Cheat Meals?

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jess_steich7
jess_steich7 Posts: 58
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone,

Do you think having one small cheat meal a week will hinder progress? Has anyone done this and still reached their goals? Thanks for the help!

Jessica
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Replies

  • cooter2533
    cooter2533 Posts: 108
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    depends what you mean by small cheat meal and how it affects your daily totals. I will have one cheat meal every other week or so where my calories will be 2400-2800 for the day when ive been eating around 1600 a day. So basically what I am saying is that a cheat meal will not kill your weekly progress as long as you keep it reasonable. Also its better to have a cheat day once a week and be sane and dedicated than it is to give up completely and go back to eating bad. Good luck :)
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
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    If you are eating in a deficit overall, it won't hinder your progress. If you eat a cheat meal and end up in a caloric surplus, it may hinder your progress.
  • NewTeena
    NewTeena Posts: 154 Member
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    I believe it's really a matter of personal discipline. In my case, as a former smoker, going over caloric intake would be the equivalent to having one cigarette, one would lead to one more and one more and so on. I also really dislike the idea of not being able to have something I really want, so in my case, I would allow myself a small portion of whatever it is I wanted and adjust the remaining daily calories and fats accordingly. I think ultimately each of us has to do what is right for each of us.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Do you think having one small cheat meal a week will hinder progress? Thanks for the help!

    No.
    Has anyone done this and still reached their goals?

    Yes

    :)
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    Hi everyone,

    Do you think having one small cheat meal a week will hinder progress? Has anyone done this and still reached their goals? Thanks for the help!

    Jessica
    Of course not.
    I do a cheat day or "free day" once per week where I rest all diet and exercise, and once per month I have a binge day where I allow myself a total 24 hour food orgy.

    LOVE IT!
  • SexyCook
    SexyCook Posts: 2,253 Member
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    Do you think having one small cheat meal a week will hinder progress? Thanks for the help!

    No.
    Has anyone done this and still reached their goals?


    Agree with this!! I cant say I did it weekly but I had moments and still was successful!
    Yes

    :)
  • k121777
    k121777 Posts: 306
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    I don't think it will hurt you too much. But be sure to keep on exercising when you do.
  • Sunshine2plus2
    Sunshine2plus2 Posts: 1,492 Member
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    When I lost 138pds in 18mths I had one cheat meal a week and it never hindered my weight loss at all! i actually encourage it bc its helps you from totally falling off the wagon but thats just my opinion!
  • LittleMissDoll
    LittleMissDoll Posts: 185
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    having a cheat day once a week or so is actually good for weight loss. just make sure its not more often than that, and other than that you stick to your "diet" upping your calorie intake once a week keeps your metabolism on its toes, because when your body gets used to what your eating your metabolism will slow down accordingly. but spike your calories every once in a while and your metabolism wont know whats going on, and will stay up :)
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
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    Hi everyone,

    Do you think having one small cheat meal a week will hinder progress? Has anyone done this and still reached their goals? Thanks for the help!

    Jessica
    Of course not.
    I do a cheat day or "free day" once per week where I rest all diet and exercise, and once per month I have a binge day where I allow myself a total 24 hour food orgy.

    LOVE IT!

    ROFL @ food orgy :laugh:
  • chickidoo1121
    chickidoo1121 Posts: 21 Member
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    I have to allow myself a no calorie count day or I will fall off the wagon. My day is the day I weigh in (Friday's) because I weigh in the mornings. It is not that I go WAY overboard but if I want it, I have it. Then I get right back on it the next day. I know some of my friends diet for 5 days straight then take 2 days off (typically the weekend) and one of them has lost 70lbs in the course of a year. You will need to find what works best for. But I say don't deprive yourself if you are craving it.

    Best of luck :)
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
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    A cheat meal wouldn't hurt! If anything, your body will get confused and burn the extra calorie spike.

    I like having a cheat meal at the weekend - usually if I catch up with family we go to a restaurant or something, but I don't stress about it that particular day.

    If you're doing the right thing 90% of the time, the other 10% is hard earned in my opinion!

