Do you indulge or cheat, ever? How often and what do you eat?
1TheQueenB
Posts: 377 Member
Just curious...I've heard of some indulging only on planned set days of the year.
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Replies
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When I cheat, I can't stop cheating. A cheat day turns into a cheat weekend, which then evolves into a high carb life. I know not everyone is like me, but my only way to stay with this WOE is to not cheat at all.
I'm envious of those that can do a cheat day. I will always miss my mac and cheese and general tsos chicken.6 -
I wouldn't recommend it for the first several weeks, it can very quickly make you fall off the wagon if you are a food addict like myself. It may be a good idea to ask yourself why you are asking this question. Is it because you are seeking permission? If you do cheat will you take responsibility and move on or will you feel guilty and self sabotage or blame others?
Will it be a small bite, just a meal or a day? If you make the choice you need to plan well.6 -
I am doing the Keto version of a low carb diet, which restricts the amount of protein you can eat and replaces it with high, healthy fats. For me, a cheat day is one that I can eat a LOT of meat. I had a cheat day this past Monday and went to Buffalo Wild Wings and ate 10 traditional hot wings. I could've eaten more. I haven't gotten on the scales yet and I'm hoping it didn't hurt me, but we'll see come Saturday morning when I weigh!3
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scottaking wrote: »When I cheat, I can't stop cheating. A cheat day turns into a cheat weekend, which then evolves into a high carb life. I know not everyone is like me, but my only way to stay with this WOE is to not cheat at all.
I'm envious of those that can do a cheat day. I will always miss my mac and cheese and general tsos chicken.
GENERAL TSO CHICKEN!1 -
@scottaking & @1TheQueenB
http://www.ruled.me/keto-bites-general-tsos-chicken/
http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2013/04/general-tsos-meatballs-low-carb-gluten-free.html
http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2013/05/general-tsos-chicken-wings.html
Remember, try googling any recipe with the word "keto" in front of it. It's the most commonly searched term that identifies with low carb recipes, and can be more easily found. Chances are, if there's a recipe folks like, someone has tried to recreate it... No need to give up old favorites - just find new versions of them - and I swear, more than half the time, I like the lower carb version better than the original.
EDITED TO ADD:
Mac & Cheese Options:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cauliflower-mac-and-cheese-casserole-recipe.html
http://www.ruled.me/low-carb-fried-mac-cheese/
http://theketokitchen.blogspot.com/2013/06/cauliflower-mac-and-cheese.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/2ymd8n/request_i_need_mac_n_cheese/6 -
@KnitOrMiss
Thanks for the links. I do know about the replacements. I just haven't tried very many yet. When I'm really craving some general tsos, I now know where to go. Thanks again for the links!4 -
scottaking wrote: »When I cheat, I can't stop cheating. A cheat day turns into a cheat weekend, which then evolves into a high carb life. I know not everyone is like me, but my only way to stay with this WOE is to not cheat at all.
I'm envious of those that can do a cheat day. I will always miss my mac and cheese and general tsos chicken.
I am pretty sure I saw a recipe for keto general tsos chicken somewhere. Not trying to encourage substitutes if that's not what you are looking for so I apologize if this was an unwanted response.0 -
Oops that is what I get for not reading the comments.1
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To me this WOE feels like cheating, I mean I eat butter, hwc and meat everyday practically. Lol. I do miss cookies but as a diabetic, carbs are like poison to me so I really try to stay away from them. Have I had one or two cookies since starting my WOE in May? Yes. Is it a daily thing? No. And I work hard at keeping it that way/
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I personally stick by a hard core "winners never cheat" idea. Plus, I honestly don't miss any of that food. I literally am no more interested in off plan foods than I am a can of Alpo.
I do drink alcohol about once a week. Some consider that a cheat.5 -
I don't cheat, I treat!! Lol!! I call it that so I don't feel like I'm doing something wrong thereby avoiding that guilty feeling which can sometimes cause one to fall of the wagon!! On Keto, LCHF, it's hard to really cheat by eating sweets, but for me I carb cycle too, so my treat day might be a higher carb-count fruit which is really sweet when you haven't been eating sugar for over a year!!! Whew!! Summertime, I love cantaloupe!! I indulge one day, then I'm back on the next day. Being that it's fruit, I don't feel icky!! Win/win for me!!!
However, when I eat things like sugary treats, pasta, or bread, I tend to slowly turn back to my old ways!! So, I keep it simple or I don't cheat! (Mostly!!! Lol!!)7 -
Only been on keto since May 1st but if I am hungry I will go over my protein macros with exrra meat or cheese. Yum..2
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Yes, I've done it and find it difficult to stop cheating and restart low carb. The food tastes soooo good, but my BG's become sooooo high and uncontrollable, so I ultimately feel worse (I have type 1 diabetes). Still, I fall off the wagon sometimes unintentionally and call it a cheat period. This year, I had an intentional cheat for my birthday (a day turned into a cheat weekend of 3 days) and I basically gave up low carb for a couple weeks to eat up some high-carb food prior to moving in June. Then I added a few trips to the buffet and pizza to that.0
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Other than some alcohol indulgences, no I haven't cheated. I'm like others here who are afraid to allow it, for fear they wouldn't ever find their way back.
