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Cheat Meal or Day

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  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    I had to get past the one bite/one meal/one binge "has ruined my DAY" mindset. My new theory has been multifold.
    1. Banish the guilt. Make your choice, for better or worse, and own it. Guilt is far worse than any calorie or carb will ever be.
    2. Each bite is another chance to get back on the plan. I can't wait for tomorrow - or it ends up 6 months down the road sometimes.
    3. Plan an end to indulgence. Once accepting my choice, immediately a set date/time to get right back on the dietary plan/wagon can help one feel confident and for lack of a better word, safe. This makes it easier to break the cycle and get right back "to it."
    4. Create backup plans for when stress, time, situations, exhaustion or what-have-you overwhelm sensibilities. Planning a backup that is for "a rainy day" or "emergency" helps me feel better armed to fight normal tempations
    5. If I've indulged, waiting 2-3 hours before eating something on plan really helps the body "switch gears" to burning things properly when my metabolism is functioning decently.
    6. Slips happen. I didn't get to this weight/health situation in one bite/meal/day/month/or even YEAR! Steady as she goes.
    7. Finding substitutes. Sometimes this is okay, sometimes not. I don't want a "gateway drug" scenario, but I don't want to go all-out binge on a higher carb/sugar food if I can find a reasonable portion of an "on plan" indulgence.
    8. Try to use non-food rewards when needed.
    9. Find luxurious on-plan indulgences from time to time. Things I wouldn't normally buy/eat due to cost, calories, whatever. A little indulgence goes a long way.
    10. Work at finding movement I enjoy each day.

    Some of these, all of these, whatever. My willpower is finite and fails me. Sometimes a decision not to partake is enough. Other times, it's simply not. So, being prepared, accepting that reality means bad choices may sometimes happen, accepting choices as such, moving on, etc. That is how I face the random uncertainty that comprises most of our lives...
  • MaryDeLoria
    MaryDeLoria Posts: 45 Member
    DorkothyParker wrote: »
    I drink beer a couple nights a month. I don't use that as a reason to ingest other types of carbs. I'm just afraid if I stop drinking beer, I'll be deported as a phony Cascadian.

    Not at all! I don't drink beer, and am a full-fledged Cascadian!
  • McShorty7
    McShorty7 Posts: 69 Member
    I do one about every 7-12 days. It stalls weight loss a bit but keeps me sane. I have been actively healing my food addiction for the last 1.5 years. The higher carb days boost my confidence and keep me going. When I speak about boosting my confidence, what I mean is that is makes me feel as though I have accomplished something when I can keep it to one day or maybe even one meal without falling of the wagon for weeks/months at a time. I used to find it pretty much impossible to go back to dieting after even just one cheat meal. I've learned to not self-sabotage and no longer feel guilty about having a higher carb day.
  • Tappy44
    Tappy44 Posts: 1,050 Member
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    I had to get past the one bite/one meal/one binge "has ruined my DAY" mindset. My new theory has been multifold.
    1. Banish the guilt. Make your choice, for better or worse, and own it. Guilt is far worse than any calorie or carb will ever be.
    2. Each bite is another chance to get back on the plan. I can't wait for tomorrow - or it ends up 6 months down the road sometimes.
    3. Plan an end to indulgence. Once accepting my choice, immediately a set date/time to get right back on the dietary plan/wagon can help one feel confident and for lack of a better word, safe. This makes it easier to break the cycle and get right back "to it."
    4. Create backup plans for when stress, time, situations, exhaustion or what-have-you overwhelm sensibilities. Planning a backup that is for "a rainy day" or "emergency" helps me feel better armed to fight normal tempations
    5. If I've indulged, waiting 2-3 hours before eating something on plan really helps the body "switch gears" to burning things properly when my metabolism is functioning decently.
    6. Slips happen. I didn't get to this weight/health situation in one bite/meal/day/month/or even YEAR! Steady as she goes.
    7. Finding substitutes. Sometimes this is okay, sometimes not. I don't want a "gateway drug" scenario, but I don't want to go all-out binge on a higher carb/sugar food if I can find a reasonable portion of an "on plan" indulgence.
    8. Try to use non-food rewards when needed.
    9. Find luxurious on-plan indulgences from time to time. Things I wouldn't normally buy/eat due to cost, calories, whatever. A little indulgence goes a long way.
    10. Work at finding movement I enjoy each day.

    Some of these, all of these, whatever. My willpower is finite and fails me. Sometimes a decision not to partake is enough. Other times, it's simply not. So, being prepared, accepting that reality means bad choices may sometimes happen, accepting choices as such, moving on, etc. That is how I face the random uncertainty that comprises most of our lives...

    Thank you for sharing - this is awesome and so right on! I am not planning on blowing it but I know things happen or situations come up, it's all about getting over it and getting back on the right track. You make some excellent points!
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    RIGHT ON, @McShorty7 ! That is a huge win.

    @Tappy44 - You're welcome. Lessons learned in 18 months or so of low carbing, another year of MFPing, and a lifetime of dieting and hating myself for failing.

    I should also add one of my biggest lessons learned was that if I don't start my day caffeinated, hydrated, and rested, I'm in for far more of a fight! If I can hit at least 2 of these solidly, I'm set up so much better. It's hard to feel like I have to depend on caffeine sometimes, but it's a better vice than I could have...

    Also - follow your gut instincts. If your body is telling you something is wrong, use social media and the internet to research and ask others questions and all that. Social media knowledge hacking and info-sharing is becoming such a huge deal that my endocrinologist loves it! I've learned stuff and asked him questions that lead to him doing independent research helping him to findings that have now helped DOZENS of his clients. Without this website, I would not have sought treatment for my PCOS and verified all my thyroid issues I thought were MY problem, not my body's, I would not have learned that I was insulin resistant among other things - and I would likely have not ever dared trying low carb, as I was utterly convinced it was impossible. So NEVER stop questioning. If something doesn't seem right, it's probably not.

    Oh, and don't be afraid to mix things up from time to time - but you MUST give any changes that don't cause life-threatening reactions at least 4 weeks (preferably 12 weeks) to work and adjust things in your body before evaluating the success or failure of those changes. It takes that long for a true response to surface...
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