Are you a cheater? I am.
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I'm not talking about occasionally busting my numbers, whether by forgetfulness or the one off planning.
I'm talking about the chronic tendency to pad my numbers. This extends from honestly logging my food each day to the urge to give in to bad form during exercises just to crank out a couple of more reps, so I can say I did it.
90-95% of the time I don't give in. I really do believe that diligent honesty with myself will yield the best long term gains for me, both physically and mentally - but that craving for the instant gratification is relentless. And tiring, and I occasionally give in.
Cheating on my food could reverse the weight loss gains I've been working for, and cheating on form while lifting could actually injure me, potentially putting me in a position where I can't exercise at all.
So why even think about it, much less give in to the temptations? Old dummy. LoL.
I'd like to hear others input. Because misery loves company, and who knows...if a discussion breaks out I might learn something that can help me change.
Cheers
Hi, i like this one
I don't cheat when logging cals..because i don't log them....or track maKros or anything like that.
I stick to IF (18 Hours Fasting 6 Hours eating phase for 5 days a week)
Cheating reps to get a full set! - no way.
I do exactly the opposite, i try to make my reps even harder ,-slowing it down or holding half way or adding koordination challenges into my reps so that i reaaly have to work that much harder to get the full set done.
for me.... 15 gut busting reps are better than 20( where the last 5 are just sloppy ones to make up the numbers)0 -
I'm brutally honest with this process. It does me no good to cut a corner or fudge a number or not do the work to finish an exercise to the best of my ability.3
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Bad form can cause serious injury and you know that. In itself, that should be enough reason for you to stop doing that.
As for the calories and your log, I don't cheat, but instead of banking calories beforehand if I go over one day whatever item put me over I log in the next day's log so I cut back the next day and am never over.
It's not something that happens all the time, but if I'm hungry and don't have the calories I'll have a snack and just log it in the next day's log.
If it's a treat I want and I don't have the calories and I'm not hungry, I just make myself wait until the next day to eat it. Not a big deal.2 -
Thanks for the replies folks. As stated in the OP, the actual cheating is rare, as in Very rare. It's something a little different that I'm getting at. 1
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There are things I wasn't logging because of complacency... things like sriracha sauce or soy sauce. But I don't consider that cheating. It was laziness. There were other things I was eyeballing. I don't consider that cheating either. Then again, I'm just dithering around with vanity weight at this point and don't really care badly if it comes off or not. I left a lot of exercise calories on the table to compensate for potential errors, though.
In an effort to be doing true maintenance, I've tightened things way up.
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I wouldn't consider laziness as cheating either. Thanks for the input.GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »There are things I wasn't logging because of complacency... things like sriracha sauce or soy sauce. But I don't consider that cheating. It was laziness. There were other things I was eyeballing. I don't consider that cheating either. Then again, I'm just dithering around with vanity weight at this point and don't really care badly if it comes off or not. I left a lot of exercise calories on the table to compensate for potential errors, though.
In an effort to be doing true maintenance, I've tightened things way up.
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GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »There are things I wasn't logging because of complacency... things like sriracha sauce or soy sauce. But I don't consider that cheating. It was laziness. There were other things I was eyeballing. I don't consider that cheating either. Then again, I'm just dithering around with vanity weight at this point and don't really care badly if it comes off or not. I left a lot of exercise calories on the table to compensate for potential errors, though.
In an effort to be doing true maintenance, I've tightened things way up.
Yes, this. In my way of thinking, it keeps me from going overly restrictive, which I have struggled terribly with in the past. In order to be at peace with food, I have to be okay with not being super precise every. single. day.
It works both ways too...if I eat a restaurant and I eat more than half of the plate, I log the whole plate. I don't go back and change it to .75 etc. unless I eat half or less. Occasionally I cheat myself to the good, occasionally I cheat myself to the bad, most days I am exact. For me the benefit of logging is the awareness of the food I eat, not the preciseness of the food I log.
