Cheat meals when going out to eat?

YoungThor

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How often do you guys eat a cheat meal when doing a serious cut? If you go out to eat with people will you typically try to stick to the diet or do you allow yourself to cheat?

Here’s some background. I’m eating a diet that is at least 90% carnivore (some days it’s completely carnivore) with the remaining 10% being made up of low carb, ketogenic plant foods. I’ve been on this diet for two weeks and I enjoy it, especially considering it’s bringing about fast progress.

Today I’m going out to eat with people and they chose a sandwich shop. The only thing I can eat there is a salad and I’d even have to ask them to remove some things from that. Do you think I should just cheat for this one meal? Do you think it’s okay to cheat about twice a month? How often do you serious dieters cheat or do you stick rigidly to the diet until you reach your goal?

I know this is all subjective but I appreciate any input.
 
YoungThor

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I should’ve mentioned I also do intermittent fasting a couple days a week. By the time I go out to eat I’ll be about 17 hours into a fast.
 
tyga tyga

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Dude, eat the meal? Enjoy the company, atmosphere and food. How far do you really think it’ll set you back, if any?
 

jrock645

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I really don’t see any harm in two cheat meals a month. Especially if your idea of a cheat meal is a sandwich. In the grand scheme of things, that’s nothing.
 
117codyawebb

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I really don’t see any harm in two cheat meals a month. Especially if your idea of a cheat meal is a sandwich. In the grand scheme of things, that’s nothing.
Pretty sure Arnold said to enjoy your luxury's and have fun. Eat what makes you happy and what you love bro. I'd like to see a pic of your sandwhich as well.
 
The Solution

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How often do you guys eat a cheat meal when doing a serious cut? If you go out to eat with people will you typically try to stick to the diet or do you allow yourself to cheat?

Here’s some background. I’m eating a diet that is at least 90% carnivore (some days it’s completely carnivore) with the remaining 10% being made up of low carb, ketogenic plant foods. I’ve been on this diet for two weeks and I enjoy it, especially considering it’s bringing about fast progress.

Today I’m going out to eat with people and they chose a sandwich shop. The only thing I can eat there is a salad and I’d even have to ask them to remove some things from that. Do you think I should just cheat for this one meal? Do you think it’s okay to cheat about twice a month? How often do you serious dieters cheat or do you stick rigidly to the diet until you reach your goal?

I know this is all subjective but I appreciate any input.
Are you stepping on a stage anytime soon?
Are you doing a photoshoot?
Are you getting paid to count your calories and macros?

The final answer is it won't matter. Like tyga tyga said to enjoy the food and company and move forward. It won't set you back at all just resume your normal diet. And a sandwich is absolutely nothing. I have clients in contest prep who eat a full entree and dessert through their contest prep and almost up to stage time and show up just fine when competing.

Live life, enjoy and get right back on track. Moderation fits into EVERYONE's meal plan regardless of your goal.
 
ValiantThor08

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I should’ve mentioned I also do intermittent fasting a couple days a week. By the time I go out to eat I’ll be about 17 hours into a fast.
If you are in ketosis, and you frequently lift, when you cheat, and consume carbs, it will be absorbed into your muscle as glycogen. It is not going to set you back.
 
john.patterson

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It sounds like you're doing keto. Can you clarify this?

If you're just eating low carb and focused on fat loss, one meal isn't going to set you back at all. I prefer to save my all out cheat meals for dinner or sushi rather than lunch, but do what you enjoy. If I were in your situation I would opt for a healthier option, maybe a wrap? I wouldn't go all in and go crazy, but enjoying food will keep you balanced.

If you're doing keto my advice would be a bit different. Occasional refeeds on keto are fine, but consuming a higher carb lunch once or twice a week will interfere with keeping you in ketosis.
 
BloodManor

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After all these years of doing this. Do what makes you happy !! I was the guy with Tupperware’s to a family dinner lol
Now I don’t give a fuk, if I want a bagel or two I have them then just adjust the rest of the days meals
 

Emir

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I have a cheat meal every second week. Usually just purchase two pieces of KFC spicy breast chicken and a diet coke. thats around 500-600 calories, with a high protein though also high fat content. but beats eating pizza or McDonald's lol
 
ValiantThor08

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It sounds like you're doing keto. Can you clarify this?

