Save calories for cheat or just cheat?

hoops1888
hoops1888 Posts: 95 Member
edited November 24 in Food and Nutrition
Hey guys. I was wondering what people do about cheating at the weekend? Do you save calories through the week or do you just have your calorie allowance and have a cheat meal anyway? I’m assuming it’d be the former seeing as calories should balance out
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Replies

  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    I'm bad at saving calories, so when I have an indulgent meal, it's just that. They are, however, few and far between and more designated for very special occasions like birthdays and holidays.
  • hoops1888
    hoops1888 Posts: 95 Member
    That’s probably a good way to work it if I’m honest!

    I’m coming off slimming world and moving to calories and exercise as Slimming World makes me feel rubbish and there’s no flexibility. I did calories and exercise 7 years ago using mfp and lost two stones and I used to cheat most weeks but I’ve got a feeling that I wasn’t having my calories per day, and was instead keeping 500 a day aside, forgetting that mfp accounted for that anyway. So I guess that’s why I lost before whilst cheating every week. Defo think eating up calories is best way.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    It doesn't matter either way. Depends if you want to hit a certain loss a week or don't mind having a slightly smaller loss, which is also fine. I don't have cheat days, but I sometimes find myself wanting a higher calorie day so I either save up for it, make up for it, or call it a day, depending on what I feel like doing. I'm more likely to account for the calories if I've had too many higher calorie days within that period and more likely to just go for it if it's a one off.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    When I am trying to lean down, I bank my calories so I can indulge and eat more on weekends and still stay in a deficit for the week. I am not sure how much I go over since I don't track, but I keep things reasonable, so either I eat at maintenance or just over.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I can easily undo my weekly deficit by 'cheating' on the week end.

    Yep, even one meal can wipe out a moderate deficit for me if I'm not thoughtful about it.

    I bank calories for the weekend and last weekend I used them all in a single meal out with my husband. It wasn't even a blow-out -- just a single beer and part of a pizza. No dessert, no app, it wasn't even a tricked-out pizza. If I had been in weight loss mode, that would have been enough to wipe out my deficit for the week.
  • ThatHealthyCaper
    ThatHealthyCaper Posts: 22 Member
    mgookin wrote: »
    I don't cheat considering that thinking like that makes me feel like I am doing something wrong, which I am not.

    I either fit it in my deficient calorie goals for the day, or I just eat Maintenance calories for the day.

    I agree... This is what I do also
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I can easily undo my weekly deficit by 'cheating' on the week end.

    Oh definitely. I thought by "cheat day" she meant a planned higher calorie day, logged to assure not going overboard, not an all out free for all. I have free for all days sometimes, but then I prepare myself mentally for a week without weight loss.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    Exactly, if you plan ahead and save/burn extra calories for that purpose it's not really a cheat day.
  • BigRed2525
    BigRed2525 Posts: 45 Member
    I normally work it in to my goals. I have found that at my current activity level, I can work in moderate indulgences and still lose. It also helps that I generally only eat two meals a day on Saturday/Sunday, and don't feel the need to snack as much as I do during the work-week.

    Today I'm probably eating at maintenance. I treated my staff to pizza for lunch and hubby's dying to go to Red Lobster for dinner (my only chain restaurant weakness, *sigh*), so even with a solid workout in between, there's not way I'm going to be under my calories for today. This is a first for me since the first of the year. I'm over a bit some days, but still well under maintenance.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I don't know.

    Define cheat meal.
  • hoops1888
    hoops1888 Posts: 95 Member
    Ive realised that this question is really broad and saying’cheat meal’ could mean a number of different things that would generate a variety of responses! I think the best thing for me to do would be to work it into my calories or create a deficit through the week and/or burn calories to account for it.

    I also wonder when I should weigh myself if I’m cheating at the end of the week? A weigh in before a cheat could give me false results if I, for example, saved up calories, as it may look like I’ve lost more than I ‘plan’ to, if that makes sense.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Just weigh yourself when you usually do
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,421 Member
    hoops1888 wrote: »
    Ive realised that this question is really broad and saying’cheat meal’ could mean a number of different things that would generate a variety of responses! I think the best thing for me to do would be to work it into my calories or create a deficit through the week and/or burn calories to account for it.

    I also wonder when I should weigh myself if I’m cheating at the end of the week? A weigh in before a cheat could give me false results if I, for example, saved up calories, as it may look like I’ve lost more than I ‘plan’ to, if that makes sense.

    If you weigh yourself every morning after the bathroom, then it all works out.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited February 2018
    hoops1888 wrote: »
    Ive realised that this question is really broad and saying’cheat meal’ could mean a number of different things that would generate a variety of responses! I think the best thing for me to do would be to work it into my calories or create a deficit through the week and/or burn calories to account for it.

