Don’t you just want a burger?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Allow yourself 1-2 free meals a week. Not an all-out cheat day, just a free meal that includes more carbs and/or fat than you have been eating your diet.

Would one free meal a day work? Or just a few times a week? How badly would the impact my dietary efforts?

Did you read the post? 1-2 meals a week.

It really depends on your goals, but if you are going for reasonable, long-term and sustainable weight loss, a couple free meals a week will help you stay on track.

An example of a "free meal" would be a dinner out somewhere. Eat according to your diet that day, then go out for a reasonably-portioned steak dinner with perhaps a carb that would be off-limits on your diet. Don't go all out, just enough to satisfy you, then back to your diet the next day.

Gosh I do 1-2 days a week where I eat literally whatever I want. Restricting to such a point where you can't eat a piece of beef with a slice of cheese and a whole wheat bun would do me in. I need fat and protein and sodium, I'm an athlete! I buy or make sliders more than burgers ~ the burgers have gotten so big that they are crazy, a slider gets me what I need/want but doesn't leave me ill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't see the issue. Have a burger for lunch and have a light dinner. Get it somewhere good, not a fast food place, or make it at home. I only eat them at home but I feel like 4 oz or so of grass fed 90% lean ground beef, a whole wheat bun, tomato, onion, and mustard (which is how I like my burgers) isn't actually unhealthy.

This is a great idea. When you deprive yourself, of course you are going to want a burger!!

[Anonymous]

This is why I do whole30. Make the burger. Eat it with compliant veggies, ketchup and mayo. It’s awesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Allow yourself 1-2 free meals a week. Not an all-out cheat day, just a free meal that includes more carbs and/or fat than you have been eating your diet.

Would one free meal a day work? Or just a few times a week? How badly would the impact my dietary efforts?

Did you read the post? 1-2 meals a week.

It really depends on your goals, but if you are going for reasonable, long-term and sustainable weight loss, a couple free meals a week will help you stay on track.

An example of a "free meal" would be a dinner out somewhere. Eat according to your diet that day, then go out for a reasonably-portioned steak dinner with perhaps a carb that would be off-limits on your diet. Don't go all out, just enough to satisfy you, then back to your diet the next day.

Gosh I do 1-2 days a week where I eat literally whatever I want. Restricting to such a point where you can't eat a piece of beef with a slice of cheese and a whole wheat bun would do me in. I need fat and protein and sodium, I'm an athlete! I buy or make sliders more than burgers ~ the burgers have gotten so big that they are crazy, a slider gets me what I need/want but doesn't leave me ill.

That sounds good to me. OP's post is in "diet and exercise," which led me to believe she was on some serious diet or something. Great if you're not trying to lose weight, and even better if you're eating reasonable portions of fat/protein/carbs. Don't see anything wrong with that.

[Anonymous]

Of course. Every time I even think of dieting, images of jelly beans and cheeseburgers dance in my head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for your thoughtful responses. I’m not dieting per se, in order to lose weight. I am eating healthy to ensure my body gets all the nutrients it needs. I have high cholesterol so I also want to lower that through diet. Right now I am flexeterian. I drink a smoothie for breakfast, and eat stir fried veggies for lunch and dinner. After a few days of this I am craving “real food” so I indulge on a chicken sandwich for lunch. Today i ordered a chicken and cheese panini. But I feel guilty since I already had one on Monday. I don’t want the carbs and cheese to increase the omega 6 in my body and contribute to my cholesterol.

Uh, you're not eating any real food. Of course your body is craving food. You're starving yourself.

Mean this genuinely, see a therapist. You have food issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for your thoughtful responses. I’m not dieting per se, in order to lose weight. I am eating healthy to ensure my body gets all the nutrients it needs. I have high cholesterol so I also want to lower that through diet. Right now I am flexeterian. I drink a smoothie for breakfast, and eat stir fried veggies for lunch and dinner. After a few days of this I am craving “real food” so I indulge on a chicken sandwich for lunch. Today i ordered a chicken and cheese panini. But I feel guilty since I already had one on Monday. I don’t want the carbs and cheese to increase the omega 6 in my body and contribute to my cholesterol.

Uh, you're not eating any real food. Of course your body is craving food. You're starving yourself.

Mean this genuinely, see a therapist. You have food issues.

How are vegetables and fruits not real food? I also have generous helpings of fish with my veggies throughout the week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for your thoughtful responses. I’m not dieting per se, in order to lose weight. I am eating healthy to ensure my body gets all the nutrients it needs. I have high cholesterol so I also want to lower that through diet. Right now I am flexeterian. I drink a smoothie for breakfast, and eat stir fried veggies for lunch and dinner. After a few days of this I am craving “real food” so I indulge on a chicken sandwich for lunch. Today i ordered a chicken and cheese panini. But I feel guilty since I already had one on Monday. I don’t want the carbs and cheese to increase the omega 6 in my body and contribute to my cholesterol.

