Do you plan your cheat meals/days?

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Replies

  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Russellb97 wrote: »
    The best realistic advice is to have a "cheat meal" not a "cheat day". If you've worked out and ate at a deficit all week..eating a meal off your plan won't ruin your progress like eating all day long whatever you want.
    Myself.. I eat strict on plan for breakfast and lunch.. I workout.. then I will go out to dinner and just get what I want. Not much damage done at all..and it keeps me sane.

    It's nearly impossible to blow a week of deficits in one day.


    I don't like the word "cheat" for this but for the past 12+ years I have a planned 24-48 hour calorie surplus day/weekend each and every week. I look forward to it all week by taking mental notes of what I'm craving and having them guilt-free in just a few more days. I'm in control, I choose when I eat the foods that used to control me.

    Doing this every week is why I was able to lose 100lbs 12 years ago and another 30lbs since.
    No it isn't... it's rather easily actually. I can pound down 5,000 calories easy. But all it takes to blow my weekly deficit is 3,085 calories. I can EASILY eat that. Half a jar of peanut butter (and I can eat half a jar of peanut butter, I've done it... gross), and 1 1/2 pints of Ben and Jerry's and I'm there.

  • Raptor2763
    Raptor2763 Posts: 387 Member
    My "cheat" days are actually refeeds. In other words, I just eat about 300 calories more than what I'm supposed to. Otherwise, no forbidden food.
  • refuseresist
    refuseresist Posts: 934 Member
    plan them, one for mid month, one at the end.
    and stick to maintenance calorie limit.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Cheating, for a meal or a day is a good way to set yourself up for failure. Instead simply switch to flexible dieting. Eat what you want, or healthier versions of it if you can find/make them, and simply practice portion control or log and fit them into your daily calorie goal. Putting yourself at a 3500 calorie deficit per week (500/day) for a 1lb loss a week, then having one of those days be a cheat day where you consume 3000 extra calories puts you at almost no loss for the week. Instead, use flexible dieting, eat back up to 50-60% of your exercise calories, and if you need to eat more, simply exercise more. That way, even after the diet is done you're learned new long-lasting habits that you can sustain your weight with in maintenance. Just my humble opinion. And yes, it worked well for me while dieting, and it works still in maintenance.
  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
    PinkSuede wrote: »
    PinkSuede wrote: »
    cityruss wrote: »
    There's something seriously wrong if a bite of a brownie is considered cheating.

    Im sticking to a primarily clean diet so any seriously unclean foods or anything with sugar added it strictly reserved for cheat meals. And lets be serious. It wont be just one bite lol

    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.

    I have the same reaction that you've described. I have a serious problem with added sugar (once I start eating it, I can't stop and then continue to crave it). I feel better and my life goes better when I cut it out. My doctor also told me to get my blood sugar down (I am not diabetic) so I am also reducing fruit and eating more vegs.

    If I eat a meal outside my regular diet, I plan for it as best I can. I love eating at a local Chinese buffet and have no clue what the calories are, so I eat light or semi-fast before and after.
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    Russellb97 wrote: »
    The best realistic advice is to have a "cheat meal" not a "cheat day". If you've worked out and ate at a deficit all week..eating a meal off your plan won't ruin your progress like eating all day long whatever you want.
    Myself.. I eat strict on plan for breakfast and lunch.. I workout.. then I will go out to dinner and just get what I want. Not much damage done at all..and it keeps me sane.

    It's nearly impossible to blow a week of deficits in one day.


    I don't like the word "cheat" for this but for the past 12+ years I have a planned 24-48 hour calorie surplus day/weekend each and every week. I look forward to it all week by taking mental notes of what I'm craving and having them guilt-free in just a few more days. I'm in control, I choose when I eat the foods that used to control me.

    Doing this every week is why I was able to lose 100lbs 12 years ago and another 30lbs since.

    I've been thinking on this post since yesterday. I thought I'd come up with a day of eating that would give me an additional 3500 calories over my 2000 maintenance.

    Breakfast is easy. I'm always down to eat and if I'm going to eat, I'm going to EAT. Here's what I'd get from Smitty's:

    - strawberry pancakes with whipped & strawberry toppings plus 4 slices of bacon: 1282 calories

    Let's keep lunch at home.

