Too much guilt to have a cheat day...

[Fitnessdvaa]

I dont really take cheat meals or days because i always feel soo guilty when i do....i have that all or nothing thing going on....how do you deal with the guilt (if you have any) when you have that cheat meal even when its well deserved...:banghead:

[mikeyrosie000]

I always have a cheat day every week to help boost my metabolism..you have to think of it as in the end it will help you so you shouldn't feel guilty....i'm not talking going super overboard but at least a meal that's a bit off your plan is a good thing in my opinion.

[AirHarp]

If I have a cheat meal it turns into a cheat day, then weekend, then week, month.
I have to stick to my diet 100% If something comes up, and I have been sticking to my diet, then I really don't feel bad. But I never plan a cheat meal.

[KP DIVA]

I plan cheat meals and look forward to them...if not, then it just leads to a binge for me. I don't like to feel guilty about food b/c then that means it's an unhealthy relationship...we need food to survive period. It's hard w/ contest prep b/c you do deprive yourself for so long it's really hard and almost inevitable (sp) not to have a binge at some point..but in the offseason I refuse to beat myself up..I just call myself a crack head and keep on going!!!

[Suzanne]

I have weekly cheat
zero guilt
i LOVE the cheat meal
zero prob going back to clean eating next day

this week will be
Elvis Presley French Toast at a Diner that was on Food Network
banana bread french toast with fried bananas, homemade peanut butter and drizzle of honey
woohoo!!!!!!!!!

i am baking triple chip cookies to bring of vegas for part of next weeks cheat

[Erik]

I always have a cheat day every week to help boost my metabolism..you have to think of it as in the end it will help you so you shouldn't feel guilty....i'm not talking going super overboard but at least a meal that's a bit off your plan is a good thing in my opinion.

But a cheat meal does nothing for metabolism. Cheat MEALS have no real physiological advantage; they're purely for psychological benefit.

Cheat DAYS or structured refeeds are a different story however.

[Erik]

I dont really take cheat meals or days because i always feel soo guilty when i do....i have that all or nothing thing going on....how do you deal with the guilt (if you have any) when you have that cheat meal even when its well deserved...:banghead:

Technically the feelings are within your power to control. You're choosing to feel guilty. Don't.

If it's an unplanned cheat and it happens, well, it happened. It's done, it's over with and there's nothing you can do about it. There's no point wasting any time or energy moping over it, since it won't erase it. Why punish yourself? Just get back on the horse and don't look back. The past is the past.

If it's a planned cheat, well, it's planned. Guilt has even less applicability in this situation since you planned to do it. So again, make the decision to accept it as part of the plan and skip the guilt. Guilt and permission don't mix.

And really, it's not even a big deal unless the frequency gets out of hand.

Think about it - let's say you're eating 6 meals a day. That's 42 meals a week. Do you really think you can undo the work of 41 meals in the 42nd meal? Not likely. And on the off chance you can, it's because the cheat went from planned to flat out dumb and uncontrolled.

I calculated my cheat meal calories last week - it totaled 5000. That's in ONE meal. It erased nothing.

[buffgina]

Technically the feelings are within your power to control. You're choosing to feel guilty. Don't.

If it's an unplanned cheat and it happens, well, it happened. It's done, it's over with and there's nothing you can do about it. There's no point wasting any time or energy moping over it, since it won't erase it. Why punish yourself? Just get back on the horse and don't look back. The past is the past.

If it's a planned cheat, well, it's planned. Guilt has even less applicability in this situation since you planned to do it. So again, make the decision to accept it as part of the plan and skip the guilt. Guilt and permission don't mix.

And really, it's not even a big deal unless the frequency gets out of hand.

Think about it - let's say you're eating 6 meals a day. That's 42 meals a week. Do you really think you can undo the work of 41 meals in the 42nd meal? Not likely. And on the off chance you can, it's because the cheat went from planned to flat out dumb and uncontrolled.

