So I read somewhere on this site that when you eat a cheat meal, you still need to stay within your calorie limit for the day. I've been doing really good the last couple of weeks--tracking my meals, macronutrients, calories; eating 5-6 meals throughout the day, spreading out my 2,300 daily calories (which is a deficit of 20% of my TDEE).

So today, I went to Subway for my cheat meal: a 6" turkey sub on wheat bread, lite mayo, lots of veggies, 20 oz. of Dr Pepper, and two cookies.

I finished dinner an hour ago--a salmon burger on whole wheat bread, with lettuce and tomato and a sweet potato. And now I only have 163 more calories for the remainder of the day. And I'm hungry!

That cheat meal really cost me. It was about 930 calories!

Any thoughts, advice, suggestions regarding cheat meals?

Thanks.

9 table spoons of peanut butter.

thats what i would do anyways....

Well, that depends on how you look at cheats.

Personally, I find that the decision not to worry about it every now and then has helped me immensely in terms of long term compliance. Some people find that balls to the wall, all the time - even when "cheating" are the way to go for them. If you are in the first category - then chill out and eat what you normally do at this time, even if it puts you over for one day. If you are in the second group, well, then look in the fridge/pantry and see what you can get for the remaining 163 calories.

personally I feel if you eat consciously, then you won't need to cheat. I can't count calories, that just isn't something I can fit into my lifestyle. So I just am very conscious of what I eat. There are days when I may eat more and days when I may eat less. As long as I am eating what I like, not stuffing my face, and only eating when I am truly hungry, then I do fine.

Give yourself a break, expect that there will be days when you may eat a little more, and days when you can eat less. If you are conscious of what you are eating and how much, you will be fine

Cheers,
Diane

Yes, well that might work for maintenance but that doesn't work very well when you are trying to lose weight.

I think it can, depending on how disciplined you are. I have used it for both. Guess it also depends on the person.... Some people find it really necessary to count calories. Others, like me, don't need to. (Maybe I do it subconsciously in my head...lol)

I agree, at least in my case. If I wouldn't count calories I would certainly eat way over maintance... even if I was trying to eat light.

Maybe. But if you just eat by trying to tel if your hungry or not i don't think it is as effective for losing weight because the body has a "set-point" to where it doesn't want to gain or lose weight, if you start trying to "consciously" eat less your mind will trigger hormones to keep you from going below that set-point by making you feel really hungry. Eating consciously, watching portion sizes IMO only works with people really obese...

It's better to know exactly what your putting in your body because even eating a little bit less one day doesn't do squat since your metabolism rises and drops all the time.

Counting calories is pretty easy though. It's something i don't even try to do but my mind does it on its own since i have a pretty good idea whats in everything i eat...though nowadays i use fitday just to make sure i'm being precise and getting enough protein.

Doesn't that mean you shouldn't go there? You know what I mean? If your body tells you that it is too little then isn't it telling you that you are loosing too much weight? or fat? or muscle?

It just sounds like you are describing what happens when you hit that "starvation mode"...

I don't usually have that problem though. If I want to loose weight it is a matter of me cutting back, but I usually don't feel hungry. I know if I am not eating enough if I start getting tired all the time (which, for me, means I'm not paying attention to what I am eating again.) But I can cut back and loose weight without ever feeling like I am hungry during the day.

If you are goaling yourself at a healthy low weight, it would seem you shouldn't have to fight your body being hungry....

does that make sense?

Oh no no no no..the body develops a set-point after you sit around the same weight for a while. The body gets used to that weight and doesn't want to go around it.

When i was 185 and chubby my body had a set-point and didn't want to lose or gain weight, once i hit 140 my body had another set-point, and now that i bulked 15-20lbs my body has another set-point and will fight to keep the weight the same.

Hunger pain's are natural during trying to lose body tissue, it's something you have to over-come with your mind.

Hormone wants to keep body at weight set point
How Your Body Regulates Your Weight

Thats a little study that can help clear things out, i agree with the whole set-point theory, but only part of it.

I don't agree when it says:
This quote is 100% false or else i'd have gone back to 185a long time ago. It IS possible to re-establish your setpoint, the individual just has to be motivated long enough to TRY and maintain that body weight long enough to restablish a new-set point and to increase metabolism by exercising and eating healthy

Here's a quote that sums it up nicely

I'm not sure of either of those articles.....I'm not convinced. The research done in the one article is a *very* small group of women, and it doesn't take into account how womens bodies change for preparation for the child bearing years. Also there is no mention of what/if there is a difference after child birth. Lots of factors seem to be ignored.....

I can understand the concept of having a "setpoint" but your metabolism has to also be part of that equation.

You would probably die if you knew how much food I could put away when I was young. I could probably out eat the lot of you! LOL! BUT I *never* gained a pound. In fact I was 110 lbs, 5'7" and people often told me I was "skinny" but I ate food like I was in an eating contest.

Interesting theory, but I would have to see much more research (scientific evidence- large studies) before I could buy into that.

It was in my college psychology book. I'm sure they wouldn't lie to me...right?

Anyhow, all i was trying to prove was that after a while when you maintain the same weight your body get used to it, doesn't want to change, and when you do try to change starts lowering/raising metabolism and releasing hunger hormones to make you eat more and get you back to that "normal" weight. Which is true I believe, otherwise everyone would be able to lose weight pretty easily without having to deal with hunger and fighting their metabolism.