Cheat Meals/Days - Necessity or Disaster?
Replies
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courtneyfabulous wrote: »Um.... 4th Krispy Kreme?? 4th!!
You are not on a diet if you are eating 4 donuts. You can probably fit half a donut into your calories/macros. MAYBE a whole one... but that should be plenty anyways.
You can still eat treat foods, just keep them in moderation and work them into your calories. If you want that donut skip make your dinner low carb & low fat.
I "diet" on 2500 calories so could comfortably hit my protein goal and still consume 4 or even 9 doughnuts. I don't need to skip dinner or eat low carb or fat. Please don't give out misinformed information as if it is gospel.4 -
dragon_girl26 wrote: »A necessity? No. Overeating/cheating once a week would just make me want to overeat the other 6 days, too, which is how I got fat in the first place. I chose my new lifestyle for a reason...I didn't want to be that person anymore. Maybe I sort of equate it to meeting back up frequently with an ex...like, how good is it for me, mentally, with moving on and taking control? Having a treat each day works better for me.
Lol. This is epic!1 -
It's not "cheating," its "Choosing to eat at maintenance for a day."
Accept that doing that too often will significantly slow your overall progress, and then decide how often you want to do it in order to make it easier to ultimately get to your goal. You'll get there slower, but you can still get there.
If you think of it as "cheating," then for many people there are two problems:
1) You really, truly, are "only cheating yourself."
2) MANY people, once they "get away" with any kind of cheating, instinctively push the limits and cheat harder and more often.3 -
If you are on a low carb , hight fat diet then yes you will need to have a carb up meal . Call it a cheat if you want , but it's not really because it's part of the plan.0
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courtneyfabulous wrote: »Um.... 4th Krispy Kreme?? 4th!!
You are not on a diet if you are eating 4 donuts. You can probably fit half a donut into your calories/macros. MAYBE a whole one... but that should be plenty anyways.
You can still eat treat foods, just keep them in moderation and work them into your calories. If you want that donut skip make your dinner low carb & low fat.
4 Krispy Kremes are ~760kcal. If someone wants to forgo a meal or two to fit them in, that's their prerogative. It doesn't mean they're doing anything wrong.
Also, no one should be eating low carb and low fat at the same time. And they don't have to eat either low carb or low fat unless they have medical reasons.
Agree with the low carb/low fat comment. However, no need really for anyone to be eating 4 doughnuts a day IMO.2 -
courtneyfabulous wrote: »Um.... 4th Krispy Kreme?? 4th!!
You are not on a diet if you are eating 4 donuts. You can probably fit half a donut into your calories/macros. MAYBE a whole one... but that should be plenty anyways.
You can still eat treat foods, just keep them in moderation and work them into your calories. If you want that donut skip make your dinner low carb & low fat.
4 Krispy Kremes are ~760kcal. If someone wants to forgo a meal or two to fit them in, that's their prerogative. It doesn't mean they're doing anything wrong.
Also, no one should be eating low carb and low fat at the same time. And they don't have to eat either low carb or low fat unless they have medical reasons.
Actually you shouldn't eat low carb or low fat- a healthy balance is best. But if you eat a donut it is high in carbs and fat and low in protein, so to balance out your macros your next meal will need to be high protein and low carb and low fat. It should probably include greens & veggies too to make up for the lack of vitamins & nutrients in the donut. It's just math. I never said someone's entire diet should be low carb/low fat.0 -
For me personally, if I feel the need to cheat it means I'm not eating enough calories. So I make sure I eat more for a few days - nutritious food though. Delicious and enjoyable for sure but never junk food.
I like the line between nutrition and indulgence clearly defined (being grossly indulgent landed me at MFP and I have no intention of that ever happening again). I have no problem indulging in foods I don't usually eat for holidays, special occasions or for anything social really (aka cheat meal/day) but never because I need to. Needing a cheat meal - to me - would be a sign that my regular diet isn't on point and could use some adjustments. I don't schedule off plan days and generally let them come about as they will but they're not weekly. Not even monthly outside of the holiday season.0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »courtneyfabulous wrote: »Um.... 4th Krispy Kreme?? 4th!!
