How do you define "cheating?"

Oo_BrookeNicole_oO · January 2012

Do you believe it's cheating if you eat junk food all day but stay within your calorie goal? Or is it only cheating when you go over your calorie goal. For example, for the last three days I've had french fries, but I made sure I only ate one serving and stayed under in calories.

Or a more extreme example, for one day you eat 2 large donouts, chocolate, steak, etc but your still under calore goal. Do you consider that a cheat day?

Gelsemium · January 2012

I am wondering the same! I would really like to hear some answers!

EmCarroll1990 · January 2012

I think it's all personal. I consider it cheating when my "cheat food" takes me over my calories. I like to try to leave some room for foods I know I'll want at the end of the night, like my mini ice-creams. That way I don't binge on them, but I still get a fill.

LindaCWy · January 2012

The point is to eat nutritious food to fuel your body. Technically you could eat all those things, but in the end you will have heart problems. Everything in moderation is fine, from what I have read.

BlaireV · January 2012

I define cheating as simply exceeding your calorie goal. Whether it is exceeded by eating chocolate or by eating carrots. Either way, you're over your calorie goal.

therealangd · January 2012

I don't call eating or not eating anything, cheating. I call it life. I don't plan on eating clean 100% of the time and sometimes I'm going to go over my goal.

Cheating to me would be not recording as accurately as possible.

ETA: Quick Add Calories. That's cheating.

beach_chelle · January 2012

I don't call eating or not eating anything, cheating. I call it life. I don't plan on eating clean 100% of the time and sometimes I'm going to go over my goal.

Cheating to me would be not recording as accurately as possible.

ETA: Quick Add Calories. That's cheating.

I agree with you 100% don't think I could have said it better myself.

ItsMeRebekah · January 2012

the pizza i had for bfast on Sat LOL
i define it as straying from "clean eating"

mysweetFiona · January 2012

i call my "cheat days" the days i go over my calorie goal OR go out to eat and not eating as healthy as i should at the restaurant (like i LOVE olive garden but when i go there i cant help but binge on breadsticks... plus the meal i get there is 1150 calories without bread and salad or soup!) But i feel like im cheating when i eat chocolate and candy or go to dairy queen for an ice cream. BUT i do feel ok eating one or two bites of chocolate (last night i had a peanut butter chocolate bonbon, and a mini size 3 musketeers so it only totaled 170 calories) every 3 days or so, but when its every night is when i feel like its "cheating". When i eat pizza for example, i keep it in my calorie goals and that makes me feel better but it still stresses me out because i know its not healthy. Some say "calories are calories as long as your within your goals", and some disagree, i dont think theres a definite answer there but i do know the more junk you have, even if its within your calorie limits, makes it harder to lose weight where as fresh food within your calorie limits obviously helps you lose weight and keeps you healthy and glowing. no one is perfect though so "cheat" once in a while but i would make sure its small portions and dont fill your day with donuts and french fries just because its within your calories. just my advice!

EuroDriver12 · January 2012

mmm if im "bulking" and trying to meet my calories and proteins as priority i still consider pizza, burgers, and all other junk as bad and cheating... only once a week i would let myself eat a slice or a burger... if that...

(oh n those who say you ONLY need to watch cals.. thats bs... you need to watch ur fats and other macros and depends what kind of foods you are getting to meet your calorie goals...)

now when cutting... im on a strict gram by gram diet plan... and even if i eat something else thats healthy but its not part of my plan i still consider that cheating as im straying from my plan..

Matt_Wild · January 2012

I consider cheating junk food. It has little or no nutritional value.

Put it this way - I pack away between 6000-7000 calories per day, these are all clean. I have one cheat meal per week.

The problem is, if you don't learn to start eating cleanly, you'll never keep off the weight you are looking to lose anyway. You'll be fighting a losing battle.

oceanchristy · January 2012

I consider it cheating when i have enough junk food to feel guilty.
Everything in moderation.

EuroDriver12 · January 2012

I consider cheating junk food. It has little or no nutritional value.

Put it this way - I pack away between 6000-7000 calories per day, these are all clean. I have one cheat meal per week.

The problem is, if you don't learn to start eating cleanly, you'll never keep off the weight you are looking to lose anyway. You'll be fighting a losing battle.

CORRECT!!! when i bulk i get around 5000-5500clean calories and everyone sais to me WTF!!! you eat that much? how are you staying lean???? well its because i get my 5000 calories from chicken,fish,tuna,veggies,rice,eggs,extra virgin olive oil, fish oils, flax seed list goes on...

now take same diet 5000calories and eat pizza and burgers see what happens to ur body? ull be a effin balloon in less than a month!!

this is the point i was trying to make on another thread where someone ask if other macros are important or if you can just eat anything you want including junk food as long as you stay in you calorie range... and everyone was saying food, macros and what you eat doesnt effect ur results as long as you hit ur calorie goal...

