Cheat Days
Ashar33
Posts: 17 Member
Spent some time with my sister yesterday, she's also doing low carb, and we got on the subject of cheat days. Sounds like she does one like every two months. I've been really hesitant to even think about cheating, but sooner or later I'm sure I'll want one. What do you guys do? I have a list on my phone of things to eat on my cheat day lol.
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I don't like the terminology myself.
If cheat means allowing yourself to go over plan for a day, why is it considered "cheating"? That sounds like a planned plan excursion.
If "cheating" is another word - a euphemism really - for losing discipline and diving into a bag or two of chips or a a tin of cookies or a loaf of sour dough bread or ^ insert your vice here ^ - that isn't cheating, that's a loss of control, not a plan.
If I *want* to go over my plan, I do. Usually this only occurs in conjunction with an evening out, and as we don't go out all that much, when I do if I'm in the mood for a beer I'm not going to deny myself a lovely tall pint of locally brewed hoppy IPA waiting to be drawn. You'll find beer and salad on a couple of my nights out.
Even then on such a day my calorie intake on such days rarely goes above what would be considered maintenance for me, but even if the intake was higher yet, one planned day is not an issue.
Live is there to live. Have your plan-vacation day if you want, just plan for it.
I've got one planned already: On my birthday in September I'm having cake. Home made carrot cake with cream cheese icing, or my wife's chocolate zucchini cake so moist no icing required or wanted -- I've not decided. It won't be a cheat but a choice.0 -
How can this possibly be a good idea? It'll increase your hunger. It'll increase insulin after your body has developed a benign form of insulin resistance.
If you have to eat more, eat more fat.
If you have to eat more carbs, increase your level slowly so your body can re-adapt to the insulin surge.0 -
It isn't worth it, if you are trying to lose weight and you suddenly eat a truckload of carbs for a day. Not for me anyway. 2.2kg flew back on overnight for me last time and it takes at least 2 weeks to get back down to lowest weight.
If I were to plan a binge, because that what it is, isn't it? I'd just scoff down some meat and fat.0 -
I'm not a fan of the idea only because I slipped after a week on LC and ate like I used to (not even huge quantity of foods, just all the wrong foods), and I felt AWFUL. I don't want to feel like that again so I'm not going to consider it. That said, I don't stick to 20g or less per day, I eat in a range typically 40-75g. I imagine it would be an even more awful feeling if I was sticking to lower than I am.0
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I gained 7.5lbs last time I "cheated" during a vacation. Most of it was water, but not all of it.
I guess we're designed to "cheat" from an evolutionary perspective. If you're knocked out of ketosis by a carb binge, the resulting hunger is probably evolution's way of saying "yay! feast time! eat! eat! store fat! mmm!"
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I really like the idea of a planned "off plan" excursion. Goes along with the mindful eating concepts I'm researching!0
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I don't like the terminology myself.
If cheat means allowing yourself to go over plan for a day, why is it considered "cheating"? That sounds like a planned plan excursion.
If "cheating" is another word - a euphemism really - for losing discipline and diving into a bag or two of chips or a a tin of cookies or a loaf of sour dough bread or ^ insert your vice here ^ - that isn't cheating, that's a loss of control, not a plan.
If I *want* to go over my plan, I do. Usually this only occurs in conjunction with an evening out, and as we don't go out all that much, when I do if I'm in the mood for a beer I'm not going to deny myself a lovely tall pint of locally brewed hoppy IPA waiting to be drawn. You'll find beer and salad on a couple of my nights out.
Even then on such a day my calorie intake on such days rarely goes above what would be considered maintenance for me, but even if the intake was higher yet, one planned day is not an issue.
Live is there to live. Have your plan-vacation day if you want, just plan for it.
I've got one planned already: On my birthday in September I'm having cake. Home made carrot cake with cream cheese icing, or my wife's chocolate zucchini cake so moist no icing required or wanted -- I've not decided. It won't be a cheat but a choice.
PBI: Mwyvr your wife's Chocolate Zucchini cake sounds delish. I couldnt have the recipe by any chance could i? Im a serial baker!
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I will try to dig it up!0
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I, too, dislike the term "cheat day". I dont want to be part of a mindset where i plan to deliberately cheat, it doesnt feel positive or controlled to me - If anything i would tend to call it a treat day (or treat meal or w/e).
I prefer not to have planned cheat/treat days because i will naturally have days where i have higher hunger and will allow myself to eat more if necessary, but these tend to be balanced out naturally by lower hunger days.
When i do have higher calorie days im still careful to not allow my carbs past 30g absolute maximum (im normally 15-20g), and i watch that my protein doesnt go too high as that can turn to glucose, so i concentrate on fats. Those are the closest i get to cheat days. I wouldnt choose to eat higher carb foods ever now because i know it would throw my body off balance and make me gain weight and would take days to get back into keto & stop the cravings. If planned 'cheat days' work for you - you still feel good and continue to lose weight - then why not if it makes you happy and aids you sticking to plan the rest of the time, but they just dont work well for me.