You are not on a diet if you are eating 4 donuts. You can probably fit half a donut into your calories/macros. MAYBE a whole one... but that should be plenty anyways.
You can still eat treat foods, just keep them in moderation and work them into your calories. If you want that donut skip make your dinner low carb & low fat.
4 Krispy Kremes are ~760kcal. If someone wants to forgo a meal or two to fit them in, that's their prerogative. It doesn't mean they're doing anything wrong.
Also, no one should be eating low carb and low fat at the same time. And they don't have to eat either low carb or low fat unless they have medical reasons.
Agree with the low carb/low fat comment. However, no need really for anyone to be eating 4 doughnuts a day IMO.
Unless you are following a structured PSMF.0 -
courtneyfabulous wrote: »courtneyfabulous wrote: »Um.... 4th Krispy Kreme?? 4th!!
You are not on a diet if you are eating 4 donuts. You can probably fit half a donut into your calories/macros. MAYBE a whole one... but that should be plenty anyways.
You can still eat treat foods, just keep them in moderation and work them into your calories. If you want that donut skip make your dinner low carb & low fat.
4 Krispy Kremes are ~760kcal. If someone wants to forgo a meal or two to fit them in, that's their prerogative. It doesn't mean they're doing anything wrong.
Also, no one should be eating low carb and low fat at the same time. And they don't have to eat either low carb or low fat unless they have medical reasons.
Actually you shouldn't eat low carb or low fat- a healthy balance is best. But if you eat a donut it is high in carbs and fat and low in protein, so to balance out your macros your next meal will need to be high protein and low carb and low fat. It should probably include greens & veggies too to make up for the lack of vitamins & nutrients in the donut. It's just math. I never said someone's entire diet should be low carb/low fat.
In general, high carb should generally be low fat. And high fat should be low carb and moderate protein. Balanced macros work also 40/30/30 for example. It is individual. If high protein works for you, then that is terrific.1 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »courtneyfabulous wrote: »Um.... 4th Krispy Kreme?? 4th!!
You are not on a diet if you are eating 4 donuts. You can probably fit half a donut into your calories/macros. MAYBE a whole one... but that should be plenty anyways.
You can still eat treat foods, just keep them in moderation and work them into your calories. If you want that donut skip make your dinner low carb & low fat.
Low carb is not necessary unless OP has a medical condition.
I assumed she meant to balance the macros due to the high carb content of donuts.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »courtneyfabulous wrote: »Um.... 4th Krispy Kreme?? 4th!!
You are not on a diet if you are eating 4 donuts. You can probably fit half a donut into your calories/macros. MAYBE a whole one... but that should be plenty anyways.
You can still eat treat foods, just keep them in moderation and work them into your calories. If you want that donut skip make your dinner low carb & low fat.
Low carb is not necessary unless OP has a medical condition.
I assumed she meant to balance the macros due to the high carb content of donuts.
Still not necessary for everyone.1 -
courtneyfabulous wrote: »Um.... 4th Krispy Kreme?? 4th!!
You are not on a diet if you are eating 4 donuts. You can probably fit half a donut into your calories/macros. MAYBE a whole one... but that should be plenty anyways.
You can still eat treat foods, just keep them in moderation and work them into your calories. If you want that donut skip make your dinner low carb & low fat.
4 Krispy Kremes are ~760kcal. If someone wants to forgo a meal or two to fit them in, that's their prerogative. It doesn't mean they're doing anything wrong.
Also, no one should be eating low carb and low fat at the same time. And they don't have to eat either low carb or low fat unless they have medical reasons.
Well, the thing with donuts for me is that I can't forgo a meal to fit them in. They have no satiety for me so I still have to eat. If I want a donut, I need to exercise more to fit it in.2 -
Cheat meals have been a disaster for me in the past. they might be fine for someone that does not have an eating disorder and 100lbs to lose. My new approach is if I want to eat something I do, but it counts in the daily total.1
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trigden1991 wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »courtneyfabulous wrote: »Um.... 4th Krispy Kreme?? 4th!!
You are not on a diet if you are eating 4 donuts. You can probably fit half a donut into your calories/macros. MAYBE a whole one... but that should be plenty anyways.
You can still eat treat foods, just keep them in moderation and work them into your calories. If you want that donut skip make your dinner low carb & low fat.
4 Krispy Kremes are ~760kcal. If someone wants to forgo a meal or two to fit them in, that's their prerogative. It doesn't mean they're doing anything wrong.
Also, no one should be eating low carb and low fat at the same time. And they don't have to eat either low carb or low fat unless they have medical reasons.
Agree with the low carb/low fat comment. However, no need really for anyone to be eating 4 doughnuts a day IMO.
Unless you are following a structured PSMF.
My comment related to the "And they don't have to eat either low carb or low fat unless they have medical reasons" not to the food combining portion.0 -
I'm going to have a caramel apple for a snack today.
I sat down before breakfast and logged all my food for the day. I'm meeting my calorie and protein goals. The caramel apple isn't going to mean I don't eat lunch or dinner. I'm not eating 3 caramel apples. That is how I fit any food I want into my normal day.
You could have a doughnut, cookie, pizza, whatever every day and still stick to your goals if you plan it out. No drama, no guilt, no setback.6 -
The whole notion of "cheating" suggests you aren't making a sustainable lifestyle change; you are white knuckling it. And maybe you can white knuckle forever, but I can't. My options were 1. lifestyle change I can be happy with or 2. get happy with my post-baby weight.
I think you have to decide which you want: get to your preferred weight or eat four donuts. You can't have both.
Exactly. The words we use to refer to our actions make a difference -- there's no morality involved in choosing a high calorie meal; it's something we can rationally plan for in our calorie budgets. I personally like the suggestion above that these be called "splurge" meals; it's exactly equivalent to deciding to spend money from your budget one week for something special, and cutting back on the money you're spending on other things that week. And it doesn't carry the implied moral judgement of the word "cheat".3 -
I eat LCHF, but occasionally I allow for a high carb meal/treat. I suppose you could call it a "cheat", although I don't really look at it that way (and my "cheat meal" doesn't necessarily put me over on calories, just carbs). The way I see it, if I'm so rigid that I'm feeling bad/guilty/like I'm "cheating" by having a piece of cake on my bday or a pasta dish once in a great while or some stuffing on thanksgiving, well, I'm not going to stick with that. By giving myself "permission" to occasionally indulge in off plan foods, that makes it mentally easier for me the rest of the time (and it makes socializing easier - I swear every get together is so carb-centric). I do not, however, ever have a whole day where I eat off plan. It's one meal, or dessert, and that's it. If I "cheat" it's always at the end of the day; carbs make me hangry and I don't want to deal with that *kitten* all day long.
For straight up calorie counting, I'd say having a day once a week where you eat at, or even slightly above, maintenance helps you mentally, it might be worth the slower rate of loss. This is supposed to be for life. Sanity matters.2 -
The whole notion of "cheating" suggests you aren't making a sustainable lifestyle change; you are white knuckling it. And maybe you can white knuckle forever, but I can't. My options were 1. lifestyle change I can be happy with or 2. get happy with my post-baby weight.
I think you have to decide which you want: get to your preferred weight or eat four donuts. You can't have both.
There is a 3rd option: Plan for a cheat day when you eat 4 (or 12 or 24, 60... whatever) donuts and make it work in your plan. I do cheat days because my appetite is absolutely insatiable and I can't stand eating at a calorie deficit... in fact, I am hungry even eating at maintenance. So I plan a cheat day (or splurge day if you want to call it that) when I reach certain weight milestones. My cheat days are more epic than most others... I've exceeded 20K calories on some cheat days and never does a cheat day end up in the 4 digits. But they only happen once in a great while. I can go for months feeling hungry, but I won't do it for the rest of my life. So if I have a cheat day 1-2 times per year and I work it into my weight loss plan by scheduling at certain milestones, then I can tolerate restrictions for the months it takes otherwise. Does it slow me down? Yes, probably... but I lose pretty slowly already. If the first 10 lbs. takes 4 months to lose, I eat at that milestone, and then lose the lbs. I gained plus the next 10, and it takes 6 months this time, then I'm still getting where I need to be. Otherwise, I would give up because I can't stand being hungry all the kitten time.
Option 3: Plan for cheat days in a way that helps with your overall weight loss plan.2 -
LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »ok so the general consensus is no.. I had meant to keep the post upbeat and positive.
I think having a treat every once in a while is what makes us human, and allows us to lead a healthy, balanced life.
moderation is key.
Luke, I think opinions vary. Do what you think is best for you. Also, people seem to jump on the word "cheat" but in reality, we have been using this terminology forever to talk about splurges. I'm sure you know in theory that you can't cheat on food. LOL.
Sometimes, I splurge really big time. I don't necessarily say cheat, but heck yeah. I overeat at times. It's not always in my calorie allotment. I think it's just life. I try to make sure those times are not frequent, and it has worked for me. We are human and everyone overindulges in something. I assure you whether it's eating, spending money, watching tv, drinking... So don't feel bad. For those who don't overindulge in food, I can assure you there are other places. Chin up and stay encouraged!
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leejoyce31 wrote: »LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »ok so the general consensus is no.. I had meant to keep the post upbeat and positive.
I think having a treat every once in a while is what makes us human, and allows us to lead a healthy, balanced life.
moderation is key.
Luke, I think opinions vary. Do what you think is best for you. Also, people seem to jump on the word "cheat" but in reality, we have been using this terminology forever to talk about splurges. I'm sure you know in theory that you can't cheat on food. LOL.
Sometimes, I splurge really big time. I don't necessarily say cheat, but heck yeah. I overeat at times. It's not always in my calorie allotment. I think it's just life. I try to make sure those times are not frequent, and it has worked for me. We are human and everyone overindulges in something. I assure you whether it's eating, spending money, watching tv, drinking... So don't feel bad. For those who don't overindulge in food, I can assure you there are other places. Chin up and stay encouraged!
Thanks for this, I think people are more upset that i used the word cheat, i fully understand that you can't cheat on food, but I think you should be able to have a day were don't have to track everything you eat and overindulge. thanks for the light hearted response!
I was joking when I said 4th krispy kreme btw, this seems to have upset some people, it was an exaggeration. xD2 -
LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »leejoyce31 wrote: »LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »ok so the general consensus is no.. I had meant to keep the post upbeat and positive.
I think having a treat every once in a while is what makes us human, and allows us to lead a healthy, balanced life.
moderation is key.
Luke, I think opinions vary. Do what you think is best for you. Also, people seem to jump on the word "cheat" but in reality, we have been using this terminology forever to talk about splurges. I'm sure you know in theory that you can't cheat on food. LOL.
Sometimes, I splurge really big time. I don't necessarily say cheat, but heck yeah. I overeat at times. It's not always in my calorie allotment. I think it's just life. I try to make sure those times are not frequent, and it has worked for me. We are human and everyone overindulges in something. I assure you whether it's eating, spending money, watching tv, drinking... So don't feel bad. For those who don't overindulge in food, I can assure you there are other places. Chin up and stay encouraged!
Thanks for this, I think people are more upset that i used the word cheat, i fully understand that you can't cheat on food, but I think you should be able to have a day were don't have to track everything you eat and overindulge. thanks for the light hearted response!
I was joking when I said 4th krispy kreme btw, this seems to have upset some people, it was an exaggeration. xD
No one here is upset I don't think. Disagreement does not equal upset.1 -
LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »leejoyce31 wrote: »LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »ok so the general consensus is no.. I had meant to keep the post upbeat and positive.
I think having a treat every once in a while is what makes us human, and allows us to lead a healthy, balanced life.
moderation is key.
Luke, I think opinions vary. Do what you think is best for you. Also, people seem to jump on the word "cheat" but in reality, we have been using this terminology forever to talk about splurges. I'm sure you know in theory that you can't cheat on food. LOL.
