Interested to find which one do you find to be more helpful an occasional cheat meal or a monthly cheat day?

MyShel;

Couldn't agree more with Leon's reply re the "slippery slope" aspect.....BUT....

That's primarily based on the term "cheat" (as in predetermined, intentional).

Maybe it's just semantics but I'm fine with the "occasional" big night out, family picnic, or anniversary dinner.

First because it's not only impossible to completely eliminate them from one's social life but more importantly because LCHF (or any "diet") shouldn't be a "sentence" - life is meant to be enjoyed and that's as it should be.

AND, it IS possible to have both - stick as closely as possible to what you know are your healthy choices AND, at the same time enjoy yourself on those special occasions.

Two recent examples.

We spent two weeks at Cape Cod (after Labor day, no traffic, kids back in school, life IS good). Rented a cottage so we were able to cook most meals home. Fresh fish, vegetables from the farm stand, and Lobster 4 times (0 carbs) - what's not to like?

Came home and took our friends on a canal cruise after which they treated us to dinner at my absolute favorite "home cooking" Italian restaurant - platters of food the size of garbage can lids, clam and mussel appetizer overflowing a massive spaghetti serving bowl, individual diner servings (veal, chicken, osso bucco) to feed an army and to die for.

Spurning the homemade bread, eliminating dessert, and sticking to one glass (well, maybe two) of the grape kept us "close" to our goals for the day and a slight adjustment to the next couple days got us right back on track!

It IS possible and while passing up the bread (and the gnocchi in wine sauce) was tough, and we (obviously) weren't able to weigh every morsel I'd be willing to bet our "estimated" macros were pretty darn close.

The longer you go LCHF the more accurate you will be on your estimates and knowledge of what you can and can not (or shouldn't) select when dining away from home.

A few sacrifices are necessary but one can NOT stop enjoying life.

Every now and again you're going to have a slip up...
A cheat meal would be better than a day.
Seems like we get in the mentality well "I ate Pizza & Fries so now my whole day is ruined, this ice cream won't hurt either"
Sometimes you just want to treat yourself, the point is to get back to LCHF PRONTO! Don't keep stuffing your mouth with bad foods and undo your whole week.

I did the Four Hour Body (slow carb diet) that calls for a cheat day per week. This time around I am aiming to just have a cheat meal. So frustrating when you gain that week's loss even if it is only water weight. I have a busy social life that it is hard not to have at least one. But that's just me. It's a mental thing for me. Need to be in the right space for a diet, and lots of motivation. :-)

I don't ever have a cheat day or meal...I know it will mess with my cravings and make me sick from past experience. My husband has a cheat day every few months...he has a harder time than I do. He plans and plans all the things he misses. Then when the day comes, he always tells me things didn't taste as good as he thought they would. Then he spends the next few days sick from the dietary change. Not worth it IMHO.

With that said, I agree with it being a slippery slope...it's good to have support in person and have someone to be accountable to. I have my hubby & sister who are doing this with me and if I did take a break, I would hear about it constantly.

RMH;

Couldn't agree more with virtually every word you wrote - especially "....he always tells me things didn't taste as good as he thought they would."

My bride and I embarked on this journey together and your words regarding "support" ring particularly true in our case - neither of us could (or would) ever have been able to do it without the other's support.

Her being the queen of junk and both of us carboholics (pasta, bread, etc) in a previous life. She'd start her day with doughnuts and sugar smacks and end it with cake or ice cream and I'd stop at the Italian bakery and pick up three loaves of fresh from the oven Italian bread - one sliced, one unsliced, and one to eat on the way home <g>.

After a couple weeks in, we were amazed to find that, not only "could" we do it but the cravings vanished and it really doesn't "taste as good....." anymore.

On a side note, we too use an eggplant recipe similar to the one you posted in the other thread - it's awesome!

I did question though why the "lean" meat and frozen spinach?

One of the BEST things we've found by dumping "lean" (in favor of full fat) meats is that the flavor returns to that we remembered from the "old days" before the low fat hysteria.

Burgers made with 80/20 (or higher fat if you can find it) actually taste good again, stay juicy inside, and don't resemble the cardboard like incarnations we've endured all these years. Steaks well marbled with fat and chicken with the skin left on more than make up for the foods we no longer crave.

And "fresh" vegetables which are pretty much available year round nowadays (although NOTHING beats straight from the garden) beat frozen hands down.

Personal opinion aside, do be sure you're getting enough dietary fat (to replace the carbs) and "NOT lean" meat is a great (and tasty) way to do it. (unless, of course, there's a medical reason not to do so)

NEITHER! I'm entirely too much of a carb addict. One trigger food and BAM, off the wagon and on the path to binge-land. Nope, nope, nope. I consider having an adult beverage with artificial sweeteners once a week as close as I'm going to get to "cheating".

But if I were going to entertain the thought. I'd go for cheat day with the express determination that that meal was it and the end of the nonsense. Jump right back on that bike immediately and it is easier, IMO, to get back to business. A cheat day would expand to a cheat week for me way too easily.