If you're just eating low carb and focused on fat loss, one meal isn't going to set you back at all. I prefer to save my all out cheat meals for dinner or sushi rather than lunch, but do what you enjoy. If I were in your situation I would opt for a healthier option, maybe a wrap? I wouldn't go all in and go crazy, but enjoying food will keep you balanced.

If you're doing keto my advice would be a bit different. Occasional refeeds on keto are fine, but consuming a higher carb lunch once or twice a week will interfere with keeping you in ketosis.
Depends on his insulin sensitivity, and his muscle glycogen depletion level. I have been experimenting for months now with a ketone blood meter, the effects of being in ketosis, depleting glycogen through intense training, consuming a ton of simple carbs for dinner, and then testing ketones later. Every day producing ketones, even while eating simple carbs for dinner. The key is, have depleted glycogen stores. When you eat simple carbs, insulin will drive it all into your muscle as glycogen. Once insulin has done its job, your liver will begin to produce ketones again. Even in a strict keto diet, upon eating, you stop producing ketones, upon intense training, you will register low ketones, and upon waking, low ketones. The time in between meals we will register heightened ketones.
 
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I have a cheat meal every second week. Usually just purchase two pieces of KFC spicy breast chicken and a diet coke. thats around 500-600 calories, with a high protein though also high fat content. but beats eating pizza or McDonald's lol
KFC beats eating this?
I dont know about that......




 
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it does in terms of health, but damn i miss pizza.
2 pieces of chicken breast is not a cheat meal bud. 500 calories is something even my 88 year old grandma can eat everyday. That is far from something that would enhance a caloric surplus or totally a food that is "Cheat" worthy. This is something almost everyone on these boards can eat on a daily basis.
 

Emir

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2 pieces of chicken breast is not a cheat meal bud. 500 calories is something even my 88 year old grandma can eat everyday. That is far from something that would enhance a caloric surplus or totally a food that is "Cheat" worthy. This is something almost everyone on these boards can eat on a daily basis.
Not with my genetics and metabolism :( have crashed months ago lol
 
Mathb33

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It’s different for everybody the key is to know yourself from testing and playing with macros until you find what works for you. Im almost done with a cut went from 18% to 11-12% so far and the whole time I allowed myself to have two cheat meals a week(not cheat days). For the rest of the time I would 100% follow my diet even if I was going out
 
YoungThor

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Well I had the sandwich and had some chocolate desert type thing later in the day. I enjoyed both and I think you guys are right about just enjoying some foods here and there that might not fit into your diet plan. I just do this for fun so I don’t have to be too too strict but at the same time I really want to achieve my goals so I need to stay disciplined most the time.

But I am doing a variation of a keto diet that leans more toward carnivore. It’s very low carb (always trying to stay below 50 grams a day). My macros are different than a true keto diet. Since I’m eating almost nothing but animal products for the majority of the day, my protein intake is much higher than a true keto diet. I’m still getting a ton of fat by doing this. I am trying to be in ketosis the majority of the time though. But I assume if I eat some bread or something and then don’t eat anymore carbs for a while I’ll just burn off that new glycogen and then re-enter ketosis soon after like ValiantThor08 mentioned.
 
ValiantThor08

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Well I had the sandwich and had some chocolate desert type thing later in the day. I enjoyed both and I think you guys are right about just enjoying some foods here and there that might not fit into your diet plan. I just do this for fun so I don’t have to be too too strict but at the same time I really want to achieve my goals so I need to stay disciplined most the time.

But I am doing a variation of a keto diet that leans more toward carnivore. It’s very low carb (always trying to stay below 50 grams a day). My macros are different than a true keto diet. Since I’m eating almost nothing but animal products for the majority of the day, my protein intake is much higher than a true keto diet. I’m still getting a ton of fat by doing this. I am trying to be in ketosis the majority of the time though. But I assume if I eat some bread or something and then don’t eat anymore carbs for a while I’ll just burn off that new glycogen and then re-enter ketosis soon after like ValiantThor08 mentioned.
That's the key, since you eat high protein, moderate fat, you are in a state of ketosis most of the time, your glycogen stores are very low, and if you aren't eating too many meals in a day, you will have heightened insulin sensitivity. When you do eat those simple carbs, it is going straight into your muscle.
 
