Is it considered healthy, a cheat or what?

ochoa_ml
ochoa_ml Posts: 10 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
If my meals consists of foods deemed unhealthy, like fried food or fast food, but I still stay within my calories, is this still considered a cheat? I may be within my calories but I’m not eating anything that’s good for me, so I feel I’m at a crossroads.

For example, I really like instant ramen (Top Ramen, Cup o Noodles, you name it) but anytime I eat it I feel really unhealthy afterward, even though it’s well within my calories.

Thoughts?
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Replies

  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    I agree with ^^^ that a lot depends on your goals. Also, how is this working for you — do you enjoy the things you eat? Are they satisfying? Do you feel really good? If the fried food/fast food/ramen is working for you, and it fits in your goals (calorie, macro or otherwise), then buen provecho!
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I personally don't call anything a cheat, more hitting goals, not hitting goals, and somewhere in between (not only about calories but other factors as well). All are ok but you want to do things that hit your goals more often (whatever they may be).

    I definitely don't think it's bad to enjoy and eat all types of foods, especially if you are maintaining. However for me I wouldn't do that everyday since I have to think about nutrition, my protein goals as well as how it affects my sleep and workout performance.
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    I had a look at a bottle of "real mayonnaise" and what's in it. All those chemicals, some of them I can't even pronounce. Do I want them in my body? Me things not. If I want mayonnaise, I make my own. EasyPeasy.
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    I had a look at a bottle of "real mayonnaise" and what's in it. All those chemicals, some of them I can't even pronounce. Do I want them in my body? Me things not. If I want mayonnaise, I make my own. EasyPeasy.

    If you make your mayo with raw eggs, it is way more dangerous than the store bought. Don't get me wrong I do make dishes with raw eggs but I understand the risks involved and avoid it at certain times in my life.

    I use boiled, peeled whole eggs - just a bit of olive oil and a strong food processor. We vary spices and herbs. Recently we used a little bit of curry powder freshly mixed from Durban. My favorite - fresh herbs which we grow in our garden: chives, parsley, lemon grass, curry leaves, basil, thyme - no salt needed.
  • cherys
    cherys Posts: 387 Member
    It's not a cheat. Just check that the other calories you consume that day are giving you proper nutrition. You can then bulk out your food with whatever you fancy. My only caveat would be - don't eat food that triggers cravings. I've cut out refined carbs and it's really shown me the difference between actual hunger (quite a pleasant nagging hollow feeling in the stomach that is capable of waiting 30 mins - 1 hour before dinner) and cravings (an obsessive mental hysterical chant of "I'm starving, let me eat everything in sight, immediately!)
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    I'll count the disagrees at the end of the day. :/

    It's not cheating your calorie count but you might be cheating your body of much needed nutrients in place of a lot of salt, more or less empty carbs, that sort of thing. And I believe that too much salt, too many carbs instead of fresh vegs/lean meats/etc. if done all the time, is not the best way to go.
    There's room in our eating plans for everything, as long as we maintain balance and good nutrition, for the most part, along the way.
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
    ochoa_ml wrote: »
    If my meals consists of foods deemed unhealthy, like fried food or fast food, but I still stay within my calories, is this still considered a cheat? I may be within my calories but I’m not eating anything that’s good for me, so I feel I’m at a crossroads.

    For example, I really like instant ramen (Top Ramen, Cup o Noodles, you name it) but anytime I eat it I feel really unhealthy afterward, even though it’s well within my calories.

    Thoughts?

    Did you enter into some kind of social agreement with someone else about your body? I'm guessing no. Then the term cheating just doesn't fit.
    Would I recommend you eat your big kid foods more? Sure. They'll probably help you stay on track too.
    The evidence suggest, if you're getting in your micronutrients in general, and going from obese or overweight towards a normal BMI, your health markers are probably going to improve even on a "poor" diet - it's been shown with things like McDonald's diets, and Twinkie diets.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    Have you had labs done and a doctor visit to interpret them? in other words, do you have indications of any health issues from bloodwork? Like high cholesterol, high blood sugar, etc.? If not, and you’re eating fried food/fast food in moderation, I wouldn’t worry too much. On the other hand, only you can answer the question of whether you want to keep eating something that makes you feel crappy the next day...whether feeling crappy is worth the pleasure of eating the food.
  • skinnyjingbb
    skinnyjingbb Posts: 127 Member
    ochoa_ml wrote: »
    If my meals consists of foods deemed unhealthy, like fried food or fast food, but I still stay within my calories, is this still considered a cheat? I may be within my calories but I’m not eating anything that’s good for me, so I feel I’m at a crossroads.

