Preparing for cheat day/meal/buffet
PlasticGains
Posts: 76 Member
Theres this local chinese buffet and my neighbor helped me paint my house so I wanted to treat him to a meal and he said he wanted a buffet. Now I know theres a concept of weekly calories and even monthly. How should I prepare my meals before the cheat day considering i go ham wild at buffets?
Should i just eat minuscule amounts of carbs and just do protein and veggies or should i just eat 70% or some percent less than maintainence calories the days before the buffet?
Also this buffet meal will be on a rest day so is this bad? I hear something about having cheat meals right after exercising a lagging body part so the calories go to more muscle than fat. So if it's a rest day will the calories go to fat?
Should i just eat minuscule amounts of carbs and just do protein and veggies or should i just eat 70% or some percent less than maintainence calories the days before the buffet?
Also this buffet meal will be on a rest day so is this bad? I hear something about having cheat meals right after exercising a lagging body part so the calories go to more muscle than fat. So if it's a rest day will the calories go to fat?
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Replies
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Well, going into a special meal/buffet underfed is -- for me -- a recipe for disaster.
I do better when I'm beginning the meal at a normal level of hunger.
My instinct: for one meal, you're overthinking it. Eat what you enjoy, don't worry about it being your rest day, get back on plan after the meal.
You aren't going to gain fat from a single meal.25 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Well, going into a special meal/buffet underfed is -- for me -- a recipe for disaster.
I do better when I'm beginning the meal at a normal level of hunger.
My instinct: for one meal, you're overthinking it. Eat what you enjoy, don't worry about it being your rest day, get back on plan after the meal.
You aren't going to gain fat from a single meal.
I probably or even most people in general consume like 5000-6000 calories in a buffet. Isnt that nearly 2 pounds of fat?4 -
You don't have to go completely mental just because you're at a buffet.
i would look at my weekly goal, save a few calories from earlier in the week and then just enjoy the meal and go back to normal the next day.17 -
PlasticGains wrote: »Theres this local chinese buffet and my neighbor helped me paint my house so I wanted to treat him to a meal and he said he wanted a buffet. Now I know theres a concept of weekly calories and even monthly. How should I prepare my meals before the cheat day considering i go ham wild at buffets?
Should i just eat minuscule amounts of carbs and just do protein and veggies or should i just eat 70% or some percent less than maintainence calories the days before the buffet?
Also this buffet meal will be on a rest day so is this bad? I hear something about having cheat meals right after exercising a lagging body part so the calories go to more muscle than fat. So if it's a rest day will the calories go to fat?
You're overthinking this. Enjoy the meal, don't be a glutton. It's just one day and one meal.10 -
PlasticGains wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Well, going into a special meal/buffet underfed is -- for me -- a recipe for disaster.
I do better when I'm beginning the meal at a normal level of hunger.
My instinct: for one meal, you're overthinking it. Eat what you enjoy, don't worry about it being your rest day, get back on plan after the meal.
You aren't going to gain fat from a single meal.
I probably or even most people in general consume like 5000-6000 calories in a buffet. Isnt that nearly 2 pounds of fat?
I don't know what the source is for that statistic, but we commonly have people here who log larger calorie counts for holidays (like Thanksgiving or Christmas) and it has no overall impact on their long-term weight.
If it's something that you're determined to worry about, I'd just save a few calories (think 100-200) in the surrounding days to offset what you're going to be eating at the buffet.3 -
PlasticGains wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Well, going into a special meal/buffet underfed is -- for me -- a recipe for disaster.
I do better when I'm beginning the meal at a normal level of hunger.
My instinct: for one meal, you're overthinking it. Eat what you enjoy, don't worry about it being your rest day, get back on plan after the meal.
You aren't going to gain fat from a single meal.
I probably or even most people in general consume like 5000-6000 calories in a buffet. Isnt that nearly 2 pounds of fat?
Not when maintenance is 2000 - 3000 calories for most people.6 -
Do you really LOVE Chinese Buffet food? If so just enjoy. If not remember it's not your last meal. You are not starving and you can come back another day. Take small portions of whatever you want. I'd start with a big plate of salad first. Also remember that you'll like go up a few lbs due to the sodium and don't panic.10
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Personally I'd prepare for a good buffet by eating proper big meals before, so I don't get that "full too quick" problem
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You are definitely overcomplicating it. It will not turn to fat overnight. I refeed every weekend in a deficit so I eat at or above my maintenance. Sometimes I get a workout in, sometimes I do it the next day.
If your maintenance is 3000 let's say you are only consuming an extra 2000-3000 calories, and depending on how the rest of your week looked and how much surplus you are in (if I'm not mistaken you are bulking right?) that is not much extra gain. If you go back to normal the next day you will be fine. It takes time to build muscle and gain fat it doesn't happen after one day of eating. Do your workout the next day and shoot for some PRs.4 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »PlasticGains wrote: »Theres this local chinese buffet and my neighbor helped me paint my house so I wanted to treat him to a meal and he said he wanted a buffet. Now I know theres a concept of weekly calories and even monthly. How should I prepare my meals before the cheat day considering i go ham wild at buffets?
