When cheating - big weight loss??

[carblesspaddock]

Has anyone else stuck to an extreme low carb diet, and then cheat just for one day, to find out that they actually LOST a lot of weight the next couple days after??
I held to <20 carbs for 4 weeks.
and at the 4 week mark, i ate a lot of crap but then stopped after that day.
(it was actually just lunch/dinner/DONE)
i figured it wasnt smart, but i didnt feel like i would fall off all together, and i didnt. but come a few days later, i had lost like 5/6 pounds!!
so i did it again the next month (i figured im going to give myself one day per month) and sure enough.. its weird, but it seems like if you can hold yourself to just ONE time per month it might HELP??

[Beezle]

I do something similar. I'm real strict for a few weeks and it works well at first and I get to a new low, but then I get very hungry and stop seeing losses. Then I have a day or two of extra food, usually nuts and cheese and larger portions, but sometimes carbs too. I'll gain up to 5 pounds, but over the next week or two I'll be able to get down to a new low. It's a 2 steps forward, one step back thing. But it's better than 2 steps forward, then stand still forever.

[AngieCakes]

Sometimes that weight will creep back up, give it a few more days.

I try to keep cheating off my mind. I don't even tell myself "just once". I want to lose weight too badly for that. And I know my weight loss history. Better just stick to plan.

If it works for you though, I encourage you!

[lancer1977]

What your probably seeing is your body thinking your no longer losing weight, and water thats been chilling in your fat cells is released to prepare to accept all the new delicious carbohydrates you've consumed. It may work for you, it may cause some people to fall off the wagon for days, weeks, months, years.

[icebear]

yeah, i have done that before, but when i tried it again and then again i fell off completely and it wasn't good.

i can't deviate or i start playing games with myself and i don't win lol

[ozdancer]

It's called a re-feed and comes from the body-building world. If you don't have a carb addiction then maybe this is something that can work, especially as you get closer to goal apparently. However, most people (not all - there are exceptions) who choice a LC eating plan to lose weight do so because they have carb addiction problems. ETA:- either psycological (mental) or physiological (physical) cravings / control problems.

Definitely a 'your millage may vary' issue and best left until closer to goal when hopefully the person is stronger mentally to overcome any physical backlash.

[ravenrose]

It's coincidence. There are so many factors that make your weight vary from day to day. Don't fret over it.

[dfwgirliegirl]

It is great that this has worked out for you. When I fall off the wagon I have a heck of a time going thru induction and induction flu, when I get back on the plan.... DO you not have this problem? I am green with envy but then it keeps me on plan so ....

Tiff

[IzzyTheTerrible]

Many people do this intentionally with carb cycling. The way my doctor explained it is it shocks your system into working overtime. When I was doing Atkins, I cheated and ate pizza. Lost so much weight, I made it a habit. Every Sunday I ate pizza lol.

I called it my secret weight loss food. It's not coincidental, that's why I carb cycle now. I don't plan for pizza though, although I still enjoy it from time to time.

I'm not on a wagon this time - so I can't fall off. This is life, I'm not living without pizza, might as well find a place for it in my diet.

[twilight]

I think carb cycling may have some benefits, but I would choose vegetable (tomato, potato, corn, carrots) and fruit carbs over bread/pasta/flour/sugar carbs. If you are insulin resistent you have to be particularly careful.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by ozdancer

It's called a re-feed and comes from the body-building world. If you don't have a carb addiction then maybe this is something that can work, especially as you get closer to goal apparently. However, most people (not all - there are exceptions) who choice a LC eating plan to lose weight do so because they have carb addiction problems. ETA:- either psycological (mental) or physiological (physical) cravings / control problems.

Definitely a 'your millage may vary' issue and best left until closer to goal when hopefully the person is stronger mentally to overcome any physical backlash.

Ditto to what she said.

And no, it is NOT a coincidence.

[carblesspaddock]

thanks! yeah, i would assume if you think you are going to fall off the wagon and not get back on, this is not a good option, but if you can have one BIG carb meal ONCE A MONTH!! (i dont consider this falling off the wagon, one meal per 90+ lol) and then jump back into LC with out any issue, it might be worth a shot. but if there is ANY chance it will ruin your routine, then NO. But it is like toss news paper on a coal fire. im back in ketosis the next day

[kbeth]

Something like that happened to me a few weeks ago (it was very minor, but still more carbs than I had intended) and I was shocked when I dropped some. I had expected a gain or at least a standstill for a week.
I will *try* not to do that on a regular basis tho...as I am one that has major carb addictions.

[jeaniem]

My sister lost 75 pounds low carbing and the only way she got to goal and broke stalls was when she relaxed a little and ate some extra food and carbs. Seems to work for some people.

[FloridaShell]

It will bite you in the end and it usually leads to carb creep.

[tina1973]

My question is : how much are you losing throughout the rest of the month?

Can we get monthly totals? Or weekly, however you chart?

[verbqueen]

Well, let's see...

I went off plan on Christmas Day, and on Christmas Day alone. Right back on the next morning.

I haven't lost an ounce in 9 weeks.

So if you're going to try it, do be aware that it doesn't always work.

(Should note that I had already been stuck for about a week and a half when I went off plan on xmas.)

[2bflawless]

Originally Posted by ozdancer

It's called a re-feed and comes from the body-building world. If you don't have a carb addiction then maybe this is something that can work, especially as you get closer to goal apparently. However, most people (not all - there are exceptions) who choice a LC eating plan to lose weight do so because they have carb addiction problems. ETA:- either psycological (mental) or physiological (physical) cravings / control problems.

