Cheat days
soo_z
Posts: 42
Good morning everyone!
So yesterday was my truest of true cheat days in the 2 weeks I have now been enjoying a modified primal diet.
I had Paleo stew for lunch and then for dinner the boy and I ordered pizza. I also allowed myself a hard cider alcoholic beverage ( naturally gluten free
) as well as some "half baked" frozen yogurt the finish up the evening (but just a teeny bit, I don't have much as far as a sweet tooth goes).
My question is, how many of your participate in a "cheat day"? I have to say, for my first cheat day I think I went a little too "big" and will in the future be much more conservative ( my tummy and head hurt this morning ). If you do allow yourself a cheat day, to what degree do you actually "cheat"?
So yesterday was my truest of true cheat days in the 2 weeks I have now been enjoying a modified primal diet.
I had Paleo stew for lunch and then for dinner the boy and I ordered pizza. I also allowed myself a hard cider alcoholic beverage ( naturally gluten free
) as well as some "half baked" frozen yogurt the finish up the evening (but just a teeny bit, I don't have much as far as a sweet tooth goes).My question is, how many of your participate in a "cheat day"? I have to say, for my first cheat day I think I went a little too "big" and will in the future be much more conservative ( my tummy and head hurt this morning ). If you do allow yourself a cheat day, to what degree do you actually "cheat"?
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Cheat days can actually be beneficial if they don't turn into cheat weeks, then cheat months and so on.
Cheat days can remind us how crappy we feel when we eat crap.
Cheat days, when planned in advance, can give us something to look forward to. I can pass up low quality junk food all week if I know I'm planning to get a good quality treat on Saturday.
I try to keep my carbs between 50 - 80. Every once in awhile, I'll splurge and go above 100. Sometimes that seems to kick start something and the scale drops afterward.
*When I cheat, it's with sugar, NEVER wheat.0 -
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My question is, how many of your participate in a "cheat day"? I have to say, for my first cheat day I think I went a little too "big" and will in the future be much more conservative ( my tummy and head hurt this morning ). If you do allow yourself a cheat day, to what degree do you actually "cheat"?
I do not cheat, I cannot. I have found that cheating or even simple moderation does not work for me. It is a black and white issue, no gray area. If I cheat, or go moderately paleo, I gain weight, and my blood glucose and blood pressure starts climbing. For me it is either true paleo or an early grave.
OFG0 -
I don't do 'cheat' days per se. We keep a 'kosher' kitchen at home, and do not break regimen. Then, when we go out to eat (about once per week), we go to restaurants where we can pretty much eat paleo/primal - but we don't sweat it if the odd bit of grains, roots or sugar finds its way into the meal. The main thing to keep in mind is: if you cheat, make it worth it. If you're gonna have pizza, make sure it is a super quality one, not that bilge Domino's or Roundtable sells.0
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I really like what Angelo Coppola had to say about cheat days/meals on his podcast. To summarize, the idea of "cheating" in sports is an underhanded way to get ahead. But "cheating" your diet does not in any way get you ahead.
We kick our heels up on Sunday nights and have a coconut milk drink I whip up with some maple syrup in it. Sometimes we'll have a drink or two on weekends. I have a bite of cake for immediate family member's birthdays. We live, but there's no structured "cheat".0 -
I do enjoy some beer on the week ends. I find that when I "cheat" badly I feel awful so it is not worth it! I am really good at home and work, but if I do go out to eat, I order fish and veggie usually and don't seat it if there is a sauce or something.0
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I also don't do cheat days. Personally speaking, I feel like it would be a "cheat myself day". Refined foods, grains, mass produced meat are toxic to our bodies and I feel like planning to put that into my body is a bad idea. If I do need to "cheat" on my macro ratios I'll stick with Primal/Paleo indulgences like homemade paleo pizza, organic dark chocolate or homemade coconut milk ice cream sweetened with raw honey. It's amazing how satisfied you can be with these treats! This being said, if I'm out for dinner with friends and there are no good paleo options on the menu, I am not that wierdo who orders water and sulks, however this happens only once in a blue moon....but I usually feel pretty crummy the next day.0
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I think that the key is to find what works for you - everyone is different. Some can handle a cheat meal with no major problems, others fall of track completely or feel horrible for days afterward. I don't plan to have a cheat day, but I also enjoy going out for Girl's Night or simply not stressing out at a dinner party because I "can't" have a beer or a meal made with wheat or legumes in it. I probably eat off plan on average, every other week. I don't consider it a cheat meal - I am just choosing to eat or drink something that I normally would avoid. I feel like I have a hangover the next day, which makes it really easy for me to stay on track for the rest of the week. My goal is both better health and weight loss. A "cheat" meal slows my weight loss down for a good 4 days afterward - so if I am going to do it, I make sure it's worth it - often it's beer and pizza (bows head in shame . . .)0
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I try not to allow them unless it's really important. I will do a small treat here and there but I'm finding that I prefer the "paleo" treats to traditional treats lately anyway.