HIT4ME

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I think there are two sides to this. On one hand people can be too loose. They can turn a cheat meal into 2 cheats, into 3, into a diet that is completely out of control.

On the other hand, you have to be realistic and allow some room for enjoyment and flexibility.

For me, on a very strict diet I will have a cheat once a week. And I allow this meal to be whatever I want. I try not to eat 3,000 calories in 1 meal but if I feel like something in that one meal I have it. Often, looking forward go bacon cheeseburger with fries and onion rings, or whatever, will get me through the week.

On a less than crazy strict diet, something like a couple slices of bread should be something you can accommodate in your macros with very little concern.

Now, if ketosis is your goal then adjust and order something that fits your goal.

Focus on what you actually want and adjust to the situation and don't worry about things.

I have had times where I sat at parties, lunch meetings, whatever ...and ate nothing or just had a black coffee. Order whatever you want and don't call a roll a cheat meal. A cheat should be a psychological and physiological break.
 
YoungThor

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That's the key, since you eat high protein, moderate fat, you are in a state of ketosis most of the time, your glycogen stores are very low, and if you aren't eating too many meals in a day, you will have heightened insulin sensitivity. When you do eat those simple carbs, it is going straight into your muscle.
That’s a good point. I actually ate a little more carbs than usual yesterday and today I thought my muscles looked more pumped. They probably had more glycogen than I’ve been used to lately.
 
YoungThor

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I think there are two sides to this. On one hand people can be too loose. They can turn a cheat meal into 2 cheats, into 3, into a diet that is completely out of control.

On the other hand, you have to be realistic and allow some room for enjoyment and flexibility.

For me, on a very strict diet I will have a cheat once a week. And I allow this meal to be whatever I want. I try not to eat 3,000 calories in 1 meal but if I feel like something in that one meal I have it. Often, looking forward go bacon cheeseburger with fries and onion rings, or whatever, will get me through the week.

On a less than crazy strict diet, something like a couple slices of bread should be something you can accommodate in your macros with very little concern.

Now, if ketosis is your goal then adjust and order something that fits your goal.

Focus on what you actually want and adjust to the situation and don't worry about things.

I have had times where I sat at parties, lunch meetings, whatever ...and ate nothing or just had a black coffee. Order whatever you want and don't call a roll a cheat meal. A cheat should be a psychological and physiological break.
Good point. I’d say 99% of Americans would’ve considered that sandwich to be a healthy choice. I only called it a cheat meal because it basically contained all or more carbs than I’ve been allowing myself in a day. It was definitely far from a traditional cheat meal like a cheesesteak or slice of pizza.
 
muscleupcrohn

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Are you prepping for a competitive show or professional photo shoot? If not, it’s not a major issue, and unlikely to have lasting effects on your progress anyway. Carnivore or whatever is fine, but a high carb meal isn’t going to break you. Keep the calories manageable if you can and it’s not much of a cheat at all if it’s just more carbs than normal.
 
Chados

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People often eat good but then they go home lay in the bed and have a pizza. If you work out beyond what's reasonable for an average guy you can eat more and cheat more. It's really hard to say what YOU can have and how it effects you personally.

I have times when I don't bulk and cheatmeals can be a little harder to get away with but when I train to build and especially if I'm on gear I eat all day, work out all muscles twice a week and can easily get away with a pizza and ice cream on a Saturday. In fact I think it's helping me more than it does damage. The more muscles you have the more important sugars become to keep weight. You should be able to tell by looking in the mirror once a week wether you're going backwards or forward.
 
GrizzleB

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After all these years of doing this. Do what makes you happy !! I was the guy with Tupperware’s to a family dinner lol
Now I don’t give a fuk, if I want a bagel or two I have them then just adjust the rest of the days meals
I eat a bagel or 2 every morning and im still dropping fat and getting bigger. Pretty much a staple breakfast item for me.
 
Outofbody

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Well I had the sandwich and had some chocolate desert type thing later in the day. I enjoyed both and I think you guys are right about just enjoying some foods here and there that might not fit into your diet plan. I just do this for fun so I don’t have to be too too strict but at the same time I really want to achieve my goals so I need to stay disciplined most the time.

