Is it advisable to have a weekly cheat meal while trying to lose weight? I'm not talking about a gigantic binge... but maybe having a few slices of pizza, a burger and fries, or any of your favorite foods that are now off limits. I've been doing this once a week and have still managed to lose some weight. But, I wonder in the long run if I'd be better off avoiding this. Your thoughts?
weekly cheat meal
- Thread starter Ando3242
- Start date
Personally, I say it is no problem. People need to avoid food at their own pace. I'm the kind of person where if I don't give in every once and awhile, I'll go nuts.
Also, you need to be real with the portion sizes that you have. A few peices of pizza could be either like, a) Domino's Pizza slices that are pretty small, or b) Brooklyn style CRAZY ass slices.
Again with the hamburger and fries -- make sure you are not getting the "super size" container of fries. You just don't want to get carried away.
I hope that helps!
Also, you need to be real with the portion sizes that you have. A few peices of pizza could be either like, a) Domino's Pizza slices that are pretty small, or b) Brooklyn style CRAZY ass slices.
Again with the hamburger and fries -- make sure you are not getting the "super size" container of fries. You just don't want to get carried away.
I hope that helps!
biggestloser105
New member
For me it would be a horrible idea. I suffered from real food addiction when I was at my highest weight (couldn't stop eating cake until it was gone etc.), and I know that if I start eating junk again I run a serious risk of falling back into my old habits. There have been studies showing that for some people the high sugar/salt/fat foods activates brain the way drugs do.
By not allowing myself any junk during this summer, I no longer have the temptation to eat it. I personally know that I can never eat junk in moderation. And the thing is, losing weight has been almost effortless once I got un-addicted, I just eat healthy and it comes off. (There are occasional struggles where I will feel hungry and eat extra chicken or extra fruits or whatever, but nothing like eating a whole cake in one sitting.)
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ChefChiTown
New member
I'd go insane if I didn't eat like crap at least once or twice during the week. Personally, I'm all for a "cheat meal". Without it, I'm willing to bet that most people would lose their minds.
Jeez, if I didn't have pizza at least 2-3 times a week I think I would go INSANE. I'm a full supporter of eating the food you love, as long as you're getting a decent amount of nutrition throughout the day.
Get your fruits, vegetables, multi-vitamin and fish oils in... then fill it in with stuff you love. Once you knock off the weight you can learn to incorporate a better diet.
I don't know how some people go from eating whole large pizzas, processed crap, boxes of cereal, tons of pop and then jump right into an all fruit/vege/lean meats diet. I mostly slowly adjusted my diet as the months went by and I thought I could cope with it...
Get your fruits, vegetables, multi-vitamin and fish oils in... then fill it in with stuff you love. Once you knock off the weight you can learn to incorporate a better diet.
I don't know how some people go from eating whole large pizzas, processed crap, boxes of cereal, tons of pop and then jump right into an all fruit/vege/lean meats diet. I mostly slowly adjusted my diet as the months went by and I thought I could cope with it...
ISeeNoChanges
New member
I personally would go crazy without some "cheat-days"...
I eat very healthy and structerd mon-fri and then dont really care what i eat on the weekend... I try not to goto excess and i notice that im eating much less unhealthy stuff but staying social is very important to me...
That is one of the problems with weight loss... Staying social!
I eat very healthy and structerd mon-fri and then dont really care what i eat on the weekend... I try not to goto excess and i notice that im eating much less unhealthy stuff but staying social is very important to me...
That is one of the problems with weight loss... Staying social!
Shinsplint
New member
ISeeNoChanges: With my friends, staying social is the key to weight loss since they're all health freaks. So maybe change your friends! =P
Jericho
New member
It all comes down to how many calories you eat during the week vs how much you burn. If you feel better having that 'cheat' meal, great. Just remember that it counts towards your calories. If I know I'm going to have a bigger meal (event, going out with Amy, etc) then I try to shave some calories during the week. Going out on friday? shave off about 100 more calories the other days to help counter some of the extra calories.
ISeeNoChanges
New member
Well, i like the social aspect of my life... Bar scene, sporting events, alcohol and at time the horrible food that goes along with it...
That will not change when i meet my goals. Will it take longer to reach my goals.... Probably, but the nice thing about making a change is there does not need to be a time frame associated with it.
I think too many people cut out all pleasures (in regards to food/drinks) when trying to lose weight as fast as possible and then they hit their goal and its like... "Now what?" Can i never eat a order of wings at the bar or a chili dog at the ballpark again???
Im losing lbs every week by being very structured monday-friday afternoon and then living life on the weekends... As i said above, i try not to goto excess, but it happens at times. I dont let it bother me. The first thing i accepted when deciding to make a change in my life was i wasnt going to undo 30 years of unhealthy living in 6 months or even a year.
This is what is working for me! We are all different... I guess the biggest key is finding out what works best for yourself and then sticking to it!
biggestloser105
New member
It depends on the person, for me I no longer derive pleasure from junk food and I find other activities more exciting. I don't feel like I'm depriving myself by not eating junk as my body doesn't crave it anymore and it's the main thing that has enabled me to lose about 10-12 pounds every month.
What you're doing can work for a person with a normal disposition to food, some of us can genuinely get addicted and be unable to stop at a small amount of junk every once in a while. So in this case it's better to get to the point where you just aren't interested in junk anymore.