No, a treat or a cheat really is not okay here or there. If you are on an eating plan, figure out how to have the types of things you want WITHIN your plan. Keto is not a plan that allows for or forgives "cheats" often. In fact, most of us are here in some form because of disordered eating, usually related to carbs.

That being said, if you are going to commit to this way of eating, you need to figure out how to plan for your weekends. The things that got me through the first few weeks were fat bombs: simplest ones are cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and a teeny bit of sweetener. After that I tried a few other types, but really now, I dont' eat many, or I eat them as a planned dessert. Also, drinks like hot teas or the sparkling water with lemon or orange essence, but no sweetener. If you use just a teensy bit of sweetener to take the "flat" or "sharp" edge off, sweeten only to tolerance, it will help fulfill the brain craving, and all that. Also, go crazy on fats until you figure out how to survive. That means if you have to eat a pound of bacon each weekend day to keep you from eating things you don't need, then do it. (until you get your plan figured out and balanced. Better to eat a pound of bacon than even 1/4 pound of ice cream...) Sugarless gum helps sometimes, but again, for me, the key is to find a flavor I can barely tolerate. Then I don't want to binge on the whole package. Just enough to take the edge off.

Find keto friendly foods you wouldn't normally eat - like sliced pepperoni. Allow these as keto eats (not treats, not cheats, but eats) you allow yourself when you've been good - or need to STAY good - on the weekend. Get rid of anything not friendly to your WOE - or figure out how to get your brain to flag those items as off limits. My fiance has a ton of junk food all around, but it's on his pantry shelf or his table or his fridge shelf. I would feel positively mortified if he caught me binging on his food. Having to explain or suffer the guilt of trying to replace things before he would notice was enough of a deterrent for me! Now I can reach right past his oreo's for my macadamia nuts or whatever, without even blinking (and those were a MAJOR binge item for me)...

Also, if you can, stay busy. Don't get bored. Google KETO before any food you want to try to eat. Somewhere, someone has probably tried to recreate things before you. Figure out the things you love. Like for me, macaroni and cheese was something my brain kept telling me I missed. I've found that broccoli slathered in butter and sharp cheddar or BROTH with the cheddar are enough to make me drool and run right past that pile of pasty macaroni! LOL it's all about figuring out ways to feed your body and satisfy those cravings in a reasonable, on-plan way...

But no, treats or cheats OFF PLAN are not okay except maybe one tiny indulgence once per every three months as long as it isn't something that kicks you out of keto. Getting adapted in this way of eating is the golden goose. You will never reach that point if you keep treating yourself right out of it. It takes 4-12 weeks to adapt. Only you can decide what is important to YOU.

If you have specific things you'd like to list out to have us try to help with, please do... We're happy to help.

(HUGS) and luck, C

EDITED TO ADD: Remember, if you CHEAT on your diet, the only person you are cheating on is YOURSELF. I don't know about you, but I won't let a man (or woman, where applicable) cheat on me, so why would I do it to myself?!?! I'm much better than that...

Meal prepping is definitely a big help. Another thing that really helps me is having low carb treats and foods that are like the foods I might miss. I don't have to have them often but I do like them sometimes. I make low-carb bread, muffins, cereal. For a snack like chips I have either baked pepperoni chip, baked cheese chips or pork rinds with some dip that I make using sour cream, onion powder and aminos (currently using up my Bragg's aminos but will then change to coconut aminos). For a bowl of cereal, you can take some heavy whipping cream and water in the bottom of a bowl, add some liquid stevia or whatever sweetener you like, add some cinnamon (lots is good) and stir it, then break up some pork rinds into bite sized pieces and eat like cereal. Yumm

The other day I made a keto spinach alfredo pizza and some cauliflower hummus which I ate with some sliced flax seed cinnamon bun muffins. I like to enjoy my food so I try to make fun foods at least some of the time.

Good luck!

