Occasional "cheat" days

[Tapgirl2]

I know the best way to lose weight on Atkins is to stick to the plan, but I just wanted to know if anyone was successful while occasionally going off plan? Does it set you back too much if on a special occasion you eat more carbs then normal.

Thanks.

[doggz109]

Absolutely not. Cheating is the kiss of death.

[Portia]

There are many people on Maintenance on this site who have occasional "treat" days.

I can only go by the books:

In "Atkins for Life," Dr. A. says this is fine if you can tolerate it, and not fine if it will trigger a month-long binge. You have to learn for yourself what will work for you. According to Dr. Atkins, the idea of an occasional meal off-plan is what keeps many people from straying permanently.

However, this is not recommended (in the book) if you are on induction.

Not sure if people have tried this on OWL.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Tapgirl2

I know the best way to lose weight on Atkins is to stick to the plan, but I just wanted to know if anyone was successful while occasionally going off plan? Does it set you back too much if on a special occasion you eat more carbs then normal.

Hi Tg2...
My wife and I are long-term low-carbers, and probably once every 3-5 weeks we go out for a normal meal (often coupled with special events like birthdays or anniversary etc.) My wife is likely to order a meal complete with the ''works'' including soup and potato and dessert, while I'll usually strike a bargain with the waiter/waitress to swap out the potatoes or rice for a side of vegetables and I don't have desserts.

My wife also weighs less than 130 lbs and is 5'2'' tall.

We have neither ever seen it trigger binges, nor stir up cravings.

My splurges include deep-fried breaded shrimp, or chicken Parmesan. Hers are mexican food, or chicken Parmesan as well. In the last 10 months both of us have dropped a couple clothing sizes without even trying hard - just by being faithful day-to-day to stay on our daily less-than-30 carb count count and limit splurges to that 'special' meal every few weeks.

But then we don't treat this like a diet. It's just the way we choose to eat all the time, because it's the only way I can eat all I want and never be hungry. If I eat other than low carb, I gain weight continuously all the time...

That mind-set also leaves us some emotional and mental freedom.

[Bluqq]

Once a week I have a meal of whatever I want
I dont have a day of decadence but I do a meal
It may or may not include dessert
Ive never been a sweet eater
I'd rather have some fresh breads etc

Each person is different
Only you know what you can handle
I have a great deal of willpower so it doesnt start me down a slippery slope. I understand it's one meal.

[Tapgirl2]

Thank you all for your input. I also have a lot of discipline and know that if I have a meal off plan I will get right back on plan the next day. Your success stories have inspired me. Thanks again.

[junkfoodmonkey]

I don't have whole cheat days, certainly not planned ones. Not saying I never ever cheat, I'm not perfect. But I don't believe in planning it as if it's a special treat as than makes me feel deprived the rest of the time.

For special occasions, okay, if there's nothing on-plan available. And it's a genuinely special once in a lifetime do, like a wedding for example, in which case, I'm cracking in with the champagne at least for the toasts - it's only polite! I see that in the same way as for example, my dad sees smoking. He doesn't smoke cigarettes, but he'll have a good cigar at Christmas or other special days.

[Glendora]

If you need regular "cheats," why not try Carbohydrate Addict's Diet or something which in fact has what would be considered off-Atkins-plan meals every day? Then they're not cheats at all.

Something to consider trying.

[2big4mysize]

depending on how far of plan you go with your carbs on your sheat days you could be in for some surprises. There is a famous Glucose Tolerence Test report done yrs ago in which a group of healthy college fellows were fed low carb diets for several weeks and then took the test. The scientist conduction the testing thought they would do very well and was shocked when every one of them tested out as diabetic evern though none of them were diabetic before the diet nor when they returned to their old eating habits.

The lack of carbs in their diet caused their insulin response to the presence of carb digeted glucose in their blood stream to be slowed. High glucose levels in our blood causes damage to the blood vessels, kidneys, nerves and will also cause presure changes in the vessles and even the eye resuling in nearsightedness until such time as the sugar is dealt with.

do you really want to do that to yourself on a planned bases?

