving I tend to have some of whatever I fancy and excersize those calories off! Generally I try and only use half of my workout calories each time and save around 100 calories per day for the one day I don't worry so much.
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TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »
You poor thing...
Not really. Since cutting out most processed foods and those with added sugar my cravings and appetite have been much more manageable when compared to eating whatever I want as long as it fits within my calorie budget. When I do eat sugar... the cravings for more sugar last about 24 hours. Usually I dont miss it at all. Out of sight, out of mind.....for the most part.
yet you're posting here about how to shoehorn everything you feel you 'cant' eat into a cheat day, so....?
That wasn't what I was asking at all. I am well aware you can't cheat the calorie system and I'm not looking for a way to try to. For you to imply that was my intention is ignorant, rude and condescending. If calorie counting for you or anyone else is simply about losing weight, gaining weight, muscle, etc...then by all means eat all the processed foods you want that fit into your plan if it's bringing you success in reaching your goals. I respect that and I'm happy for your success. For me personally it's more about overall improvement of my health and adapting to a healthier style of eating and eating processed foods and sugar on a regular basis are not part of that picture for me. For me this is a completely healthy, realistic and sustainable goal for myself. It doesn't make me immune to the occasional craving for junky foods but it definitely helps. Like I said, I get them less on this lifestyle.
My intention with this post was to find out from others what works for them to help me experiment in the best way to plan , or not plan, my cheat meals since my current plan doesn't seem to serve me well. Up until this point I have always planned 1 cheat meal a week. The problem with this is when my cheat meals are coming around I'm finding I don't really want them. I feel like I'd be just as happy eating my fish and veggies as I would a plate of pizza. On the flip side of that though (and I think other women may be able to relate) when I ovulate and 1-2 days pre-menses my cravings go sky high. Since my cycles are irregular ( PMDD and PCOS... a huge part of the reason I'm eating clean to begin with) I cannot plan my cheat meals for those days. Those days just become a bust, I can deal with 2 days a month being a bust but adding those 2 days on top of already planned cheat meals seems excessive and pointless. So I'm trying to decide if I should give up cheat meals and be more impulsive when the cravings hit during what I'll have to just assume is ovulation and PMS or stick to my current plan making the assumption that the cheat meals have been what keeps my cravings away to begin with.
For what it's worth, I get ravenous during PMS, and I try as much as possible to save my 'cheat meals' (high calorie things that typically can't fit in my days) for that time... as I'll be hungry and will probably go over anyway. And yeah, on those days it's not always planned.
The high calorie desserts I try to save for the days when I'm not that hungry though, as they just don't fill me up at all (I did try a 1200 calorie piece of cheesecake on a PMS day, hoping it would help... it was as if I had eaten nothing). It's really my advice though - MAKE IT FIT. If I really crave something, I make it fit.
THERE IS NO CHEAT IF IT FITS YOUR CALORIES.1 -
I do cheat days on Saturdays when it's not Football Season, and I do them on Sundays on Football Season.2
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It's not cheating for me as my weekly diet includes having a higher caloric day. This approach can work even whilst 'cutting' weight. Dieting with a deficit all the time can, in fact, be counterproductive especially when you get to lower bf levels.1
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I fit things in instead of having cheat days. I might have woken up and eaten one of those pre-made cookie batter things (that you just pull off the paper sheet and put in the oven) before I even had breakfast. Eat it, enjoy it, log it.1
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While I personally don't label foods as good/bad/cheats/clean, I'll never understand the rage in these forums at other people choosing to use these labels. What works for me OP? Eating food that meets my calorie and nutritional targets 90% of the time. The other 10% of the time is reserved for UNPLANNED IDGAF food whether it be larger than usual quantities of the normal food I eat (fruits/veggies/meat/full fat dairy) or foods I rarely eat (cake, chips, chinese etc.). This food usually significantly exceeds my calorie and macro targets and I feel zero guilt when I consume it because the majority of the time i'm giving my body what it needs. The reason I don't plan this food is because I want to eat it when I want to eat it. Maybe it's an unplanned breakfast with my sister, some drinks for a co workers retirement or my TOM; regardless, scheduling to eating highly caloric food once a week on a Saturday because it's Saturday would be pointless for me personally because like you I might not want to eat those things at that moment.2
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I don't believe in "cheat" days or meals. I try to stay within the calorie amounts I am aiming for, often I am under. If my husband and I decide to go out for dinner or there is a family celebration I will work around what is offered. We tend to go to the same few restaurants so I know what will fit into my calorie goals. If I choose something else I will eat part and take the rest home for another meal, portion sizes in most restaurants are large enough that this works well. If it is a birthday celebration or something that involves sweets, I will just indulge and enjoy. By not labeling any food as "bad" I don't tend to crave things. Having a "cheat" day or meal implies that what you are eating is bad.2
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Im wondering what methods people use for cheats meals or cheat days. Do you find its better for you personally to plan them in advance to keep cravings away or do you keep pushing til the cravings get so bad you'd almost kill someone for a bite of a brownie? And why? I know Ill have to figure out what is best for me personally but Im curious how others approach it.
I don't cheat because that implies I'm doing something wrong. Many a cheat day has killed many a deficit, as well as caused many a weight gain if cheating while in maintenance. Everybody goes over sometimes, but the goal is to not make it a consistent thing.
However, if I know the weekend will have more food than usual, I will bank some extra calories during the week for that day. What matters is that I stay within maintenance calories for the week.2
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