Binge meal once a month, or cheat meal once a week?

[MrCarrot]

Just wondering how frequently some of the other over 35's "cheat" with their diet, and to what extent? I have found that past the age of 30 eating lots and lots of low quality, calorific foods does catch up with you (as my mother always warned it would).

I kind of follow IIFYM so I eat pretty much what I want. I've been eating rice pudding most evenings, chocolate maybe once a week and cream cakes every couple of weeks. I don't really consider this cheating because I eat them in moderation and fit them into my macros. The fact that they have to fit into my macros means by definition I can't binge on them.

However, Chinese is my favorite food of all time and on a Saturday ONCE a month I've been having a binge Chinese meal. Basically I'll eat very little throughout the day on Saturday, then in the evening I'll order everything I fancy off the menu and eat the lot - probably 3,500+ calories in one sitting so well over maintenance and loaded with carbs, fat and salt. This doesn't seem to have affected my progress and usually I feel as strong as hell the next day. But oh man a month is a hell of a long time to wait for the next one to come around! I'm seriously starting to wonder whether I should actually do it once a week and just have a sensible portion at around 1,200 calories instead of the full on binge?

[mtpockets]

Just wondering how frequently some of the other over 35's "cheat" with their diet, and to what extent? I have found that past the age of 30 eating lots and lots of low quality, calorific foods does catch up with you (as my mother always warned it would).

I kind of follow IIFYM so I eat pretty much what I want. I've been eating rice pudding most evenings, chocolate maybe once a week and cream cakes every couple of weeks. I don't really consider this cheating because I eat them in moderation and fit them into my macros. The fact that they have to fit into my macros means by definition I can't binge on them.

However, Chinese is my favorite food of all time and on a Saturday ONCE a month I've been having a binge Chinese meal. Basically I'll eat very little throughout the day on Saturday, then in the evening I'll order everything I fancy off the menu and eat the lot - probably 3,500+ calories in one sitting so well over maintenance and loaded with carbs, fat and salt. This doesn't seem to have affected my progress and usually I feel as strong as hell the next day. But oh man a month is a hell of a long time to wait for the next one to come around! I'm seriously starting to wonder whether I should actually do it once a week and just have a sensible portion at around 1,200 calories instead of the full on binge?

Neither, the word cheat has such a negative connotation to it. I do however have a reward meal occasionally and even that is in moderation.

[grubman]

Just like training, beyond the core basics, long term diet is going to be an individual thing based on genetics, activity level, and lifestyle.

After a few 6 month stints of meticulously counting calories and macros, I found I was fairly good at guesstimating. These days (since I’m primarily maintaining) I just eat til I’m satisfied, only conscious of my protien intake and getting in the ballpark of my TDEE.

I make fairly good healthy choices, but there is little that is off the table for me (ha! Punny!). My breakfast, lunch, and 2 protien shakes are fairly consistent and structured, but the aproximately 1,500 calories I have left for dinner and evening snacks is whatever goes...Pizza is a quick meal about once a week, I cook a mean bacon cheeseburger on a pretzel bun with barbecue sauce, burritos and Spanish rice with guacamole and sour cream, spagetti with meat sauce (I don’t drain the delicious grease), rotisserie chicken with white rice and split peas, Fast Food once or twice a week when we are on the road a lot (we have this thing called Culver’s in Wisconsin ), and the list goes on. Many would consider ALL my dinners “cheat meals” as some people like to torture themselves with dry chicken breasts and brown rice every day.

I guess what I’m saying is it’s not always a good idea, or fair on yourself to judge against others. Likewise, it would be irresponsible for me to flaunt or recomend my diet to others with a specific goal. I mean, when I was trying to gain mass (VERY hard for me) or when I was trying to cut, I ate MUCH differently.

I’ve always been rediculously skinny genetically. I’m “short” and have a tiny dainty skellital structure. I have a small appetite till satisfied and high metabolism. Add to that that I’m extreemly active at home and have a very physical job (constantly moving, burning calories).

So...if I was less responsible (and wordy ), I could just come on this thread and say, “I eat whatever I want...and I have abs year round!”, and it wouldn’t be helpful at all to someone who struggles with diet or weight.

[Edit: Case in point...my SO made me an Italian cheesecake for Valentine’s Day, and I’ve been having a slice every night. Probably 600 or 700 calories apiece, ha ha]

[MrCarrot]

I know what you mean about people torturing themselves with plain chicken and brown rice - I did that in my late teens and I now realise how stupid and counter productive it was.

These days when I have chicken it always has some sort of seasoning or sauce on it.

You also mention takeaways and it got me thinking I do have takeaway kebabs fairly frequently (once a week usually) which consist of leanish meat, white pitta, salad and I'll often throw in a piece of southern fried chicken with it. Never really thought of that as a cheat because again it fits my calories and macros.

The only thing I eat very infrequently now is fries - I do miss them but find it very hard to justify eating them often.

[dazlittle]

as long as I'm getting my daily requirements of protein and fat, I eat what ever I want up to 3300 calories (maintenance).

Brazilian all you can eat steak house on Sunday evening was AMAZING!!!