[Portia]

Do you have a link for this?

Originally Posted by 2big4mysize

depending on how far of plan you go with your carbs on your sheat days you could be in for some surprises. There is a famous Glucose Tolerence Test report done yrs ago in which a group of healthy college fellows were fed low carb diets for several weeks and then took the test. The scientist conduction the testing thought they would do very well and was shocked when every one of them tested out as diabetic evern though none of them were diabetic before the diet nor when they returned to their old eating habits.

The lack of carbs in their diet caused their insulin response to the presence of carb digeted glucose in their blood stream to be slowed. High glucose levels in our blood causes damage to the blood vessels, kidneys, nerves and will also cause presure changes in the vessles and even the eye resuling in nearsightedness until such time as the sugar is dealt with.

do you really want to do that to yourself on a planned bases?

[2big4mysize]

Originally Posted by Portia

Do you have a link for this?

grrrrrrrr

the new ANA removed the library from the Atkins site where Dr Atkins had a whole page discussing this and the cited studies
here is one form the 70s Effects of carbohydrate restriction on the hypogly...[J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1976] - PubMed Result

[mightymouse]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Tg2...
My wife and I are long-term low-carbers, and probably once every 3-5 weeks we go out for a normal meal (often coupled with special events like birthdays or anniversary etc.) My wife is likely to order a meal complete with the ''works'' including soup and potato and dessert, while I'll usually strike a bargain with the waiter/waitress to swap out the potatoes or rice for a side of vegetables and I don't have desserts.

My wife also weighs less than 130 lbs and is 5'2'' tall.

We have neither ever seen it trigger binges, nor stir up cravings.

My splurges include deep-fried breaded shrimp, or chicken Parmesan. Hers are mexican food, or chicken Parmesan as well. In the last 10 months both of us have dropped a couple clothing sizes without even trying hard - just by being faithful day-to-day to stay on our daily less-than-30 carb count count and limit splurges to that 'special' meal every few weeks.

But then we don't treat this like a diet. It's just the way we choose to eat all the time, because it's the only way I can eat all I want and never be hungry. If I eat other than low carb, I gain weight continuously all the time...

That mind-set also leaves us some emotional and mental freedom.

What a balanced way of looking at things I have found in the past that if I try to take a whole day "off" it is hard to stop eating sugar/starch afterwards. But, knowing that I can occasionally (i.e. not more than 1x a month) have a treat type food helps. I try to make sure that I go with treats that make it easier on my blood sugar (i.e. full fat lower sugar ice cream instead of cookies) so that it doesn't turn into a week long sugar fiesta

I also know that sometimes the IDEA of a treat is much more appealing than the actual eating of the food. I had a bite of cake at my niece's birthday on Sat - it was fairly tasteless & bland. So I didn't eat it even though I was going to "allow" myself to have it before the induction challenge. I am not going to eat something because I think I "deserve" it - I'd rather skip the cake and treat myself to a new lip gloss, a phone call to a friend, something else fun that doesn't screw up my body.

[chantyl03]

I have planned off plan meals. I love mexican, chinese, and of course trini foods. As a result, I allow myself to have those things that i want and get right back on plan. It doesn't cause cravings for me...but i usually will gain 3 pounds and it'll take a good week to get back to where i was. But its well worth it to have my sanity and favorite foods.

[Jonahsafta]

My last"occasional " cheat day lasted 2 yrs.

[keokagal]

Everyone will be different in their tolerance for adding back certain foods. Me, I can bake low carb cookies, for example, eat a couple and be done w it. If I try to eat a couple of regular cookies, I'm a goner. I will want more today or tomorrow. Sometimes when I've been OP for months I'll try a bite of something out and think wow no problem. Later, days, a week, somehow my brain will somehow lead me back to something w flour or sugar.
Long story not short....not for me, and I'm happy that way. Hope you find what works for you.
Peace

[locarbinaz]

Originally Posted by Glendora

If you need regular "cheats," why not try Carbohydrate Addict's Diet or something which in fact has what would be considered off-Atkins-plan meals every day? Then they're not cheats at all.

