One cheat meal is not going to hurt you
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I'm more in the camp of no cheat *days*
Here's why. Inside, I'm still that 600 pound girl who, a cheat day, is 2 fast food meals, ice cream, and junk. You give me a whole day, I can eat a whole week's worth of cravings.
One meal, some days, can even be too much. There are still foods that I call no nos in my house because once I start on them, I can't stop. So they're not allowed in. Creme horns are my prime example. I can't eat just one. I eat the whole package.
So, for me, it's more a judge. If I'm going out for a nice dinner, if I'm feeling it and my calories allow it, I'll allow a small splurge - but I'm living everything in moderation.
That cheat day mentality of mine is how I struggle.
Everyone is different, everyone is wired in a different manner. So, for me, I know that at certain points in my life, I cannot give in for a whole meal.
But that's just my take.
I've turned it into a lifestyle, with small indulgences here and there, and new treats that fit my new outlook:)0 -
well since i have pcos and a really bad metabolism when i eat out i just eat half the meal then take the rest home for another day or for mostly someone else to eat then i just exercise on my off day. but i do allow my self to eat the things i love but in moderation. and i do love chocolate but i just eat the dark chocolate instead of the milk chocolate.0
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I just joined this site and I noticed that Tuesday when I weighed myself I weighed 294 and I went out to eat with a buddy at Taco Bell for dinner. Yesterday and today I weighed in at 299. I suspect this is water weight from the high sodium content of the fast food. I started dieting back in October 2011 and since then, with little to no exercise and just dieting with the occasional cheat day, I have lost what looks and feels like about 30 lbs. (I have a scale that doesn't go past 300.) But I have dropped a pants size and shirts now fit much more comfortably.0
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I just posted today that I ate more than 3000 calories today, mostly at bedtime, and I posted everything I ate, too, and it was standing up, as well. I feel so awful about it but after seeing this post I think hey, I may have gained a pound of fat but I've lost 4 pounds in the couple of weeks since starting, and what you say about cheat days makes a lot of sense. Thanks.0
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I used to get crazy when I would eat more than I thought I should for a day. Then I realized that I really did need to eat more to lose! Everyone kept saying it on here, so I tired it and now just started to move the scale down after a plateau that lasted 2 weeks.
So, I moved on and when I feel really hungry I EAT, I just try to think about what I am eating, I have had cheese stuffed crust pizza and bread sticks filled with cheese, ice cream, m&m's, cupcakes all sorts of things that I thought I should not be eating...EVER! but the truth is, those things are all FOOD! I like them occasionally. I don't eat them everyday and when I do eat them I try my best to keep very active in my day so that I can burn some or all of it off. Sometimes that doesn't work out, most days it does.
Why add anymore stress to your weight loss journey? look at the overall picture and you will see that you are still moving and still making changes and don't give up!0 -
When I made this thread, I didn't mean your cheat, free, fun, day etc had to be on a certain day. It was just to tell most of you, that its okay to have that meal where you dont care what the calories are. All you need to do is fit it in your goals and you will get there.
I made this thread because theres a lot of threads going around with people scared to eat a candy bar or a cheeseburger.0 -
It's only "deprivation" if you have the mental mindset that you need certain junk foods to be happy... there are many people who have completely changed their lifestyles from processed crap to whole foods and they would never go back even if you put a huge bag of mcdonalds right in front of them. Something can only be deprivation if the desire is there. If you lose the desire to eat things that are bad (even in 'moderation') then the absence of it is simply the absence of it - not deprivation.
but that's basically the essence of weight loss in general - making the right decisions of what to eat, or to eat certain amounts of certain foods. the fact of the matter is, overweight people become so by NOT making the correct decisions, and eating too much of certain things (usually high fat, high sugar, etc). Once a person decides to lose weight, the self control doesn't pop up out of nowhere - it still is a battle every day to choose the right foods. But even MORE difficult (for many people, clearly not you though) is choosing a wrong food which one used to eat in abundance before they decided to change their lifestyles & lose weight, and then attempting to stop at just a little. It's much easier for them to avoid the food altogether because once they get that taste, there's the powerful urge for more that would NEVER have been there (or at least not to that extreme) if they had just not touched it in the first place. For people who struggle with this type of behavior, it is much easier to just not eat it than to eat it and try not to have more. The temporary pleasure of letting themselves have that "cheat food" isn't worth the massive amounts of willpower it would take for them to not eat more of that food. Again, this is people who struggle with trigger foods and binge eating and such. Not for your average Joe who can eat one cookie and not want another.
