Cheat meal??

[Rush8780]

What's the best way to incorporate a cheat meal once a week on a maintenance plan? Just eat very low calorie on the day of your cheat meal and save all the calories for the meal that night?? I'm currently on a maintenance diet and I'm trying to figure out how to do this so my wife and I can actually go out and enjoy a meal on Saturday night

 

[AntM1564]

If you;re going for this cheat meal every Saturday night and the rest of the week your diet is 100% on point, I would not worry about it. Have fun with your wife. A weekly cheat meal will not kill your results. Just make a smart decision on what you order. If you really want, you could do extra cardio that day or the next. If you know your macros, you could go to the restaurant's website and browse their menu, pick a meal, and fit it into your daily macros for the day.

 

[tyga tyga]

In b4 TheSolution rips this thread apart

 

[JudoJosh]

Just go to dinner and enjoy yourself. that doesnt mean go crazy, but just eat. It isnt going to drastically hurt your progress. The rest of the day, leading up to the meal and after it, just diet like you normally would.

 

[pyrobatt]

What's the best way to incorporate a cheat meal once a week on a maintenance plan? Just eat very low calorie on the day of your cheat meal and save all the calories for the meal that night?? I'm currently on a maintenance diet and I'm trying to figure out how to do this so my wife and I can actually go out and enjoy a meal on Saturday night

honesty here....
Are you competing? If so then concentrate on prep and stop using your wife as an excuse to deviate. Talk to your coach /adjust for prep.
If not ....do it. Stop being anal. Happy wife happy life. Once a week wont make much of a difference .Also it seems to me "actually enjoy a meal" means you don't enjoy food now or you and your wife don't eat together and both you and your wife have a problem with this. If that's the issue then make adjustments. Go to a calorie /macro friendly restaurant.

I also must say if bodybuilding is not a job for you then there's no reason for you to try and keep lean year round. It's a pain in the ass and it's repetitive. I feel when people do this it can hinder growth. Don't let society pressure you to be photo shop lean. "Curvy " guys need love too

 

[Tagger]

honesty here....
Are you competing? If so then concentrate on prep and stop using your wife as an excuse to deviate. Talk to your coach /adjust for prep.
If not ....do it. Stop being anal. Happy wife happy life. Once a week wont make much of a difference .Also it seems to me "actually enjoy a meal" means you don't enjoy food now or you and your wife don't eat together and both you and your wife have a problem with this. If that's the issue then make adjustments. Go to a calorie /macro friendly restaurant.

I also must say if bodybuilding is not a job for you then there's no reason for you to try and keep lean year round. It's a pain in the ass and it's repetitive. I feel when people do this it can hinder growth. Don't let society pressure you to be photo shop lean. "Curvy " guys need love too

This says it all haha.

 

[JXiiXViii]

Yeah I wouldn't worry too much about it man. One "cheat meal" per week isn't going to hinder progress at all. Your body is much more complex than that.

Also, you can still eat out and get food that's relatively healthy. For example, don't go to dinner at McDonalds and pound 5 Big Macs, a large fry, and a coke (obviously). Go to a nice steakhouse or a hibachi place and get steak, chicken, rice, potatoes, and vegetables. Tastes good and it's perfectly fine to eat.

And I second what pyrobatt said..you used the words "actually enjoy a meal." Maybe you didn't mean it that way, but it sounds like you need to find some recipes and foods you can eat that are healthy but that you also enjoy. It makes sticking to a diet so much easier.

I eat clean 95-98% of the time I'd say and I actually enjoy every meal, so to me it's not a "diet" at all. I'm just eating foods I like that happen to also be good for me.

 

[Tagger]

Yeah I wouldn't worry too much about it man. One "cheat meal" per week isn't going to hinder progress at all. Your body is much more complex than that.

Also, you can still eat out and get food that's relatively healthy. For example, don't go to dinner at McDonalds and pound 5 Big Macs, a large fry, and a coke (obviously). Go to a nice steakhouse or a hibachi place and get steak, chicken, rice, potatoes, and vegetables. Tastes good and it's perfectly fine to eat.

And I second what pyrobatt said..you used the words "actually enjoy a meal." Maybe you didn't mean it that way, but it sounds like you need to find some recipes and foods you can eat that are healthy but that you also enjoy. It makes sticking to a diet so much easier.

I eat clean 95-98% of the time I'd say and I actually enjoy every meal, so to me it's not a "diet" at all. I'm just eating foods I like that happen to also be good for me.

Same here. I'm weird but I ****ing love chicken and rice. Sometimes I eat that **** 3 times a day.

 

[The Solution]

What's the best way to incorporate a cheat meal once a week on a maintenance plan? Just eat very low calorie on the day of your cheat meal and save all the calories for the meal that night?? I'm currently on a maintenance diet and I'm trying to figure out how to do this so my wife and I can actually go out and enjoy a meal on Saturday night

Replace 1 meal with Cheat meal
Dont need to low carb anything, its a "Free/Cheat" Meal
Eat sensible and dont stuff yourself silly. Moderation never hurt anyone.