Pizza Help Needed

Just wondered if by having a pizza tonight I’ll be canceling out the hard work I’ve put into my diet all week? I need a cheat so I don’t go crazy but don’t want to spend the next week regretting it. I’m thinking a small Italian chicken pizza from pizza hut with half cheese. Any thoughts?

Oh, and I’m currently 180 lbs at 21% bf doing fasted cardio 50mins 5 times a week with 4 evening weight sessions. Trying to get down to about 14-16% bf. Not sure if that makes any difference

[quote]matt_e_hyde wrote:
I need a cheat so I don’t go crazy[/quote]

you got to 20+% BF by having no self control and discipline… You might want to start fixing that now and skip the pizza hut

You are asking permission???

Seriously, you are trying to loose weight and asking for justification? Way to deflect.

Why don’t you get some self control?!?!

And you don’t NEED a cheat. You want one.

And at 180lbs, put on some muscle. Once you reach 200 at 10% bf, have the damn pizza.

You’ll be fine. eat whatever you want but imo you should just keep it to one meal. If there are leftovers throw them out so you don’t end up eating pizza through out the weekend.

Cheat meals are a common tool used on diets. Just jump right back on the wagon afterwards.

One pizza will not mess up your progress - the thought process behind justifying that one pizza, however, will continue to derail you if you let it.

If you are gonna splurge on a cheat meal, why Pizza Hut? That shit is horrendous.

Wow, bitchy comments away huh? :smiley: Just kidding!

Ok, ok! Point taken guys. I’m defrosting some chicken and got the broccoli out ready to go. Just needed a little help to get my head in the right place. While i’m thinking about it, is it ok to always stir fry broccoli? I hate it steamed and i only use a half tea spoon of extra virgin olive oil to stir fry it or will i be losing some of the nutrients that way?

Not always ok. I heard it was dangerous to your health if done too often. Reputable source.

[quote]scj119 wrote:
One pizza will not mess up your progress - the thought process behind justifying that one pizza, however, will continue to derail you if you let it.[/quote]

Amen!

I lost ALOT of bodyfat and weight while eating a whole large pizza every Friday night. I’m actually not kidding…

I can’t really say if you need a cheat meal, or just want one. In other words, is this desire psychological, physiological, or a little bit of both? If you don’t know, check out this article on cheat meals:

Try using the “Follow the signs” section to see if you fit the criteria.

One final point, I would say that based upon your food selection, it sounds like you are trying to justify a cheat meal because of food cravings, not an actual need. If you do need a re-feed, then for you, choose the type of food more wisely. That being said, 1 pizza isn’t going to kill you. But at ~20% BF, it’s a slippery slope and may lead you down the path to more and more “cheat meals” thus derailing your goals.

how tall are you?

5’8. Weighed myself last night and this morning and actually around 176. Thing is I’d be very happy at 180-185 with a much.lower bf% obviously. I think at 5’8, 200 is too much to hope for without steroids and I’m not going down that road (just can’t afford to do it LOL).

LOL…

I’m 230lbs for 6’ and my BF is 14% atm. Been on a strict diet for about 6 weeks now, with lots more cardio beside my 5-6 strength workouts.

I’ve had 1 cheat meal over those 6 weeks. 1… And it was a small portion of fries. A portion even my GF could handle. A cheat meal is a gift to yourself for the hard work. Not a 4000kcal meal.

If you want to lose that weight, you have to get your act together. Nothing comes for free.

Allow yourself a small cheat meal every 2 to 3 weeks. Small !! Not a super sized Pizzahut pizza with a regular 1 liter coke and some ice cream after it.

The extra calories you get from the cheat meal should not be double the amount you can eat that day.

[quote]facko wrote:
I lost ALOT of bodyfat and weight while eating a whole large pizza every Friday night. I’m actually not kidding…[/quote]

Lost 4 inches off my waist having a whole cheat day once a week.

I understand what others are saying about discipline…but I sure as hell hope the physiques match the effort.

No one gives a shit if you never ate pizza if you look like you don’t lift.

That’s what I thought. I’m never planning on being competitive or cutting to 4% bf. Just want to be strong with a good physique and some clean lines. Everything else I’m doing now is on the right path so I’m not gonna beat myself up about it. And the pizza I was gonna go for only worked out at about 650 calories so nowhere near 4000. Just gotta keep up the morning cardio and I’ll get there one day. Everyone has to start somewhere at the end of the day.

[quote]MODOK wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]facko wrote:
I lost ALOT of bodyfat and weight while eating a whole large pizza every Friday night. I’m actually not kidding…[/quote]

Lost 4 inches off my waist having a whole cheat day once a week.

I understand what others are saying about discipline…but I sure as hell hope the physiques match the effort.

No one gives a shit if you never ate pizza if you look like you don’t lift.[/quote]

Its the best way for me as well. I’ve never understood non-competitive bodybuilders thinking they can’t have pizza, etc. once a week or so. Eating dry chicken breasts and boiled rice 24/7 with no break is the quickest way to burn out I can think of.
[/quote]

To add to this, I don’t really get why everyone seems to think that pizza must be a “cheat food”. I tend to follow the philosophy that its not a cheat food if it fits into your daily macros. But then again, I also tend to follow more of a “don’t be a total fatass” diet than a “get totally shredded” diet which leaves a little more room for carbs or fat or whatever I want. Of course, pizza is not the healthiest food choice, but I doubt a few pieces are going to ruin anyone’s physique.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Lost 4 inches off my waist having a whole cheat day once a week.
[/quote]

also, in reference to this phrase specifically…

the OP’s total body weight is less than your “150lb” of LBM lol.

Pizza once a week should be mandatory for serious weightlifters.

[quote]buckeye girl wrote:

[quote]MODOK wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]facko wrote:
I lost ALOT of bodyfat and weight while eating a whole large pizza every Friday night. I’m actually not kidding…[/quote]

Lost 4 inches off my waist having a whole cheat day once a week.

I understand what others are saying about discipline…but I sure as hell hope the physiques match the effort.

No one gives a shit if you never ate pizza if you look like you don’t lift.[/quote]

Its the best way for me as well. I’ve never understood non-competitive bodybuilders thinking they can’t have pizza, etc. once a week or so. Eating dry chicken breasts and boiled rice 24/7 with no break is the quickest way to burn out I can think of.
[/quote]

To add to this, I don’t really get why everyone seems to think that pizza must be a “cheat food”. I tend to follow the philosophy that its not a cheat food if it fits into your daily macros. But then again, I also tend to follow more of a “don’t be a total fatass” diet than a “get totally shredded” diet which leaves a little more room for carbs or fat or whatever I want. Of course, pizza is not the healthiest food choice, but I doubt a few pieces are going to ruin anyone’s physique.[/quote]

You’re right…they won’t. That being said…I might be the most guilty of paranoid eating…