    - tuna melt sammich with cheddar cheese, a banana, 50 g Doritos [sweet chili heat], 100 g of chocolate covered almonds, 20 oz Mt. Dew: 1455 calories

    Well, that's 2737 calories. My maintenance is around 2000 depending on exercise for the day, so I'm about 737 over. Only 2763 calories to go!

    Supper is from Swiss Chalet:

    - perogy starter, quarter chicken dinner, white meat with skin, baked potato, white dinner roll, Chalet dipping sauce, coconut cream pie, 20 oz Mt. Dew: 1965 calories

    Total is 4702. I don't think I'd be hungry for my usual evening snack so I'm 798 calories short. I can always eat though, so throw in another 100 g of chocolate covered almonds (510 calories) and it's down to 288 remaining. And you know what? I would not be feeling sick or ready to puke from all that food.

    It's a lot of food isn't it?!

    Of course it's possible to eat over but some people forget that if you had a 3,500 calorie deficit going in you'd have to eat 3,500 calories above maintenance to wipe it out. You got it.

    My day usually is like this;

    Morning:
    Pancakes with maple syrup, sausage and donut #1 - around 1,000 calories

    Mid-Day:
    Fast food burger, fries and shake/ice cream - around 2,000 calories

    Early evening:
    Large meat pizza, donut #2 - around 2,000 calories

    Later evening
    large bowl of ice cream - around 1,000 calories

    Extras:
    During the day I'll have a few other treats - around 500 cals

    For the day I'll be between 5,000-7,500 calories

    So eating the way I do the calories add up quickly and I know I'm a bit extreme with this, but it's how I've lost 130lbs.

  • Pattycake755
    Pattycake755 Posts: 59 Member
    I cant fit goodies into my daily intake because they cause me to eat more. I have a serious problem with sweets, its the reason why I'm here in the first place. Having a problem with sweets is bad for me (me, specifically) because I am insulin resistant (that can lead to Type 2 diabetes for me) and I have an autoimmune disease that causes hyperthyroidism.

    Now that's out of the way, I eat a Keto diet, and its important to me (Again, me specifically) that I learn how to control my relationship with food; it has always been used as a reward in my life. I'm an overachiever, so there's a lot of things that I can use as an excuse of a reward.

    When I eat a high carb diet, I feel like crap. So I do plan my cheat days (usually around special events). Ill be eating with no regards on thanksgiving and Christmas, and ill be drinking to excess on Christmas eve and my birthday (12/27). My mother makes the best banana pudding, mac and cheese and dressing that ive ever eaten in my life, and I wont be missing out on that. My sister turns 18 on 11/16, so ive already planned to have a slice of the store bought bday cake that she loves, along with my HaloTop icecream (low carb and low calorie, and its delicious). Next year, I have 4 vacations planned, and ill be planning some higher carb days within those vacations.

    I'm a planner by nature, and planning my cheat days are perfect for me because I know exactly what to expect.

    But again, that's just me.

    This is me! I have a list of trigger foods that I can never eat! I will overeat! I not only have a serious problem with sweets, I am a carb addict! I am a Type 2 Diabetic and I learned something from the Keto diet, the Clean Eating diet, the Paleo diet and other diets that is healing my body (I have the stats to prove it). My relationship with food was always about feelings so I ate to feel better, to celebrate, and to reward myself, but I am now using self-control and moderation even on what I call my "cheat days." I am like @PinkSuede, I eat mostly protein, vegetables, and fruit, and when I eat whole grains it is mostly 100% whole grain toast, and occasionally brown rice, or whole grain pasta; and even less often legumes. I have a list of foods that spike my blood sugar and some just make me sick. I never eat them even on my cheat days. I cannot eat most junk foods because less than 6 months ago, they were literally killing me!

    Here is what was insane to me: Continuing to eat foods that were hurting me. I stopped doing that. Some of us can live without junk.

    I usually get it all in on the same day. If I am going consume more calories, usually not over maintenance level, I will drink vodka or tequila (in moderation). I figure that if I eat right 90% of the time, why not enjoy my life with a little bit of what I want. I don't do this everyday, but overall I am still maintaining a deficit. I am healthier, still losing weight, and I will continue...

    I wish I knew then what I know now. I could have enjoyed everything in moderation with no "cheat days" needed. I don't understand why some people argue over semantics; a "cheat" day or meal is only a description of veering off the restrictions/limitations of one's chosen diet. If you don't call it that, it is okay. I really call it "normal" because if you are not sick, you can eat anything in moderation/portion control and fit it into your calorie goal.
  • ClassyCryssy
    ClassyCryssy Posts: 4 Member
    I meal prep so I can eat clean M-F. Sat & Sun I eat & drink a little bit of whatever I want as long as it's within my 1200 calories but I also workout in the mornings and burn calories so that bumps up my calorie intake. When craving something sweet I make raw vegan snacks like peanut butter balls & different types of truffles to help with the sweet tooth. I sometimes buy Weight Watchers desserts too. I love their ice cream bars.
  • Lastyearsgirl
    Lastyearsgirl Posts: 12 Member
    Sometimes if my kid's evening activities run later than normal, I just decided on the way home 'screw it - it' a cheat day now - we're getting a pizza on the way home'.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2016
    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.

    Interesting. What posts did you perceive as rageful? I didn't perceive any that way, which makes me wonder if you are referring to quite pleasant posts noting things like "I call them X" or "I don't use the term cheat, but what I do..." and so on.
  • Keladelphia
    Keladelphia Posts: 820 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    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.

    Interesting. What posts did you perceive as rageful? I didn't perceive any that way, which makes me wonder if you are referring to quite pleasant posts noting things like "I call them X" or "I don't use the term cheat, but what I do..." and so on.

    I didn't necessarily mean this exact OP but more of an observation of an overarching theme on MFP. With over 20K posts i'm assuming you've read plenty of heated debates on "clean eating" and "cheat days" here, I know I have in the several years i've been on this site.
  • HisangelG
    HisangelG Posts: 96 Member
    edited August 2016
    I have one Pig-Out Night a month when I am in Canada with my husband. We meet friends at a local pub and buy the Big Belch and nibble on all the fried foods on it. He eats the Chicken Wings, I eat the Fried Pickles and Bacon Garlic Cheese bread. Also, half the fries/onion rings. I know I'll be way over my limit, but I plan all the month for it, and especially the week before, so that in the end, it all comes out good. I don't drink, due to the medicines I take, so I don't feel like I'm being horrible. I don't feel like I'm missing out the rest of the month. Also, I get more steps in the night we go out, so that also helps to counteract the amount of calories going in.
  • hmltwin
    hmltwin Posts: 116 Member
    I cant fit goodies into my daily intake because they cause me to eat more. I have a serious problem with sweets, its the reason why I'm here in the first place. Having a problem with sweets is bad for me (me, specifically) because I am insulin resistant (that can lead to Type 2 diabetes for me) and I have an autoimmune disease that causes hyperthyroidism.

    Now that's out of the way, I eat a Keto diet, and its important to me (Again, me specifically) that I learn how to control my relationship with food; it has always been used as a reward in my life. I'm an overachiever, so there's a lot of things that I can use as an excuse of a reward.

    When I eat a high carb diet, I feel like crap. So I do plan my cheat days (usually around special events). Ill be eating with no regards on thanksgiving and Christmas, and ill be drinking to excess on Christmas eve and my birthday (12/27). My mother makes the best banana pudding, mac and cheese and dressing that ive ever eaten in my life, and I wont be missing out on that. My sister turns 18 on 11/16, so ive already planned to have a slice of the store bought bday cake that she loves, along with my HaloTop icecream (low carb and low calorie, and its delicious). Next year, I have 4 vacations planned, and ill be planning some higher carb days within those vacations.

    I'm a planner by nature, and planning my cheat days are perfect for me because I know exactly what to expect.

    But again, that's just me.

    This is me! I have a list of trigger foods that I can never eat! I will overeat! I not only have a serious problem with sweets, I am a carb addict! I am a Type 2 Diabetic and I learned something from the Keto diet, the Clean Eating diet, the Paleo diet and other diets that is healing my body (I have the stats to prove it). My relationship with food was always about feelings so I ate to feel better, to celebrate, and to reward myself, but I am now using self-control and moderation even on what I call my "cheat days." I am like @PinkSuede, I eat mostly protein, vegetables, and fruit, and when I eat whole grains it is mostly 100% whole grain toast, and occasionally brown rice, or whole grain pasta; and even less often legumes. I have a list of foods that spike my blood sugar and some just make me sick. I never eat them even on my cheat days. I cannot eat most junk foods because less than 6 months ago, they were literally killing me!

    Here is what was insane to me: Continuing to eat foods that were hurting me. I stopped doing that. Some of us can live without junk.