But I am doing a variation of a keto diet that leans more toward carnivore. It’s very low carb (always trying to stay below 50 grams a day). My macros are different than a true keto diet. Since I’m eating almost nothing but animal products for the majority of the day, my protein intake is much higher than a true keto diet. I’m still getting a ton of fat by doing this. I am trying to be in ketosis the majority of the time though. But I assume if I eat some bread or something and then don’t eat anymore carbs for a while I’ll just burn off that new glycogen and then re-enter ketosis soon after like ValiantThor08 mentioned.
Have you started having dreams (nightmares) about carbs yet? Whenever I do a similar diet, I always get dreams where I'm raiding my fridge at night of carbs, and then I wake up in the morning worried if I was sleep walking or if it was just a dream lol
 
YoungThor

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Have you started having dreams (nightmares) about carbs yet? Whenever I do a similar diet, I always get dreams where I'm raiding my fridge at night of carbs, and then I wake up in the morning worried if I was sleep walking or if it was just a dream lol
Haha that’s intense. I rarely crave carbs. If I do then I might just have a small amount, like a few grams. Maybe it’ll be a handful of berries or peanuts. But for the most part this diet is pretty easy because I love the foods I’m eating. Just about everyday I have steak, eggs, bacon, milk, cheese, yogurt, chicken, and literally any other animal product I want. That’s the main rule for me is mostly stick to animal products and try to fast for around 16 hours a day. I try to go for fattier meats and cook everything in grass-fed butter. I’m enjoying it and it’s working so far. I’m down about 10 pounds in the first 18 days. Obviously some of that weight is water.
 
Outofbody

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Flavored BCAAs help a lot with sweetness cravings. I also like having candy (gummies) around my workouts if it's getting really bad or I feel I'm lacking intensity in the gym.
 

Derek Wilson

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Flavored BCAAs help a lot with sweetness cravings. I also like having candy (gummies) around my workouts if it's getting really bad or I feel I'm lacking intensity in the gym.
What do you get from BCAAs that you can't get from WHEY protein?
 
YoungThor

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I typically have a protein shake to help with cravings. A scoop or two of chocolate whey protein in whole milk is as tasty as a milk shake to me.
 

Emir

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What do you get from BCAAs that you can't get from WHEY protein?
I hate making protein while bcaa is easy, so I'm on the same boat, I just est for protein and if I'm getting cramps and **** I have some bcaa probably 3 times a week. Whey protein shake maybe 2 times a week, just hate shaking it as it never blends properly and I've tried it all, plus only 25-30g protein is a tiny breast chicken so I would rather the chicken, basically same calories as well.
 
cheftepesh1

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In the end the meal is not going to make drastic changes in your physic. If it effects you mentally then that is different. If you're not enjoying life a little it may not be worth doing it.
 
YoungThor

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In the end the meal is not going to make drastic changes in your physic. If it effects you mentally then that is different. If you're not enjoying life a little it may not be worth doing it.
Yeah my major concern with it is that it would start a precedent of me breaking my diet here and there and it would gradually become more common. I’m an all or nothing type of guy with everything I do. I’m a bit of an extremist with things.

I’ve decided to adjust my weight loss plan by being less absorbed with what I’m eating and more concerned with when I eat. I’ve increased my fast to at least 18 hours a day and now I allow myself to have more carbs then I did before so that way I don’t have to be super strict. And it’s working. I also do more cardio.
 
Lucianooo

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I do CKD, and on weekends I go out at night with my gf. On these days I use metformin as gda
 

Derek Wilson

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I typically have a protein shake to help with cravings. A scoop or two of chocolate whey protein in whole milk is as tasty as a milk shake to me.
That's cool! I should try it very soon.
 

Derek Wilson

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I hate making protein while bcaa is easy, so I'm on the same boat, I just est for protein and if I'm getting cramps and **** I have some bcaa probably 3 times a week. Whey protein shake maybe 2 times a week, just hate shaking it as it never blends properly and I've tried it all, plus only 25-30g protein is a tiny breast chicken so I would rather the chicken, basically same calories as well.
I see! Yes, bcaa is easy.
 

Derek Wilson

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In the end the meal is not going to make drastic changes in your physic. If it effects you mentally then that is different. If you're not enjoying life a little it may not be worth doing it.
That's inspirational!
 

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