little "cheats" here and there

AZDizzy

I plan them and I made a promise to myself that I would log EVERYTHING that goes in my mouth. The cheats kinda fell away when I had to log them all!

jadedone

Well yesterday I cheated a little bit but I used V-Day as an excuse. Haha as silly as that sounds. I have planned that only holidays deserve cheating at its finest. So the next cheat day would be St. patty's next month.

But for example, chocolate isn't an issue. I have been eating ONE fun size chocolate ever other day just to kill that desire. BUT, I notice that lately I've been getting SO HUNGRY after I lock in my meal plan for the day, and eating fruits just isn't cutting it.

What do you guys do to kill late night cravings?

What are you eating? How many calories?

Late night cravings:
1. cup of dessert tea (like creme brulee or something with a little milk and sweetener.)
2. apple and peanut butter
3. nuts
4. dried fruit (dried tart cherries taste like sour patch kids)
5. I used to drink chocolate almond milk

annabellj

the guilt is worse for you than the cheating.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A million times THIS.

I like to think of my calories as a bank account. When I exercise I put money into the account. It costs me an average of 500-1,000 calories a day to lose weight. Normally I try to be pretty frugal & try to get more for my money by eating healthier stuff. But if I'm at the end of the day & I've still got 1,100 calories in my account, I can spend 100 on a mini red velvet cupcake (which I just did, & it was delightful).

I prefer to be frugal most of the time, then every once in a while splurge on something REALLY YUMMY. It's no different than budgeting your money to pay your bills & limiting your extraneous spending, then splurging on a night out every so often. It's fun, & assuming it's moderated it won't keep you from meeting your financial goals. Same goes for your calorie budget. Nothing wrong with blowing a big chunk of them on something delicious once in a while, or budgeting a small chunk of them every day for something decadent. As long as the majority of your calories are spent on good stuff & you're not spending more than you're earning through activity, you're fine.

I love this analogy. if you are honest with yourself and log it all, keep track of everything, you dont have to "cheat". im not gonna live without cheesecake for ever. had some yesterday. within my cals, had brownie friday night, within my cals, i exercise so i can eat what I want to! its like wearing the same boring suit every damn day. i want wear stilettos and hot mini every once in a while! i usually eat the same thing every day but dinner so usually not a problem but i am not gonna give up chocolate or chips and guacamole

froeschli

if you want it enough to log it BEFORE getting up and going to get it (1 piece at a time), then you deserve it :-)

since excluding most carbs, i actually don.t crave sweets like i used to. and i even manage to say no to the other half of my piece of toblerone. (it helps that my hubby eats it though) i just don't want the 'carb wedge' to go over 30 (25 ideally).

onek9lover

I'm not trying to be funny, but I go to sleep. I have a really hard time at night.

I'm currently trying this out. It's working. I also make myself a huge crystal light drink so I have something sweet for bed with no calories

dlyeates

I don't look at them as cheats. I log everything and if there is something special I want then I earn it. I get my butt to the gym, the treadmill or the elliptical and burn the calories so that I can get what I want. I plan for eating out and desserts. And I don't deny myself....but I do earn it!!!

Like I knew I was going to have some extra treats yesterday and spent 46 minutes at the gym jogging/walking and I burned 460 calories so that I could eat what I wanted in the portions that I knew I could!!

So I don't believe in cheating anymore. I'm not on a diet, I'm on a healthy lifestyle and with my lifestyle comes eating out, chocolate, desserts and more. I just plan for it and account for it!!

tinamatteson

I'm not trying to be funny, but I go to sleep. I have a really hard time at night.

Same here! It's a really good trick!

EhRiKuh

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!

I think I just have the "jitters" since all of this is new to me.
It feels good to FINALLY be working towards a better body, lifestyle and all that good stuff. I guess with time I'll learn these little tricks that work in my favor.


:flowerforyou:

Jenniferlynn212

No BLTs! Bites, likes, or tastes! If you're gonna have something log it & eat it, if not, put it down :-) Log everything! Find healthier alternatives or just have less of what you like, drink lotsa water, and exercise.you're doing great!

HonkyTonks

You've started in the last week or two and already lost 5lbs? If you are having "cheats" (I am guessing you're referring to foods the diet industry have told us are naughty that we should never ever have) but you are sticking to your caloric goals, what is the problem? Guilt and self deprivation lead to failure in the long run. Speaking as a yo yo dieter, it is best to just relax, meet your caloric target and not stress over eating some chocolate every now and then.

Faintgreeneyes

If this is a lifestyle change for you, then nothing really should be a "cheat". As others have stated, I eat what I want, in moderation. If it fits into my cals for the day, then I indulge, if it doesn't, than I don't.

Prime example, I had some girl scout cookies for dessert tonight. I have lost 17 lbs eating sweets, or carbs, or whatever else one might consider "bad" food (I don't view them as that). I try for the most part to have a healthy, balanced, diet. I also know that I have a sweet tooth, so if I crave something, I have it. Telling yourself 'no' only makes you want things more. That is where you can go overboard.

Good luck on your journey, and enjoy it!

officer214

I agree with Petiterunn. Be good most of the time and a little slip now and then won't hurt that badly...as long as the little slip isn't an entire pizza. I'll catch myself "sneaking" from time to time but I'm still mindful of what I'm putting in my pie hole. My downfall is adult beverages. Stay with it and you'll get to where you want to be.

EhRiKuh

Speaking as a yo yo dieter, it is best to just relax, meet your caloric target and not stress over eating some chocolate every now and then.

AGREED! Thank you!!

EhRiKuh

My downfall is adult beverages. Stay with it and you'll get to where you want to be.

Yeap! I made a promise to stay away from those amazing adult drinks until I've reached my goal haha.

EhRiKuh

I haven't cheated today everyone! Yay!

Haha, hope everyone is having a good, productive day!!
:smooched:

nickyfm

I'm an "All or nothing" kind of girl. I would prefer not to cheat at all.

But I wholeheartedly believe in treating yourself occasionally. If you've had a great workout that day and have calories to spare, why not have that one scoop of Gelato!

However in saying that, I'm very careful about cheat snacks. I have PCOS and used to have insulin resistance, so my body still acts mental when I touch sugar. I'd compare it to the addiction to meth by a drug addict. Once I start, I can't get enough. So I don't!

co_mama

Cheating on low sodium, lower fat popcorn (130 calories for 3.5 cups).
Popcorn is a treat., right?

itsrierie

If you're still losing, why not have your little treats?