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I don't do 'cheat days' as such but I have had the odd high carb day due to weddings or unavoidable food etc.
The most interesting thing is that now I am fat adapted (I assume, after 8-9 weeks strictly on plan) I seem to be able to tolerate those higher carb days without problem.
Before I would take a week to get back on track, kill the cravings etc. Now I just wake up the next morning, eat a boiled egg, plan a day of careful low carbing and NOTHING negative happens. I've been really pleased and assume it means my damaged metabolism is repairing itself.
It's not a reason to go off plan regularly as I imagine that would stall my weight loss some, but it's a great thing to have in my back pocket nowadays.
Of course going off plan is like 100-150 carbs so still way lower than the average SAD day!0 -
I know there are a lot of people out there that have discipline and can go through life doing low carbs day in and day out. Whether you call it a "cheat" or "plan" or "vacation"--the hardest part will be getting back on track. As long as you have the discipline to get yourself back on track and go through "Missing carbs" once again--do it as often as you like. If your weightloss slows down or stalls, just make sure you hold yourself accountable. For me, I don't want to go through the period of time it takes to get carbs out of the system. I'm always hungry, miserable, and craving every sweet thing I can think about. I liked it when I was weeks in and no longer was controlled by cravings. I just had a 4 day binge, and this week has been awful. Your results may vary. I just know that I don't want to go through this again.0
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I also hate the term "cheat meal or day". I've also stopped referring to certain foods as good or bad. In my precious life, if I ate something I considered bad Id refer to myself as being good or bad and it was frustrating. Now I just know there as foods for ME that are better choices but there's no food that is good or bad. Some are just better choices than others and some o choose not to eat because I know how they make me feel.0
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_jayciemarie_ wrote: »I know there are a lot of people out there that have discipline and can go through life doing low carbs day in and day out. Whether you call it a "cheat" or "plan" or "vacation"--the hardest part will be getting back on track. As long as you have the discipline to get yourself back on track and go through "Missing carbs" once again--do it as often as you like. If your weightloss slows down or stalls, just make sure you hold yourself accountable. For me, I don't want to go through the period of time it takes to get carbs out of the system. I'm always hungry, miserable, and craving every sweet thing I can think about. I liked it when I was weeks in and no longer was controlled by cravings. I just had a 4 day binge, and this week has been awful. Your results may vary. I just know that I don't want to go through this again.
But at least you learned from your 4-day choice. Imagine the people who jump off for 4 weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas...(not judging at all - just observing the fact in a curious manner...) I don't know that I could do that or have any interest in trying, really. I know I really don't want to go back to that old me, so going back to my old habits is really unappealing still...0 -
It is just a choice with a consequence.
I have to fit it in with what means the most to me.
Quite honestly good just isn't that much of a god to me. I do want certain foods and balance out my calories for the day to work it in. Sometimes I have to do more cardio.
I have been up at 9:00 on the treadmill before working off food before. It will happen again. It is just about being accountable to myself.
That is the new thing. Owning it. Diets don't fail. I do. Or I don't...
And I like having a flat torso and no love handles. So I don't have cheat days . I have splurge meals but I work it off.
I never knew how much I totally hated being fat until I wasn't.
I'll pass on a cheat day. But I don't judge those that can do it and handle it.
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I have been experimenting with having planned excursions away from my normal routine, planned around family special occasions, but have not gone over 60g carbs while doing it. So I try not to go overboard and stray too far. So far I have been able to get back on track easily. In fact I think that the last carb excursion resulted in kick starting my most recent weight loss. My weight went up about 3 pounds artificially, and the change to ZC immediately afterwards yielded an 11 pound loss or 8 pounds net in 2 weeks. This was after losing only 2 pounds in 2 months doing keto aiming for under 20g carbs. This is something I can see myself fitting into my routine in the long run.0
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Nope. Not considering anything of the sort. I finally found a plan that works, with consistent weekly loses. I'm not going to screw this up. I'm getting this weight off and this time I truly believe I can sustain LCHF and I'm feeling that live and eat normally now. Compared to powders, pills and pre-packaged meals and all the other crap I tried and couldn't maintain -with minimal weight loss. I've got boxes of my old "skinny" clothes calling my name in the corner of the bedroom. I don't want to disappoint them.. I'm staying focused and moving towards the goal. Keeping my eye on the prize..
Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels. 0 -
I ate close to my calories back today, for losing 1.5 lbs per week.
But I also don't log anything at all for lifting weights.
It felt like a splurge!
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Kitnthecat wrote: »I have been experimenting with having planned excursions away from my normal routine, planned around family special occasions, but have not gone over 60g carbs while doing it. So I try not to go overboard and stray too far. So far I have been able to get back on track easily. In fact I think that the last carb excursion resulted in kick starting my most recent weight loss. My weight went up about 3 pounds artificially, and the change to ZC immediately afterwards yielded an 11 pound loss or 8 pounds net in 2 weeks. This was after losing only 2 pounds in 2 months doing keto aiming for under 20g carbs. This is something I can see myself fitting into my routine in the long run.