::::::!I felt like!!::::::

it was fustrating me seeing ppl give such false information!! happy that there is someone else with experience who said the same thing as me!!!

RonSwanson66 · January 2012

CORRECT!!! when i bulk i get around 5000-5500clean calories and everyone sais to me WTF!!! you eat that much? how are you staying lean???? well its because i get my 5000 calories from chicken,fish,tuna,veggies,rice,eggs,extra virgin olive oil, fish oils, flax seed list goes on...

now take same diet 5000calories and eat pizza and burgers see what happens to ur body? ull be a effin balloon in less than a month!!

Not even remotely true.

Given the same macronutrient breakdown, a "dirty" bulk will result in no more fat gain than a "clean" bulk. A high sodium content may contribute to water retention, but that's about it.

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

http://jcdfitness.com/2010/09/clean-eating-is-a-scam-and-why-you-should-abandon-it/

http://jcdfitness.com/2010/09/clean-eating-false-beliefs-and-pulling-the-emotional-trigger/

thepetiterunner · January 2012

I don't call eating or not eating anything, cheating. I call it life. I don't plan on eating clean 100% of the time and sometimes I'm going to go over my goal.

Cheating to me would be not recording as accurately as possible.

ETA: Quick Add Calories. That's cheating.

There are times when you literally don't know what the calorie count is in something (i.e. dressing at a restaurant in a to-go container that you have no nutritional info for). How is adding an estimate via Quick Add cheating? Completely not accounting for it would be cheating, IMO.

dawnstrassburg · January 2012

From another woman looking to lose some wight (Not someone trying to bulk up or build a ton of muscle), I eat waht i want. I make sure i stay under my calories and if I am really craving junk I will eat it. The other day I was craving cheetos, I had a serving, or chocolate I will have a peice. I wont scarf a entore candy bar or sit down with a bag of chips like I used to be I am a little more aware of what i am eating. I allow myself the occasional serving of french fries or slice of pizza but I also eat a LOT of fish, chicken, rice, salad ect. Its about smart choices. if you feel bad about it later it's probally not a smart choice.

mallory3411 · January 2012

Cheating for me is when I don't properly measure my food and drink... when I don't record it properly, when I don't record exercise, when I leave something off of my diary.

I eat what I want when I want it. I just make sure it fits into my calorie goal

Captain_Tightpants · January 2012

I don't call eating or not eating anything, cheating. I call it life. I don't plan on eating clean 100% of the time and sometimes I'm going to go over my goal.

Cheating to me would be not recording as accurately as possible.

ETA: Quick Add Calories. That's cheating.

Amen!

carlageek · January 2012

I have been working at decoupling my eating habits from the vocabulary of moral lapses. Eating off plan isn't "cheating", it isn't "bad", it isn't a crime or a sin. It's not something for which one needs to be punished, or do penance.

That kind of thinking leads me right to starve-and-binge cycles, even minor ones, and those are simply not productive.

So, to answer the question, how do I define cheating? I don't, in the context of weight loss. There is eating on-plan and eating off-plan, and occasionally I make a considered decision to go off plan in which case it's sort of a planned off-plan event, if that makes sense. But there isn't any "cheating".

The important thing is what I do with the NEXT eating opportunity - and I always try to follow off-plan decisions with on-plan decisions, beginning from the very next bite. There is no "well today is blown so I might as well..." Every choice, every eating opportunity, is a separate and new opportunity to make a good choice.

That's how I try to think about things.

Chagama · January 2012

I don't call eating or not eating anything, cheating. I call it life. I don't plan on eating clean 100% of the time and sometimes I'm going to go over my goal.

Cheating to me would be not recording as accurately as possible.

ETA: Quick Add Calories. That's cheating.

I agree completely. Cheating is not following the rules, either not measuring accurately, or not recording.

Eating, or not eating something, is a choice. Some choices are better than others, and there are many reasons for our choices. I'm not perfect, I will make some poor choices from time to time, but that's not cheating. I follow the rules, record it, and try to learn to make better choices.

Matt_Wild · January 2012

CORRECT!!! when i bulk i get around 5000-5500clean calories and everyone sais to me WTF!!! you eat that much? how are you staying lean???? well its because i get my 5000 calories from chicken,fish,tuna,veggies,rice,eggs,extra virgin olive oil, fish oils, flax seed list goes on...

now take same diet 5000calories and eat pizza and burgers see what happens to ur body? ull be a effin balloon in less than a month!!

Not even remotely true.

Given the same macronutrient breakdown, a "dirty" bulk will result in no more fat gain than a "clean" bulk. A high sodium content may contribute to water retention, but that's about it.