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I never cheat myself, but am routinely not all that strict. I often use the default serving size instead of weighing. I've been weighing foods long enough to know if it's in the ballpark. I frequently go over my calories as well, but I did the math and know my maintenance calories are about 2600, so as long as I'm eating less than that I'll lose. Aiming for perfection sounds stressful.1
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Hi, I havent read all of the replies but from your OP i think i get where you are coming from. ( i could be totally wrong)
If you say that you did x amount of reps it makes you feel good, If you log only the food to keep you on the right side it makes you feel good. just because the figures you see in front of you are what looks good and you dont want to be seen to be failing. And its not just what other people will think, In your mind if thats what it says then thats what it must be.
If this is what you mean then i would say take it one day at a time and try to be as honest with yourself as possible and perhaps get a friend or someone on here that can support you in moving forwards.
Good Luck0 -
I also hate those red numbers, when I go over my calories, I "complete my day" just before I sleep cause I hate seeing all that red.MonkeyMel21 wrote: »My thing is that if I do eat over my calories then I won't end the day because I don't want to see those red numbers.
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I have MS and have a very limited ability to exercise. Limiting food intake is my only way of losing weight. I stay honest. I wish I could walk again.0
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I'm not doing this in order to see flattering numbers on MFP, it is simply a tool.
It gives me the data I need to plan my future campaign. If I pad the numbers in any way, those data will be skewed, and not provide the good baseline I need.
So I can say "in November, I ate X calories per day, expended Y calories in exercise, and lost Z weight". So then I can have a good idea what I need to do to maintain that rate of loss in future months. It also lets me see if I'm drifting away from the good habits I had early in my campaign. I am, a little bit, actually.
There are times when I'm eating out or whatever, where my logging is, of necessity, a "best guess". I try not to be skewed to making that guess high or low, but who knows, really.0 -
trigden1991 wrote: »The only person you are lying to is yourself.
This. Even though we open our diaries and get likes and whatever when our workouts post to our timelines, nobody is looking at your stuff every day and forming a long term mental picture of how virtuous or not you are. And even if they did, you can't fake actual progress. There is literally zero point to what you are doing. Less than zero if you want to factor in injury risk.0 -
trigden1991 wrote: »The only person you are lying to is yourself.
This. And not even successfully. You can't effectively lie to someone who already know the facts.0 -
I cheat a little because I have my activity level set to sedentary even though I'm in the gym or pool 6-7 days a week. A 45 minute swim or half an hour of HIIT, my usual go-to's, are about 300cal so I figure I'm ahead 1800-2100cal a week. Rather than log with extreme precision, I use that 1800-2100cal as extra allowance so long as I'm meeting my macro's with what I do log. It's sloppy but it works for me. The one time in the last year that I got out of control using this method, I knew right away based on my weight and measurements that I was pushing it too far so cut back on my unlogged extras. YMMV.1
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Just my opinions:
- You've recognized some facts about your behavior, and you're not in love with the implications. So, work on it. Do better when you can, forgive yourself & try again if you slip. When you work on things persistently and consistently, they improve.
- One thing that helps some people is to think of your future self, almost as if that's some other real person whom you really care very much about. In addition to thinking about your current gratification (or instead of it, if you can
), think about that future-self person: What will make him happy? What will give him a better life? How much better? How might he benefit if current-self learns to manage and change behaviors and attitudes that he finds sub-optimal? - If you have others around you whom you care about, think about them: Will it help them if you're healthier? Will modeling good character and behavior create a good example for them?
Yeah, I've fallen off track sometimes while losing 1/3 of my body weight, and while maintaining at close to goal weight for around 10 months now. When I do, I analyze the "whys", and make a little script in my head about how I can handle it better next time; then I rehearse that script mentally until it's clear. After that, I just put the past in the past, don't agonize or guilt-trip, get back on track, and test out my new script next time the circumstances arise. If it works, swell - keep the strategy. If it doesn't work, make a new script to try. Rinse'n'repeat.
