Would I see faster progress without cheating at all, or will a ~2500 cal meal once a week (probably pizza more often than not) spike the metabolism or something like that? What about once every 2 weeks? Is there an "ideal cheat meal interval"?

Diet right now is high protein low carb (225g pro/100g carb non-lift 150g carb lift day/45g fat non-lift 40g lift day), with 20 min cardio 6 days/week. Lost a few pounds real quick, then weightloss stopped cold, not an ounce up or down, morning to morning (for the past 5 days).

What about decreasing/increasing your calories for 2 weeks, see where that leaves you?

If you don't want too, don't eat cheat meals.

I don't think I'd cheat with one meal at 2500 calories myself. That would completely make me feel stuffed and feel like crap for a couple of days afterwards I suspect.

If I were planning to add that many calories in, I'd up one day's eating, not one meal. And not necessarily all junk, although some of it could be.

No real scientific reasoning behind this, more practical and comfort wise I suppose.

But periodically upping intake might reset leptin hormones a bit.

Five days isn't long to stay at one weight, though. Sometimes this stuff happens in spurts. So don't sweat it too much yet.

I can think of no logical reason for a cheat meal to help any time or any place.

I agree with everyone above. A cheat meal is not going to be beneficial, and five days is not enough to go on. I'd rather see slow, gradual progress, than real quick progress. Scale weight is also a poor barometer. Get your bodyfat tested instead. You might be adding lean muscle and dropping fat. A weight scale would not register this.

Stay on this another week. If you feel nothing has happened, switch the cardio to another type, or do your current cardio 5x a week for 30 minutes. Drop your protein on non-workout days to 200 grams and increase your carbs to 110 grams.

I agree with everyone above. A cheat meal is not going to be beneficial, and five days is not enough to go on. I'd rather see slow, gradual progress, than real quick progress. Scale weight is also a poor barometer. Get your bodyfat tested instead. You might be adding lean muscle and dropping fat. A weight scale would not register this.

Stay on this another week. If you feel nothing has happened, switch the cardio to another type, or do your current cardio 5x a week for 30 minutes. Drop your protein on non-workout days to 200 grams and increase your carbs to 110 grams.


Alright, I'll skip the cheat and try this suggestion...

I freaking GAINED 1/2 lb... I have been going over on the protein g's, though :o

I don't know why, but I can eat a ton (like over 3k cal in one sitting) and not feel stuffed... Just comfortable. I like feeling "full" every now and then, as opposed to being perpetually "just a bit less than not hungry".

Would HIIT be better? I've been doign LISS on an elliptical. I think I look a bit leaner since I started... I guess my lifts have been going up... Hmm... No cheat, though. Thanks, all!

A half a pound equals one glass of water (8 oz). That's one average to long urination. It's certainly less than one half of 1 percent of your current weight, which means it is statistically irrelevant.

It depends on each person, really.
As someone pointed out, it can greatly help you stick to your nutrition regimen, specially if you choose to have your cheat meal on 'weak' days. It can definitely be a psychological boost.

For people like me, however, cheating 'weekly' is a no-no. I can get too carried away, or I can associate it with a personal weakness and feel bad. So the whole point is missed: you're supposed to enjoy your cheat meal and feel good about it.

Nutrition-wise, a cheat meal can only be useful when hitting a plateau (which is definitely not weekly) imho, in this case as a metabolic booster.

PS: I don't know if this happens to someone else but when I cut strictly for 5-6 weeks, I forget about the taste of fatty food or food that I'd normally enjoy, and when it gets into my mouth it feels totally weird!

Hmm... Well, "cheat meal day" is here... I'm thinking I might still cheat, just a lot more sensibly. Like maybe a tray of sushi, or one of those tasty meal replacement bars. I don't know, I don't get specific cravings, my tongue just wants something with strong flavor.

I tried the weekly cheat meal for ~3 months and it hampered my progress. I don't really do "moderation" well and found myself throwing down chocolate cake, ice cream, and other nasties during cheat meals. Then I'd be mad at myself (and feel physically ill). "I" work best just eating clean; "I" have better/faster results, feel better (both psychologically and physically), and spend less $'s. :tu:

If you're a person who can actually "cheat" with moderation, I envy you.

If you're a person who can actually "cheat" with moderation, I envy you.

What helps me is to set a specific goal. I.E. for my last cheat meal, I allowed myself a max of 2500 calories in that one meal (high, I know, but my stomach can hold a ridiculous amount of food :cry:)
So, that came out to 3/4 of a pizza. I could've eaten the whole thing just fine, but I threw out the last 1/4, and got right back on my diet.