Another motivation is from the pain relief I've experienced! Fibromyalgia pain is near nonexistent! I don't have any desire to return to the pain I used to deal with! This helps keep the cheats at bay too!1 -
Thanks for all the responses!
Ideally I'd like to get to a place where I reach my goal weight and self control level and then give myself permission to have a treat every once in a while, not necessarily weekly or monthly but maybe for my birthday or if I want to have a drink to celebrate something or just to do it. I imagine having dessert on thanksgiving or Christmas and maybe a drink for new years (can you tell I really love the holidays!)....I just don't want to think that for the rest of my life I have to constantly say no to things that I like to eat. I think everything in moderation is a feasible concept for me so if I can tell myself that every once in a while I can indulge then I feel like I'll be more successful in the long run. As a previous post stated, I would have to plan it very well to not feel like I gave in or messed up.1 -
Other than some alcohol indulgences, no I haven't cheated. I'm like others here who are afraid to allow it, for fear they wouldn't ever find their way back.
Another motivation is from the pain relief I've experienced! Fibromyalgia pain is near nonexistent! I don't have any desire to return to the pain I used to deal with! This helps keep the cheats at bay too!
Interestingly, if you can manage to stick entirely to liquor, you can avoid having any problems with keto. That being said, you do have to be careful, as excessive drinking of zero carb alcohol can reportedly throw you straight into ketoacidosis, if you're already short on carb intake.1 -
For example: I plan to run a half marathon in February and I can't wait till my race is over and I can go get a nice meal and fuel my body and as a treat. I'll probably want a nice juicy burger or chicken sandwich with some sweet potato fries and I'm not going to want to worry about how many carbs are in it.1
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Maybe a bacon cheeseburger.....1
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scottaking wrote: »When I cheat, I can't stop cheating. A cheat day turns into a cheat weekend, which then evolves into a high carb life. I know not everyone is like me, but my only way to stay with this WOE is to not cheat at all.
I'm envious of those that can do a cheat day. I will always miss my mac and cheese and general tsos chicken.
Like quitting smoking or alcoholism.
You can never cheat on either of those.
Eating is much harder because you can't quit completely. It's like trying to have just one cigarette each day.3 -
Midnightgypsy0 wrote: »scottaking wrote: »When I cheat, I can't stop cheating. A cheat day turns into a cheat weekend, which then evolves into a high carb life. I know not everyone is like me, but my only way to stay with this WOE is to not cheat at all.
I'm envious of those that can do a cheat day. I will always miss my mac and cheese and general tsos chicken.
Like quitting smoking or alcoholism.
You can never cheat on either of those.
Eating is much harder because you can't quit completely. It's like trying to have just one cigarette each day.
That's why I went the vaping route. Quite similar for me in the smoking realm, to replacing all of the bread and pasta *kitten* that I used to eat, with bacon and self-control.
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I think if someone is serious about a lifestyle change, they're not going to cheat... I imagine an alcoholic or drug addict getting sober but focusing on how often they can cheat, then put my food addiction in place of the word "alcoholic" and I can immediately see how foolish it would be.4
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I don't call myself a food addict, I do need to work on portion control but I don't believe that any food /beverage should be off limits for the remainder of my life. I want to be able to reach the point where I can eat sensibly a majority of the time and on occasion (holiday, or rare occasion) not feel bad about eating something tasty.. I think a great tool will be finding alternatives to things that I like maybe on the website previously posted but I want to be guilt free when I'm ready to do so. I think carb cycling sounds doable but I don't think I want to even eat carbs that often...something for me to look into more.3
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1TheQueenB wrote: »I don't call myself a food addict, I do need to work on portion control but I don't believe that any food /beverage should be off limits for the remainder of my life. I want to be able to reach the point where I can eat sensibly a majority of the time and on occasion (holiday, or rare occasion) not feel bad about eating something tasty.. I think a great tool will be finding alternatives to things that I like maybe on the website previously posted but I want to be guilt free when I'm ready to do so. I think carb cycling sounds doable but I don't think I want to even eat carbs that often...something for me to look into more.
it took me a while to come to the conclusion that food addict was a fit for me, honestly (and please know I'm not saying you are one, or that you're in denial - but I sure was). I have slowly become aware that when I ask myself "how / when can I cheat," what I'm really asking is "how long do I have to do this?" And I realize now that when I eat specific carbs in excess (sugars, starchy veggies), it awakens a monster in my soul and getting it back into hibernation is a sometimes weeks-long process!
Plus, now I do this for far more than weight loss reasons - I am trying to reduce (or eliminate!) arthritis pain - improve my physical performance for running - help to manage mental health issues - so you can see how, for me, a "cheat" would be shooting myself in the foot. That doesn't mean it is the same way for you or for anyone else who chooses to eat this way for any reason. I'm sorry if my implication came across that way, I didn't mean to.