It's a process.1 -
I definitely forget to log in sometimes. I'm always on the run and sometimes I drink a cup of water or a can of pop and don't think to put it in the tracker to really count it towards my caloric intake or anything. I've thought about cheating out of it, but who does it really impress if you lie? I know the draw of instant gratification that lets you see that you're under your count, but that doesn't actually help you live a healthy lifestyle or lose weight. The scale will tell the truth even if your log doesn't.0
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Do you know, I think this is a really good question. So many people come on here and say "I log everything accurately and still don't lose weight", and there isn't the awareness of how flexible logging is, in the sense that how you log reflects your mental attitude.
So, when you're faced with three different entries, do you take time to consider which one is most accurate, or do you pick a lower one, because it *might* be right and it hurts too much to pick the higher option and see your balance dwindle or turn red?
When you exercised for half an hour, do you log the full half hour because you "earned it", or do you think of the warm up and the cool down and the toilet trip and the rest breaks and log 20 minutes instead?
When you have to choose between two intensities of exercise, do you pick the higher one because it *felt* hard, or do u seek out information on what your intensity level really was?
I learned a long time ago, through doing safety-critical engineering calculations, that you face decisions at every tiny step. Are you going to make the choice that makes it look good now, or the choice that really puts things to the test?
Everyone who has done this kind of work knows that you can create a set of pretty numbers that make things look peachy by being a tiny bit optimistic at every little step, but that if you do that, it's going to come back and bite you later, because the real world isn't rosy like that.
So instead, if you're good at your job, you pick the worst case every time. You don't exaggerate, but you think to yourself, "is this really the worst that can happen? Really?" And you tighten the numbers, a little more, and a little more, and it hurts, because the numbers go red, and it isn't as good as you thought it was, and you have to change things.
But the alternative is that your project fails when it really counts, and no amount of pretty numbers can fix it.
So to answer your question: no. I recognise those feelings and that temptation, but I know where padding the figures leads in the end, and it hurts a lot more than each tiny prick of honesty hurts now.4 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »Do you know, I think this is a really good question. So many people come on here and say "I log everything accurately and still don't lose weight", and there isn't the awareness of how flexible logging is, in the sense that how you log reflects your mental attitude.
So, when you're faced with three different entries, do you take time to consider which one is most accurate, or do you pick a lower one, because it *might* be right and it hurts too much to pick the higher option and see your balance dwindle or turn red?
When you exercised for half an hour, do you log the full half hour because you "earned it", or do you think of the warm up and the cool down and the toilet trip and the rest breaks and log 20 minutes instead?
When you have to choose between two intensities of exercise, do you pick the higher one because it *felt* hard, or do u seek out information on what your intensity level really was?
I learned a long time ago, through doing safety-critical engineering calculations, that you face decisions at every tiny step. Are you going to make the choice that makes it look good now, or the choice that really puts things to the test?
Everyone who has done this kind of work knows that you can create a set of pretty numbers that make things look peachy by being a tiny bit optimistic at every little step, but that if you do that, it's going to come back and bite you later, because the real world isn't rosy like that.
So instead, if you're good at your job, you pick the worst case every time. You don't exaggerate, but you think to yourself, "is this really the worst that can happen? Really?" And you tighten the numbers, a little more, and a little more, and it hurts, because the numbers go red, and it isn't as good as you thought it was, and you have to change things.
But the alternative is that your project fails when it really counts, and no amount of pretty numbers can fix it.
So to answer your question: no. I recognise those feelings and that temptation, but I know where padding the figures leads in the end, and it hurts a lot more than each tiny prick of honesty hurts now.
Yes, yes, and more yes.
I love data. It's useful. It isn't "good" when it says things I like, and "bad" when it says things I don't. The only good data is data as accurate as one can make it, because that makes it the most useful.
When it comes to weight loss, or healthful eating, my body is a perfect measuring device. Lying to it is impossible. It will reflect the exact calories I ate, the exact nutrition, the exact exercise.
I understand a decision to approximate on one's log, for ease. That's a reasonable choice, for some. But to misrepresent the data? Why? It's pointless. As you say, it will bite you later.
Great post.