Something to consider trying.

Or read Cheat to Lose by Joel Marion. It's basically a low carb induction, then a cheat day, and after that you eat low carb with one cheat day a week. In bodybuilding circles, the concept of a "refeed" day or meal isn't unheard of at all. But again, if it causes you to crave carbs and binge, it's not good a good idea. Of course, their idea of a refeed usually involves things like oatmeal and sweet potatoes, as opposed to, say, pasta and bread.

[johnny31]

Originally Posted by Tapgirl2

I know the best way to lose weight on Atkins is to stick to the plan, but I just wanted to know if anyone was successful while occasionally going off plan? Does it set you back too much if on a special occasion you eat more carbs then normal.

If cheating means a carb binge, then I wouldn't do it because of what 2big said. If "cheating" means eating more carbs, then you can do this without cheating.

You see, Induction is the most restrictive phase of Atkins. But after the first two weeks you can move to OWL and add back foods/carbs. As you progress through the phases of Atkins, your carbohydrates will naturally be lower some days and higher other days. Some people can lose when eating 100+ net carbs per day (a good reason to be a regular exerciser, as Dr. Atkins defined this), so if your CCLL/CCLM is high, lucky you---you will be able to eat higher carb foods without cheating at all.

Of course, there will always be people who are successful while "cheating". But do these people really cheat? Or is their CCLL/CCLM just high enough that they can afford a little splurge (which is not a splurge at all if it is within their carb limit, but it's just more than what the average person can eat). It would be dangerous to extrapolate someone else's results to your own diet, imo.

I see you don't have a lot to lose. What OWL Rung are you on?

Also, is there any particular food you'd like to cheat with? Do you want to have an occasional cheat because you miss this particular food or is it because you don't want to look different when attending some events?

[Whitedov1208]

Originally Posted by 2big4mysize

depending on how far of plan you go with your carbs on your sheat days you could be in for some surprises. There is a famous Glucose Tolerence Test report done yrs ago in which a group of healthy college fellows were fed low carb diets for several weeks and then took the test. The scientist conduction the testing thought they would do very well and was shocked when every one of them tested out as diabetic evern though none of them were diabetic before the diet nor when they returned to their old eating habits.

The lack of carbs in their diet caused their insulin response to the presence of carb digeted glucose in their blood stream to be slowed. High glucose levels in our blood causes damage to the blood vessels, kidneys, nerves and will also cause presure changes in the vessles and even the eye resuling in nearsightedness until such time as the sugar is dealt with.

do you really want to do that to yourself on a planned bases?

Wait a minute, I'm confused by your post. I thought Dr Atkins low carb approach was to control or prevent diabetes!

I'm eating low carb to prevent it. Doc says I have a 50% chance of getting diabetes since I had gestation diabetes. I am insulin imbalanced now - 10pt away from the "norm" glucose test.

How many carbs grams daily did the "case study"? How many carbs are needed to prevent getting diabetes in your opinion?

[2big4mysize]

You didn't understand what I wrote. There is no minimum carb eating needed to avoid diabetes

none of those test subjects actually had diabetes.

BUT their bodies responded to the massive amount of glucose in the Glugose tolerance test with a delayed insulin production because when we low carb we don't need as much insulin so the body doesn't dump large amounts at the first sign of glucose. The delayed insulin response caused the 30 min and 1 hour glucose level to be in the diabetic range results. The test said diabetic, but they really were not, and when they stopped eating low carb at the end of the study and returned to high carb eating their bodies adjusted the rate of insulin release to match their normal eating pattern glucose intake.

the reason docs say to carb load for 3 days before a GTT is based on those study results. It will then give a true result of the body's response to the glucose consumed during the 6 hr test.

that said when we low carber gorge high carb our bodies will also have a slowed reaction to the high glucose levels and every time glucose levels are high small amouonts of damage is done to blood vessels and nerves and our blood pressure rises causing tissue pressure changes. this is why diabetes is called the wasting disease cause it is the cummulative result of all those yrs of high blood sugar damage.