ETA: There's a saying: "when you know better, you do better." I'm learning what "better" is. For example I swallowed hard (REALLY hard) and dropped $4.69 on a pint of Horizon Heavy Whipping Cream today after reading @kirkor's topic about HWC and the links about carrageenan in the thread. I'm trying to reduce inflammation and if Carrageenan is pro-inflammatory then even in the small amount I use HWC then I have to get it out of my diet. Dang it.4 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »Other than some alcohol indulgences, no I haven't cheated. I'm like others here who are afraid to allow it, for fear they wouldn't ever find their way back.
Another motivation is from the pain relief I've experienced! Fibromyalgia pain is near nonexistent! I don't have any desire to return to the pain I used to deal with! This helps keep the cheats at bay too!
Interestingly, if you can manage to stick entirely to liquor, you can avoid having any problems with keto. That being said, you do have to be careful, as excessive drinking of zero carb alcohol can reportedly throw you straight into ketoacidosis, if you're already short on carb intake.
I don't think that's true. As long as your body produces insulin, Ketoacidosis isn't a concern.
There are rare occurrences of alcoholic Ketoacidos but those are cases of long term binge drinking without eating that included vomitting and extreme dehydration.1 -
I'd pay for a cheat day for two weeks.1
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I have learned, for me Cheat = Binge, so I try not to cheat at all (Carbs or Sugar). I may add some more delicious meat to a meal (Indulge!), which may tilt my MacroNutrient percentages, as long as I dont go over my total daily calories target.
I have been finding Keto recipes on Yummly. I pay close attention to the ingredients list to ensure it truly is Keto and I look up the nutri info for myself. (HA! I don't trust all those self proclaimed, well intentioned Keto cooks out there )
http://www.yummly.com/recipes?q=Keto+
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1TheQueenB wrote: »I don't call myself a food addict, I do need to work on portion control but I don't believe that any food /beverage should be off limits for the remainder of my life. I want to be able to reach the point where I can eat sensibly a majority of the time and on occasion (holiday, or rare occasion) not feel bad about eating something tasty.. I think a great tool will be finding alternatives to things that I like maybe on the website previously posted but I want to be guilt free when I'm ready to do so. I think carb cycling sounds doable but I don't think I want to even eat carbs that often...something for me to look into more.
it took me a while to come to the conclusion that food addict was a fit for me, honestly (and please know I'm not saying you are one, or that you're in denial - but I sure was). I have slowly become aware that when I ask myself "how / when can I cheat," what I'm really asking is "how long do I have to do this?" And I realize now that when I eat specific carbs in excess (sugars, starchy veggies), it awakens a monster in my soul and getting it back into hibernation is a sometimes weeks-long process!
Plus, now I do this for far more than weight loss reasons - I am trying to reduce (or eliminate!) arthritis pain - improve my physical performance for running - help to manage mental health issues - so you can see how, for me, a "cheat" would be shooting myself in the foot. That doesn't mean it is the same way for you or for anyone else who chooses to eat this way for any reason. I'm sorry if my implication came across that way, I didn't mean to.
ETA: There's a saying: "when you know better, you do better." I'm learning what "better" is. For example I swallowed hard (REALLY hard) and dropped $4.69 on a pint of Horizon Heavy Whipping Cream today after reading @kirkor's topic about HWC and the links about carrageenan in the thread. I'm trying to reduce inflammation and if Carrageenan is pro-inflammatory then even in the small amount I use HWC then I have to get it out of my diet. Dang it.
@Phrick No apology necessary! You've brought up some good points. The question I'm really asking myself is once I lose the weight, how strict do I need to be or how many treats can I allow myself per year in order to maintain my weight loss if I stick to my workouts (I workout a lot and run) (Ever hear the saying "I Run So I Can Eat!" ? It's so true to my heart!) and only have a treat maybe every now and then..
I just want to see how I can live this way for the long term while maintaining my goal size/weight.
I see my friends that have recently had gastric bypass surgery eat a small piece of cake or have a cookie occasionally and still stick to their plan and lose weight and I like that concept. A little taste of something every now and again would be nice. Just have to be able to get right back on task!
So sleepy while writing this, hope it makes sense!0 -
Love this discussion. I've restarted low carb yesturday and am doing the Atkins 72 version.
This is the 4th or 5th time I've rejoined this group, I usually drop out after a cheat day turns into cheat weeks, months, years. I have been 200+ lbs for about 7 years now and know I am a food addict.
All day today, I don't feel really hungry but still keep thinking when will I be able to cheat? So addicted!
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I feel like eating something but I think I'm just bored or craving something....idk what...carbs...bread? I can't put my finger on it. I ate a big salad with lots of chicken and deli meat...drank 8 cups of water already...my stomach feels full but my mind isn't satisfied. I'm on day #13 of eating lower carbs. It got easy but the last two days are sucking. Something I ate triggered this maybe.1
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I am loving every bite. If I cheat, it's still LC stuff but maybe not the best quality "clean" food, aka Frankenfood like Velveeta or crap deli meat or something with canola oil or soybean oil in it, which I know aren't good fats...or worse, when I overindulge in something with aspartame or Sucralose bc they both seem to cause me gut probs, bathroom probs, and not help me lose weight very well at all.2
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