Should i just eat minuscule amounts of carbs and just do protein and veggies or should i just eat 70% or some percent less than maintainence calories the days before the buffet?
Also this buffet meal will be on a rest day so is this bad? I hear something about having cheat meals right after exercising a lagging body part so the calories go to more muscle than fat. So if it's a rest day will the calories go to fat?
You're overthinking this. Enjoy the meal, don't be a glutton. It's just one day and one meal.
This. I can't fathom eating 6000 calories at a buffet. It's possible to enjoy responsibly without eating the entire restaurant out of business.9 -
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I'd think of it as a meal. What would you normally do? Do that. I think the key to long term success is not looking for opportunities to go off the rails, but rather figuring out to make opportunities work for you. Good luck.8
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Just avoid the dessert section of the buffet if there is one. The cakes there are usually stupidly caloric!3
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Don’t go in with the mindset that you’re going to “go ham wild.” You are in control of how much you eat. You’re going to enjoy yourself and eat a reasonable amount of food.
Remember that it’s just food. It’s also food that is in your neighborhood, so you could get that food anytime you want. There’s no need to eat all of it at one time. You can have it again whenever you want.8 -
I plan my cheat days out at least a month in advance.
They start at Midnight and end the next midnight. At 12:00am back to my normal proper eating and start planning my next cheat day
If I cheat at any point during that month I cancel the cheat day. But on the day I go as crazy as I want. I order food in advance and prepare for it all month. I then don't have any guilt on the day when I am eating what ever I want.
I do try to keep track of what I eat though more for fun then any other reason.14 -
Why not just try to moderate your eating at the buffet? This is something to learn to do so you can live a normal life while losing or maintaining weight.
Tell yourself that you do not have to eat everything because it is there. It is not your only chance to eat some rare food.
Decide on an appropriate limit before you start like getting one plate of food with reasonable servings of everything you really like.
Eat slow. Drink water or unsweetened tea or diet soda.
Look up typical Chinese food items to see what calorie counts are like in advance. You could concentrate on lower calorie choices. Go easy on the rice, fried/battered food, food with nuts or seeds, lots of sugary sauces. Get more soup, vegetables, lean meats.
You could eat lighter at other meals that day or skip some of your usual meals that day if you think you want to eat most/all your daily calories at a buffet. There are many people who eat one large meal a day.
Plan a little extra exercise this week if you like.
One high calorie day is usually not that big of a deal.7 -
FistGrenade wrote: »I plan my cheat days out at least a month in advance.
They start at Midnight and end the next midnight. At 12:00am back to my normal proper eating and start planning my next cheat day
If I cheat at any point during that month I cancel the cheat day. But on the day I go as crazy as I want. I order food in advance and prepare for it all month. I then don't have any guilt on the day when I am eating what ever I want.
I do try to keep track of what I eat though more for fun then any other reason.
If I'm given the choice between a) not feeling guilt when I eat what I want for one day a month and b) not feeling guilt over what I eat during any day of the month, I'm going to go with "B."
14 -
janejellyroll wrote: »FistGrenade wrote: »I plan my cheat days out at least a month in advance.
They start at Midnight and end the next midnight. At 12:00am back to my normal proper eating and start planning my next cheat day
If I cheat at any point during that month I cancel the cheat day. But on the day I go as crazy as I want. I order food in advance and prepare for it all month. I then don't have any guilt on the day when I am eating what ever I want.
I do try to keep track of what I eat though more for fun then any other reason.
If I'm given the choice between A) not feeling guilt when I eat what I want for one day a month and b) not feeling guilt over what I eat during any day of the month, I'm going to go with "B."
Seconded!
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TavistockToad wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »FistGrenade wrote: »I plan my cheat days out at least a month in advance.
They start at Midnight and end the next midnight. At 12:00am back to my normal proper eating and start planning my next cheat day
If I cheat at any point during that month I cancel the cheat day. But on the day I go as crazy as I want. I order food in advance and prepare for it all month. I then don't have any guilt on the day when I am eating what ever I want.
I do try to keep track of what I eat though more for fun then any other reason.
If I'm given the choice between A) not feeling guilt when I eat what I want for one day a month and b) not feeling guilt over what I eat during any day of the month, I'm going to go with "B."
Seconded!
Thirded! I'm losing about 1-1.5 pounds a week, eating *entirely* what I want.3 -
collectingblues wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »FistGrenade wrote: »I plan my cheat days out at least a month in advance.
They start at Midnight and end the next midnight. At 12:00am back to my normal proper eating and start planning my next cheat day
If I cheat at any point during that month I cancel the cheat day. But on the day I go as crazy as I want. I order food in advance and prepare for it all month. I then don't have any guilt on the day when I am eating what ever I want.
I do try to keep track of what I eat though more for fun then any other reason.
If I'm given the choice between A) not feeling guilt when I eat what I want for one day a month and b) not feeling guilt over what I eat during any day of the month, I'm going to go with "B."
Seconded!
Thirded! I'm losing about 1-1.5 pounds a week, eating *entirely* what I want.