    Cheat away :)

    (P.S. I don't call it a 'cheat' - I call mine a 'reward' for the hard work I've put in.. that way it feels different :) )
  • jess_steich7
    jess_steich7 Posts: 58
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    Thanks for the comments everyone! I like the idea of it being called a 'reward' rather than a 'cheat' meal, too! This is the concept that I normally stick with but after hearing some people say it will hinder progress that was made that week I started to second guess it. So, I thought I'd ask for other people's opinion to see what they think. It definitely helps keep me sane and on track I believe!
  • PirateGary
    PirateGary Posts: 19
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    It is only my opinion, but many health professionals believe that modern people no longer eat in response to their body’s demands for nutrition but due to addictive cravings that are difficult to resist. There’s a million links out there covering the subject, including some really interesting studies about natural opiates in dairy products, and so forth. So, my simple concern would be this; if you suspect you are addicted, and you probably know to what, then a “reward” of what-ever it is, is just as dangerous as a drink to an alcoholic or cigarette to a smoker.

    People hate that analogy, ironically preferring to belittle their own lack of will-power, as opposed to a real organic problem due to their diet and genetics. Said more simply, if you are an addict, then you have wiring that makes it so.

    Are you hopeless? No, of course not, but you’d better try to dry out. It is completely possible. Your tastes *do* change. Things you used to crave will seem gross. Think not? Still eat the same stuff you did as a kid? Probably not and in fact, some things seem positively disgusting. The point is, if you don’t get weaned off this stuff, you’ll never achieve your life goals. You have to give it time and see how you feel – which will be decidedly better. Unfortunately, I find it’s easy to back-slide so you have to kind of be committed. If you don’t go back and forth, it’s actually not hard at all. Good luck.
  • jess_steich7
    jess_steich7 Posts: 58
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    I understand what you're saying but as you can see by my profile picture I am not a food addict. I workout hard six days a week and eat clean for every meal up until one meal where I eat something that I enjoy that is not usually a part of my meal plan. Do I enjoy eating healthy food? Yes. But, do I also like to have a slice of pizza every now and then? Yes. I was just wondering what people's opinions were on having a meal once/week of the kind of food that they don't usually eat. It is all about moderation in life and just b/c someone wants to have one beer for dinner once/week they aren't an addict. If they have a large amount every day then that is a different story.
  • PurplePookie
    PurplePookie Posts: 85 Member
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    When I was doing weight watchers we had a cheat night on weigh in days. There were 4 of us following the plan and all of us would enjoy a treat of some kind on that designated night. It worked well because when a craving hit for something during the week we could tell ourselves we only have to wait until our cheat night and then we could have it.

    Having one night to cheat never seemed to bother the scales. We all lost weight. I have found that it matters more what you do over the course of a few days not what you do (in moderation) for one moment in one day. So I say, enjoy the treat - you work hard for it!
  • PirateGary
    PirateGary Posts: 19
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    Oh I'm sorry. I thought it was a general question, not about you. Yes, 24 year olds in bikinis certainly have no issues with food, just ask Carrel Otis. Everything in moderation? Not good advice for the addict. Circle back in your 40's ...
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    Cheat meals or weekends as I like to call them only help metabolism by shaking things up! I ate 1/2 of a red barron pizza last night then burned a bunch of fat while I slept!

    Enjoy it!
  • shellan_1
    shellan_1 Posts: 3
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    I think I'm doing OK in terms of my goals and I have what I call a 'free' day every week. If there is something I have been really craving during the week I eat it on my free day, and I don't track calories for anything else I eat. There's usually wine, or vodka involved as well lol. I feel that if I become too pedantic about it I am setting myself up to fail, because there is only so long I'm going to go before "cheating" better to have made allowances for it than feel guilty
  • SparksFly460
    SparksFly460 Posts: 258
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    Cheat Meals? OH YES.

    Usually when the bf & I go out to a nice dinner (every two-three weeks)...I mean I'm not going to have a damn salad :devil: I'll go for the nicely glazed salmon or other seafood and split a dessert.

    Or when we both get home from work, exhausted and veg out on the couch with a giant pizza :devil: :devil:

    Once in a while is totally fine. Life happens. Life has delicious, naughty foods. Indulge once in a while and keep your weekly deficit at bay. I usually hit the gym dumb-hard the next day and move on to health eating again

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