Definitely a 'your millage may vary' issue and best left until closer to goal when hopefully the person is stronger mentally to overcome any physical backlash.

This and it's no coincidence. I do this every so often and have always done it to refeed and shake things up. Works like a charm...definitely a YMMV. If you have no control don't try it!

[Mfit4Me]

I've done that in the past and I did break a stall but you have to be careful

[carblesspaddock]

im not sure how losing will bite me in the end. but then again, NO WHO CANT CONTROL THEMSELVES TO ONE MEAL OF CARBS should NEVER ever ever ever try it. i totally agree.
and again, like everything about this diet. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. i just thought i would see if other had this experience.
i think its a great idea with those who are stalled AND have 100% control. not 99..lol. 100!

like kbeth, i was expecting to have to restart like everyone (the book) says, but heck i was back to purple in a day with a lose. the monthly cheat!

[IzzyTheTerrible]

I once read an article that talked about why guys lost weight quicker than women. A lot of women believe that it's just a man's metabolism, that it's not fair... we are so dilligent about our diets, but get no where.

They believed in truth it came down to two things. Men pump iron, where women do aerobics and men 'cheat' on their diets, while women stick to them until they go insane and just 'fall off the wagon.' For a while people thought that it was the whole binging after not having items for a while, but the study (and it's driving me nuts but I can't find the article now) showed that it was that a man's diet is so different from day to day that it keeps the body guessing. One day he's good, the next day he eats a whole pizza. A few days he's good, then he has some ice cream.

It wasn't that women lost control and ate everything in sight, it was that women have TOO MUCH control, then eventually get frustrated and give up, when they should relax a little bit instead. Kinda the whole... the body gets used to certain exercises, so you gotta keep changing it thing.

[jeaniem]

Originally Posted by IzzyTheTerrible

I once read an article that talked about why guys lost weight quicker than women. A lot of women believe that it's just a man's metabolism, that it's not fair... we are so dilligent about our diets, but get no where.

They believed in truth it came down to two things. Men pump iron, where women do aerobics and men 'cheat' on their diets, while women stick to them until they go insane and just 'fall off the wagon.' For a while people thought that it was the whole binging after not having items for a while, but the study (and it's driving me nuts but I can't find the article now) showed that it was that a man's diet is so different from day to day that it keeps the body guessing. One day he's good, the next day he eats a whole pizza. A few days he's good, then he has some ice cream.

It wasn't that women lost control and ate everything in sight, it was that women have TOO MUCH control, then eventually get frustrated and give up, when they should relax a little bit instead. Kinda the whole... the body gets used to certain exercises, so you gotta keep changing it thing.

I see this exact scenario with my husband. I absolutely agree the strictness that I try to maintain will eventually lead me to binge or if I am lucky allow maintainence. I haven't tried to up the carbs too much but I have upped the calories/fat (suggested to me by some posters here) a lot in the last few days and am happily down 1.4 pounds since Monday! If you find that article I would love to read it.

[2bflawless]

Originally Posted by IzzyTheTerrible

I once read an article that talked about why guys lost weight quicker than women. A lot of women believe that it's just a man's metabolism, that it's not fair... we are so dilligent about our diets, but get no where.

They believed in truth it came down to two things. Men pump iron, where women do aerobics and men 'cheat' on their diets, while women stick to them until they go insane and just 'fall off the wagon.' For a while people thought that it was the whole binging after not having items for a while, but the study (and it's driving me nuts but I can't find the article now) showed that it was that a man's diet is so different from day to day that it keeps the body guessing. One day he's good, the next day he eats a whole pizza. A few days he's good, then he has some ice cream.

It wasn't that women lost control and ate everything in sight, it was that women have TOO MUCH control, then eventually get frustrated and give up, when they should relax a little bit instead. Kinda the whole... the body gets used to certain exercises, so you gotta keep changing it thing.

Sounds reasonable to me. Our bodies do adapt to our workouts which is why I prefer lifting weights. After being a cardio junky for years I now actually see muscles now!

A free meal can be very beneficial to some. Also for those eating well under their maintenance calories a higher calorie day can help a lot. You have to refeed the body. We aren't meant to live on 1200 calories forever.

[nolcjunk]

Originally Posted by 2bflawless

Also for those eating well under their maintenance calories a higher calorie day can help a lot. You have to refeed the body. We aren't meant to live on 1200 calories forever.

I think that is subjective- if you are small enough you are meant to live on around 1200 forever.

I don't do re-feeds but they can quite a slippery slope. Sure, they work for some people but many more people come on these boards to confess going off plan for months because they had always been able to have a day off or a meal off and all of a sudden the XX time they weren't able to get back on track.

Plus, it depends what you re-feed with. Are you eating pizza or just more vegetables?

[GME]

It doesn't seem to work for me, but it does DH.

Jeez, men!

[IzzyTheTerrible]

Totally not the article, but a really good one. How to Lose Weight Like a Guy - Yahoo! Health

[Beeb]

Originally Posted by kbeth

Something like that happened to me a few weeks ago (it was very minor, but still more carbs than I had intended) and I was shocked when I dropped some. I had expected a gain or at least a standstill for a week.
I will *try* not to do that on a regular basis tho...as I am one that has major carb addictions.

Ditto!! Just broke a stall this way, but I also think it was because I was drinking a lot of fluids that day, also.