Weekend reward

I've started trying to eat healthy, and like most people am finding the weekdays fairly OK but the weekend creates all kinds of temptations.

I'm looking for people's opinions about a "Saturday night in" treat.

I've narrowed it down to 2 options:

Option A - Microwave popcorn and a bottle of Coke

Option B - Alcohol, in the form of 200-300ml of vodka with some juice to wash down my dinner

Option A probably has more calories but is alcohol free, hence kinder on my liver.

Any recommendations or alternative suggestions?

By the way, Option C (go out on the town and have a few beers) is off the table

Hanley

Option D - get rid of the punishment/reward attitude because it'll only end up in you falling off the wagon

Hanley

Hanley wrote: »

Option D - get rid of the punishment/reward attitude because it'll only end up in you falling off the wagon

Good advice, so thank you, but I'm allowing myself something on a Saturday night that I wouldn't have on the other days. Just can't figure out what that should be

phonypony

A treat is no harm once a week. I managed it successfully. My weekend vice was 2 330ml beers and a bag of potato chips and some dip. It did not impede my loss of 70 lbs in 8 months and the eventual maintenance of my weight. As long as it's no more than once a week and you have the willpower to keep it at that, there's no issue.

Hanley

phonypony wrote: »

A treat is no harm once a week. I managed it successfully. My weekend vice was 2 330ml beers and a bag of potato chips and some dip. It did not impede my loss of 70 lbs in 8 months and the eventual maintenance of my weight. As long as it's no more than once a week and you have the willpower to keep it at that, there's no issue.

Congratulations, but n=1

You're one of the rare few to do it successfully.

ronanc15

Agree with Hanley here. Personally I avoid stuff I know I shouldnt be eating because I understand why it is I shouldnt be eating it. That and the inner fatty would just crave more

A few lads I know who do the weekend treat thing eventually lead to basically "taking the weekend off". So effectively their weekend treats minus out their week's progress

cc87

Why not find a treat that suits your healthy lifestyle??

ronanc15

cc87 wrote: »

Why not find a treat that suits your healthy lifestyle??

Maybe even just bigger portions, bit of a feast :-)

meijin

Deleted User wrote: »

Good advice, so thank you, but I'm allowing myself something on a Saturday night that I wouldn't have on the other days. Just can't figure out what that should be

have a reward that is not food

Ant11

Weekend reward = have 2 steaks instead of 1.

Sangre

Personally, I could never stick to eating regime that only permits a reward of 300ml of 'alcohol' (whatever that is) once a week on a Saturday. Depressing. Whatever works for you though.

The Guvnor

When I got to my leanest condition IMO I was being strict as I recall to a clean high protein, moderate carb diet Mon-Friday and the weekends were basically eat as much as you can handle so protein probably stayed the same but carbs went up.

I've no idea what I was when I started but I ended up at 15st and even dipped under and I looked 'gaunt' - bodyfat realistically then was around the 7-8%. I'd assume I dropped down from about 17st or a touch more.

No one asked what are your goals here - what are your stats at the minute?

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I think the cheat meal is importantnt as do a great many people. I have heard I said it shocks the body out of starvation mode, aids growth hormone release but for me it was that I wasn't denying, myself all the time things I like. Total denial works for some but I think most people need a little junk now and again. Important thing is that's it's a cheat meal not a cheat day, it doesn't have to be totally crap food either.

Everything in moderation even moderation

Stench Blossoms

You are not a dog. Don't reward yourself with food.

xgtdec

i used to love cheat meals..love them, but they derailed me more often than not. I'd allow myself some ice cream and a mars bar on a saturday night and after 2 or so hours id be knee deep in ben and jerrys:(

I just can not handle sugar...and once you come to terms with the fact it makes your overall choices a lot easier, so during the week im strict and at the weekend i loosen up a little, but i never have a blow out anymore..i just cant handle it!!

As an example last nights dinner was if you like my cheat meal...or my not so strict meal...i had

5 chicken drumsticks, covered in franks hot sauce(no rude jokes please!!)
110grms of oven chips
150grms of broccoli
i small tin of heinz beans

and for desert i had my protein shake(phd i think) with warm milk and a little oats to thicken it.

So all in all i was stuffed but it was lovely and my insulin levels remained intact.....

rambling now but my point is that if you can get out of the mentality of "cheating" and get into one of "loosening" your going to see results a whole lot quicker!!