[Whitedov1208]

2B4mysize: No, I didn't understand based on what you wrote.

It sounded like you were saying that the healthy test group went on low carb and came out with diabetes. So....I asked for clarification - I can see you've been doing Atkins too and have been supportive to Atkins. Your example sounded confusing to me.

[2big4mysize]

nope. they tested out as diabetic because of how the test results are intrepreted just as every low carber doing the test would test diabetic unless they altered their eating patterns for several days before the test. Dr Atkins talks about it in his books too.

[Whitedov1208]

Originally Posted by 2big4mysize

nope. they tested out as diabetic because of how the test results are intrepreted just as every low carber doing the test would test diabetic unless they altered their eating patterns for several days before the test. Dr Atkins talks about it in his books too.

Ahhh, gotcha now. Kind of like a false positive if you've been doing low carb and then all of a sudden eat carbs. BloodSugar101 has been writing to me about diabetes and I read similar on her site about the same thing. Blood Sugar 101.

[2big4mysize]

it is be false positive for the disease diabetes, BUT at the time the persons body is reacting to a high sugar intake just as a diabetic would and will be damaging their body just like a diabetic does when they don't control thier blood sugar.

that is why high carb cheating binges should be avoided.

[quiet_observer]

Once every couple of weeks I'll go to the movies and have a small bag of buttered popcorn (the fat does help slow down digestion of sugars/carbs somewhat) or nachos. That's my cheat meal . I think it's more nostalgia from child hood than food desire, so it never triggers food binges.I would never suggest doing it for a whole day though. That sounds a bit too much like line most people don't want to cross. Especially early on.

[2big4mysize]

Originally Posted by quiet_observer

Once every couple of weeks I'll go to the movies and have a small bag of buttered popcorn (the fat does help slow down digestion of sugars/carbs somewhat) or nachos. That's my cheat meal . I think it's more nostalgia from child hood than food desire, so it never triggers food binges.I would never suggest doing it for a whole day though. That sounds a bit too much like line most people don't want to cross. Especially early on.

why is that a cheat? corn is an OWL food and legal for Atkins phase 2 onward.

[TheWildHaggis]

Originally Posted by 2big4mysize

why is that a cheat? corn is an OWL food and legal for Atkins phase 2 onward.

Where exactly does it say corn is ok in any phase of Atkins?

[johnny31]

Corn is allowed when one reaches OWL Rung 9, if following DANDR 2002. If someone doing DANDR 2002 misses corn, then it means their answer to question #1 in Chapter 13 is "yes", which is the signal to move out of Induction and on to OWL. If a person is not satisfied enough with the other food choices available during the lower rungs of OWL, (s)he can reach Rung 9 by the 9th week (or even sooner if some rungs are skipped, like alcohol if the person is not drinking) and then (s)he can test corn properly, without sabotaging her/his efforts and triggering massive cravings. Before OWL Rung 9, there are other foods that can be eaten when going out for movies, like beef jerky (check the ingredients), cheese or flax crackers, all kind of crunchy snacks made with almond flour, nuts, etc.

That being said, Dr. Atkins told us to eat only when hungry or when 6 hours have passed since our last meal. So if you are hungry, eating some ______ during a movie is okay, but better portion size it beforehand to avoid mindless snacking. However, eating _______ just because (almost) everybody else eats something when going at the cinema is a bad dietary habit which you should try not to make part of your Atkins.

[TheWildHaggis]

Originally Posted by johnny31

Corn is allowed when one reaches OWL Rung 9, if following DANDR 2002.

I sit corrected that it's in 2002.

[2big4mysize]

corn is also allowed in DANDR 92 as part of OWl as are many other higher carb foods even in Atkins 72 once you leave induction. and could if using rule 5 of induction be an induction legal part of the 20 grams of carbs for 92

[Whitedov1208]

Air popped Popcorn with butter = 7g carbs, 1.3g fiber. Not bad!

I had a medium bag last Friday w/butter (probably butter flavored oil) which is about 3-4 cups. Left 1/4 of it uneaten. No weight again!