Uh, you're not eating any real food. Of course your body is craving food. You're starving yourself.

Mean this genuinely, see a therapist. You have food issues.

How are vegetables and fruits not real food? I also have generous helpings of fish with my veggies throughout the week.

Her diet sounds yummy. I love smoothies and vegetables. I put yogurt in my smoothies and sometimes add beans and tofu to my vegetables. Not everyone is disordered you know. Plus she's being strategic about cheat meals to satisfy cravings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for your thoughtful responses. I’m not dieting per se, in order to lose weight. I am eating healthy to ensure my body gets all the nutrients it needs. I have high cholesterol so I also want to lower that through diet. Right now I am flexeterian. I drink a smoothie for breakfast, and eat stir fried veggies for lunch and dinner. After a few days of this I am craving “real food” so I indulge on a chicken sandwich for lunch. Today i ordered a chicken and cheese panini. But I feel guilty since I already had one on Monday. I don’t want the carbs and cheese to increase the omega 6 in my body and contribute to my cholesterol.

Uh, you're not eating any real food. Of course your body is craving food. You're starving yourself.

Mean this genuinely, see a therapist. You have food issues.

How are vegetables and fruits not real food? I also have generous helpings of fish with my veggies throughout the week.

Her diet sounds yummy. I love smoothies and vegetables. I put yogurt in my smoothies and sometimes add beans and tofu to my vegetables. Not everyone is disordered you know. Plus she's being strategic about cheat meals to satisfy cravings.

Your original post didn't mention adding fish. Of course vegetables and fruits are real food, but it's not a balanced diet. A person needs fat in their diet. And protein. Which is probably why OP is craving a damn burger. It's just too extreme. If it wasn't too extreme, she wouldn't be seeing dancing burgers in her head.

[Anonymous]

Some people have cheat days. I do cheat meals. So I can have one cheat breakfast, one cheat lunch, one cheat snack and one cheat dinner each week. That's four times a week I can "cheat." It gives me flexibility for going out to eat with people, and acknowledging cravings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for your thoughtful responses. I’m not dieting per se, in order to lose weight. I am eating healthy to ensure my body gets all the nutrients it needs. I have high cholesterol so I also want to lower that through diet. Right now I am flexeterian. I drink a smoothie for breakfast, and eat stir fried veggies for lunch and dinner. After a few days of this I am craving “real food” so I indulge on a chicken sandwich for lunch. Today i ordered a chicken and cheese panini. But I feel guilty since I already had one on Monday. I don’t want the carbs and cheese to increase the omega 6 in my body and contribute to my cholesterol.

Uh, you're not eating any real food. Of course your body is craving food. You're starving yourself.

Mean this genuinely, see a therapist. You have food issues.

How are vegetables and fruits not real food? I also have generous helpings of fish with my veggies throughout the week.

Her diet sounds yummy. I love smoothies and vegetables. I put yogurt in my smoothies and sometimes add beans and tofu to my vegetables. Not everyone is disordered you know. Plus she's being strategic about cheat meals to satisfy cravings.

Your original post didn't mention adding fish. Of course vegetables and fruits are real food, but it's not a balanced diet. A person needs fat in their diet. And protein. Which is probably why OP is craving a damn burger. It's just too extreme. If it wasn't too extreme, she wouldn't be seeing dancing burgers in her head.

Yeah. I try to have a smoothie for breakfast, veggies or vegeterian meals for lunch and veggies with fish a few times a week. I eat Salmon, halibut and sardines.

In addition I eat cheesy sandwiches and burgers for lunch a few times a week. I should probs redux this to once a week.

[Anonymous]

Five Guys little hamburger (single patty.. still filling) is 480 calories. Don't put on ketchup (full of sugar) but just about all the other toppings are OK. No fries -- that's over 1,000 calories.

[Anonymous]

eat half as many cheesy sandwiches and burgers and twice as much fish/eggs/avocado/nuts/lean poultry as you currently do and see how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Go for it! The important thing is to eat in moderation. If you're trying to lose weight, then that's a different situation. But if it's only about eating healthy, eating a burger once a week is not going to hurt you. I usually eat light/lean meals throughout the week and indulge on the weekends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Allow yourself 1-2 free meals a week. Not an all-out cheat day, just a free meal that includes more carbs and/or fat than you have been eating your diet.

Would one free meal a day work? Or just a few times a week? How badly would the impact my dietary efforts?

A free meal a day will not work. 1-2 meals a week, or you are falling off the wagon.