The Detriment of Cheat Meals

Diet and Nutrition
1

I’m incredibly strict on my eating habits during the week Monday through Friday (training 4 days a week), but when Saturday and Sunday come around, I sometimes slip. It’s not that I dip into a routine of eating fast food, pizza, ice cream or anything like that, but I still can’t tell.

Since the weekend is my day off, I usually cheat by not eating enough, or making less strict choices. By less strict I mean not the right macro breakdown per meal. How detrimental is this to my bulking cycle? How do you guys stay strict and not cheat at all?

2

I wouldn’t worry too much about cheating if you’re bulking. Within limits of course. I don’t think it will be detrimental to your goals to let loose a little on the weekends. May help you put on a little size. The not eating part you mentioned is not good.

3

Dude, trust me, most of the people on here cheat. Life’s too short, and unless your a Pro BB, Fitness competitor, or Pro Athlete, cheating a couple of times a week is no big deal. I try to stay pretty strict Sunday - Thursday, but on Friday and Saturday I eat and drink however much I want to, because, well, life’s too short

4

Christmas party this Friday with an open bar. Guess who’s gonna have a drink or three?

Yeah, when you’re gaining strength/size more calories aren’t going to be any real problem. I been cheating a little because my lifts have gone up and its easy to think you ‘earned it’.

I really believe if you are going all-out in the gym and progressing with the weight you can lift than surplus calories are only going to be used for good purposes by your body (to a point).

I have only performed 1 actual ‘cutting’ phase ever. When I was cutting I was strict. Not a single step wrong when it came to nutrition. I lasted 6 weeks. It worked - I lost 4 inches of my waist and 5kg. I hated it.

5

i ate a perfect 7 day week. maybe a cheat day every 10 days and a couple of emergency cheats a week otherwise.

i lost fat and kept muscle.

im doing the same workout and everything else for the last 3 weeks.

only change is nowi eat a perfect 5 day week and junk out on the weekends.

(50% normal, then add in porridge outs, chocolate cake, ice cream, oatcakes, white rolls, burgers)

this was in an effort to stop moving my body fat down for a while.

instead ive started getting mega ripped and putting on muscle alot faster.

if each weekend day you can keep to your normal 50% at least, then it may do you some good.

important thing is - do not try and compensate for eating the crap by ONLY eating the crap.

eat protein with every ‘cheat’

6

If you’re in a big caloric deficit phase, I wouldn’t worry about cheating every now and then either(read Cheat to Lose diet)

7

John Berardi’s 90% rule comes to mind. As long as you’re eating right 90% of the time, you should be good to go. Enjoy that 10% leeway with no guilt.

8

I really have to wonder how much progress can be made by you guys that obsess like this.

I agree with Whey Man. Learn the 90% rule.

9

Sounds about like how I keep my diet. I’ll go check out that article by John Berardi. Anyone happen to remember the title?

10

[quote]Droogan Leader wrote:
I’m incredibly strict on my eating habits during the week Monday through Friday (training 4 days a week), but when Saturday and Sunday come around, I sometimes slip. It’s not that I dip into a routine of eating fast food, pizza, ice cream or anything like that, but I still can’t tell.

Since the weekend is my day off, I usually cheat by not eating enough, or making less strict choices. By less strict I mean not the right macro breakdown per meal. How detrimental is this to my bulking cycle? How do you guys stay strict and not cheat at all?[/quote]

I tend to have this problem when I go out of town on the weekends and have a hard time eating enough/often enough. For a bulking cycle I don’t think cheating a little is as much of a concern as with cutting. However not eating enough would probably be a much bigger concern for bulking. Even if you are eating sub-optimal food choices you should make sure you at least eat enough.

PeterD

11

The only thing about cheat meals that annoys me is that there is that drive (however small) to have a cheat for your next meal after the cheat meal. THat and if your cheat involves alcohol sometimes the hormonal effects cause you to crave more food and/or more alcohol within the following hours.

BUt generally speaking I agree with everything everyone else is saying in this thread.

12

[quote]Whey Man wrote:
John Berardi’s 90% rule comes to mind. As long as you’re eating right 90% of the time, you should be good to go. Enjoy that 10% leeway with no guilt.[/quote]

I agree completely with this. Unless your weight or diet threatens your life (morbidly obese or toothpick skinny), then a cheat here and there should be fine. I don’t have a STRICT diet, but I do have one. I eat only certain foods, I only eat so much a day, and I make sure I’m not going overboard in one area or another of my nutritional intake. Generally, I regulate across the board.

So, a cheat meal every now and then isn’t bad. Just don’t make it a habit and stick to your overall plan.

13

You need to be doing mostly the right things most of the time over a long period in order to succeed. The 90% rule works great for many things, not just food intake. Remember though, it’s not the 80% rule, or the 65% rule, it’s the 90% rule.