Sometimes, I splurge really big time. I don't necessarily say cheat, but heck yeah. I overeat at times. It's not always in my calorie allotment. I think it's just life. I try to make sure those times are not frequent, and it has worked for me. We are human and everyone overindulges in something. I assure you whether it's eating, spending money, watching tv, drinking... So don't feel bad. For those who don't overindulge in food, I can assure you there are other places. Chin up and stay encouraged!
Thanks for this, I think people are more upset that i used the word cheat, i fully understand that you can't cheat on food, but I think you should be able to have a day were don't have to track everything you eat and overindulge. thanks for the light hearted response!
I was joking when I said 4th krispy kreme btw, this seems to have upset some people, it was an exaggeration. xD
Unfortunately it isn't an exaggeration, its situation normal for too many people. Best of luck on your journey.1 -
LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »leejoyce31 wrote: »LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »ok so the general consensus is no.. I had meant to keep the post upbeat and positive.
I think having a treat every once in a while is what makes us human, and allows us to lead a healthy, balanced life.
moderation is key.
Luke, I think opinions vary. Do what you think is best for you. Also, people seem to jump on the word "cheat" but in reality, we have been using this terminology forever to talk about splurges. I'm sure you know in theory that you can't cheat on food. LOL.
Sometimes, I splurge really big time. I don't necessarily say cheat, but heck yeah. I overeat at times. It's not always in my calorie allotment. I think it's just life. I try to make sure those times are not frequent, and it has worked for me. We are human and everyone overindulges in something. I assure you whether it's eating, spending money, watching tv, drinking... So don't feel bad. For those who don't overindulge in food, I can assure you there are other places. Chin up and stay encouraged!
Thanks for this, I think people are more upset that i used the word cheat, i fully understand that you can't cheat on food, but I think you should be able to have a day were don't have to track everything you eat and overindulge. thanks for the light hearted response!
I was joking when I said 4th krispy kreme btw, this seems to have upset some people, it was an exaggeration. xD
No one is upset about either the word "cheat" or the discussion around a 4th Krispy Kreme. You asked for opinions on cheat days and what people are telling you is that there are a number of different ways of looking at this. Most people here work some indulgences into their overall diet (noun). Whether they do that in the form of an infrequent "cheat" day/meal or whether they work in the indulgences on a more regular basis - most people do not strictly adhere to a life with no "treats".
What you are reading as people being upset is just people trying to explain why they don't engage in the practice. Some people find that calling things "cheat" meals implies that they are being "bad" and this creates negative thoughts around food (something that many people here struggle with to begin with). Some people find that having those free for all meals/days can set off a binge/restrict cycle, something else that people here often struggle with. Others find that if they are managing a small deficit to begin with, that having a meal or day where they don't track calories at all can hinder their progress, basically destroying their weekly deficit in one meal/day.
Personally, I work the foods I enjoy in on as regular a basis as I can accommodate in my calorie alotment. I have a glass or two of wine pretty much every day, as well as something sweet like a piece of chocolate, a small serving of ice cream, etc. About once a week I have pizza or a fast casual meal like Qdoba that tends to be a little larger than my normal meals, and then about once a month I go out with friends or my husband and have a much more indulgent meal. I plan for those meals and bank calories in the days leading up to them, do extra exercise the day of the event, and log everything anyway. Even if I am over my daily calories quite significantly, I try to make sure that it doesn't put me outside my maintenance calorie total for the week. This has worked well for me, but I wouldn't call any of those things "cheating", but then again, I also don't call this a "diet". It's just how I choose to manage my calories.
Lastly, as someone mentioned above - 4 Krispy Kremes is about 800 calories. It's not an every day thing, but it's certainly possible to work that in if that's how you choose to manage your calories. Personally, I would go for just one of them, but make it into a bacon cheeseburger like this:
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That burger is the truth... I made one once.0
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Chef_Barbell wrote: »That burger is the truth... I made one once.
Same. We had leftover Krispy Kremes at work one time and no one wants a 6 hour old KK donut, but if you go to the cafeteria and ask them to make you a bacon cheeseburger on it, those line cook's eyes light up and they are more than happy to oblige....