I've noticed when I stopped loosing, a carb day or two kick started weight loss for me too. That being said, I hate the way I feel after carb days. Particularly heavy gluten carbs....I have no known intolerances just now noticing what that toxicn does when i over indulge.0 -
I know what you mean about feeling bad after eating gluten. I don't want to ever eat gluten again, so the carbs I reach for are usually more vegetables, a bit of fruit or sugar and starchier items like potato or sweet potato, or alcohol, but in portions small enough not to have too much of an impact on how I feel. And I still feel as if I've had a treat.0
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This thread makes me want Christmas cookies. Just saying.0
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Kitnthecat wrote: »I have been experimenting with having planned excursions away from my normal routine, planned around family special occasions, but have not gone over 60g carbs while doing it. So I try not to go overboard and stray too far. So far I have been able to get back on track easily. In fact I think that the last carb excursion resulted in kick starting my most recent weight loss. My weight went up about 3 pounds artificially, and the change to ZC immediately afterwards yielded an 11 pound loss or 8 pounds net in 2 weeks. This was after losing only 2 pounds in 2 months doing keto aiming for under 20g carbs. This is something I can see myself fitting into my routine in the long run.
That's a wonderful result. Maybe if i dont see the scale moving again in the next few weeks i'll give this a go.
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I actually had a beer last night! First time in 4 months. Although I don't fixate on the scale I was up 4 lbs this morning! Back to the program today. I'm confident there are no long term effects.0
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Spent some time with my sister yesterday, she's also doing low carb, and we got on the subject of cheat days. Sounds like she does one like every two months. I've been really hesitant to even think about cheating, but sooner or later I'm sure I'll want one. What do you guys do? I have a list on my phone of things to eat on my cheat day lol.
I have a different spin. Have your planned cheat day. Do a water only fast the next day. You don't eat on the next day at all.
I don't do this, but that should resolve the carbage issue rather quickly.
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
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Cheat is a subjective term depending on where one is the cheating spouse or the cheated one.
For me to go and eat an extra 3000 calories and it be ice cream would be cheating. If I at an extra 3000 calories and it be macadamia nuts that would not be cheating. On CICO it was ice cream but on LCHF it is macadamia nuts.0 -
Dan's fasting and seeing colours before his eyes....0
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Ahhahaha @Kitnthecat, you made me laugh out loud. Btw of cheat days, I never plan one but I had days when I had social obligations and I couldn't help myself and had drinks and fries and what not so I went way way over carb wise. It is true... It takes a lot to lose the lbs gained. Today I had a whole chocolate, full of sugar and I'm horrified to go on the scale tomorrow so I'm going to follow @DittoDan 's advice and fast until tomorrow night.0
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I figure that this will be the way I will teach myself to maintain this woe for life. If I can't learn how to deal with special occasions without falling too far off the wagon, then I will set myself up for failure, and if I can't get right back at it and continue with my mission without getting so discouraged that I ensure that I fail by giving up, then I might as well quit right now. But I am committed to getting rid of the rest of my excess weight and I am in this to win it. And win it I will.
Everything is a learning experience. I now have the ability to gauge by how I feel when I have a treat. If I find that I don't enjoy the "treat", it is no longer desirable and I don't do that again. If I enjoy it and I feel it is worth it, I will plan for it, then make up for it afterwards. It usually motivates a period of time for me when I will be extra diligent with my eating plan, so for me that makes it worth it. It entirely depends on the situation.
Fasting is good too.0 -
I happily go off plan whenever the occasion calls for it without any negative consequences to date. I'm extremely mindful when I do, take steps not to relapse and ensure it remains a truly occasional thing but cheat days are a positive experience for me -- I think it's because I'm choosing to indulge. It's not a matter of "giving in" and eating food I'd rather not eat because I feel compelled to and I can't help myself.
That makes all of the difference I think.0 -
Astharteea wrote: »Ahhahaha @Kitnthecat, you made me laugh out loud. Btw of cheat days, I never plan one but I had days when I had social obligations and I couldn't help myself and had drinks and fries and what not so I went way way over carb wise. It is true... It takes a lot to lose the lbs gained. Today I had a whole chocolate, full of sugar and I'm horrified to go on the scale tomorrow so I'm going to follow @DittoDan 's advice and fast until tomorrow night.
If you want a 'cheat' chocolate have a few pieces of a Lindt 90% 100g bar. 11g fat, 3g net carb, 2g protein for 2 squares. So rich and delicious, you cannot eat it fast like a sugary crap chocolate bar. Unfortunately it goes really well with a smooth but bold red wine, lol.
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I love dark chocolate with red wine ! Ooops, more fasting to follow....0
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