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

http://jcdfitness.com/2010/09/clean-eating-is-a-scam-and-why-you-should-abandon-it/

http://jcdfitness.com/2010/09/clean-eating-false-beliefs-and-pulling-the-emotional-trigger/

Do you have any idea about insulin releases when eating foods? Of course there is a difference its a massive difference.

Scorpioangel · January 2012

This may seem odd but I don't even really see things like eating fast food, etc. as cheating anymore. In fact, I don't even have cheat meals. I just eat things and if I go over I go over but I log it all so I can look for patterns. I am at my goal now and looking to get more lean mass. I rarely have the desire to go hog wild on what some may call a cheat meal

For me it would be lots of chocolate, donuts, alcohol and bad bad foods all day! LOL

The last time I did that was around the holidays where I ate maybe 3,000 calories but some of that was alcohol

I needed late night pizza of course to keep food in my stomach while drinking my wine

vweavers · January 2012

I would define 'cheating' as anything you put in your mouth without regard for your health and/or caloric intake.
If you don't at least occasionally eat some foods you ENJOY (guilt free)- it's much harder to stay on track.

If eating that cupcake puts you over, but going over isn't something you do every day- I see no problem. If you eat that cupcake because, dammit- you just don't care right now....that's cheating.

hope516 · January 2012

I only feel guilty when I go over my calorie intake. I about 95% of the time try to only eat "healthy" foods. But every now and then (today for example) I indulge in something "not so healthy." But as long as I don't go over than I don't mind. However, I have found I am more likely to overeat when I do allow myself these small indulgences. I am an all or nothing type of person so not eating these things works better for me.

tmt2003 · January 2012

I feel like cheating = guilt and I am done feeling guilty about food! This is it for me. the real deal for life to be accountable to myself. I've been overwieght my whole life and have spent years feeling guilt and shame about food and myself. I am done with that! Sometimes I feel like "I shouldn't have eaten that" but it's more like I will do better next time, not shame.

So to answer, I don't consider anything "cheating" - either I am eating at a deficit or not. period. If I take a day "off" or splurge for an occassion that is a decision I have made. Ditto if I don't record 100% of my food or eat chips instead of veggies. Sometimes I make smart choices and sometimes not so smart choices, but I'm the one in conrtol of all that and I've learned no matter what I log or don't log - I can't cheat the scale : )

Teresa

CharityPearce · January 2012

I have been working at decoupling my eating habits from the vocabulary of moral lapses. Eating off plan isn't "cheating", it isn't "bad", it isn't a crime or a sin. It's not something for which one needs to be punished, or do penance.

That kind of thinking leads me right to starve-and-binge cycles, even minor ones, and those are simply not productive.

So, to answer the question, how do I define cheating? I don't, in the context of weight loss. There is eating on-plan and eating off-plan, and occasionally I make a considered decision to go off plan in which case it's sort of a planned off-plan event, if that makes sense. But there isn't any "cheating".

The important thing is what I do with the NEXT eating opportunity - and I always try to follow off-plan decisions with on-plan decisions, beginning from the very next bite. There is no "well today is blown so I might as well..." Every choice, every eating opportunity, is a separate and new opportunity to make a good choice.

That's how I try to think about things.

^^This^^ Couldn't have said it better myself. Now, what you put in your "plan" is up to you. What are your personal goals? Mine, personally, is to learn to eat healthy, not starving myself or depriving myself, but eating balanced and healthy meals most of the time. If I eat nothing but junk food all day long but still come in under goal, I would say that was a day that I wouldn't want to repeat very often, because my body won't thank me for it later. But it happens occasionally. It's all personal. Only you can say what you need. ; ) And good luck!

grinch031 · January 2012

Cheating is when you violate the terms of your diet plan (minus any planned cheating which is cheating, but not really cheating). That could be an excess of calories, or excess of a particular macro-nutrient or even food choice.

izzydino · January 2012

I don't call eating or not eating anything, cheating. I call it life. I don't plan on eating clean 100% of the time and sometimes I'm going to go over my goal.

Cheating to me would be not recording as accurately as possible.

ETA: Quick Add Calories. That's cheating.

This!

Oo_BrookeNicole_oO · January 2012

Thanks everyone for the answers. It helped me think things through. I think there has to be a middle ground. Eating what you love in moderation isn't probably going to destroy your diet. I have alot of respect for the people that can go the "all or nothing" route, but that just wouldn't work for me.

I crave yummy food to much!

adamtall · January 2012

if i eat something that takes me over my calories and i dont really need it (10pm and i grab a granola bar or something along those lines) or when i eat a large amount of junk food and stay under my calories (a bigger bag of buggles and sour punch straws that totaled about 450 calories when i had 500 left for the day) thats how i classify it

Churble · February 2012

I consider it cheating when I eat something that I know I won't be able or willing to work off. I know I'm only going to feel like doing a 20 minute walk, but I'm eating this burrito anyway... I call that a cheat.

How do you define "cheating?"

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