P.S. Yes, I know "data" is technically plural. We rarely used it that way in the IT context where I worked before retirement. So sue me. I was a liberal arts major, but my profession beat some of that of me, it seems. 1 -
Just my opinions:
[*] One thing that helps some people is to think of your future self, almost as if that's some other real person whom you really care very much about. In addition to thinking about your current gratification (or instead of it, if you can ), think about that future-self person: What will make him happy? What will give him a better life? How much better? How might he benefit if current-self learns to manage and change behaviors and attitudes that he finds sub-optimal?
[*] If you have others around you whom you care about, think about them: Will it help them if you're healthier? Will modeling good character and behavior create a good example for them?
Yeah, I've fallen off track sometimes while losing 1/3 of my body weight, and while maintaining at close to goal weight for around 10 months now. When I do, I analyze the "whys", and make a little script in my head about how I can handle it better next time; then I rehearse that script mentally until it's clear. After that, I just put the past in the past, don't agonize or guilt-trip, get back on track, and test out my new script next time the circumstances arise. If it works, swell - keep the strategy. If it doesn't work, make a new script to try. Rinse'n'repeat.
It's a process.CattOfTheGarage wrote: »Do you know, I think this is a really good question. So many people come on here and say "I log everything accurately and still don't lose weight", and there isn't the awareness of how flexible logging is, in the sense that how you log reflects your mental attitude.
So, when you're faced with three different entries, do you take time to consider which one is most accurate, or do you pick a lower one, because it *might* be right and it hurts too much to pick the higher option and see your balance dwindle or turn red?
When you exercised for half an hour, do you log the full half hour because you "earned it", or do you think of the warm up and the cool down and the toilet trip and the rest breaks and log 20 minutes instead?
When you have to choose between two intensities of exercise, do you pick the higher one because it *felt* hard, or do u seek out information on what your intensity level really was?
I learned a long time ago, through doing safety-critical engineering calculations, that you face decisions at every tiny step. Are you going to make the choice that makes it look good now, or the choice that really puts things to the test?
Everyone who has done this kind of work knows that you can create a set of pretty numbers that make things look peachy by being a tiny bit optimistic at every little step, but that if you do that, it's going to come back and bite you later, because the real world isn't rosy like that.
So instead, if you're good at your job, you pick the worst case every time. You don't exaggerate, but you think to yourself, "is this really the worst that can happen? Really?" And you tighten the numbers, a little more, and a little more, and it hurts, because the numbers go red, and it isn't as good as you thought it was, and you have to change things.
But the alternative is that your project fails when it really counts, and no amount of pretty numbers can fix it.
So to answer your question: no. I recognise those feelings and that temptation, but I know where padding the figures leads in the end, and it hurts a lot more than each tiny prick of honesty hurts now.
You two nailed exactly why I made the thread and recognized the motivation behind it. I'm not the numbers sloth and cheater that some are getting out of the OP - but I recognize the tendency, the cravings (food) and know full well from numerous threads I've read that a lot of folks deal with this, with varying degrees of success.
That "tiny prick of honesty" doesn't hurt so bad when stacked agains the alternative of allowing a bad habit, a momentary temptation to develop full swing. That's all.
Both of you 0 -
I don't know if you'd call it cheating.. But I didn't log the bite of my husbands chicken wrap i had last night or the 2 grapes i popped in my mouth walking past the fruit bowl. Little bits and pieces like that i really couldn't be bothered logging.0
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I don't understand how data can "look good" in this context. Look good to whom, exactly?
I'm no fonder of choosing a worst case scenario that, for example, puts a meal out at an unrealistically high calorie level than I am of choosing an unrealistically low one. It's not helpful to me to underestimate my intake and overestimate my exercise, nor to do the opposite of that. How would either approach help me to plan my ongoing campaign?
Sometimes, I just don't have the data to make an accurate log. But I'll make my best guess.
As for multiple entries on the database, my first action is always gross error check. Does the number look feasible for my experience of that food group? Does it have believable nutrient levels? If it's a labelled item, and new to my log, I will check against the label on my product - formulations change, sometimes by quite a lot. If there is no database entry for a labelled product, I add one.
So, if my weight loss stalls or slows, and I wonder why, I can easily look back at my data - oh look, I only exercised on four days per week on average last month, compared to five on the previous month, and the average burn each time was less, too. And while I didn't go mad on intake, that was on average 100 calories more than the previous month, too.
