Cheat meal vs carb-up

[xenithon]

Hi All,

As a quick overview of my current diet, I get in around 150g carbs on training days (4x a week), 50g on 2 of my non-training days and the other non training day is a carb-up, doubling the intake to 300g (Sundays).

I have to be honest - I haven't had a cheat meal in around 2 years and this has been quite taxing on my mind. I read up everywhere on the psychological benefits and would like to start incorporating a cheat meal. At the same time I feel that this may conflict with the carb up in the sense that I am not sure if I should have both. I am also not to sure if the carb up is THAT neccessary as on some weeks where I have skipped it I have not noticed a significant effect on energy levels, and the carb levels are nowhere near ketosis-inducing amounts.

Do you guys think I should just ditch the carb up, keep it clean during the week and have a nice, guilt-free cheat meal on Sundays? Also to those who have incorporated cheat meals, how have you managed to make it 'guilt free'? I fear I may have conscious issues due to a long drought period without a cheat

X

[Mass Quest]

no cheat meal in 2 years!
you need a cheat meal to help keep your metabolism up.have your cheat meal on sunday and you will notice the difference.

[xenithon]

Should i have the cheat in lieu of the carb-up? I reckon it will do my leptin levels more good than the carb-up The carbup is sort of a mental boost due to the heavy weekly restrictions but I still have to keep it squeeky clean, especially minimizing any fat intake with the high carb meals

[)(PimP JuicE)(]

:spudniktr: i call bullsh!t on 2 yrs with no cheat meal.....

why lie?

[brian11]

:spudniktr: i call bullsh!t on 2 yrs with no cheat meal.....

why lie?

ding ding ding, we have a winner.

[SplinterCell]

Well lets say your not bull****ing....no cheatmeal in 2 years?! **** bro, thats dedication....i cant go 3 weeks without a cheat meal...

[xenithon]

I serioously do not appreciate that. I am not here to get awards, I am here in an honest quest to get info for myself. I used to be seriously overweight, lost a ****load, and most likely due to a fear of not wanting to gain it back again I have been strict strict since! As I said before, if you consider the carbup a cheat meal then yes it's a cheat. But I have not had fast food, cakes, etc. as I uesd to eat and as is generally thought of as a cheat.

Obviously it seems your mind is made up though. But in all honesty - I did not lie, so take your incinuations elsewhere if you have nothing useful to add.

[Kim2884]

I believe him. After a while of eating healthy, my cheat meals are getting less and less disgusting. Last weekend my only cheat foods were a bowl of honey bunches of oats and some fat free sugar free ice cream. It's amazing how much less you crave things when you get totally out of the habit of eating them.
xenithon, if you want to make a cheat close to "guilt-free," try just counting calories Eat the same amount you normally do, or your maintenance. That way, no matter what you eat, you can't be doing too much damage. Or, you could just not worry about it at all becuz after eating clean all week (and every week for 2 years!), you can afford it.

[xenithon]

Thanks for the backup. I think the main reason for my lack of cheat meal is the fact that I did not go on a diet so to speak. It was a change in way of life altogether. Eating healthy becomes second nature after a while, and the absoulte urge for cheat foods did somewhat fall away when the results were showing. Guys when I say I did not cheat, I am referring to things like pizza, macdonalds, cakes etc. If you consider a protein bar once in a while a major cheat then things are different (different thresholds for what a cheat meal is I guess).

Also thanks for the idea about the calories. I was wondering about that. I mean a hamburger can be 4-500 calories which is just above 'normal' so it aint that bad. An entire pizza or large slab of chocolate though can reach in the early thousands which may get the conscious shouting.

Cheers,
X

[Panzerfaust]

I had Taco Hell for my cheat meal on Saturday.

Now thats a cheat and i do not feel guilty at all.

[Panzerfaust]

I had Taco Hell for my cheat meal on Saturday.

Now thats a cheat and i do not feel guilty at all.

[Ketogenic]

i had a 18 hours carbup on saturday and during my carbup i ate 3 donnuts and 1 pizza i wonder why i dont feel guilty ,well i feel happy and i am still loosing weight.

[Todd Scott]

I went for many many moths without a cheat meal, untill I read some good research on it. That night I went out and got the biggest, doughyest, thickest, cheesyest pizza, with spicy wedgies and bbq sauce. It was YUMMMM, trouble is I woke up wanting it again the next day. lol. I found that cheating/treating really did help me to lose weight though.