I'm planning to splurge on my husband's birthday because we are going away and then also on Christmas (but not much then because we still eat healthy). Once January hits I'm hoping to be straight and narrow for my health.0 -
Ahhh I wrote a response and the computer ate it...
I do not do cheat days...I will however go "off course" if the situation allows...especially around the holidays with all the sweets - I made 3 dozen coconut macroons for a cookie exchange and it got canceled at the last minute due to illness...so I have had these cookies sitting around (my daughters are putting a pretty good dent in them) - in the past it would be nothing for me to have 2-3 a day...I have had 1 each day...that has been my big "cheat"...and I have been going for the smallest ones and that has been enough for me...
I have found that eating this way for a while there are things I simply don't want...the idea of eating pizza just turns me off now, same with a big sub...(I want all the stuff inside the sub just not the bread)
Last night we went to a steakhouse and they brough big yummy smelling rolls - I tore off a corner and had a bite...it was good but the though of having more...nope didn't appeal to me (but man the steak and sweet potato was yummmmmmmy)0 -
Thanks for all of the awesome responses!
I have definitely noticed the day after a "cheat day" I feel pretty crummy (like a hangover someone else had mentioned). I am the type of person that can cheat occasionally and jump right back on, but I do need to be honest with myself as to why I'm doing this and it is to be as healthy as possible.
I go so far as to make my own cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, shampoo, etc. because I'm terrified of the chemicals that are in our everyday household products! I should be focusing on this as my internal cleanses rather than what I have been. My significant other has seen what two weeks on this has done for me (more energy, happier, etc), so he is starting to eliminate grains and dairy out of his life as well! Too bad everyone else looks at me like I'm doing something radical! I try just explaining that I'm trying to eat WHOLE foods rather than processed. That makes them a little quieter I found rather than telling them I've cut out dairy and grains (and then have to listen to the arguments as to why these things are good for you).
Thanks again for the awesome support in this group... you are all very inspirational! =]0 -
I feel awful when I cheat. That being said I am not great ith peer pressure and I love brownies. I had one today. It tears me up emotionally and brings on terrible cravings. It seems I have 1-2 parties per week at least until Christmas. I am just doing the best I can right now but have been struggling. I am on this roller coaster lately. It is terrible. I am doing a whole 30 starting January 1st. I can not wait for my return to normalcy.
Edited to add. One cheat leads to another and I end up in the downward spiral I have been dealing with since thanksgiving when the parties started.0 -
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Edited to add. One cheat leads to another and I end up in the downward spiral I have been dealing with since thanksgiving when the parties started.
Thank you for saying this. As trite as this may sound, willpower is just like a muscle. Harden up and stick to your guns. Eventually it gets much easier to reign yourself in. The struggle becomes easy, as you don't struggle.
One of the greatest aspects to Paleo/Primal is simply education. If you "cheat" on something, there are always consequences. That doesn't mean that if you eat something non-Paleo, you're a terrible person. Or you'll forever fail. Or that you need to feel guilty. Just be educated and mindful. And don't go nuts.0 -
Something that's been on my mind as I've made a lot of changes this last year is that I don't want to make changes I'm not willing to continue with the rest of my life. For me, it's unrealistic to be 100% Paleo because my husband and family aren't on board. So if I was 100% and then had a "cheat" (I hate that word) now and then, I would be MISERABLE. I learned that when I tried it 100% for a month.
So I strive to be as close to 100% as possible (gluten/wheat/dairy-free, minimal sugars, carbs). That's what works for me. I eat very clean during the week and then when I'm home on the weekends will eat with my husband more and that's the rub.
But this has been working well for me. Eating as clean as possible, making sure I have a calorie deficit every day, exercising, getting plenty of sleep, drinking lots of water, eliminating as much stress as possible.... It's not just about the food. It's a holistic approach.0 -
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Edited to add. One cheat leads to another and I end up in the downward spiral I have been dealing with since thanksgiving when the parties started.
... As trite as this may sound, willpower is just like a muscle. Harden up and stick to your guns. ...
... Just be educated and mindful. And don't go nuts.
Gretchen Rubin wrote a great piece on the difference between abstainers and moderators. (http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/)
I think it's important to find out which you are more of. I am a moderator most days, but I know when I need to abstain. It sounds like most of the responses have come from abstainers, but I think the member that started the discussion sounds more like a moderator.
You really have to do what works for you. Some cannot "cheat" (again, hate that word) EVER. Some can with no problem.0