I calculated my cheat meal calories last week - it totaled 5000. That's in ONE meal. It erased nothing.

Erik - thanks for being purely direct with this...I was actually in treatment for an eating disorder last year, and sometimes as a competitor it gets tough because we are so structured that we get scared to go off track without going overboard. We have to remember that bodybuilding is a lifestyle, and freaking out about eating a "non-clean" or "extra clean" food should be something we can all teach ourselves to do for our mind.....in my personal opinion of course:angel:

[Suzanne]

5000 cals :awesome: you know how to have a cheat

I think i come close sometimes :D and over that on a few

[Mercury Girl]

I don't know about the OP, but I found the posts in this thread really helpful. Thanks folks. :)

[buffgina]

I don't know about the OP, but I found the posts in this thread really helpful. Thanks folks. :)

hey mercury girl...what is op?:)

[soontobefit]

hey mercury girl...what is op?:)Original post :D

[Mercury Girl]

hey mercury girl...what is op?:)

Oops! I'm sorry I missed your question! Thanks for responding, soontobefit. :D I actually meant "original poster". ;)

[Fitnessdvaa]

Thanx everyone! Ya'll were really helpful :bowdown:

[Allen]

Technically the feelings are within your power to control. You're choosing to feel guilty. Don't.

If it's an unplanned cheat and it happens, well, it happened. It's done, it's over with and there's nothing you can do about it. There's no point wasting any time or energy moping over it, since it won't erase it. Why punish yourself? Just get back on the horse and don't look back. The past is the past.

If it's a planned cheat, well, it's planned. Guilt has even less applicability in this situation since you planned to do it. So again, make the decision to accept it as part of the plan and skip the guilt. Guilt and permission don't mix.

And really, it's not even a big deal unless the frequency gets out of hand.

Think about it - let's say you're eating 6 meals a day. That's 42 meals a week. Do you really think you can undo the work of 41 meals in the 42nd meal? Not likely. And on the off chance you can, it's because the cheat went from planned to flat out dumb and uncontrolled.

I calculated my cheat meal calories last week - it totaled 5000. That's in ONE meal. It erased nothing.

Thank you for the perspective, Erik. A disciplined training regimen and diet can accommodate the occasional splurge, as lean muscle mass derived therefrom can metabolize extra calories in an efficient way. If an occasional splurge really gets to me psychologically, I do a little more cardio, which I generally enjoy as a stress reliever in any case. There's just no need to allow yourself to be crippled by guilt.

[Alli]

I plan cheat meals and look forward to them...if not, then it just leads to a binge for me. I don't like to feel guilty about food b/c then that means it's an unhealthy relationship...we need food to survive period. It's hard w/ contest prep b/c you do deprive yourself for so long it's really hard and almost inevitable (sp) not to have a binge at some point..but in the offseason I refuse to beat myself up..I just call myself a crack head and keep on going!!!

GREAT response Kenyatta. I don't incorporate cheat meals when I diet... but I do incorporate them in my off season, probably two or three a week. what helps me is to even somewhat keep my cheats in check, so if I ant pancakes I indulge but dont use butter and use sugar free syrup or I get blueberry or pecan pancakes rather then pancakes slathered in syrup or sugary fake fruit toppings. Estabikshing a healthy realationship with food is detrimental to competing... you need to be able to love your body both in its on season and its off- and appreciate it when its at its leanest, but still appreciate it when it fills out a little. It's not healthy to retain a contest shape year round... and my trainer always says....

"You cannot have an on season, without having an off"

[amamo]

good thread. I have a planned cheat DAY every week up until about 2 weeks out from my show, then I have a cheat meal instead. It seemed to work well for me both mentally and physically.

[Fitnessdvaa]

I plan cheat meals and look forward to them...if not, then it just leads to a binge for me. I don't like to feel guilty about food b/c then that means it's an unhealthy relationship...we need food to survive period. It's hard w/ contest prep b/c you do deprive yourself for so long it's really hard and almost inevitable (sp) not to have a binge at some point..but in the offseason I refuse to beat myself up..I just call myself a crack head and keep on going!!!

