What are the positive and negative reasons to allow oneself a "cheat meal" every once and awhile?

A planned cheat meal is a very good idea.

I would really suggest that you think about the circumstances that preceded you feeling tempted to reminisce about eating something that you really enjoy. Were you surrounded by friends, was it a television commercial, did someone say or do something that triggered the feeling of wanting to eat something really yummy?

When you have those feelings, write down or think about what is occurring or what might have occurred that might have triggered the desire to eat whatever you deem unhealthy. It's really important to be aware of our own hidden behaviors which at times may sabotage us.

Also, at times when we change a behavior, like changing the way we eat, sometimes we are over ambitious and change suddenly as opposed to changing the behavior gradually. To stop eating the things that you really enjoy cold turkey is a real challenge, so it is not surprising that you want to eat it now.

It's great that you've thought about it, you've shared it with us on this platform and now you can plan your cheat meal.

Before you eat it, though, I recommend that you write down all the wonderful behaviors and goals that you have adopted over the past couple of months. Then after you have your cheat meal you can review the behaviors and goals that you've made for yourself in order to get back on track.

I wish you success.

Positive: because you deserve it. You're dedicated to your work-outs. You've learned to discipline yourself through your training regimen. You deprive yourself of a lot of things to maintain your strength and health. I don't know how old you are, but it doesn't matter because you never know when it's your time to punch out and go to the Big Gym in the Sky. So, treat yourself to something you like every now and then and don't feel guilty about it--just don't go on a binge, you're too disciplined for that. Treating your taste buds to a burger and an ice-cold beer is as important as treating your muscles to a day off.

Positive: like the idea of "planned cheats"
Negatives: If you do it a little too often, you accidentally fall back in to poor habits.

I don't like to think of any meal as "cheating." That sets up a mindset that you are doing something "wrong." Budget some fun into your eating plan and you'll never be "cheating." If you want to spend a day's worth of calories on beer and pizza, just know that your body will react, especially since you've been so restrictive. It might not be pretty, either, lol.

Hello Gustavo,
I always allow myself and my clients one cheat day per week (unless they are preparing for a BB/Figure contest). I have had feedback from my clients with their cheat day and it usually turns into a cheat meal...only one meal for the day and not the entire day.
We are only human and indulging in a food of our choice seems natural. I dont feel one can "blow" their eating program with one meal...rather a "blow" to their emotion/s of cheating.

Sincerely,
Michael

If you have been on a long term calorie restricted diet then a cheat meal is not going to diminish your results physically or throw you off track. If anything, your metabolism may actually be ratcheted down a little, and so it's either going to be a blip on the radar screen and your body may gobble through it and move on, depending on how lean you are, or you may actually even see a fat loss boost from it. There is different information out there on how much or how long you would have to cheat in order to see a difference.

Psychologically a planned cheat meal can work wonders. If you are feeling temptation, better to cheat and enjoy it than let it build up in your mind. Stifled temptations can turn into binges, and that would diminish your progress. By planning I mean you could decide ahead of time which day or meals you would cheat. So there's no guilt, it's planned and strategic. Then as you approach that meal, you go and get exactly what your body wants right then (don't try to guess ahead of time and then stock your house with something). Eat it and enjoy it. You don't have to overindulge. In fact, I'm betting it may not even taste as good as you remembered. Then it's over and you're back on track (that's the key).

I don't consider there is a negative to it, but don't consider it cheating, everyone has some particular thing they love to eat, you should make sure that maybe once a week or every other week you allow yourself that treat so that you don't drive yourself nuts on the diet you are on.

The better thing to do is to find a way to eat healthy and enjoy it so you can stick to that diet the rest of your life. Almost all foods can be part of a healthy diet. There should really be such a thing as "naughty foods", but there should be foods that you make sure you get and some foods that you try to limit consumption.

I like everyone's thoughts on this! A couple of other things that occur to me are that a strategic refeed would probably consist of eating foods that are higher in complex carbs or fat than you have been eating. That would be productive. However, that's not usually what someone craves when they have been low calorie/low carb for an extended period of time. So maybe you want pizza or pasta or something like that. Plan it, eat, don't gorge yourself. Then 3 hours later, whether you're hungry or not, eat one of your clean meals. This is similar to brushing your teeth after dinner, it's like a reset. You had a treat, and now you're putting closure to it and getting right back on track, without going on a 3 or more day eating frenzy afterwards. Don't let fear rule this choice. You have control over the food.

Hi Gus,

I think the idea of re-framing the "cheat meal" into something less guilt-inducing is a good idea; something along the lines of "free reign" and less restrictive would be good.

You have to figure out how to get the results you want, for life (or alter what you can live with--results wise if it'll protect your sanity). Nobody could, or should, be a low calorie, low fat plan for long (of course, that needs to be defined and it would be based on the person). Your body, brain, and mood need adequate fuel, nutrients, and fat to function optimally. Plus, you want to have some fun!

Take care,
Michelle

To me the most important question is how do you want to eat for the rest of your life? I'm not really sure what a "cheat meal" is. Is it something you'd really like to eat but think you can't. Why not?

I suspect that you are well aware of the most current research on what comprises a healthy nutritional lifestyle. It's not one meal. It's what you eat most of the time. And balance that with plenty of vigorous exercise.

Your dietary plan has to be a comfortable, enjoyable part of your lifestyle. If it's a rigor it won't last for long.

Cheat meals are typically an excuse to binge, plain and simple. There is no reason why discretionary allowance cannot be utilized to have some "fun foods" multiple times a week, whilst fulfilling caloric needs - not exceeding them. This by no means is "cheating", but sticking to your diet in a manner that allows sanity to be maintained. This allows for cravings to be satiated, while only utilizing 10-20% of daily calories for "junk" or "fun food". The average person could allow around 300-400 calories a day (a few days a week) to have a scoop or two of ice cream, a candy bar, or whatever suits you. The overall effect on body composition is negligible when utilizing a 10-20% discretionary intake (although at lower daily caloric reqs. the percentage must shrink in order to allot enough calories to whole/nutritious foods). The effect on overall health is too very negligible, considering these foods are on a very limited intake.

A planned adjustment of calories to stimulate metabolism is a whole other factor - however this should be filled with whole foods that are considered healthy and nutritious, rather than "junk".

Here is a fantasic article by a MS Nutrition/RD that shows you that eating outside the box of "clean" is so much beneficial than subjecting yourself to the torment of "diet" food.
http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

A few years ago I went vegan because I was moving toward a healthy lifestyle, quitting smoking and beginning to exercise again. I was reading a lot about the benefits of a low calorie diet and I read about people who were able to live on fruit alone or vegetables only. At first it was very energizing and I got more from my workouts by eating mostly fruits and veggies. After a few months, however, my energy was starting to fade. My body fat got dangerously low and the body fat meter I was using was not accurate. Even though the scale said I was in the healthy range, I felt that more fat and calories in my diet would be beneficial to my workouts. It's a good thing I did because when I bought a body fat caliper it showed me that I barely had enough fat to survive, let alone perform intense workouts most days of the week. Now I am working on gaining weight and continuing my regular workouts. Listen to your body and make sure it has a little bit of everything.

I believe that maintaining a healthy lifestyle allows for the occasional indulgence. If we completely deprive ourselves of everything that is "bad" for us all of the time, it can feel suffocating. Allowing yourself the occasional "fun" food can be a liberating way of rewarding yourself for your consistent efforts to maintain a healthful lifestyle.

Of course, you must be careful to avoid going overboard and thus I think planning ahead is a great idea.

So long as you earn your indulgence and partake in it in moderation, I believe the positives outweigh the negatives.