I have failed every diet I have ever tried due to weekend disasters. I had a big family function up on the water with tons of food and beer in the hot sun. I didn't cheat once. I have made it a month so far on keto. And the only time I have ever felt like I was going to stray I quickly made myself a little dessert. I don't know if it's what everyone calls a fat bomb. But I will mix wow butter ( my sons allergic to peanuts) with cream cheese, usually some protein powder and some heavy cream in a bowl. And I feel like I have had the treat of my life. Sometimes I even add a teaspoon of cocoa powder; My biggest issue the first two weeks was beer. My boyfriend drinks on the weekend on the back deck. Now I have no problem inhaling ice water and don't think twice. I feel like once I got through the first three weeks, I have managed to start making this a habit. I crave nothing. I am rarely hungry. I used to reach for the container of icing when I was stressed and I could sit and inhale it with a spoon. That was my stress go too. Now it's this dessert. And boy do I love it. I think once you get to the point where you have lost a little bit of weight, and people notice, and your clothes fit better. I am only down ten lbs, yet I feel amazing. And that feeling is not worth putting anything in my mouth that will make that go away. I think starting out, if your heads not in the right place, and your cheating right away. You need to mentally prepare yourself. I tried this once before and got through a week. I wasn't ready. Now I am. I am making this my lifestyle. I don't want to feel fat anymore. I love how my skin looks. How my moods are better. All within a month. I knew I had an issue with carbs but didnt' realize how much until now.

Thanks KnitorMiss, whatever they are, they are what save me. It's so delicious. I can't think of anything that fills that void better.

I haven't been doing the emotional eating thing that I used to do if that's what you mean. I had a rough one today. Someone made me lunch reassuring me that it was almost carb free. Too bad I knew nothing about lentils. I knew it threw me out of ketosis and into carb craving after work. I did save myself there with a fat bomb. But that was the first time thats happened. And rather a fat bomb, than a hand full of cookies. I feel pretty good now. I hope that was the end of the craving. Sucks starting over, but I refuse to stop now. Thanks again for your input by the way.

Definitely celebrate your accomplishments...and not with food! I used to do that. I would eat a favorite every 25 lbs lost. I eventually lost 98 lbs but it would have been much easier if I did not indulge.

I'm with KnitOrMiss on this. I cannot increase carbs or it messes with my digestive system. If I have just a little sweet, even fake sugars or fruit, I want more so I just don't eat any of that. The same goes for any of a long list of foods that I am sensitive to.

I've been eating carbs every weekend since I started dating someone last month and I keep gaining and losing the same water weight with maybe a net loss of 1/2 lb per week. My son's birthday is coming up and I am cooking him a delicious carb-filled meal that he requested. I am facing a huge dilemma here. Enjoy the meal? Skip it? Have just a bite? Right now I am leaning towards the latter but know I should just skip it entirely. It's a sign of insanity to repeat the same actions, thinking there will be different results isn't it.

The weekend is approaching. Have you given thought to how you plan to manage?

What's weird is I worked in some fruit back in May in some fat bombs and it made me want everything. I planned and had berries last week as part of a slightly higher carb re-feed (birthday week and just decided to reboot everything, metabolism included - and slightly higher is 40-50 instead of 20-25)... This time, because it was all planned, I wanted more, but it didn't trigger the cravings or uncontrollable behavior the same. Don't know why...

susiean437 wrote: »

I haven't been doing the emotional eating thing that I used to do if that's what you mean. I had a rough one today. Someone made me lunch reassuring me that it was almost carb free. Too bad I knew nothing about lentils. I knew it threw me out of ketosis and into carb craving after work. I did save myself there with a fat bomb. But that was the first time thats happened. And rather a fat bomb, than a hand full of cookies. I feel pretty good now. I hope that was the end of the craving. Sucks starting over, but I refuse to stop now. Thanks again for your input by the way.

Just wanted to clarify on this one. I wasn't trying to fill a void, or treat myself. I allowed myself to eat something that I had no idea had carbs in it. This put me pretty much back to square one and it was the only way I could get through the first day after this disaster. I don't feel I need treats. I actually have planned a non food treat for my goal weight that I can't wait for. Besides new clothes. lol

That sounds great. one thing I like is cheese crisps with or without dip, and cooking pepperoni to make chips and such. pickles help in a pinch. and a few other snacky things.