Fourth. I lost 100 pounds, have maintained for over a year, and did not “cheat.” I eat what I want within my calorie goal.
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Lots of good advice here, the most important being eat like a normal person. Just because the food is there doesn't mean you have to stuff yourself. Also, remind yourself that the food at a buffet isn't that good -- it's mass produced, it's been sitting there under heat lamps growing bacteria, and people have been breathing and sneezing on it for hours. LOL5
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0somuchbetter0 wrote: »Lots of good advice here, the most important being eat like a normal person. Just because the food is there doesn't mean you have to stuff yourself. Also, remind yourself that the food at a buffet isn't that good -- it's mass produced, it's been sitting there under heat lamps growing bacteria, and people have been breathing and sneezing on it for hours. LOL
Second the bolded. Also, any Chinese buffet I've been in has pretty crappy quality food.8 -
6000cals in one go is a binge. Why are you doing this? Can't you just eat like 2000? There's plenty of food in 2k cals.
I've never had 6k cals in one day let alone one meal. Sounds monstrous to me. I'm pretty sure this is not a normal thing to do unless you're running a marathon. If you plan on changing your lifestyle I'd start at forgetting about 6k meals. It's way out of proportions.10 -
6000cals in one go is a binge. Why are you doing this? Can't you just eat like 2000? There's plenty of food in 2k cals.
I've never had 6k cals in one day let alone one meal. Sounds monstrous to me. I'm pretty sure this is not a normal thing to do unless you're running a marathon. If you plan on changing your lifestyle I'd start at forgetting about 6k meals. It's way out of proportions.
2000 would be a pretty steep deficit for some people (myself included), maybe OP maintains at 3000-4000 so 6K that is not far off plan. I have had many days where I eat a significant amount of calories and I would not call it a binge, I was in control and never felt I overdid it.5 -
Just stop at one plate and avoid the fried stuff4
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PlasticGains wrote: »Theres this local chinese buffet and my neighbor helped me paint my house so I wanted to treat him to a meal and he said he wanted a buffet. Now I know theres a concept of weekly calories and even monthly. How should I prepare my meals before the cheat day considering i go ham wild at buffets?
Should i just eat minuscule amounts of carbs and just do protein and veggies or should i just eat 70% or some percent less than maintainence calories the days before the buffet?
Also this buffet meal will be on a rest day so is this bad? I hear something about having cheat meals right after exercising a lagging body part so the calories go to more muscle than fat. So if it's a rest day will the calories go to fat?
Having just taken a week off trying to do a maintenance average, I say don't go crazy. Stay on your normal plan, and on the "cheat day" up your calories to maintenance level. Don't feel obligated to use them all. It's not worth it. One day I felt sick after going over maintenance level. Just enjoy and eat "comfortably". One day isn't going to set you back that much. A week, that's another thing as I've learned.3 -
6000cals in one go is a binge. Why are you doing this? Can't you just eat like 2000? There's plenty of food in 2k cals.
I've never had 6k cals in one day let alone one meal. Sounds monstrous to me. I'm pretty sure this is not a normal thing to do unless you're running a marathon. If you plan on changing your lifestyle I'd start at forgetting about 6k meals. It's way out of proportions.
2000 would be a pretty steep deficit for some people (myself included), maybe OP maintains at 3000-4000 so 6K that is not far off plan. I have had many days where I eat a significant amount of calories and I would not call it a binge, I was in control and never felt I overdid it.
I'm not suggesting to eat 2k the whole day. I'm suggesting to eat 2k on that MEAL. 6k at one meal is unnatural to all but a small percentage of people to which I'm sure the OP does not belong.
6k in one go IS a binge unless you ran a marathon.
Please do not put words in my mouth which I didn't say.3 -
6000cals in one go is a binge. Why are you doing this? Can't you just eat like 2000? There's plenty of food in 2k cals.
I've never had 6k cals in one day let alone one meal. Sounds monstrous to me. I'm pretty sure this is not a normal thing to do unless you're running a marathon. If you plan on changing your lifestyle I'd start at forgetting about 6k meals. It's way out of proportions.
2000 would be a pretty steep deficit for some people (myself included), maybe OP maintains at 3000-4000 so 6K that is not far off plan. I have had many days where I eat a significant amount of calories and I would not call it a binge, I was in control and never felt I overdid it.
I'm not suggesting to eat 2k the whole day. I'm suggesting to eat 2k on that MEAL. 6k at one meal is unnatural to all but a small percentage of people to which I'm sure the OP does not belong.
6k in one go IS a binge unless you ran a marathon.
Please do not put words in my mouth which I didn't say.
Thanks for clarifying I must have missed that. There are some people that eat all their daily calories in one go, people who are bodybuilders or bulking sometimes do this (I believe OP is on a bulk from past posts). Some have very high cal intakes and 6K might not be far off. I have spent hours of a holiday meal and can easily achieve 4-5K (and I am a normal sized female). I don't consider it a binge for myself. If you do then then we have different definitions of what a binge is.2 -
Remember the first bite tastes the same as the last....2
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Interesting discussion and opinions!!!!0
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