but my point is, what is keeping someone who TRULY has a problem with junk food from eating it in excess? absolutely nothing. simple self control isn't even enough to keep a binge eater from grabbing another cookie, or another twelve cookies. Or having four more slices of pizza after their first.The thing about planning cheat meals is that it can definitely get out of hand for some people, regardless of how well you "planned it". The problem with most "cheat" foods is that they are very unhealthy, full of processed, highly concentrated fats and sugars and things that should just not go into your body period. Those things are quite literally addictive for some people, especially those struggling with their weight (how do you think they became overweight in the first place? it definitely wasn't by having "one treat a week") With some people, certain foods lead to a strong, almost insatiable desire for MORE MORE MORE. And if it was that easy for them to just stop at one bite or one meal, they probably wouldn't be overweight now.
the only unhealthy food is one eaten in excess.
well, no. that's exactly the thing keeping them from eating more. no one is forcing them to eat X amount of anything. you make a decision. do I eat that or do I not eat that. not eating something you might like to have/have more of? that's pretty much the definition of self control.
From what I've seen and also been through...deprivation causes MUCH more damage in the long run than a simple "cheat" meal.
Moderation is much safer than deprivation when it comes to those that struggle with their weight.0 -
I have one cheat day a week. It gives me something to look forward to.0
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I refuse to pick one day to ingest tons of unhealthy calories and sabotage the work that I've done all week. That attitude is how I ended up over weight. I would call that at binge day not a cheat day!!!
We do eat out once a week, however I track it, even if I go over slightly, I track it and I work out.
I think the reason why some people have success at this so called cheat day is their not eating the proper number of calories to begin with so they do this to prevent "starvation mode" Does that really sound healthy? Doesn't to me0 -
When I made this thread, I didn't mean your cheat, free, fun, day etc had to be on a certain day. It was just to tell most of you, that its okay to have that meal where you dont care what the calories are. All you need to do is fit it in your goals and you will get there.
I made this thread because theres a lot of threads going around with people scared to eat a candy bar or a cheeseburger.
I agree with an occasional snack however cheat day means something totally different to so many people on this site:) We do need to be able to eat out of have a treat, otherwise how could you stick to the diet for the rest of your life? Right:)0 -
true
I am doing 4 hour body - in which on a normal day no starchy carbs, no fruit. just beans, veggies, and protein.
I look forward to my cheat days, they are great!
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Four years of cheat days got me to the place I'm in now. When I want to cheat, I just think of all the times in the past that I ate that ice cream, pizza, or that 2nd helping and it reminds me I've already had my share at the table. There are plenty of low fat, low cal options that satisfy those cravings.0
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true
I am doing 4 hour body - in which on a normal day no starchy carbs, no fruit. just beans, veggies, and protein.
I look forward to my cheat days, they are great!
Is that working for you? The 4-hour body? I'm interested to know what it's all about. 0 -
this dpesnt wprk for me at all. I have hit such a wall, and I am sooooo bummed out
over the last 3 months I have been doing the Insanity DVD's and even incorporated P90X along with crossfit training for the last 2 weeks. I have only list 8 punds. WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!! I try to drink at least 2.5- 3 liters of water a day ( I mainly stick to that M-F). i snack healthy (almonds, string cheese, fruit) I eat healthy (yogurt, oatmeal, salads, chicken). I havent visited a fast food place in the last 3 months! WHAT THE HECKAM I DOING WRONG??? so bummed . . . . .
Open your diary then people can give you advice. Like another poster said... I suspect youre not eating enough to fuel your body for those kind of workouts- I havent done insanity or P90X but they are pretty tough from what I can make out..... eating back your exercise calories or some of them may help if youre not doing this already.
Emma x0 -
Ive only had cheat days since Ive been on maintenance-before that I tracked everything....if I went over one day I would pull it back in the week.
I personally think if youre still trying to lose weight then maybe its not a good idea to have a whole cheat day.
