Cheat Meal or Day
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I do LCHF, not strictly keto so I aim for less than 75g total (not net) carbs daily. I agree with previous posters, regularly scheduled "cheat days" or "cheat meals" do not a successful lifestyle change make.
I've been doing this WOE for over 3 months now and have had a few days with total carbs 100-150g so I guess you could call me an occasional cheater. When I have a desire to eat something not so carb friendly (which is rare by the way), I weigh the pros and cons and decide if it's really worth it and if I really want it. My thought is an occasional carb-filled splurge (ie. a few chips & salsa, alcohol, scoop of ice cream) isn't going to affect the long term outcome as I am not trying to keep my body in ketosis. However, a planned cheat where you eat like a carb-crazed maniac isn't a good idea if you truly want to change your lifestyle.0 -
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.0
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I don't have planned cheats but I do have complete
It usually takes days & extra insulin to get my sugar back on track.
or 
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JodehFoster wrote: »When I see someone that hasn't started the WOE yet, asking about a "cheat meal"...
what I read is either, I'm not ready to fully commit or I know I can't sustain this WOE.
I could be wrong in any case, but if you have low willpower to begin w/ it could potentially set you up for disaster with heavy cravings, especially if you haven't been at this for long.
I don't personally believe in "refeed" or "reset" or "confusing the body"...if I want a slice of pizza, I call it what it is and it's typically never planned.
Not true, just trying to get my plan together. Thank you.1 -
Thank you everyone for your input, I really appreciate all of your opinions. I am doing LCHF not keto and I am not going to plan any cheat meals.2
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everyone is different of course, and I am just back on the wagon...
I cheated 1 meal last Saturday, which turned to all day Sunday. For me, it is definitely a slippery slope. It has taken me 4 days to undo the damage from the carb up, which will result in minimal loss this week when I should still have been losing a lot.
I am considering a slightly higher carb meal tonight, but more veggies, cheese and cream with the potential for a SF dessert. Considering... I'm assuming the results will fair better than the all out carbfest from last weekend.2 -
Check out this link for links to a great podcast that I found to be very motivating when I got started. It convinced me to not cheat and here I am 14 months later never falling off the wagon and a solidly reformed sugar addict!
I can be sitting right with someone eating my old favorite candy and not only do I not want any of it, but I literally don't even consider it to be food any more. I would be just as likely to eat the candy as I would be to eat some dog food. Lol. It's not food for me.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10318441/7-lessons-for-keto-newbies-ketovangelist#latest0 -
I am starting Low Carb next week, not Keto yet. I was wondering if anyone does a cheat meal or day to confuse the body?
The only confusion that happens when I take a cheat day or even a cheat meal occurs right between my ears. "Well, if that splurge didn't do any harm, then, hey!! ...."
Plus a lot of my old favorite foods make me slightly ill now and my brain is just bright enough to remember that last experiment and its unfortunate aftermath.
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mandycat223 wrote: »I am starting Low Carb next week, not Keto yet. I was wondering if anyone does a cheat meal or day to confuse the body?
The only confusion that happens when I take a cheat day or even a cheat meal occurs right between my ears. "Well, if that splurge didn't do any harm, then, hey!! ...."
Plus a lot of my old favorite foods make me slightly ill now and my brain is just bright enough to remember that last experiment and its unfortunate aftermath.
I get that mindset - well, it wasn't that bad. And I absolutely HATE that my body doesn't try to kill me when I cheat. It would be far easier to stay on plan if I felt like crap afterwards... #notquiteproblems?0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »I can be sitting right with someone eating my old favorite candy and not only do I not want any of it, but I literally don't even consider it to be food any more. I would be just as likely to eat the candy as I would be to eat some dog food. Lol. It's not food for me.
I hope I get to that point. Soon.
My boss is a great cook, and loves to bring in treats for all of us. I can pass up the sweet stuff, but today she brought in these wonderful, savory, cookie-like things that had cheddar cheese and jalapenos in them. I shouldn't have eaten that first one, because I kept going back for more.
So that was my inadvertent "cheat meal." Tomorrow is a new day!
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I had to get past the one bite/one meal/one binge "has ruined my DAY" mindset. My new theory has been multifold.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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."
- 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
- 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.
- Slips happen. I didn't get to this weight/health situation in one bite/meal/day/month/or even YEAR! Steady as she goes.
- 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.
- Try to use non-food rewards when needed.
- 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.
- 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...2 -
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!0 -
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.1
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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."
- 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
- 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.
- Slips happen. I didn't get to this weight/health situation in one bite/meal/day/month/or even YEAR! Steady as she goes.
- 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.
- Try to use non-food rewards when needed.
- 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.
- 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!1 -
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...1