Sangre

Sangre wrote: »

Personally, I could never stick to eating regime that only permits a reward of 300ml of 'alcohol' (whatever that is) once a week on a Saturday. Depressing. Whatever works for you though.

Typo, I had meant to specify that it's 300ml of vodka washed down with fruit juice of some kind.

Stench Blossoms

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

You are not a dog. Don't reward yourself with food.

True, although I do remember reading that it works for humans to reward good behaviour, as it strengthens the desire to repeat that behaviour.

We're not that much different from animals, despite how far we've advanced.

meijin

Deleted User wrote: »

True, although I do remember reading that it works for humans to reward good behaviour, as it strengthens the desire to repeat that behaviour.

We're not that much different from animals, despite how far we've advanced.

Here is an idea for you: reward yourself with some food / alcohol, but before that, ring a bell. Then drop the actual reward, but keep the bell part, and tell us about the result

ronanc15

meijin wrote: »

Here is an idea for you: reward yourself with some food / alcohol, but before that, ring a bell. Then drop the actual reward, but keep the bell part, and tell us about the result

Twice as sickened because now you can't eat/drink the food/drink AND you have to clean it off the floor??

Stench Blossoms

You know what you're reward should be for healthy eating and exercise?

Not being fat and actually being healthy.

Sangre

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

You know what you're reward should be for healthy eating and exercise?

Not being fat and actually being healthy.

Right. I'm pretty sure you can be slim and healthy while still eating the occasional 'unhealthy' high calorie junk food. God forbid someone wants to treat themselves once a week without being compared to a dog.

To the OP, if you think this will help you stay on track, then go for it. This might be too strict for you or it might be too lax, it depends on the person. Try it for a few weeks and see what happens.

When I'm cutting, I'll be very strict during the week and/or day and loosen up when meeting up with my girlfriend. I will try to stay within my overall calorie limit but I don't obese over it and will much on the occasional treat. I'll often workout on a day I know I'll be loose as a sort of compensation (which in reality doesn't make much difference in overall scheme but it helps mentally).

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

You are not a dog. Don't reward yourself with food.

Yeah a personal trainer said that one time to me too,another one said to have a cheat meal once a week, another said to carb load on leg days. Another said that the great lou ferringo says a cheat meal is the mot essential part of the weeks diet....do whatever gets results.for me once I learned to think for myself about my training it was the idea that I could have a meal out, a take away or some alcohol meant that the diet was not some short term thing,but a long term sustainable lifestyle. It improved my compliance the rest of the week. To deny yourself the pleasure of nice food in moderation is a miserable existence. Taking pictures of my abs and running for hours doesn't make up for it. Being healthy and not fat means you can take part in all life has to offer. Food is part of that, and having a good relationship with food means not eating for emotional reasons but also I think it means not trying to think food is just fuel, that's an unhealthy attitude.

nice_guy80

I think dining out on a nice meal once a week or fortnight is a nice treat.

ebixa82

Deleted User wrote: »

I've started trying to eat healthy, and like most people am finding the weekdays fairly OK but the weekend creates all kinds of temptations.

I'm looking for people's opinions about a "Saturday night in" treat.

I've narrowed it down to 2 options:

Option A - Microwave popcorn and a bottle of Coke

Option B - Alcohol, in the form of 200-300ml of vodka with some juice to wash down my dinner

Option A probably has more calories but is alcohol free, hence kinder on my liver.

Any recommendations or alternative suggestions?

By the way, Option C (go out on the town and have a few beers) is off the table

If your treat is popcorn and a bottle of coke then you lead a pretty sad existence unless your a 6 year old kid and Bob the Builder is on.

Exercise, eat well but for God's sake LIVE YOUR LIFE!

TommyKnocker

It would be my opinion that if you need to have a cheat meal every week to keep you on the straight and narrow, then you are doing the healthy eating thing all wrong.

Eating healthy is not and should not be a chore. There is much more to healthy eating than steamed chicken and punnets of brocolli. Learn to cook and experiment with herbs and spices. You can put together really tasty, healthy, homecooked meals in around 30-40 minutes.

And please don't go with the "I have no time to cook" excuse. We all have the same 24 hours available to us each day. Just takes a little planning and organisation.

tmc86

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

You are not a dog. Don't reward yourself with food.

A pretty harsh statement if you're a foodie or enjoy your food! Food to some people is also seen as a source of pleasure and enjoyment.

For example my cheat meal preference is a pizza or a curry however I make these myself. During the week I eat clean and then say Saturday night I'll have something like this. Now its not your typical Dominoes or Takeaway curry so they are still better for you but still considered a cheat in comparison to the rest of the week.

i.e. homemade pizza ( I wouldn't eat such a carb heavy meal during the week but I will at the weekend. I'd also have toppings such as salami/chorizo which are higher fat meats but would stay away from these during the week. Cream in the curry and white rice etc.)

Now as others have mentioned, I believe it's each to their own and I find that a nice "cheat" meal at the weekend works for me. I'm still going to the gym over the weekend but I get to enjoy what I want on one evening. The 80:20 rule helps those like me who don't have the strongest willpower at the weekend after a busy week of work, gym sessions and clean eating.

Also by the sounds of it people have definitions of a "cheat meal" to some it sounds incredibly dirty like a chipper or takeaway but in my case its a meal that I wouldn't have during the week but instead its a homecooked meal made with the ingredients that I try to limit.

As I said each to their own but it annoys me when people preach about constant clean eating and how its so easy. People have different circumstances i.e some might be competition training or some might just try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I highly doubt that the all of those preaching a constant healthy clean diet do not falter once or twice or give in to temptation.

We are only human after all

Orla K

tmc86 wrote: »

A pretty harsh statement if you're a foodie or enjoy your food! Food to some people is also seen as a source of pleasure and enjoyment.

I suppose I could be described as a foodie(although I really hate that word) and enjoying food and rewarding yourself with food are two different things. I enjoy most of my food not just the stuff at the weekend, I make nearly everything myself, with the odd thing from somewhere else. Weekday meals and weekend meals don't really differ too much. But I don't 'reward' myself with food because while I do enjoy food I don't want to be rewarding and punishing myself with food. When it comes to rewarding yourself with food it's the emotional connection that's the problem, your still a slave to bad eating habits if you've the mindset of rewarding yourself with food.

Stench Blossoms

tmc86 wrote: »

A pretty harsh statement if you're a foodie or enjoy your food! Food to some people is also seen as a source of pleasure and enjoyment.

That's fair enough.

But 'rewarding' yourself with food could imply that you also 'punish' yourself with food.

What defines a reward?

I also agree with what Tommyknocker said that if you require a cheat meal to keep you on the straight and narrow that you are doing something wrong.

I don't have cheat meals. I enjoy every meal I make myself because I put time, effort and thought into creating them. One of my favourite meals is homemade pizza. It's got a cauliflower base, goats cheese, chicken and veg. Is it healthy? Pretty much. Does it fit in with my macros? Yes it does. Do I see it as a reward? No. It's a meal. I didn't do anything to particular 'deserve' it. Nor would I not make this meal if I had been a 'baaaaaad little girl'.

TommyKnocker

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

That's fair enough.

But 'rewarding' yourself with food could imply that you also 'punish' yourself with food.

What defines a reward?

I also agree with what Tommyknocker said that if you require a cheat meal to keep you on the straight and narrow that you are doing something wrong.

I don't have cheat meals. I enjoy every meal I make myself because I put time, effort and thought into creating them. One of my favourite meals is homemade pizza. It's got a cauliflower base, goats cheese, chicken and veg. Is it healthy? Pretty much. Does it fit in with my macros? Yes it does. Do I see it as a reward? No. It's a meal. I didn't do anything to particular 'deserve' it. Nor would I not make this meal if I had been a 'baaaaaad little girl'.

Snap, but my version uses Beef Tomatoe slices as the base and would usually include roqfort (blue) cheese

tmc86

Orla K wrote: »

But I don't 'reward' myself with food because while I do enjoy food I don't want to be rewarding and punishing myself with food. When it comes to rewarding yourself with food it's the emotional connection that's the problem, your still a slave to bad eating habits if you've the mindset of rewarding yourself with food.

I agree, but I don't see my cheat meal as a reward. It's simply a meal using ingredients that I would limit during the week.

I go to the gym for my many reasons but one of those reasons is not so that I can eat what I want or eat crap over the weekend. I'll stilll get to the gym on a friday and sunday because I want to and not because I can "reward" myself later on.

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

What defines a reward?

I also agree with what Tommyknocker said that if you require a cheat meal to keep you on the straight and narrow that you are doing something wrong.

I don't have cheat meals. I enjoy every meal I make myself because I put time, effort and thought into creating them. One of my favourite meals is homemade pizza. It's got a cauliflower base, goats cheese, chicken and veg. Is it healthy? Pretty much. Does it fit in with my macros? Yes it does. Do I see it as a reward? No. It's a meal. I didn't do anything to particular 'deserve' it. Nor would I not make this meal if I had been a 'baaaaaad little girl'.

Excactly, its this ambiguity arround "cheat" and "reward" that offers different definitions for different people.

I describe my weekend meal as a "cheat" meal because it is different from my meals during the week yet I don't feel guilty for eating it. It doesn't mean that I don't enjoy my meals during the week because I do as I make them myself. It's not punishment during the week its just that I cut out those ingredients which wouldn't be as good for me as others.

TommyKnocker wrote: »

It would be my opinion that if you need to have a cheat meal every week to keep you on the straight and narrow, then you are doing the healthy eating thing all wrong.

I would have to say that I would disagree with this as it's a very generalised statement to make. Its all down to personal preference and self management as well as personal goals.

People are all wired differently and some people especially those who are maybe not accustomed to eating a consistent healthy diet, may find it easier to keep it up if they have their "cheat" meal. Some people are more determined than others or have more motivation and willpower whereas others may be more tempted by food baddies.

There isn't a common fitness plan that we all follow like there isn't a common diet plan. Different things work for different people.

Stench Blossoms

tmc86 wrote: »

I describe my weekend meal as a "cheat" meal because it is different from my meals during the week yet I don't feel guilty for eating it. It doesn't mean that I don't enjoy my meals during the week because I do as I make them myself. It's not punishment during the week its just that I cut out those ingredients which wouldn't be as good for me as others.

The OP wanted to know which treat was better:

Option A - Microwave popcorn and a bottle of Coke

Option B - Alcohol, in the form of 200-300ml of vodka with some juice to wash down my dinner

While I agree with what you are saying that your 'cheat' meals are different from your weekday meals, they are still nutritious but with foods that you try limit.

I don't think that that is what the OP is talking about and usually when people think 'cheat' they do think 'domino's or a takeaway'.

So yeh basically what I'm saying (and I think Tommy is saying it as well) is that having the thought of 'oh yeh I'm gonna cheat this weekend and get takeaway' probably means that you are limiting yourself too much with your food choices.

You only live once and I find that if you limit yourself too much you'll just end up binging.

tmc86

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

The OP wanted to know which treat was better:

Option A - Microwave popcorn and a bottle of Coke

Option B - Alcohol, in the form of 200-300ml of vodka with some juice to wash down my dinner

While I agree with what you are saying that your 'cheat' meals are different from your weekday meals, they are still nutritious but with foods that you try limit.

I don't think that that is what the OP is talking about and usually when people think 'cheat' they do think 'domino's or a takeaway'.

So yeh basically what I'm saying (and I think Tommy is saying it as well) is that having the thought of 'oh yeh I'm gonna cheat this weekend and get takeaway' probably means that you are limiting yourself too much with your food choices.

You only live once and I find that if you limit yourself too much you'll just end up binging.

Yeah I agree with everything you've said here and that people shouldn't have "cheat"/"rewards" definitions in the sense of "dominoes/takeaway".

As in my case its very easy to label a different meal as a "cheat" even though it may still be close in nutrition to my weekly meals just because it goes against the weekly norm.

and without fully derailing the thread I would have to go with Option B if I had friends round or option A if it was a quiet movie night in!

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

That's fair enough.
But 'rewarding' yourself with food could imply that you also 'punish' yourself with food.

Ah Gym semantics...got a social media thing once from a gym I was in about not loosing weight as that implies you going to find it again instead think of ridding yourself of that extra weight. I wanted to slap my computer reading that.

As for punishing yourself with food, ever tried powdered greens....that's worse than water boarding.

Stench Blossoms

Jose Zealous Typography wrote: »

Ah Gym semantics...got a social media thing once from a gym I was in about not loosing weight as that implies you going to find it again instead think of ridding yourself of that extra weight. I wanted to slap my computer reading that.

Ha! I like that.

Gummy Panda

I don't see what the big issue is with someone wanting to do cheat meals. If makes you diet compliant and not binge then it works. Plenty of people training do it.

I don't agree with the trend of "EPIC cheat meals" were its stuff as much junk down your neck in one hour. If you want a meal where you can be a bit free on the calorie/macro intake once a week I don't see an issue. I just wouldn't waste it on alcohol.