Cheat meals/days?

Can someone explain to me the concept of cheat meals or cheat days? 

I think I may do this, but I'm not sure.  Normally I eat about 1600 calories and eat very healthy.  Today I still ate 1600 calories and ate lots of fruits and veggies, low fat and sugar etc., but had more carbs than normal, and they were white instead of whole wheat.  Would this be considered a cheat day? 

Original Post by rabes87:

Can someone explain to me the concept of cheat meals or cheat days? 

I think I may do this, but I'm not sure.  Normally I eat about 1600 calories and eat very healthy.  Today I still ate 1600 calories and ate lots of fruits and veggies, low fat and sugar etc., but had more carbs than normal, and they were white instead of whole wheat.  Would this be considered a cheat day? 

A cheat day can be considered in your own terms, such as one dosent count calories for that day and have anything that they are craving. Or going out to eat ect. Having more carbs then normal is perfectly fine! Just make sure you get your healthy fats and protein inside your diet as well too. Some people like to have 60% carbs 25% protein and 15% fat. Of course its always up to you. (:

The best way to do it without derailing your progress for the week is to eat at maintenance for the day.  That is - don't just go crazy with cheesecake, pizza, and buffalo wings, but instead eat the calories you would eat to maintain your current weight.

While I don't really like the term cheat meal/day, I think the concept of cutting some slack in one's weight loss efforts is a good idea.  Otherwise, we tend to get into all or nothing thinking that really derails our efforts.  Any healthy lifestyle needs to include some room for special occasions or human error.

What I do is to try to be mindful about what I am eating all the time, but sometimes I "practice maintenance" so that I can participate in holiday meals, parties, vacations, birthdays, etc.  On those (planned) occasions I eat up to my maintenance calories for my current weight.  I don't lose any weight on those days, but I also don't gain any.

For instance, yesterday my mother, brother, and sister-in law came to dinner, bringing my mom's famous (very rich) lasagne.  If I hadn't allowed myself to have a reasonable portion of it, I would have felt sorry for myself, and possibly overeaten afterwards (and certainly hurt my mother's feelings).  As it was, I served myself a small portion and filled up the rest of my plate with a big salad.  I ate slowly, enjoyed every bite, and had a great time.  Ironically, I didn't even exceed my calorie target for the day by more than about 50 calories, so I still had a "losing" day rather than a "maintaining" day.

rabes87:  I don't know that you had much of a "cheat day."  I guess you would have to decide if eating white instead of whole wheat and eating fruits and veggies is "cheating."  It wouldn't be for me.  For me, "cheating" is when:

1. I deliberately eat things like candy or desserts or drink beer or eat large meat pizzas, etc. etc.--and I don't care how many calories I take in.
2. A  "cheat day" for me might also be that I do absolutely no deliberate exercise such as stationary  bike, abs, weights, etc.

Just out of curiosity, do you exercise regularly?  I ask that because 1600 calories seems very much on the low end if you do.  If you only burned 300 calories a day exercising, that would drop you down to 1300. 

Unfortunately I'm not able to exercise.  i used to run a few miles a day, however due to a neurological condition that affects my heart I'm unable to do any type of cardio.  I tried doing yoga, however I noticed that it would still cause for flare ups with my condition.  And being a full time college student and having two part time jobs I'm unable to be sick because of exercising.  That's why I had to decrease my caloric intake to about 1600.  

rabes87:  Ok, thanks for the explanation.  It just seems to me, now that I know how active you are with going to class and working two jobs, I would definitely think you are at the bare-bones end of a healthy calorie intake.  I assume that you are in a maintenance mode, so best of luck in your schooling, your maintenance, and your health!

I have 2 cheat meals a week. I still watch, I get grilled chicken instead of fried. If it is something with cheese I ask for half. I don't get mayo or butter sauces. Things like that. But I do have desert. I love sweets and never keep them in the house so 2 days a week we order out and I get desert each time. I eat it on those days and the other days I don't. I workout  hard on my cheat meal days and eat less for lunch or don't eat lunch and eat dinner early.

You posted just over a month ago that you had suffered a relapse in anorexia. At this point, I'm going to guess it is not about "cheat days" for you but rather you ate a bit more (because you are starving) and are terrified of the consequences.

While it's great you have notched up a bit from 1000-1200 to 1600, you are not where you need to be to recover (2500 calories or more a day). Even if you were at a maintenance weight (which for recovery purposes you are not yet), it would require a minimum of 2000 calories at your age (sedentary lifestyle -- which I believe you have been forced to accept)

Two days ago you indicated you were seeing specialist for possible kidney disease. Prior to that, you had been recently diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

Shouldn't you be focused on your health issues and seeking professional input and support to deal with the obsessive fears of gaining weight which have been triggered again by your recent diagnoses?