How bad do you feel after a cheat meal and how do you deal with it?

[chivasregal]

I just came back from eating wings. I ate about 15 and totally enjoyed it. I feel so bad though. It feels as if all this week's work went down the drain. How do you guys feel after cheat meals and how do you get over it.

[gfundaro]

I'm not doing cheat meals anymore because I'm cutting for a comp, but when I did do them, I didn't feel guilty at all!! Cheat meals are for FUN, to reward yourself for all your hard work. You won't gain any weight from them (keep in mind, there's 3600 cals. in a pound of fat, and it's VERY difficult to gain that in a day, let alone one meal). You'll absorb the nutrients you need, poo most of it out, and maybe gain some water weight from the sodium. Just keep your workouts regular, drink a lot of water, and you'll be fine. If you really feel awful and don't enjoy it, just do a refeed instead and eat a surplus of clean foods once a week. I did that today and it felt awesome! I had plenty of energy and I will tomorrow as well.

[Finnegan Bell]

Look at the bright side,u gave a pump to ur metabolism,refilled ur muscle glycogen stores,improved ur mental state...etc

[Trimen1000]

Well... I don't feel bad about having done it. However my stomach does feel bad. Not the sick kind of stuff, but it just doesn't feel very good for whatever reason (maybe it's hating all the grease or something). So I've been kinda tending away from really bad cheat meals because of the feeling in my stomach.

Anyways if you feel guilty about it you should change your idea of a cheat meal.

[ProWrestling]

I feel very bad... lol

I was back on after a couple months off this week...did real good and messed up on the weekend. I hate to say "tomorrow" but thats what I usually do. I say I"l get back on serious tomorrow and eventually it clicks. I was feeling great all this week and now I feel like crap.

[TAFD00367]

Well... I don't feel bad about having done it. However my stomach does feel bad. Not the sick kind of stuff, but it just doesn't feel very good for whatever reason (maybe it's hating all the grease or something). So I've been kinda tending away from really bad cheat meals because of the feeling in my stomach.

Can't agree with more.... I took my real first all out cheat meals back during week of 12th on my birthday... I didn't feel bad for doing it as i'd already had it planned... But my stomach on the other hand was all messed up... Once I got over being sick my workouts did improve and had a lot more energy...

Jason

[jordaro2002]

don't fret. you have the knowledge about nutrition to get back to your normal eating plan the next day.

you're human and you should enjoy your cheat. just understand that you can get back to your dedicated ways in the gym and in the kitchen the next day

[Methodical4u]

I cheat for an entire day.. and although I keep most meals pretty lean.. I eat A LOT more. I look at it through the numbers though... I am burning around 2600-3000 cals a day ( or so the sites I get on say ) most of the time my cheat day puts me at around 3500-4000 calories... I always work out HARD the day before to ensure more of those nutrients getting soaked up so I might have a calorie surplus of 1000... - the 500 extra that are said to be used to bulk... so I look at it as my chest and tris getting a little extra love haha. The rest of the week i'm 1500-1700 putting me well into a calorie deficit and I still am losing 1-1.5 lbs per week. I said all that to ask you...

What did the wings really do that was so bad for you? The hot sauce may give you the shats, but there's lots of proteins and fats there.. so what really is the big deal?

[Methodical4u]

I also forgot to add that I am usually off weights and carido on saturday, but I have started doing a nice ab workout in the morning and a 20 minute cardio session at night after all the food has settled. I feel like it gets my body reved up so it'll burn a little more calories while I sleep. Those 2 things are probably worth another 200-300 calories worth.

[lordofchaos]

other than feeling a little bloated and feeling like I might have over done it (I had a small pizza as a cheat meal...), I feel great after cheat meals, when I actually take them.. usually my cheat meal ends up being something like going to boston market and getting a chicken/turkey dinner with sweet potatos (because theirs are bad normall (high in sugar)) or something.. basically, really close to what I normally eat, with a small addition, and most weeks, I don't take one at all (I usually do every three weeks or so...)

[Louis_the_King]

whats up i'm not on any type of diet i just eat 5 times a day and eat as clean as possible...anyway when i used to have a cheat meal (the first time i tried to lose weight, which i quit) i would feel all bad and just use that cheat meal as an excuse to eat even more and more, telling mysel that i already messed up my weight loss so so more food want matter. but now that i'm serious i may have a cheat meal and i tell my self o well...**** happens and then i go in the gym and work extra hard....

make sense?

[winterwind_23]

Sorry guys for bringing up this old thread, but I didn't want to make another thread complaining about my cheat.