And I can correlate that with reasons - it was colder, and I was feeling the cold unless I ate a bit more, it is dark very early, so my (mostly outdoor) exercise is curtailed, the weather was also frequently pants and I had a cold and a couple of migraines and a birthday.
So I might think, that's ok, that's what I needed to do at this time of year, I can go at it with renewed vigour after Christmas, but at least I have the reason for the stalling.
If I tweak the data, I have no way to make those comparisons, and make rational decisions about what to change. I'd know about a major change in my behaviour, but I'd probably miss these creeping slackenings, and feel indignant, and that I was doing exactly the same as I had the previous month, but that I'd hit a "plateau".2 -
I used to just stop logging for a day once I ate something that wasn't "good" for me or if I didn't stick to my meal plan that day. I would then proceed to eat anything and everything since my day was already "ruined." I have an eating disorder so I am very all-or-nothing when it comes to the food. It is a hard pattern to crack. For the first time today I cheated and ended up logging everything just so I could be more accountable and not let the rest of the day go to crap. When I logged it all I realized I was still under my calorie goal. My fats and sodium were higher than they were supposed to be but other than that it wasn't too bad. That just proved to me that I need to track everything no matter how small so that I can stay accountable and it will hopefully keep deterring binges and overeating. I am counting today as a win even though I didn't eat what I had planned. I learned something about recovery and about how this app can really help me make changes!7
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Brookieb1326 wrote: »For the first time today I cheated and ended up logging everything just so I could be more accountable and not let the rest of the day go to crap... That just proved to me that I need to track everything no matter how small so that I can stay accountable and it will hopefully keep deterring binges and overeating. I am counting today as a win even though I didn't eat what I had planned. I learned something about recovery and about how this app can really help me make changes!
That is so powerful. I would go so far as to say it's the single biggest epiphany I ever had in weight loss. Eat whatever you want, but log it all. Never let it be invisible and mindless.0 -
Brookieb1326 wrote: »I used to just stop logging for a day once I ate something that wasn't "good" for me or if I didn't stick to my meal plan that day. I would then proceed to eat anything and everything since my day was already "ruined." I have an eating disorder so I am very all-or-nothing when it comes to the food. It is a hard pattern to crack. For the first time today I cheated and ended up logging everything just so I could be more accountable and not let the rest of the day go to crap. When I logged it all I realized I was still under my calorie goal. My fats and sodium were higher than they were supposed to be but other than that it wasn't too bad. That just proved to me that I need to track everything no matter how small so that I can stay accountable and it will hopefully keep deterring binges and overeating. I am counting today as a win even though I didn't eat what I had planned. I learned something about recovery and about how this app can really help me make changes!
Me too 0 -
The definition of "cheating" depends on what the game is: and for me, the game is being brutally and completely honest about what I put in my mouth.
If I'm not honest about that, that's not cheating, it's forfeiting the game.1 -
I'm a bit of a cheater, therefore I now suck at losing weight. I used to be very very accurate when it came to logging.0
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I get your point, but the game isn't over for me until they're throwing dirt in my face.rosebarnalice wrote: »The definition of "cheating" depends on what the game is: and for me, the game is being brutally and completely honest about what I put in my mouth.
If I'm not honest about that, that's not cheating, it's forfeiting the game.
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I'm just curious, are you cutting? Assuming that's you in your avatar, that looks like a fair amount of muscle showing and not a heck of a lot of fat. Limited view I know, but....I'm a bit of a cheater, therefore I now suck at losing weight. I used to be very very accurate when it came to logging.
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I'm just curious, are you cutting? Assuming that's you in your avatar, that looks like a fair amount of muscle showing and not a heck of a lot of fat. Limited view I know, but....I'm a bit of a cheater, therefore I now suck at losing weight. I used to be very very accurate when it came to logging.
I'm kind of cutting. I'd like to be a bit more lean. My calories are set for .5 lbs weight loss per week, but I also know I'll probably need to do this in order to eat/enjoy the holidays and not gain. I won't be surprised if I don't really start losing until mid January.0
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