So now you turn your 800 cal macro poor four Krispy Kremes into a balanced macro powerhouse of carbs, fat AND protein!2 -
Wow...are people actually able to enjoy that donut cheeseburge? That would take a sophisticated (bizarre) palate.
This remind me of George Coztanza trying to simultaneously enjoy sex and food.0 -
I would save up my calories to try that.0
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WinoGelato wrote: »LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »leejoyce31 wrote: »LukeAdrianBoardman wrote: »ok so the general consensus is no.. I had meant to keep the post upbeat and positive.
I think having a treat every once in a while is what makes us human, and allows us to lead a healthy, balanced life.
moderation is key.
Luke, I think opinions vary. Do what you think is best for you. Also, people seem to jump on the word "cheat" but in reality, we have been using this terminology forever to talk about splurges. I'm sure you know in theory that you can't cheat on food. LOL.
Sometimes, I splurge really big time. I don't necessarily say cheat, but heck yeah. I overeat at times. It's not always in my calorie allotment. I think it's just life. I try to make sure those times are not frequent, and it has worked for me. We are human and everyone overindulges in something. I assure you whether it's eating, spending money, watching tv, drinking... So don't feel bad. For those who don't overindulge in food, I can assure you there are other places. Chin up and stay encouraged!
Thanks for this, I think people are more upset that i used the word cheat, i fully understand that you can't cheat on food, but I think you should be able to have a day were don't have to track everything you eat and overindulge. thanks for the light hearted response!
I was joking when I said 4th krispy kreme btw, this seems to have upset some people, it was an exaggeration. xD
No one is upset about either the word "cheat" or the discussion around a 4th Krispy Kreme. You asked for opinions on cheat days and what people are telling you is that there are a number of different ways of looking at this. Most people here work some indulgences into their overall diet (noun). Whether they do that in the form of an infrequent "cheat" day/meal or whether they work in the indulgences on a more regular basis - most people do not strictly adhere to a life with no "treats".
What you are reading as people being upset is just people trying to explain why they don't engage in the practice. Some people find that calling things "cheat" meals implies that they are being "bad" and this creates negative thoughts around food (something that many people here struggle with to begin with). Some people find that having those free for all meals/days can set off a binge/restrict cycle, something else that people here often struggle with. Others find that if they are managing a small deficit to begin with, that having a meal or day where they don't track calories at all can hinder their progress, basically destroying their weekly deficit in one meal/day.
Personally, I work the foods I enjoy in on as regular a basis as I can accommodate in my calorie alotment. I have a glass or two of wine pretty much every day, as well as something sweet like a piece of chocolate, a small serving of ice cream, etc. About once a week I have pizza or a fast casual meal like Qdoba that tends to be a little larger than my normal meals, and then about once a month I go out with friends or my husband and have a much more indulgent meal. I plan for those meals and bank calories in the days leading up to them, do extra exercise the day of the event, and log everything anyway. Even if I am over my daily calories quite significantly, I try to make sure that it doesn't put me outside my maintenance calorie total for the week. This has worked well for me, but I wouldn't call any of those things "cheating", but then again, I also don't call this a "diet". It's just how I choose to manage my calories.
Lastly, as someone mentioned above - 4 Krispy Kremes is about 800 calories. It's not an every day thing, but it's certainly possible to work that in if that's how you choose to manage your calories. Personally, I would go for just one of them, but make it into a bacon cheeseburger like this:
That looks delicious, and I can't stand donuts. Can't eat the cheese either, unless it's aged...but, I want one right now.
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endlessfall16 wrote: »Wow...are people actually able to enjoy that donut cheeseburge? That would take a sophisticated (bizarre) palate.
This remind me of George Coztanza trying to simultaneously enjoy sex and food.
Nothing bizarre about sweet and savory in the same bite.0 -
For me personally it's a disaster not because I can't stop but because I will feel incredibly guilty afterward and the shame spiral begins. I'd rather not live like that so I eat what I am comfortable with in reasonable portions0
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