Weird. When I cheat I feel great afterwards. At first I just chalked it up to simply caloric surplus=more energy, but then I started doing clean refeeds and didn't get the same feeling.

I read a lot of Johns comments after he cheats "dirty" and he usually reports not feeling too hot afterwards. Additionally, most of my friends also tell me they generally regret the fast food thing after they scarf it down, feeling bloated, etc. I get none of these things. Frankly, a ridiculous 40+ oz diet coke, 2 1/2 lb cheesy bean and rice burritos and a taco supreme leave me feeling great!:lol:

Any ideas why this is? Thanks.

It could be hormonal. I've written before about how dietary habits and cravings are driven by hormones, especially for women. Carbohydrates boost serotonin, which plays a huge role in mood regulation. (http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2004/carbs.html)

Here's another article that offers a possible explanation for why you crave the things that you do. "Comfort foods are foods whose consumption evoke a psychologically pleasurable state ...". (http://weightloss.about.com/cs/cravings/a/cravingclues.htm)

what do you mean 'afterwards'?

I feel great right after a dirty cheat.

The next day, not so much.

I believe it's almost purely psychological. There's no need to sit down to a greasy burger and fries, topping it all off with a sugary soda, other than to satiate mental cravings.

For the record, I usually feel worse after I eat a pile of crap like that. I haven't had a fast food burger/fries in years, nor will I. It's so horribly processed, it barely resembles that which it claims to be. And it sits in my stomach like lead, slowing me down.

As with anything in nutrition and fitness, to each their own. If you feel better cheating with that sort of food, feel free. That is not what I would term a "reasonable cheat meal".

-R

I feel at my lowest after a cheat meal. After a super clean meal, I might crave pizza, but I feel great. The past several cheats I've had left me feeling so crummy that I etched the crumminess into my mind so it has helped me avoid cheating a LOT recently.

Ditto. I feel so much better, full of energy etc when I'm eating clean. Eating fast food makes my stomach churn now that I'm mainly off it.

I feel good in that it's a nice treat.

But I always feel really bad physically after. After a time of eating right, then cheating on a meal for a day or two I feel ill.

I can't say I am the same way. First off cheat foods are disgusting to me, ie: pizza or fast food. Second, I feel like crap after eating them. I was just talking about this to someone, I watched The Biggest Loser and they had this temptation with like donuts and pizza and hot dogs and so on. Everyone was like "Oh My! That looks delicious!", my reaction was bluuugh!

Back to the question though, I had a professor that mentioned that we crave what we need. So in your case you may actually be needing more fat in your diet, or maybe more sodium, more sugar... whatever. What is your fat intake like on a normal *clean* day?

If the craving is crap food!

Children who are allergic to wheat crave crackers and flour based food. This may not be the kind of allergy that causes anaphylactic shock, but a craving for it. The person may even feel like they are on a "high" after they eat it for a time. Then they crave it.

I don't know how complex (# ingrediants) the crap you are eating is. But, I might take a look at that.

Food allergies are more common, and better hidden than we think...

It stands to reason that if you have a pleasurable experience, such as easting a very palatable meal, the mood will be lifted.

So far as the physical sensations afterwards can be separated from the psychological ones, I find that some foods make me feel decidedly better than others, and it it doesn't always depend on whether the food is junk.

For example, wholegrain bread or grains in various forms usually give me heartburn and bloating for hours afterwards. But small amounts of white bread and rice leave me feeling fine.

Hydrogenated fats, or even just normal vegetable oils, (eaten accidentally) make me nauseous and make me feel like I've overeaten. But macro-busting quantities of fat from nuts don't give me any discomfort.

Added sugars of most kinds, in most foods, make me feel ill. But chocolate leaves me feeling good.

I believe it's almost purely psychological.

Hmm...I was going to say the same thing, except aimed in the opposite direction. I think that those who often feel terrible after cheat meals may just be feeling guilty for indulging.....and manifesting (psychologically) symptoms that result from eating, what they believe, to be something akin to poison.

Personally, I usually feel no different at all after a cheat meal -- unless I really go over the top. One time I ate an entire Papa John's large sausage pizza in one day (3/4 of it in just one meal)....and yeah, I felt pretty bad later.

Hmm...I was going to say the same thing, except aimed in the opposite direction. I think that those who often feel terrible after cheat meals may just be feeling guilty for indulging.....and manifesting (psychologically) symptoms that result from eating, what they believe, to be something akin to poison.

Personally, I usually feel no different at all after a cheat meal -- unless I really go over the top. One time I ate an entire Papa John's large sausage pizza in one day (3/4 of it in just one meal)....and yeah, I felt pretty bad later.

I only feel different if I call it a cheat meal. :p

I usually fine after a small portion of nachos, nice juicy burger and crispy onion rings, plus a little piece of cake. Unless I weigh myself immediately after; then I feel awful. Sometimes it doesn't sit quite right with me, but that's only when I've eaten more food than what I can digest in a reasonable amount of time, which doesn't usually happen very often.

I only really feel bad after "Cheat Binges" I.E. Eating entire super-large pizza's, or downing 24 wings + beers.

Other than that, regular stuff like say, a homemade hamburger and homecooked baked potatoe doesn't phase me.

I feel great after eating "crap"...than I feel very bad, usually the next morning.