Splurging / Cheating

[Laurelai]

Hi all. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has cheated or splurged??

I was doing so good all the month of May then my will power caved into temptation this past week. I always feel horrible about myself when I do fall off but on the other hand I happen to be one of those people that believes if you are craving something bad enough just have some for gosh sakes and get over it! I don't believe I should "deprive" myself for the rest of my life but my problem is once I "splurge" on a dessert I tend to go overboard which I HATE myself for. I don't crave sweets alot but when the craving hits, its pretty intense

Anyway tomorrow is a new day..I shall pick myself up, dust myself off and get back on the wagon.

[Ocean]

We have all been there. Just be careful the thing that derailed me last time was that I let the occasional cheat become more and more frequent. Eventually I went back to my old ways of eating and weight. Now I only do planned cheats and not very often. Something that might help you if you have a sweet tooth is to try some low carb desserts. There are a bunch in the recipe section of this board.

[spaceace]

Perhaps people are different - but for me, I cannot cheat. I might cheat five or six times without a true 'relapse', but eventually I always hit the cheat that starts a full relapse. I can't predict which cheat will be 'the one', but I always put myself at risk.

I by no means am saying that others have not incorporated cheat days into their way of eating, it's just that I cannot do it - at least not right now.

[Laurelai]

Originally Posted by Ocean

We have all been there. Just be careful the thing that derailed me last time was that I let the occasional cheat become more and more frequent. Eventually I went back to my old ways of eating and weight. Now I only do planned cheats and not very often. Something that might help you if you have a sweet tooth is to try some low carb desserts. There are a bunch in the recipe section of this board.

thank you Ocean! I'm still trying to navigate the site..I'll definately check it out!

[picklepete]

I agree with ocean, keep searching and you'll find some pretty creative and novel foods that might displace the old comforts. In many cases, the cheat food isn't even all that tasty--it's just familiar. If I have a stressful day I'll still go through the motions of the "cheat" and fill up a bag at a seedy convenience store but I've trained myself to locate the good food so I can enjoy it with no regrets.

[Dredaye9]

Originally Posted by spaceace

Perhaps people are different - but for me, I cannot cheat. I might cheat five or six times without a true 'relapse', but eventually I always hit the cheat that starts a full relapse. I can't predict which cheat will be 'the one', but I always put myself at risk.

I by no means am saying that others have not incorporated cheat days into their way of eating, it's just that I cannot do it - at least not right now.

So true for me too...great post... I feel like I've relapsed on drugs if I full blown " cheat " of course it makes absolutely no sesnse to beat yourself up over it ...we've all been there hunny ... Everyone's human.... Just eat as much low carb food as you want the next day.... Make some coconut bark...and call It a day

[Happy2be]

I have "cheated" or as I like to refer to them... Ate too many carbs for the day to lose weight. This is a part of life. I have found that you have to pick and choose what you want and if its worth other cravings coming back. I first try to find something to take the place of the food that I want. Most of the time the lc option works for the craving. Just be cautious with your eating off plan and you will do great. I have been on a roll of losing and that helps me from going off plan because I know that one day of off plan eating will be days of getting back to where I was.

[steady]

It is more about attitude:
Give yourself time...don't see it as never forever. Look only one day ahead, is much easier for a brain to accept "just not today" and so that it doesn't think must eat all it can now because of impending "never".

When different parts of our brain disagree, we have a cheat. I never see eating off plan as a cheat, because it was a choice I made. Who are you cheating? Yourself? When you chose to eat off plan?...doesn't make sense to me. Not trying to be harsh, forgive yourself and don't cheat yourself out of your goals.

[Shimmer]

Originally Posted by Laurelai

Hi all. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has cheated or splurged??

I'm right there with you, sistah! Two weeks ago, I allowed myself to splurge at a coworker's farewell potluck and haven't stopped indulging since. But today is weigh-in day at work and that has sobered me up. I'm back on the wagon with menus planned and meals precooked for the week.