    I also wonder when I should weigh myself if I’m cheating at the end of the week? A weigh in before a cheat could give me false results if I, for example, saved up calories, as it may look like I’ve lost more than I ‘plan’ to, if that makes sense.

    Just be consistent when you weigh yourself. Be that weekly, bi weekly, or monthly.

    I see the mistake many make after eating a big meal and have false ideas if they gained or lost weight. Or even if they gained/lost fat.

    The truth of the matter is if you eat more food than normal before weighing in, you will gain weight by definition, not exactly fat since food does have weight.

    I see the same with people who get liquored up over the weekend and wonder how they lost weight. Pretty simple you pee'd more and had less food to digest in some cases.

    In the long run calories average out. Don't worry about the dailly stuff, more of a trend.
  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
    To me, cheating is eating above your calorie allotment or outside of other goals you've set. If you account for them by banking, how can that be cheating?
  • AndOne8675
    AndOne8675 Posts: 151 Member
    I don't call it cheating. I fit it into my budget or if I go over (maintenance) my goal I adjust the difference over the next few days. If I fail to do that, I don't beat myself up, I move on. I weigh once a week no matter my choices and take the average for the month.
  • Ebony_Kitty
    Ebony_Kitty Posts: 41 Member
    I do my long runs on Friday to have the extra calories. Usually don’t eat them all on Friday but starving on Saturday. I try to look at the bigger picture of “weekly” calories bs daily.
  • hoops1888
    hoops1888 Posts: 95 Member
    Thanks for all your responses, very enlightening. It feels like huge task starting out at the moment as I’ve tried and failed at SW. It’s that temptation of should I go for the diet that gives me couple of lb’s a week weight loss or the one I feel better on, and is more sustainable. It’s a hard one but my heart is telling me the exercise and calorie counting is the way forward re getting that slim figure I crave :(
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    If you plan calories out for it, is it even cheating?
  • whodeany1
    whodeany1 Posts: 13 Member
    It's okay to cheat, but you still have to count it. If you have a car accident the dent doesn't disappear. We are humans and so I would suggest that you plan to have things that you do not want to give up. You don't have to feel guilty about being human. If you have a goal, stick to your goal and include the things that you just don't want to walk away from. In my world, I find it easier to just walk away from most of the things I like, but I still have some fries and I still have a bite of a hamburger. Once you make this stuff a habit...goals and things get easier, and you get on with more fun things like running on the beach or taking a long hike!
  • Gilgamesh
    Gilgamesh Posts: 23 Member
    I totally throw the calorie-counting out the window when I go on vacation or visit my Mom (she lives 1000km away so I usually only visit her two times a year). I love food and trying and enjoying local cuisine. I did the Pizza Bus Tour in Chicago (highly recommend this!); ate a lot of pizza in Italy; schnitzel and wurst and pretzels in Germany; tacos, tlyaudas and tortas in Oaxaca.... and when I’m in Spain next month I plan on enjoying tapas every single night. And nothing beats Mom’s home-cooked meals: Saturday night baked beans and potato salad mmm mmm mmm.

    Once I’m back home the calorie counting resumes. I know I’ll never be a model, but I have so many wonderful food adventure memories and look forward to future ones. After all, it’s only for a few weeks each year.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    I make it fit my calories. A treat is not a cheat. It's a choice. And if it fits within my calorie allotment and lets me enjoy myself in a social gathering instead of 'virtuously' nibbling on raw veggies while looking longingly at the frosted cupcakes, it's a good choice even if I don't hit a particular macro or micro goal on that specific day.
  • Misskcm
    Misskcm Posts: 143 Member
    I try to balance. Usually my goal is 2 pound loss per week. If I lose 3 I allow myself an extra 500 cal a day the next week. So I still average 2/week.
    For the most part I just eat what I want in strict moderation./portions. I had half a cookie today. And will probably have some dark chocolate later... but just a little.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    hoops1888 wrote: »
    Thanks for all your responses, very enlightening. It feels like huge task starting out at the moment as I’ve tried and failed at SW. It’s that temptation of should I go for the diet that gives me couple of lb’s a week weight loss or the one I feel better on, and is more sustainable. It’s a hard one but my heart is telling me the exercise and calorie counting is the way forward re getting that slim figure I crave :(

    So your options are to lose weight quickly, which you know is unsustainable and will likely lead to gaining the weight back and having to do it all again in the future; or to lose a little more slowly and teach yourself more desireable habits that will carry you into maintenance?

    I know which I would choose.
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