I certainly have them and look forward to them now though :0)
Thats my reward for hitting my goal weight. I wouldnt have considered it before...0 -
It's only "deprivation" if you have the mental mindset that you need certain junk foods to be happy... there are many people who have completely changed their lifestyles from processed crap to whole foods and they would never go back even if you put a huge bag of mcdonalds right in front of them. Something can only be deprivation if the desire is there. If you lose the desire to eat things that are bad (even in 'moderation') then the absence of it is simply the absence of it - not deprivation.
but that's basically the essence of weight loss in general - making the right decisions of what to eat, or to eat certain amounts of certain foods. the fact of the matter is, overweight people become so by NOT making the correct decisions, and eating too much of certain things (usually high fat, high sugar, etc). Once a person decides to lose weight, the self control doesn't pop up out of nowhere - it still is a battle every day to choose the right foods. But even MORE difficult (for many people, clearly not you though) is choosing a wrong food which one used to eat in abundance before they decided to change their lifestyles & lose weight, and then attempting to stop at just a little. It's much easier for them to avoid the food altogether because once they get that taste, there's the powerful urge for more that would NEVER have been there (or at least not to that extreme) if they had just not touched it in the first place. For people who struggle with this type of behavior, it is much easier to just not eat it than to eat it and try not to have more. The temporary pleasure of letting themselves have that "cheat food" isn't worth the massive amounts of willpower it would take for them to not eat more of that food. Again, this is people who struggle with trigger foods and binge eating and such. Not for your average Joe who can eat one cookie and not want another.
but my point is, what is keeping someone who TRULY has a problem with junk food from eating it in excess? absolutely nothing. simple self control isn't even enough to keep a binge eater from grabbing another cookie, or another twelve cookies. Or having four more slices of pizza after their first.The thing about planning cheat meals is that it can definitely get out of hand for some people, regardless of how well you "planned it". The problem with most "cheat" foods is that they are very unhealthy, full of processed, highly concentrated fats and sugars and things that should just not go into your body period. Those things are quite literally addictive for some people, especially those struggling with their weight (how do you think they became overweight in the first place? it definitely wasn't by having "one treat a week") With some people, certain foods lead to a strong, almost insatiable desire for MORE MORE MORE. And if it was that easy for them to just stop at one bite or one meal, they probably wouldn't be overweight now.
the only unhealthy food is one eaten in excess.
well, no. that's exactly the thing keeping them from eating more. no one is forcing them to eat X amount of anything. you make a decision. do I eat that or do I not eat that. not eating something you might like to have/have more of? that's pretty much the definition of self control.
From what I've seen and also been through...deprivation causes MUCH more damage in the long run than a simple "cheat" meal.
Moderation is much safer than deprivation when it comes to those that struggle with their weight.
I agree wholeheartedly with the trigger foods. I am one of those people, 100% and every day is a struggle. If I restrict myself completely from any type of dessert for a while, I'm absolutely fine. But once I let myself have one, I go into a tailspin all over again and lose control. It's like a drug. You get off it, and get over withdrawal (from drugs or alcohol I mean) and eventually you don't want it as much. But just one taste, just one puff of the cigarette, and you're hooked all over again. Trying to eat healthy and manage my eating can be so stressful that the emotional eating kicks in and I want the food even more. I need a cheat day or else I won't eat healthy at all. If you don't understand it, if you haven't ever experienced it, don't argue about it. How can one be "deprived" of bad for you food?! You don't need it at all, your taste buds and emotions just think you do. I know I don't "need" that food. Does it make me happy in the moments I'm eating it? Yes. Do I feel guilty afterwards? Sometimes, depends on my mood. Sometimes I think "to hell with all of it" and don't feel guilty. Sometimes I feel so guilty, but it still doesn't stop me from continuing the behavior for another week or so. I wasn't raised to be mindful of my eating. I was encouraged by my father to eat whatever I wanted, however much I wanted, because life is too short to not eat the foods you want. So self control doesn't come naturally to people like me. I wasn't raised on veggies or fruit. I was raised on sugary cereal, stromboli, grilled cheese, and fried chicken. I know that I can have all of these things in moderation, but if one piece makes me happy, 5 will make me REALLY happy (at least for the moment). But other things make me happy too. And I need to learn to focus more on them and depend less on food. Training myself to eat veggies (I struggle with them more than fruit, I think because fruit is naturally sweet and I love sweets) as an adult freaking sucks. I am trying to change myself for the better now, before I have kids, so I don't repeat the behavior and then my kids have to turn around and go through what I'm going through. Or if they don't try to get healthy, I'll have to sit there and watch them destroy their lives with food until it kills them. I don't want my kids to go through what I've gone through in my life. So like I said, if you don't understand, and haven't experienced binge eating like I've described, don't argue about it.0 -
Pizza is just too f'n good to give up lol
I can't imagine life without pizza. Pizza is absolutely one of my weaknesses. (and stromboli.)0 -
Friday is my EAT, "cheat" day... that's today YAY!! I keep it at just a meal tho.. and maybe a dessert
Totally feeling Hibachi steak and a sushi roll .......
I don't log it and I keep the rest of the day completely normal, right down to my macros and calorie intake. It's been workin 4 me.
Heather0 -
It's only "deprivation" if you have the mental mindset that you need certain junk foods to be happy... there are many people who have completely changed their lifestyles from processed crap to whole foods and they would never go back even if you put a huge bag of mcdonalds right in front of them. Something can only be deprivation if the desire is there. If you lose the desire to eat things that are bad (even in 'moderation') then the absence of it is simply the absence of it - not deprivation.
but that's basically the essence of weight loss in general - making the right decisions of what to eat, or to eat certain amounts of certain foods. the fact of the matter is, overweight people become so by NOT making the correct decisions, and eating too much of certain things (usually high fat, high sugar, etc). Once a person decides to lose weight, the self control doesn't pop up out of nowhere - it still is a battle every day to choose the right foods. But even MORE difficult (for many people, clearly not you though) is choosing a wrong food which one used to eat in abundance before they decided to change their lifestyles & lose weight, and then attempting to stop at just a little. It's much easier for them to avoid the food altogether because once they get that taste, there's the powerful urge for more that would NEVER have been there (or at least not to that extreme) if they had just not touched it in the first place. For people who struggle with this type of behavior, it is much easier to just not eat it than to eat it and try not to have more. The temporary pleasure of letting themselves have that "cheat food" isn't worth the massive amounts of willpower it would take for them to not eat more of that food. Again, this is people who struggle with trigger foods and binge eating and such. Not for your average Joe who can eat one cookie and not want another.
but my point is, what is keeping someone who TRULY has a problem with junk food from eating it in excess? absolutely nothing. simple self control isn't even enough to keep a binge eater from grabbing another cookie, or another twelve cookies. Or having four more slices of pizza after their first.The thing about planning cheat meals is that it can definitely get out of hand for some people, regardless of how well you "planned it". The problem with most "cheat" foods is that they are very unhealthy, full of processed, highly concentrated fats and sugars and things that should just not go into your body period. Those things are quite literally addictive for some people, especially those struggling with their weight (how do you think they became overweight in the first place? it definitely wasn't by having "one treat a week") With some people, certain foods lead to a strong, almost insatiable desire for MORE MORE MORE. And if it was that easy for them to just stop at one bite or one meal, they probably wouldn't be overweight now.
the only unhealthy food is one eaten in excess.
well, no. that's exactly the thing keeping them from eating more. no one is forcing them to eat X amount of anything. you make a decision. do I eat that or do I not eat that. not eating something you might like to have/have more of? that's pretty much the definition of self control.
From what I've seen and also been through...deprivation causes MUCH more damage in the long run than a simple "cheat" meal.
Moderation is much safer than deprivation when it comes to those that struggle with their weight.
^^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^^ It is only deprivation if you have the mental mindset that you need certain junk foods to be happy!! Great point!0 -
For me, it's not deprivation...it is my new lifestyle...
If I ate that whole bag of mcdonalds, in 30 mins, I'd be in the bathroom, puking.
No lies.
Is that really worth it?
Not to me.
And the other day, at lunch? My seasoned fish dry grilled was much tastier than any burger could have been. Pizza makes me hurl from the grease (Exception- digiorno stuffed crust, omg). I don't really miss a lot of things I thought I would...because I've found other things.
My homemade choices are better:)
Is this worth me being sad and miserable? No. And honestly, I know my slippery slope, my issues with food. My disorder and disease. Which is different from a lot of people. I have to treat food like a drug- not everyone does.
For me, I have to remember, one hit of that heroin, one snort of coke...and I'm back where I started. (metaphors)0
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