Originally Posted by Happy2be

I have "cheated" or as I like to refer to them... Ate too many carbs for the day to lose weight.

I like this!! That's how I'm going to look at it from now on...

[Spanilingo]

Well many of us have off plan meals-days-weeks as part of our way of eating for no other reason other than it is enjoyable and helps us keep up the plan. The one meal is as likely to do as much damage in weight loss as the occasional piece of broccoli would help you lose weight in a diet of twinkies.

And BTW---it is completely normal and ok to crave something delicious! Accepting it as a normal part if eating will help you plan for them!!! Also, people swear by l-glutamate to help with cravings. Do a search or look in supplement section.

The issue is really whether you can have the meal then get back on track. Part physical and part psychological. Given the rage you feel and moral value you set on food I would say you aren't there yet!

What plan are you on? For me, cravings indicated I needed more carbs and went up the Atkins rung. For others it might mean they ate some sneaky carbs.

Finding out why you had the cravings in the first place is really helpful!! It will help you counteract them --- plan for them---ACCEPT THEM---learn how to work with them without FALLING OFF THE WAGON. Lots of good substitutes!

Besides, you will see from many posts even people who are sticking to the plan "perfectly" do not always lose weight perfectly or even stall completely.

Give yourself a squeeze. Drink lots of water and go eat well!

[Hot Tamale]

I agree with so many people on here. You slipped up and now you have to deal with it. I jumped head-first into a bag of pistachios last night. I had wayyyy too many. What to do now? Keep on eating them/other things, or get back on track? My start date says every 24 hours - but really it needs to be every minute - cause every minute we have the choice to say "Enough is enough," and reel ourselves back in to better eating.

Don't beat yourself up. Have a bottle of water, reflect on your misstep, and move on in a healthy direction!!

[Vilya]

If I "cheat" too often it will turn into a backslide, so I really try hard not to go off-plan too often. Like the other day I made a batch of chocolates, fully intending to just eat 2 per day. Yeah, you can guess how that turned out. Fifteen chocolates were gone in 2 days.

No more chocolate-making, at least not that many at once!

But for situations where I can control it (i.e., the food's not in my house), I do allow myself a splurge here and there, which for me means eating 2 or 3 bites of some high-carb food and that's it.

[princessmommy]

I had a cheat/ mess up saturday and I immediatly felt horrible and guilty. Thats just me though. I have a wedding to go to saturday and i'm already dreading it because of all the good food they will have. For Me, I can't cheat or splurge i've done it in past attempts at LC and failed miserably! I have to keep telling myself we are going on vacation in July and I want to lose as much weight as possible! And if I give in i'll go right back to 207 lbs!

[drjlocarb]

Laurelai, go and look above your first post where it says fourm jump, click on the arrow for the drop down menu, and then click on "Lowcarb Recipie Help And Suggestions". That will take you to the right place.

[A'smommy]

It happens to everyone, especially with all of the temptations that surround us now nowadays. I can be completely content with myself and a pizza commercial will come on and I'll instantly crave it. Its okay to mess up because its practically inevitable but the key is restarting with the very next meal and doing your best to avoid cheating again!

[flatferenghi]

who has not at one time or another deviated from plan. I am the poster troll for cheating, in this quadrant of the Milky Way (double entendre intended). I suppose the best thing to do is to sit down, and decide what is most necessary to have on a regular or occasional basis, and cook or purchase a low carb version of it. Check out the food porn sections of LCF, for a sweet and savory kaleidoscope of low carb yummies. Perhaps someday, i shall take my own advice. Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI

[SherBel]

I allow myself one or two days a month to eat whatever I please. Perhaps it's slowing me down in terms of losing, but I don't care. It keeps me happy, and happy is what keeps me on plan 99% of the time, that, and the fact that I'm steadily losing weight, even with my occasional days of off-plan eating.