    I usually get it all in on the same day. If I am going consume more calories, usually not over maintenance level, I will drink vodka or tequila (in moderation). I figure that if I eat right 90% of the time, why not enjoy my life with a little bit of what I want. I don't do this everyday, but overall I am still maintaining a deficit. I am healthier, still losing weight, and I will continue...

    I wish I knew then what I know now. I could have enjoyed everything in moderation with no "cheat days" needed. I don't understand why some people argue over semantics; a "cheat" day or meal is only a description of veering off the restrictions/limitations of one's chosen diet. If you don't call it that, it is okay. I really call it "normal" because if you are not sick, you can eat anything in moderation/portion control and fit it into your calorie goal.

    On one hand, I get what you're saying. If I went by the idea that "eating outside of my diet = a cheat day", I would say that I seldom plan my cheat days. I very seldom say, "Today, I'm going to eat outside of my diet." That doesn't mean that I seldom do so. I did last Saturday... and the Saturday before that. I can probably look back over my food diary and find numerous days when I went over my deficit and I didn't plan any of them. They just happened.

    However, that doesn't mean my regular diet excludes the things I enjoy. I eat pizza, ice cream and chocolate regularly, for example. I plan for those things - so that I can fit them into my regular day. So, on a day when I eat pizza and don't go over my calorie deficit... Is that a cheat day or not?

    Part of it is that I view food differently from some other people. I don't consider many things necessarily unhealthy/junk food. Pizza, for example, made the right way has vegetables, protein, dairy and carbs. How is that bad for you? It only becomes "bad" when you eat far too much. A burger is the same way. If I load it down with dressings and cheese and bacon, that's not a healthy option. However, a lean burger that's been grilled (so the fat drained out) that isn't one of those half-pound monsters topped with vegetables and maybe one slice of cheese? That's not really bad, over all.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Nope. I call them "life".
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2016
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    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.

    Interesting. What posts did you perceive as rageful? I didn't perceive any that way, which makes me wonder if you are referring to quite pleasant posts noting things like "I call them X" or "I don't use the term cheat, but what I do..." and so on.

    I didn't necessarily mean this exact OP but more of an observation of an overarching theme on MFP. With over 20K posts i'm assuming you've read plenty of heated debates on "clean eating" and "cheat days" here, I know I have in the several years i've been on this site.

    Clean eating debates, sure (still no rage, though). Not cheat meals and heated debates so much. Usually people just say "I don't care for the term cheat, but..." as here. I've seen people oppose the whole idea (or the terminology) also, but not express rage about it. I was mostly confused because you brought it up here so I thought you were referring to the posts here.
  • Keladelphia
    Keladelphia Posts: 820 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    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.

    Interesting. What posts did you perceive as rageful? I didn't perceive any that way, which makes me wonder if you are referring to quite pleasant posts noting things like "I call them X" or "I don't use the term cheat, but what I do..." and so on.

    I didn't necessarily mean this exact OP but more of an observation of an overarching theme on MFP. With over 20K posts i'm assuming you've read plenty of heated debates on "clean eating" and "cheat days" here, I know I have in the several years i've been on this site.

    Clean eating debates, sure (still no rage, though). Not cheat meals and heated debates so much. Usually people just say "I don't care for the term cheat, but..." as here. I've seen people oppose the whole idea (or the terminology) also, but not express rage about it. I was mostly confused because you brought it up here so I thought you were referring to the posts here.

    Like I said it was just a general observation of the forums from my perspective before I gave my opinion on the OP. I'll have to disagree on the rage part though as I believe I've seen quite a bit but perhaps nastiness is a better word. Regardless I should have been more specific so I apologize for the confusion.
  • vikinglander
    vikinglander Posts: 1,547 Member
    I agree some of the others in this thread...I let my cheats come to me. A friend's birthday cake, if it's homemade or otherwise exceptional, a special dinner, an irresistible piece of Key lime pie. In the alcohol department, I usually stick to either red wine (love a good Merlot or Cabernet!) or REALLY good tequila. I'm done with beer and whiskey.

    I have a wedding to attend at the end of September and I will most likely have a drink or two and a small slice of the cake, for good luck, but I will forage through the other offerings and stay true to my Paleo plan.

    My goal of being in as good or better shape at 60 than I was at 30 is too important to me to waver from my plan more than once in a while.