    For example, I really like instant ramen (Top Ramen, Cup o Noodles, you name it) but anytime I eat it I feel really unhealthy afterward, even though it’s well within my calories.

    Thoughts?

    Here is my tip to still eat unhealthy food but minimize the risk. Few years back when I do not cook, I lost weight by supplement fast food/takeout with vegetable. For example, only use half of noodle and seasoning, add an egg, bunch of pre-washed baby spinach to make a meal. Around same amount of calorie but half the unhealthy staff.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    For many who come here, losing weight (thus, making calories the priority) is going to have the biggest impact on their health, regardless of the makeup of their diet. And hopefully we will all see some dietary improvement as we work to meet our calorie goals. Others may come here at a perfectly healthy weight and only desire to improve their diet/aid performance. Some may fall in the middle. But none of these categories requires a diet solely made up nutritionally dense food. :)
  • kcmcbee
    kcmcbee Posts: 179 Member
    To me it’s more about what goals or objectives you set for yourself. And then deciding to make certain changes to get there. It can be one step at a time improvements. Or can be all in changes. The main thing is to allow yourself time to do what works for you and is something you can make work long term. And things change over the long term so good luck finding what is best for you and what you want to achieve!
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    It’s okay to eat less than perfect foods sometimes - what matters is what you eat most of the time. However, if you want to eat these foods more often, one option would be to make a healthier version of the foods you crave. For example, many brands of ramen are fried before being dehydrated, but it’s also possible to buy non-fried ramen which are lower in calories. Ramen seasoning tends to have a huge amount of sodium - use half the package, or season it yourself to taste, and cut the sodium. Add fresh or frozen vegetables to bulk up your meal and add fiber; add frozen shrimp or box tofu for protein. There are lots of small tweaks which can make ramen a filling, healthy meal, and most of them don’t take much extra time, cost or effort. The same is true of almost any food.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    I know many people who are very fit, and look fantastic and make room for what most people would consider 'junk food' pretty much everyday. I avoid most of these items because I just know I have self-control problems and avoid that first bite because it never ends well.....
    It is kind of a personal thing. What works for you. Your goals may also change your opinion as would your pursuit of a macro balance if you are in to that sort of thing. If I can't justify the calorie hit, it doesn't taste nearly good enough to balance off the +600cal hit for example...I just won't eat it. The four beers I had with our Sunday BBQ on the other hand were totally worth it!
  • Chelle8070
    Chelle8070 Posts: 165 Member
    I wouldn't call it a cheat - but I would encourage you to seek out some nutrients as well...

    Weightloss/maintenance isn't my only goal though. I am seeking overall health and fitness so I might eat differently than you. I would also feel lousy and sluggish if I ate high quantities of fried foods or Oodles of Noodles, so I don't.

    At the end of the day... you do you. Just be happy with you <3
  • Chelle8070
    Chelle8070 Posts: 165 Member
    [quote=

    Here is my tip to still eat unhealthy food but minimize the risk. Few years back when I do not cook, I lost weight by supplement fast food/takeout with vegetable. For example, only use half of noodle and seasoning, add an egg, bunch of pre-washed baby spinach to make a meal. Around same amount of calorie but half the unhealthy staff. [/quote]

    YES!!! I do this too! Even just with spaghetti, instead of a full plateful... I do a smaller quantity and throw a handful of spinach in it to let it wilt between the pasta and the sauce and then make broccoli or a salad on the side. Still get spaghetti, but get also get some veggies in and am fuller longer!

  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Cheat or not cheat is beside the point. Think of it like a budget. How much nutrition are you getting for the calories that you are spending?

    Cup noodles or ramen noodles have very little fiber or protein. They will not fill you up for long. They also come with a massive dose of salt, as well as palm oil, which is neither healthy for you nor the environment. It's not a great choice, but if you are young and have a normal metabolism, you can probably get away with it.

    Instead of thinking about cheating, you might want to think of some foods as things to eat occasionally, rather than staples of your diet.

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