"crackhead" huh? hmmm ill try that one next time lol....
the funny thing is i rarely crave junk food....if i do need a cheat, it would be something like being able to eat more sweet potatoes or having a lil extra something on protein pancakes...j

[frannyfran]

Whoever cleared up what "OP" meant thanks cause I was clueless too! :p This is something I've struggled with in the past but I think like some of the others have said if it's a planned cheat then don't beat yourself up.

It hard switching gears from pre-contest to off-season. You're structured for so long and then all of a sudden it's like, "Ok well do whatever you want now" for me I've stuggled with going from one extreame to the other.

Erik, I've never thought about it that way before that's a great perspective.

Even if you do cheat they're no saying you can't still make it somewhat healthy like Alli posted about the pancakes and stuff. I mean it not written somewhere that a cheat meal has to be face down in a jar of peanut butter with a chocolate bar in one hand (although that sounds mighty good!!!) I'd say make your cheat meal what you need it to be to stay on track for the next week.

[soontobefit]

Whoever cleared up what "OP" meant thanks cause I was clueless too! :p This is something I've struggled with in the past but I think like some of the others have said if it's a planned cheat then don't beat yourself up.

It hard switching gears from pre-contest to off-season. You're structured for so long and then all of a sudden it's like, "Ok well do whatever you want now" for me I've stuggled with going from one extreame to the other.
Erik, I've never thought about it that way before that's a great perspective.

Even if you do cheat they're no saying you can't still make it somewhat healthy like Alli posted about the pancakes and stuff. I mean it not written somewhere that a cheat meal has to be face down in a jar of peanut butter with a chocolate bar in one hand (although that sounds mighty good!!!) I'd say make your cheat meal what you need it to be to stay on track for the next week.
I have never competed before, but I am wondering, maybe if your off-season diet were more structured, it would be an easier transition? i.e. in your prep, you know exactly how much of what that you are eating. What if you did the same thing in the offseason, only there was more cals, carbs, etc, whatever you weren't having in the prep? Does that make sense?

Good points in here :waving:

[frannyfran]

I have never competed before, but I am wondering, maybe if your off-season diet were more structured, it would be an easier transition? i.e. in your prep, you know exactly how much of what that you are eating. What if you did the same thing in the offseason, only there was more cals, carbs, etc, whatever you weren't having in the prep? Does that make sense?

Good points in here :waving:

Oh totally!! I think the off-season should be mapped out just like you're prep. Even more so if you've had issues with it in the past.

If you can be dieting for a show one day and off-season the next with no problem, then more power to ya but if you're someone who likes some sort of structure (me) it pays to have a good plan mapped out after the show is over.

[Alli]

I have never competed before, but I am wondering, maybe if your off-season diet were more structured, it would be an easier transition? i.e. in your prep, you know exactly how much of what that you are eating. What if you did the same thing in the offseason, only there was more cals, carbs, etc, whatever you weren't having in the prep? Does that make sense?

Good points in here :waving:

you're spot on. Structuring your off season can make your on season SO much easier. This is not to say that you can't have cheats or irregularity in your off season but having a general plan for your off season holds you accountable and keeps you on track, much as your on season does. It also makes your nutrition a LIFESTYLE change and and helps to eliminate some of that "rollercoaster" aspect of on season off season eating.

[dvsness]

you need to be able to love your body both in its on season and its off- and appreciate it when its at its leanest, but still appreciate it when it fills out a little. It's not healthy to retain a contest shape year round... and my trainer always says....

"You cannot have an on season, without having an off"

QFT!!

[Fitnessdvaa]

soooo....i had a small cheat yesturday....it was a brownie.....AND (shock and amazement!!!) i didnt wake up with a gut and an extra ass lol :rolleyes:

[Badgergrl]

:awesome: