How Evil Are Cheat Meals?

[St Croix]

Hi, I'm about a month in on my diet and lifting regime.

I was just wondering if someone can clarify what kind of effects cheat meals have on your progress.

Currently I am eating 100% clean from monday through saturday, but have a cheat meal on sundays. Normally I have a bag of peanut M&M's and a decent feed of KFC or Pizza.

Sometimes I feel a bit guilty after I've eaten my cheat meal and am worried that it might set me back from my results. Can someone provide some info for me on this?

Thanks

 

[nsashbl01]

Here's my take. Make sure you always get your required protein and good carbs first. Then cheating is ok, as long as it's not a substitute. For example, I ate 250 grams of protein today and lots of good carbs. Now I'm going to eat 2 frozen pizza's. I'd be carfull with things like candy. All that sugar can be a bad thing. Cheating should still be foods that aren't horrible, like fryed shit. Just my .02

 

[JKurz1]

dieting/contest prep? Never

buking - once a day - CLEAN cheat food though.....maybe a burger, or a ANPB and banana sandwhich, some extra pasta (whole wheat).........sure, every once in awhile wings and wine may be on the menu, but not too often...........

 

[mcr]

Bro, it's different for everyone.

So you cheat once a week - how is your progess? If you think your progess is fine, keep doing that cheat meal. If your progress isn't as good as you'd hoped or stalls, drop it if you can.

For me, I find that while cutting, if I have a cheat day, it DOES ruin the entire other 6 days of the week while I'm clean (MANY people will tell you that it won't - but it can for me). So I try to avoid it, although that is easier said than done. Other people on here eat crap all the time, and are ripped.

So it depends on the luck of the draw with genetics and your metabolism.

 

[psychedout]

Actually, I am dieting right now, and rather than have a refeed day, I just allow one cheat meal per week.

This weeks was half a bag of perogies and garlic bread... delicious.

Last weeks was a pizza.

 

[Tweakle]

fuck cheating, with my metabolism I can wipe out a whole weeks cal deficit in one sitting.

So it depends on the luck of the draw with genetics and your metabolism.

yup

 

[Sebastionv]

obviously, by the look ate the avatars these guys no what there talking about.. no more serious cheat days for me till new years eve.

 

[JKurz1]

obviously, by the look ate the avatars these guys no what there talking about.. no more serious cheat days for me till new years eve.

<---thanks!

 

[IWantToBeThin]

This is how my trainer explained it. If he has me scheduled to lose 1500 calories a week by excersing, and on Saturday I eat a medium pizza and some beer, there goes the weight I was supposed to lose that week. So you basically just undo everything that you did. Also, my diet is so calculated the smallest cheat will supposedly set me back he says.

It's very hard for me to eat clean 24/7, and if I had a cheat day, I probably would be less likley to cheat.

 

[sasharawkz]

I've heard that the cheat meal increases your metabolism somehow...anyone care to comment?

 

[ncmil]

I dunno but when I cheat, it can sometimes start a downward sprial, I eat good almost all of the time, and when im eating healthy I enjoy the food I eat. But when I cheat hardcore I become a crack head , like 2 months ago, I had a slice of my moms birthday cake, then 2 hours later I went into the kitchen before i left and had 2 more slices and a scoop of ice cream. It was weird because I made sure no one was around, as if I was doing something bad. My stomach felt like shit, I almost crapped my pants, and I lost a tiny bit of vasculairity.

Was it worth it, probally not but every now and then do what you gotta do.

 

[IWantToBeThin]

ncmil did you get my email? Just checking......it took a long time to type. lol.

 

[psychedout]

I've heard that the cheat meal increases your metabolism somehow...anyone care to comment?

Well, after being in a calorie defecit for a while, you metabolism slows down.

A temporary calorie surplus increases your metabolism.

 

[deltreefitness]

Well, after being in a calorie defecit for a while, you metabolism slows down.

A temporary calorie surplus increases your metabolism.

This is why I think a cheat day actually helps my gains. I can stay very lean too (<8%). And if I would eat "normal" and not exercise every single day I would be chubby.

 

[JKurz1]

This is why I think a cheat day actually helps my gains. I can stay very lean too (>8%). And if I would eat "normal" and not exercise every single day I would be chubby.

<8%.........

 

[deltreefitness]

<8%.........

Oops, that's what I meant. My bad. Thanks.

 

[JKurz1]

Oops, that's what I meant. My bad. Thanks.

Ive done it too......and being a cpa, it doesnt look too sweet.....aligator mouth......> lol....

 

[Sebastionv]

I've heard that the cheat meal increases your metabolism somehow...anyone care to comment?

If you eat the same daily allottment of kcal..your metabolism adjusts to that level to maintaine homeostatis. By increasing kcals-one would then increase you metabolism for that day because of the thermo effect of macro-nutrient breakdown. I.e. needing more atp to produce more atp during the first and second cycles of the kreps cycle.

Thus it is why it is suggested on a diet to increase biological energy expenidture with fiber intake and ruffage...even mcts..Parrillo

 

[geauxmook]

I have a cheat meal on Sundays. Usually after I am finished I feel like complete shit. Stomach cramps, lethargic, etc... I then feel guilty for doing it.

However, my Monday workouts always seem very energized and intense. I don't know if I am mentally making myself work harder because of cheating or if my body is stronger/rejuvenated but my best pumps are always on Monday.

Mook

 

[Munkieballs]

I have a cheat meal on Sundays. Usually after I am finished I feel like complete shit. Stomach cramps, lethargic, etc... I then feel guilty for doing it.

However, my Monday workouts always seem very energized and intense. I don't know if I am mentally making myself work harder because of cheating or if my body is stronger/rejuvenated but my best pumps are always on Monday.

Mook

I feel the same way about Sunday cheats. Feel like total crap, but it seems like the low gets me higher to start my week. If I am not better physiologically on Monday, I am at least mentally charged. Reminding myself that eating like crap makes me feel so bad is good motivation to not cheat during the week. In the grand scheme of things, like eating clean for life, I feel it helps. For contest prep, I would imagine a calorie flux might help, but make it clean one. I don't do contests, so don't ask me - I just feel the point of variation would be beneficial, there would just be better ways to do it then cake, ice cream, pizza and beer (Mmmmmm...)

 

[JKurz1]

Your problem is you guys pick a day a gorge..........have one cheat FOOD a day or a few times a week..........not an all out gorge fest! Only if you are bulking......when I cut.........EVERYTHING is off limits, unless it makes a moo, pecks, swims or comes from the earth..........

 

[Slyder190]

You make me laugh. I find in the winter, I don't go nuts with cheatin because I eat carbs more often and don't have these incredible cravings like in the summer. But when I'm cuttin and carbs are much lower and I cheat....watch the fuck out! A bag of MnM's? More like a bag of MnM's on top of a pint of ice cream with choc syrup and caramel. Then I can't move. So just sit there and after a while I start to think what I'm gonna throw back when I can move again later in the day.