[kimberino]

After being on plan for awhile, I felt strong enough to incorporate a planned cheat every 3-4 weeks, just one meal of whatever I had been missing or craving. It worked for me, but as others have said, it can derail your efforts if you're not committed to immediately getting back on plan. The driving force has to be your willpower - your ability to just stick to it and ride it out. Good luck and best wishes!

[GratefulParrot]

We probably all have cheated one time or another. I try really hard not to because in my pea brain. If I cheat and stay on diet, I tell myself, "hey that cheat didn't hurt, I can just make up for it", then I feel I can make up for it all the time. Oops..back to old eating habits. So now, my cheating is like an extra cup of spinach.

[Divinexheirocity]

Originally Posted by kimberino

After being on plan for awhile, I felt strong enough to incorporate a planned cheat every 3-4 weeks, just one meal of whatever I had been missing or craving. It worked for me, but as others have said, it can derail your efforts if you're not committed to immediately getting back on plan. The driving force has to be your willpower - your ability to just stick to it and ride it out. Good luck and best wishes!

The concept of planned cheat days is what I believe i'll end up doing once I get to my maintanence weight. Specifically having one cheat day a month is where I see myself starting.

[NH_Free]

I learned my lesson after gaining back 30 lbs. and taking 3 years to get a grip again. It started with too many lc, sugar free goodies from the recipe forum and too many summer salads with Dreamsfield's pasta. Next thing I knew, I was eating too much lc bread too, then pretzels and high carb hot dog rolls. My "cheats" now are just too many calories and carbs for a day or two - nothing with real sugar or flour. And I'm still afraid each time that *this* treat will be the one that sends me over the edge into binge land.

[iminit4me]

I'm so motivated right now, I'm not the least bit worried about cheating. But have I ever cheated? I'm 60 years old and 270 lbs. We all cheat. The secret is to not give up. Never give up. I'm not saying I'll never cheat again, but you need the "dust yourself off, get back on track" mental attitude. It's a simple crack in the road to success. We're with you!

[SamiKing]

I 'cheat' by having heavy cream whipped up with cocoa powder and sweetener. Sometimes, I just HAVE to indulge. It basically slows my weight loss down, but I feel as long as I'm not eating something HUGELY high in carbs I'm OK - it's keeping me away from the carb filled desserts and satisfying my cravings. It's also keeping me on plan, because I feel as though I'm allowing myself a treat when I feel like I really need one. I think, if you're having trouble cheating, then you should do your best to put something allowed into your diet, something that will really hit the spot, because it definitely helps with keeping you away from the foods we are not allowed. If you go over your carb count slightly for one day, it's not the end of the world. That's how I see it, anyway. Do all you can to stay away from the processed rubbish and use the recipes here. If you over indulge in low carb foods, at least it doesn't make you feel like you've COMPLETELY gone off plan and thinking 'I MAY AS WELL JUST KEEP EATING OFF PLAN, I'VE RUINED IT' - it instead just makes you think that you'll do better to keep carbs lower the next day.

Tomorrow is another day! Don't worry - we've all been there at some stage. Keep going, in a week you'll have forgotten all about it.

[MicheleS]

yep. I ate some nutella on friday evening. With that said, so long as a "cheat" doesn't become a "relapse" then I feel like occasionally eating off-plan is OK. Unfortunately, friday's nutella-fest wasn't planned. *That's* the part I take issue with (for *myself*).

[flatferenghi]

i have to think about that. i just may copy you. i do not mind losing it slower, as long as it does not return. Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI

[cfine]

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt to prove it

[Lucy1018]

I'm still wrestling with this issue myself, but I think the best cheats are planned and prepared for. If you know you are going to indulge on a certain day, you can prepare, and you won't feel as guilty. For instance, I am planning to eat what I want on Fourth of July. I love my mom's potato salad and she only makes it a few times a year. The trick is to have it that day and not eat the leftovers the next day. Also, if my mom makes it for a family gathering, I'm not going to eat it then, either. Similarly, I had two weeks of a once-a-week splurge in May and I don't think it disrupted my weight loss.