[dazlittle]

I cook a mean bacon cheeseburger on a pretzel bun with barbecue sauce, burritos and Spanish rice with guacamole and sour cream, spagetti with meat sauce (I don’t drain the delicious grease), rotisserie chicken with white rice and split peas,

Give me 18 hours and I'll be knocking on your front door!!! you've made my hungry now and its only 9AM here!!

[tblodg15]

During my 65 pound weight loss I purposely ate more calories on the weekend and less during the week. I tracked my calories and macros for every bite but just planned on enjoying a meal at a restaurant with my wife and kids. It was not a cheat meal because it was part of my plan all along. So depending on how high I went on the weekend I would adjust my target for the the weekdays the rest of the week to hit my average. It worked for me and made it fairly easy to sustain even though I had to dig during the week near the end with days in the 1,500’s.

I also did similar to grubman where even during the week I ate whatever the wife made for dinner. She usually made healthy choices for me but I ate lasagna or pizza etc... sometimes but ate it in moderation and always within my daily calorie target.

[SugarFree1]

I low carb throughout the week and give myself one day a week to eat whatever I want. I probably over due it with the junk on my free days but still have no problem consistently dropping 2 lbs per week. I think there are a few advantages to this in addition to getting a binge day - it helps keep your metabolism from slowing, it causes a limited insulin spike which is good for muscle growth/preventing muscle loss and the added water retention caused by it makes for a couple good lifting days till its back off.

[BS57]

I likely have a bit of a different outlook on things like this. This is simply my opinion of the matter.

"Cheating" gives the impression you're getting-away with something. You might cheat at a card game for example, and get-away with it, but calories don't work that way. That's not to say each ad every calorie is going to have a major impact on you either.

I'm in better health/shape than I've been in nearly 2 decades. That's an automatic win for me. Down 30 pounds, several points in body fat, and just all-around feel better.

I do eat over my daily caloric target on occasion, but I also know what comes along with it if it gets out of control. I also know if I over-eat for a couple weeks, and put on a pound, if I choose to, I can drop it back off in the same amount of time.

I'm over 60, don't really have much in the way of goals outside of being healthy, and in decent shape. I mean it's not like I plan to pack on pounds of muscle and lift impressive amounts of weight, those days are behind me, and I know it. I'm not going to pretend they aren't and risk injury, especially since I already have a few issues working against me.

Enjoy your life, things in moderation. Base your choices/decisions on what matter in your life.

[pheyong1983]

Once per week bro!

[MrCarrot]

Give me 18 hours and I'll be knocking on your front door!!! you've made my hungry now and its only 9AM here!!

Same here, especially talk of that burger!

Anyway thanks all. I think you've pretty much convinced me to have Chinese once a week, or a least once a fortnight. 3,500 or more calories in one meal is not particularly sensible, nor is craving it again for another 29 days afterwards. I think having a moderate portion more often is the way forward. At the end of the day this is what I do with fried chicken, tacos, deserts, etc and it hasn't stopped me losing over 40 pounds and I don't consider that cheating.

[grubman]

especially talk of that burger!

It’s my specialty (although my SO can’t have the bacon or bbq sauce on hers...food allergies), we have it once a week, sometimes twice. My son-in-law likes it with an over easy egg on top, sometimes I’ll do guacamole instead of bbq sauce.

Hell...I’m making MYSELF hungry!

[Cantplankwell]

I cook a mean bacon cheeseburger on a pretzel bun with barbecue sauce, burritos and Spanish rice with guacamole

Thanks LOL...why for FFS did I read this just before lunch.

[grubman]

Thanks LOL...why for FFS did I read this just before lunch.

Well, if it makes you feel better, I made an Italian pasta salad with diced chicken breast, zucchini, carrots, and black olives for lunch...so no burger for me either

[MrCarrot]

If I'm honest I think we need to see a photo of this burger

[grubman]

If I'm honest I think we need to see a photo of this burger

Ha ha I’ll try to remember next time.

[etet1919]

I don't count calories...never have. So, although I eat "clean" for the most part, I know I'm eating slightly more calories than I probably burn....My "saving grace" is crossfit- type (usually) cardio workouts after heavy weight lifting. If I didn't do cardio, I'd be heavier....but not overweight.

[tblodg15]

I don't count calories...never have. So, although I eat "clean" for the most part, I know I'm eating slightly more calories than I probably burn....My "saving grace" is crossfit- type (usually) cardio workouts after heavy weight lifting. If I didn't do cardio, I'd be heavier....but not overweight.

So are you gaining weight if you know you are eating slightly more calories than you burn? How long do you plan to be in the surplus?

[etet1919]

So are you gaining weight if you know you are eating slightly more calories than you burn? How long do you plan to be in the surplus?

Actually, I have not gained weight, but I have gained a couple of inches....I think. I try not to pay as much attention to my appearance, and focus more on building or maintaining strength and conditioning levels. Then, the results are easy to see. That's just from my perspective. I've never done bulking, cutting, watching macros, and I don't "formally" know if I'm in a surplus according to my stats....I just know I eat enough of everything (except doritos, devil dogs, candy corn....veggies or fruit ....). I need to eat a more balanced diet. In a couple of months, I'll be where I was in October.