I've been on a cutting diet for 2 weeks, and this weekend I just felt tired and lethargic, as if I have overtrained. I do cardio everyday and lift 3 times a week, btw. I'm not sure if that counts as overtraining, but I was just tired. So today, I went and did a crappy 20 minute cardio session and then abs, and went to dinner after. And I just ate. Alot. A plate full of beef brisket, fat and all. And then a plate of fried rice.

I feel horrible, but I know its probably good for my sanity. Anyways, back to the gym and diet tomorrow!

[TheKansan]

Let me tell you. Usually as the day builds up to the cheat meal, I am getting sick of all the strict eating and the constant exercise. I think to myself how great it would be to eat like a normal person. As I eat the cheat meal I feel great, like I am alive again for the first time in a long time.

Then it happens, the cheat meal is over. At that point I realize that I am still hungry, yet no matter how much I eat, I won't be satisfied. I become sort of depressed at that point because the food I ate has not filled the emptiness inside, it has only made it deeper. I know that my progress, hell my whole second chance at life at this point is in jeopardy. I must clean up my act immediately or I face the ultimate consequence, gaining back all of the weight I lost and losing my soul to my addiction.

I then resolve to go as long as possible without cheating again. Usually that lasts 3-4 weeks, before I am tempted by another cheat meal and the process starts over. Any questions?

[solstice]

I don't feel bad at all. I plan my cheats- then I still feel like I'm on track, in control, and not just blowing everything out the window.

Next time plan what you're going to have, tally up the macros and just keep it within reason and then you may not feel so guilty afterward.

I just came back from eating wings. I ate about 15 and totally enjoyed it. I feel so bad though. It feels as if all this week's work went down the drain. How do you guys feel after cheat meals and how do you get over it.

[sbbc]

cheat meal? more like leptin/cortisol balancing.. *eats chocolate cookie*

[SB_Stong]

After a cheat meal I feel very nauseous, my body temperature rises, my heart rate goes up, I get higher anxiety levels, and I feel like my head is swimming in a pool of liquor.

[SDC77]

If you feel truly bad about a cheat meal, there is a problem. Cheat meals are great for maintaining sanity, they aren't something to get all bent out of shape over. If a problem arises such as binging, medical help is needed ASAP.

[winterwind_23]

Let me tell you. Usually as the day builds up to the cheat meal, I am getting sick of all the strict eating and the constant exercise. I think to myself how great it would be to eat like a normal person. As I eat the cheat meal I feel great, like I am alive again for the first time in a long time.

Then it happens, the cheat meal is over. At that point I realize that I am still hungry, yet no matter how much I eat, I won't be satisfied. I become sort of depressed at that point because the food I ate has not filled the emptiness inside, it has only made it deeper. I know that my progress, hell my whole second chance at life at this point is in jeopardy. I must clean up my act immediately or I face the ultimate consequence, gaining back all of the weight I lost and losing my soul to my addiction.

I then resolve to go as long as possible without cheating again. Usually that lasts 3-4 weeks, before I am tempted by another cheat meal and the process starts over. Any questions?

That's a really good way to think about it! Eating a cheat meal feels satisfying at the moment, but you can never actually fill the void. That rings totally true for me, because even though I had a cheat meal, I still feel like eating ice cream and cookies tomorrow. : ( I will just think that it will never be enough to satisfy me, and that my goal of cutting is much more worth it and satisfying once I reach it.

[George Costanza]

Honestly I don't worry about them much. I try to limit my portions, so even though I'm eating things I really enjoy, I'm not taking in TOO many calories. Sure they might not be the BEST calories (high bad fats, etcs) but as long as you don't go EXTREMELY overboard, trust me it's not a big deal.




Hell, I've been losing 2 lbs a week for 2 months so far and I have a "cheat meal" every couple of days...and I don't think it's genetics if you know what I mean .

[LiftBig315]

I ate a Grilled Stuffed Burrito on Saturday...and I felt like I was gonna crap my pants. Don't plan on doin that again, haha. I felt kinda guilty eating it, so my stomach was probably churning which made me feel sick.

From now on it's gonna be a surplus of clean foods..

[steve_nm156]

I usually schedule my cheat meal on Saturday night when we go out to dinner. I always plan out the meal in advance and try to keep within my macro ratios even though the total calories are exceeded. That day in anticipation of the cheat meal i'll work out a little harder and do some extra cardio.

I always work out on Sundays, and after the refueling the night before, usually have my best workout of the week. I've found that by planning ahead, and seeing the benefits during the next days workout I don't see it so much as a cheat meal but as a critical part to my long term success.

[XMX]

just try to remember the guilty feeling afterwards

but a cheat meal everynow and then wont harm you much...

for example tonight i ate 400 cals over cause i was craving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I've already done cheats through the week so this was just extra.