On the other hand, when doing a lower carb diet years ago, I clearly remember eating a dessert that caused a relapse. I'm not sure why it had this effect, all I know is that it triggered an abandonment of my diet and a regain of the weight I had lost. Now, I'm sure that's not the only thing that caused it, but it was important enough that I remember it.

The important thing is to set boundaries. For instance, I've recently begun paying more attention to the emotional factors behind my overeating and treating it like a substance addiction. (Which, basically, it is). My father once told me never to drink alone, because that meant you were using alcohol to fill an emotional need and it could help lead to alcoholism/related behavior. I don't have that problem, but it strikes me that the same thing can be applied to food, so I've recently set the boundary of not indulging unless I'm with other people. This increases the likelihood that the splurge is for a special occasion and also helps ensure that I'm not using food to ameliorate feelings of pain and loneliness. My other boundaries are that I can have no more then one splurge a week. So, one week my family and I had chinese food and then went out for dinner with visiting relatives a few days later. Given that I rarely see these people and it was one of my favorite restaurants, I might have given myself permission to indulge in a dessert, but I had already had the chinese food, so I passed. Another boundary, as I said, is that the splurge is planned. The dessert I recall from years ago wasn't, I just wanted to try it. So, I try to make sure I'm having dessert because I've already given myself permission to have it. If I haven't, then I need to pass, no matter how great the food sounds.

[Lowcarbboy]

I agree with many that have posted above, it is best to plan and prepare for a cheat day/meal. I have a few things that I love and will schedule for. I have a cheat meal, not a full cheat day. I also make sure I have all the groceries around for the next day to get back on induction level (less than 20g) carbs. That way I know I am going to get right back on the path. I have been lucky lately a cheat meal followed by a day or two of induction puts me right back into burning fat (ketosis), with no obvious stall or weight gains.

[zombiegoat2000]

I cheated both Friday and Saturday, went to Subway and had a footlong c.c. instead of my usual salad. I didnt get mad, instead I chose to forgo the diet cola on both days and made sure to get extra meat on the subs.

[Laurelai]

Originally Posted by Lucy1018

I'm still wrestling with this issue myself, but I think the best cheats are planned and prepared for. If you know you are going to indulge on a certain day, you can prepare, and you won't feel as guilty. For instance, I am planning to eat what I want on Fourth of July. I love my mom's potato salad and she only makes it a few times a year. The trick is to have it that day and not eat the leftovers the next day. Also, if my mom makes it for a family gathering, I'm not going to eat it then, either. Similarly, I had two weeks of a once-a-week splurge in May and I don't think it disrupted my weight loss.

On the other hand, when doing a lower carb diet years ago, I clearly remember eating a dessert that caused a relapse. I'm not sure why it had this effect, all I know is that it triggered an abandonment of my diet and a regain of the weight I had lost. Now, I'm sure that's not the only thing that caused it, but it was important enough that I remember it.

The important thing is to set boundaries. For instance, I've recently begun paying more attention to the emotional factors behind my overeating and treating it like a substance addiction. (Which, basically, it is). My father once told me never to drink alone, because that meant you were using alcohol to fill an emotional need and it could help lead to alcoholism/related behavior. I don't have that problem, but it strikes me that the same thing can be applied to food, so I've recently set the boundary of not indulging unless I'm with other people. This increases the likelihood that the splurge is for a special occasion and also helps ensure that I'm not using food to ameliorate feelings of pain and loneliness. My other boundaries are that I can have no more then one splurge a week. So, one week my family and I had chinese food and then went out for dinner with visiting relatives a few days later. Given that I rarely see these people and it was one of my favorite restaurants, I might have given myself permission to indulge in a dessert, but I had already had the chinese food, so I passed. Another boundary, as I said, is that the splurge is planned. The dessert I recall from years ago wasn't, I just wanted to try it. So, I try to make sure I'm having dessert because I've already given myself permission to have it. If I haven't, then I need to pass, no matter how great the food sounds.

That right there is how I am starting to see my relationship with food!