A cheat day or 60 minutes?

[AlaskaGirl]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

I am with every one else. I can't cheat because it will take me forever to get back in control. It might be a few days or it might be a year. Not an option.

I think you should reward yourself though. Last time I got under 200# I treated myself to some thing I always wanted a tatoo. Since I gained some weight last year I am going to do the same thing again. I want another tatoo. As soon as I get back to under 200# I will do it again.

You can treat your self to a massage or a new peice of art. Something - anything special to look forward to instead of food. Make a special something plan.

Change your mind set to have it not be all about food- that is my advice.

Julie

[ImREADYImREADY]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

Glad you decided not to cheat.
At Chili's I get the Monterey Chicken no bbq sauce, a side of steam broccoli, and a side salad instead of the other side.

I went off for Thanksgiving and then decided I should just stay off till after Christmas and then we left for vacation 2 days later and I decided to stay off till we got back. I gained 10lbs.
I am on induction again and I am happy to have lost 7lbs in my first 2 weeks as of today but upset at the fact I was already below this weight before I decided to go off of Atkins.

[Papa Deuce]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

just an excuse.
I wouldn't want to go thru the carb withdrawl every 2 weeks myself!

I actually didn't have any withdrawal.... but Kevin, you do know that many people follow a ketogenic cyclical diet, right?

I specifically remember my college phys ed teacher would do 6 days of no carbs, and whatever he wanted on Sunday.... the guy was well built but was not a weight lifter.... he was more of a sports player for exercise.... I would frequently see him playing volleyball, basketball, street hockey.......

Still, I agree, probably not a great idea at least until you are close to goal, and welle stablished in your WOL / WOE.

EDIT.... I also know that he wasn't doing "atkins"....

[ceemarie]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

I wanted to add to the great advice above, there are days when I slip and do not follow the plan and I have to tell you the food that I thought I really wanted, just dosent' tast as good as I thought it would. Plain and simple is just isn't worth it to "cheat".

[Brook]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

I actually didn't have any withdrawal.... but Kevin, you do know that many people follow a ketogenic cyclical diet, right?

I specifically remember my college phys ed teacher would do 6 days of no carbs, and whatever he wanted on Sunday.... the guy was well built but was not a weight lifter.... he was more of a sports player for exercise.... I would frequently see him playing volleyball, basketball, street hockey.......

Still, I agree, probably not a great idea at least until you are close to goal, and welle stablished in your WOL / WOE.

EDIT.... I also know that he wasn't doing "atkins"....

Lots of people follow a cyclical ketogenic diet- true. People who do this do not do so in order to have a re-feed day of garbage food. There's a right way and a wrong way to do it, and I think it's safe to say that the people that wander through weight loss support groups by and large are looking to do so the wrong way for the wrong reasons.

I'd place a bet that your college phys ed teacher didn't have the food issues that most of the people around here do, and I'd wager that he had the activity level to pull off his WOE pretty well.

There is a place for carb cycling as a WOE, but just like Atkins - there's a proper way to do it.

Just wanted to throw that out there. Dr. A said it was okay to use ANA's garbage bars on occasion too and people use that as justification to eat 13 of them a day.

[mkline71]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

Jimmy Moore who is a famous Low-carb advocate had a youtube video on this subject in 2007

YouTube - LLVLC On YouTube: Can You Cheat On Low-Carb? (Episode 14)

During his first year he had a cheat meal every 6-8 weeks. He says this is not a typical strategy but it helped him make it through.

I personally haven't cheated (only been on 4 months). I'm like others that cheat meal would turn into a cheat month or more.

[Brook]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

Jimmy Moore who is a famous Low-carb advocate had a youtube video on this subject in 2007

YouTube - LLVLC On YouTube: Can You Cheat On Low-Carb? (Episode 14)

During his first year he had a cheat meal every 6-8 weeks. He says this is not a typical strategy but it helped him make it through.

I personally haven't cheated (only been on 4 months). I'm like others that cheat meal would turn into a cheat month or more.

I don't want to start a big controversy or - but if you really look at Jimmy Moore's daily menus, he can be accused of many things, but eating cleanly day to day isn't one of them. Don't get me wrong, he's done fantastic things for the low-carb community, but I wouldn't hold him up as a shining example of how to follow plan.

[shaunawa]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

***Brooke***Want a reward? Go to the spa. Get a new pair of workout shoes. Get your nails done. Buy new power tools with the money you're saving in health care costs. Get a gym membership or some new clothes. THOSE are rewards. And they're good for you, your body and your soul

This is my new reward to myself! I think this is the better then any cheat at this point. I went in for a hour massage the other day and it felt better then any baked potato I have ever eaten.

[mkline71]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

I don't want to start a big controversy or - but if you really look at Jimmy Moore's daily menus, he can be accused of many things, but eating cleanly day to day isn't one of them. Don't get me wrong, he's done fantastic things for the low-carb community, but I wouldn't hold him up as a shining example of how to follow plan.

I get what you are saying there. Jimmy hasn't followed every rule in the book in terms of food but he has had great success and is an inspiration for many. I think he proves that some people can have the Atkins bars or Low carb chocolates and still continue to do well and lose and more importantly maintain that loss.

[liv]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

Jimmie Moore does not do that any longer. If that tells you something

[kimbat06]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

Trust me, your stomach will be paying you back for your "cheat day". I had one for a Christmas party last year and my stomach hurt so bad and I was on the toilet for a good while... SO not worth it!

[AtkinsLarry]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

Dont cheat. stay strong

[Brook]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

Jimmie Moore does not do that any longer. If that tells you something

[Jeremy]

Re: A cheat day or 60 minutes?

It's an excuse- and a flimsy one at that.

Food is NOT a reward. How many of us have been treating food as a reward for a huge portion of our lives and how has that worked for us?! -If you're anything like me, it's a slippery slope on a good day and on a bad one it's just a straight up .

Learn to use food as it was meant to be used- to nourish your body. Enjoy it- but don't treat it as a reward.

You didn't "earn" the right to eat garbage.
You don't "deserve" to treat your body like crap.
You don't "reward" yourself for winning a race by shooting yourself in the foot.

Want a reward? Go to the spa. Get a new pair of workout shoes. Get your nails done. Buy new power tools with the money you're saving in health care costs. Get a gym membership or some new clothes. THOSE are rewards. And they're good for you, your body and your soul

Excellent post. Very insightful into the way we are conditioned to think about food in an era of happy meal's.

Just to add. Do not cheat.. Come on.. is getting chips, buns, or whatever worth the trouble??

I am her husband, and I honestly have not planned on cheating when we go out for the reason you stated. I am going to get the Fajitas. What would I get off diet? A thin piece of flour and some bland rice? Hmmmm. Doesn't seem worth it. It sounded good at first, but even though this lady told us we could, neither of us have cheated yet. Sounds like we might not.

I have been told by several people who have done this though that you can kick start weight loss by going off the diet (some say for a meal, others for a day or two.) is this a common conception of people who do not understand the diet?

One thing I can say, having tried this before and ending up crashed is that I made up my mind that if temptation got too much I would not go until I fell off forever. I would satiate the craving if need be and move on.

I have not done that one time yet. There are times I have felt like doing it, but never extended periods. I think some key's to my success this time are a better knowledge of vegetables and how to prepare them (used to do meat and cheese only...see intro thread), a wider variety of dishes thanks to the interwebs, this site in particular as a huge support, and most importantly, the support of my amazing wife.

Whatever the reasons, Wee 4 is here, and I still dont feel like I can't do without Mountain Dew or a bowl of Mac and Cheese.