Cheat meal...

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blueeyes2285
blueeyes2285 Posts: 8 Member
edited February 2018 in Motivation and Support
I've gone all in with my new journey with fitness. I've never been this motivated in my life. I've researched everything I could possibly research to help me succeed, anyways I came across an article about how it's better if you have a cheat meal once a week. If it's better for you why is it after my first cheat meal I feel like a failure?? Anyone else experienced this? Thoughts please.... Also looking for determined friends.

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  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    A cheat meal can wipe out your deficit and put you back at square one. I think there's no harm to allowing yourself an extra 200 or so calories once per week. I have a higher calorie day once a week and a lower calorie day once a week. I also include things I enjoy or crave throughout the week if they fit my calories.
  • blueeyes2285
    blueeyes2285 Posts: 8 Member
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    So basically if you do have a cheat meal you need to account for those extra calories the next day or so? Thank you
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    blueeyes2285 wrote: »
    So basically if you do have a cheat meal you need to account for those extra calories the next day or so? Thank you

    I wouldn't say you need to, but you can consider your calorie goal on a weekly basis. Getting in the habit of trying to make up for cheating leads to yo-yo dieting. If you want to allow yourself extra calories one day and restrict a bit other days plan it in advance. Overall I wouldn't go crazy over a cheat, I would plan exactly how many extra calories I allow myself.
  • blueeyes2285
    blueeyes2285 Posts: 8 Member
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    CheveuxNoirs wrote: »
    A cheat meal can mean different things to different people. Personally, I love a cheat meal. A reasonable cheat meal. If I got out to eat I will eat 1/3 or half of the meal and have a drink. Or I will increase my calories a little for a day and include dessert. It shouldn't mean you go hog wild and stuff yourself. Some people work out a little extra or eat lighter for the other meals of the day.
    If you do decide to enjoy a cheat meal do not try to make up for it by eating a bigger calorie deficit the next day. That will only add to those feelings of guilt or failure that you mentioned. BTW, don't let yourself feel guilty about eating your cheat meal. Enjoy it. Thoroughly enjoy it. And when you're finished get back on track with NO feelings of guilt. Try to let go of feelings of shame attached to food. You're not going to be able to eat perfectly healthy for every meal forever. There will be bumps in the road and you'll make mistakes. It's OK. That's life.
    Cheat meals work for people because if there's something you want to eat you can have it. You just need to wait for your cheat meal. It helps with those feelings of deprivation.
    Just don't let it turn into a cheat day. Although, some people do that, too.

    Thank you so much
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
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    I enjoy a cheat meal, but my definition of a cheat meal is simply one that I can't account for the calories. At a restaurant that doesn't list calories, a friends house, or a potluck. I still guess my calories, try to eat right, but just don't sweat it. Life happens.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,466 Member
    edited February 2018
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    I don’t like the “cheat” mentality. Some people do. Fitness and weight loss involve living with certain limits. Hence we are always butting up against thinking we are deprived in some way. “Cheating” is how some folks react to deprivation. Of course the planned “cheat” is better than off the rails.

    I’ve lost 100lbs and have kept it off for years. I tracked for 5 years after making my goal. I never looked at myself as cheating or off my program as long as I kept tracking. I ate too much lots of days, mistakes are unavoidable, but tracked it anyway.

    Agree that all “cheat” meals are not created equal. Why don’t you plan a reasonable higher calorie day? Be sure to keep tracking. Don’t let your cheat meal become an entire pizza.

    The most important thing is you have a working and livable program. Deprivation will wreck you. Likewise overindulgence.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
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    Personally, I despise the phrase "cheat meal".

    It's usually recommended in the context of diets that are overly restrictive either in numbers of calories or foods you're not allowed to eat, or a combination of both. The idea is that if you allow yourself to cheat occasionally it will make it easier to stick to the unreasonable strictness the rest of the time.

    Sometimes it's recommended as a method to help normalize hormone levels that are often affected by a calorie deficit. There's quite a bit of debate about whether this is actually effective because it's such a short period of time and that perhaps occasional diet breaks are better.

    If you're feeling like a failure after you cheat it's because you believe you're cheating. A good person will naturally feel guilty when they cheat. I'd get rid of that idea because it clearly has a negative effect on your mindset.
  • troelsandtheis
    troelsandtheis Posts: 45 Member
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    I feel the same if I have a cheat meal, however I work my food so that my dinner is pretty much a treat anyway (albeit not pizza but a really good size portion of something I enjoy). Also, I'd prefer to be bale to snack through the day than save those calories for a blowout.
  • kokonani
    kokonani Posts: 507 Member
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    I have a cheat meal everyday.. I can do this because I do IF or OMAD- one meal a day. By consuming anything I want for one meal, it still puts me at a deficit for the day. I can gorge on anything and have sweets and dessert. But then I fast for 23 hours. This is surely the best thing I've found that works for me. I hated trying to spread out my calories throughout the day because I never felt full enough. Even if I consume pasta, cake, meats, whatever in one meal, it ends up being around 1600-1700 Calories.
  • Ivanapoutine
    Ivanapoutine Posts: 28 Member
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    Having a "cheat meal" (I call it a freedom meal lol) is what keeps me going. I don't feel trapped if I know I can relax a bit at the end of the week. Saturday night is usually when I go out and allow myself anything on the menu (1 shared app, 1 meal, 1 beer (craft beer crazy)). However, I delay my first meal of the day until late morning and do some form of cardio before. I have a later lunch (both low cal) that way I am not starving when I go out and won't go nuts. A new part I am also adding is, not taking leftovers home or instead getting a half portion if available. Many like me have a guilt mentality of not wasting food and I only lately realized how even this alone has sabotaged me. The leftovers would lead into the next day as breakfast, starting my day with high calories which makes it more difficult to get back in the groove.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,268 Member
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    I personally don't believe in "cheat meals" b/c I tend to go overboard. Instead I just make sure my calories match what I need day to day and if I want to eat something out of my calorie range I either work out harder or just eat it and know I'm going to probably not have progress for a day or two.
    I never deny myself of anything on this journey, I still eat what I want, but as time goes by I find my choices are better and usually "cheating" doesn't feel as good or as satisfying as it once did b/c I don't want to eat the crap food anymore. I want the good, healthy stuff.
  • blueeyes2285
    blueeyes2285 Posts: 8 Member
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    You guys are amazing!! Thank you all so much!!

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