If you go into a cheat without rules, it's hard to make yourself stop. Be prepared :nod:

Hmm... Well, "cheat meal day" is here... I'm thinking I might still cheat, just a lot more sensibly. Like maybe a tray of sushi, or one of those tasty meal replacement bars. I don't know, I don't get specific cravings, my tongue just wants something with strong flavor.

sushi = king of cheat meals

It's made from healthy stuff: it has good fats (usually avocado, salmon, etc are ingredients), protein, good carbs (rice, vegetables). I think the right variety could even make part of your standard diet, if you can afford it.

If you're a person who can actually "cheat" with moderation, I envy you.

I allowed myself a max of 2500 calories in that one meal

So much for moderation :eat: ;) j/k.

I doubt you'll see the kind of progress you desire having these type of cheat meals, however. I've been down that path.

Would I see faster progress without cheating at all, or will a ~2500 cal meal once a week (probably pizza more often than not) spike the metabolism or something like that? What about once every 2 weeks? Is there an "ideal cheat meal interval"?

Diet right now is high protein low carb (225g pro/100g carb non-lift 150g carb lift day/45g fat non-lift 40g lift day), with 20 min cardio 6 days/week. Lost a few pounds real quick, then weightloss stopped cold, not an ounce up or down, morning to morning (for the past 5 days).
Cheat meal aren't necessary physically but can be mentally. Oh and those pounds you dropped were probably water. With numbers like the ones Mastover gave you, you would only want to be dropping a very small amount each week, maybe 1/2 - 1lb, so progress will be slow.

Oh and 2500 calories isn't a cheat meal; that's enough to feed a family of 4 for a week (well, maybe not, but still...)

Oh and 2500 calories isn't a cheat meal; that's enough to feed a family of 4 for a week (well, maybe not, but still...)

:lol: Sigged.

Last night was the worst. I had to go to a party, we ordered pizza and the situation forced me into eating a slice. Thank god it was healthy pizza, it almost looked home-made (no grease, oil pouring from the cheese)

And the party set back my schedule by two hours :nope:

As I suspected, I did not enjoy its taste, its smell or anything. I was already satisfied from a high-protein meal I had had before, so it didn't even help hunger.

I've been having a cheat meal once per week for the past 6 weeks and every Monday I feel like i've cheated myself!

However, having the cheat meal to work to is a motivation at times. A motivation to not eat crap 6 days a week, a motivation of why I am on my program, and a motivation to keep my chin up looking forward to the next stage.

Everyone has their own methods which work best for themselves. Test the methods yourself and see what works for you. :tucool:

I eat a cheat meal once a week. Whether or not it's impairing my weight loss goals is irrelevant to me. I enjoy the mental aspect of being able to go out with the wife and have a nice dinner of (almost) whatever I want to eat without feeling guilty. If it keeps me from losing an extra 0.2lbs a week, well that's ok. I feel that if i don't allow the 'dirty' meal once in a while as a planned event, then I may go out and do something crazy and unplanned. I feel that possibly could be far more detrimental to my progress, imo.

There is also the whole metabolism arguement of the benefits of a cheat meal once a week, but i think that really depends more on how strict your clean meals and cutting diet are.

For what its worth, I wanted to encourage you to stay the course. I have been reading these threads for a long time and have made a lot of positive changes. At one point I weighed in at close to 250 and by doing a lot of research here and with friends I managed to get down to 215. From there by working out with my good friend who is a body builder like Mastover, I am currently dieting for my first competition in September!!!

I have been doing a pre-contest diet with no cheat meals for the last 12 weeks and have seen amazing results. I am weighing in at 185 and look the best I ever have and I eat ALL THE TIME. I find that the only time I want to cheat is when I have gone too long without eating the meals I am supposed to. So i would just encourage you to pack healthy meals and keep them with you in a cooler. I sit and watch my roommates eat pizza, ice cream, beer, cakes, chips, you name it and it doesn't phase me since I just ate a healthy meal...if anything it motivates me knowing the difference between what I just put in my body vs. what they just put in their bodies.

So I guess all in all, you really are what you eat and if you really want to be in the best shape ever you have to ask yourself which is more important, cheat meals or looking the way you want...

Good luck though man, this place is home to tons of good advice and support - I hope you reach your goals!!!:tucool: