If someone could please help me out I would appreciate it very much. I was told that there is one cheat meal per week allowed on the Biggest Loser Meal Plan. I was told that Bob said this during the Season 6 show. I am very skeptical and refuse to believe that Bob of all people said on national television that one cheat meal per week is allowed on the Biggest Loser Meal Plan. How is cheating on a lifestyle change you are make going to help you lose weight and maintain that lifestyle change for the rest of your life?

In saying "cheat meal", I am saying one meal per week where you can eat anything you like whether it be the junk food or fast food or going out to a restaurant.

Any feedback or info or proof that Bob said this is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Maybe someone else has some info on this, but I'm with you on this one. Having a cheat meal once a week is extremely defeating, and it is not allowing oneself to accept a new lifestyle...rather living with the idea that one is being deprived and needs relief. Once a week especially!

Then when you consider what some people may eat for a cheat meal, I really find it hard to believe Bob would ever say such a thing. What does a cheat meal encompass? Can you imagine what some people might interpret that as? Enough to ruin the entire week's work.

I guess what I'm saying is that I hope you get your answer, but that no matter what Bob may have said, YOU know what is right, because you wrote it above!

I surely cannot imagine Bob saying this, since he would know how it could be so easily misinterpreted, and because he wants a lifestyle change, and not just a temporary fix to lose weight.

They do in fact allow a cheat meal on the biggest loser meal plan. It is there belief that to deprive yourself of all the foods you like, will cause you to binge later. I myself have found this to be true. My first few "cheat meals" I ate whatever I wanted and didn't feel guilty about it. I am now to the point where most of the cravings have subsided dramaticly, so my meals are not that bad anymore, it is just a chance to prehaps go out to dinner, or a celebration meal with family. As far as Bob talking about it, I have no idea. On the show, a cheat meal would never work, but once you get to the "real world," stuff happens where you can't eat as good as you would like. (In my opinion at least)

That's interesting they allow that. Sure, I can completely understand a cheat meal while maintaining, but while losing, even in the real world, I don't get it.

But, it does come down to what works for each of us. If not taken to extremes, and if it is going to help someone from bingeing later, then it is a good idea.

I myself go out to dinner once a week (usually like Fridays or Chili's type places), and can always find things to eat without it having to be a cheat meal. I'm maintaining, not losing...but even while losing, most places, other than FF, have options. Sandwhich places are my favorite. I always split with my mom when we go together. It can be done. (I don't mean Subway...I hate that type of sandwhich. I mean places where you can get tuna or chicken walnut salad sandwhich on whole wheat bread, etc...so healthy and if done right, "legal."

But, ultimately we know ourselves and if we can trust ourselves! I would definitely gain weight with any kind of a cheat meal. In my case it would never be worth it.

I'm glad you answered because I have been wondering about if they allow it or not. I just don't understand cheating myself, and I'm not even tempted. I completely believe in changing your lifestyle. Been 8 years for me and I doubt anything will change. You live healthy long enough and you do not want to eat bad, even if you don't gain.

Interesting though! I guess "whatever works" but I'd love to see people 10 years later and how it has worked out for them. Seems it would cause binges more than prevent them. Once again, depends on the person though.

/soapbox

I want to win the meals from the Extra sweeps

I'm a big believer in having a splurge (cheat) meal weekly. Having a splurge meal keeps me on track throughout the week and has helped me to establish my eating program as a lifestyle change instead of a "diet" (quick fix) and is helping eliminate the binge mentality which has plagued me for years. It really works well for me as I have lost 21 pounds so far and curbed my mindless eating and cravings.

I think it all centers around your definition of a "cheat" meal. I mean, I don't seriously think Bob/whoever meant, "hey, go out and eat a large pizza with the works, or a bucket of fried chicken with all the fixin's." I think it's probably more like, "Hey, tonight, why don't you have a slice of pizza and a large, leafy salad?" Or, "You know, it's okay to put your grilled chicken breast right on top of a bowl of mac'n'cheese tonight since you've been putting away those fruits and veggies like a champ all week."
There's a huge difference between easing up for one night and setting yourself up to fail. In fact, one might argue that never giving in to temptation only makes that temptation worse and, ultimately, more distructive.

I have Bob's book, and I can't remember where exactly but he does talk about it a little bit.

The point is to schedule a "cheat day" or meal - but its obviously within reason. You don't go out and splurge and blow everything you've achieved in a week.

The purpose is, if you want say white pasta but you don't normally eat it - then you could have that.

You are still totally supposed to stick with proper portion sizes (i.e., not 3 big macs!) Or have that piece of dessert (again, portion!)

Some people do better with it, others don't.

But the key is, even if you don't incorporate it in your week, but you DO have a meal that ends up being a "cheat" meal, the point is to NOT feel guilty about it. Just incorporate it with your calories.

(And btw - some people having the shift in higher calories helps their body not be "too" used to the steady calorie range, so it can trick the body into letting go of more fat).

A cheat meal is very common. Even bodybuilding competitors use a cheat meal a week when preparing for competitions. It helps with 2 things. The first, as you have all mentioned, is that it helps with cravings. The other thing it does, is gives your body a kick start to the metabolism. Sometimes, you can actually make more progress with cheat meals than without.

Too often, people rationalize why certain things are okay to have. They say, "well, it's just a little bit. It couldn't make that much difference", "I never have this, so it's okay". Once you rationalize why it's okay to have something, you forget you ever had it. You stop by to grab just one biscuit with sausage and egg 3 times a week. You didn't get the hash browns and you had coffee with no sugar, so you think it's okay. You have a cookie or piece of cake at the office twice a week because it's John's last day or Susie's birthday. Then you grab Chinese food on the way home because you worked late. By the time you get to the end of the week, you think to yourself, "I did pretty good. I think I'll treat myself to margaritas and Mexican tonight."

I think it is important to define meals as part of a healthy diet that will help you meet your goals, and things that will not help you meet your goals as a cheat. If you said, "I'm going to have this brownie at work, and so I'm not going to have any other sweets this week because I had this", then you are defining that food as something that will not help you meet your goals, instead of telling yourself it's not that bad. It's a much more healthy way of looking at food.

I think your post nails it. Some people look at a cheat meal as the same thing as a binge. Eating a whole pizza or a huge platter of Mexican food. That is NOT in the spirit of what I believe Bob was probably trying to get across. Craving Mexican food? Okay, have an enchilada or a taco, but still hold yourself to a normal portion size, and pair it with some grilled vegetables or fruit instead of lard-filled refried beans and mexican style white rice. And go back to your normal healthy diet immediately, don't use it as an excuse to continue to deviate from what you know is required to lose weight or maintain a healthy one.

The newest Biggest Loser Book, 30-Day Jump Start, actually discourages a cheat day in order to give the eating plan a chance. The belief is that by eating healthy for 30 consecutive days, cravings for salt and sugar will be fewer. I can totally see that point of view, especially for people just starting out. This new book is packed with recipes that should not have anyone feeling deprived. Like chips and salsa? Make a serving of the Crispy Corn Chips (page 150) and have at it! There is so much variety on this plan - I gaurantee that you won't miss the bad stuff.

Also, I believe that healthy eating newbies are getting used to portion control, and by going to a restaraunt, that's completely blown out of the water. Once you get used to knowing what a 'normal' portion is, eating out isn't such a big deal. Eat half of your entree and take home the rest to have for lunch the next day. You will learn to be satisfied with one Burrito instead of 3, or a piece of thin-crust pizza and a salad instead of 1/2 a Meat Lover's. You will learn to treat a meal out as just a normal thing, and not the Last Supper (you will eat again!).

And - after eating healthy for a while, your body WILL rebel against a fat-laden high calorie meal. I personally do not like barfing, so that right there will keep me on the right path no matter where I eat!

I love this, because this helped me soooo much in changing my eating lifestyle. The worry that "if I don't have it now, I will lose out!"

Just remembering that you will eat again, and that this isn't your one and only chance left until you die to have xyz...

Time went on, and those foods I could not live without in the past, are now in the past. What I consider to be a "cheat" now is so different from what it might have been in the past. To me a cheat now is having one bite of my DHs cheesecake, which I don't have any problem doing anytime he gets a piece (only when we eat out and he gets dessert).

But...the knowledge that I CAN have a whole piece if I want, and that in the future no one will ever stop me from having a whole piece of cake...is what makes it easy to do.

What is a high calorie day and how does it fit into a regular diet? What types of foods are eaten on your high calorie day vs anyother day? Do you have to workout on your high calorie day?

I just heard that they did this for TBL contestants after the weigh in. I have a lot of questions about it too, because it's not very specific. How many calories do they eat? What kind of food? etc.

Somewhere I read that usually the women are on a 1200 calorie diet and the men on 1500 calories; on high calorie days it was 1800 for the women and 2000 (or maybe 2100) for the men. I don't know what they ate for the extra calories, though. For some reason I think it was a little of the "forbidden" foods; they knew they could have their favorites once a week so they wouldn't see them as a forever no-no, so that they could adjust in the real world. But I'm not positive.

Jillian talked about a high calorie day to fool your body into not getting into a routine with the same calories every day, which I guess can slow your metabolism or something.

I have decided that, for me, continuously doing the same things food and exercise wise, eventually produces diminished results for me. A lot of people will scream and holler that it isn't the case, but I think your body becomes "used to" what you are doing, so you need to change it up to shock it.

I also think that eating too few calories slows things down, weight loss wise. I have no real evidence other than my own experience to back this up.