How do you keep yourself from cheating???

[Einy]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

I agree with Hoping there... WATER WATER WATER... IT REALLY HELPS.. I see people walking around in the office with their coffee mug.. Simply do the same but with your water bottle.. each time you feel a slight hunger or think of any food, take a sip or two.. You think you are over-eating.. drink water.. you have "forbidden" food in front of you and thinking about touching.. drink water.. Water is your best friend..

It is not easy at first, but when you get used to that and make it a habit, you will find it one of the best ways to get out of cheating situations.

One more thing that most people mentioned here is "look ahead".. imagine yourself few months from now, would u better prefer not cheat and look that way you have in mind.. or cheat, ruin everyday you spent on your woe and if lucky stay with the same weight you are in today?

[dyingtobethin]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

Emma - I like the idea of throwing out my old clothes, but I keep them as a safe guard - not really sure if I can throw them all away.

Richt - I like the idea of a before and after picture - good idea.

Alexa - your post was amazing. I have learned alot from that post. I will try the things that you suggest.

Hoping & Einy - I do agree with you that water is a good idea, but does your body adapt to all the water that you drink because it seems like I am always going the bathroom? All I drink is water - no pop, coffee, or tea. I have done this for about 15 days now and feel great - it's just the feeling of always having to go.

Blue996 - I agree with you to always think about how I will feel after I might cheat.

ValidRouge - I agree with you that someone should always be prepared for whatever might come up.

[Alexa]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

Fantastic post Alexa



I'm gonna go spread some love

Thanks Emma and for everyone's reps - I could go on about this for a long time - a lot of experience!

[not2late]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

While we're on the subject, I have a question. I've been wondering this for a while but I didn't want to get yelled at for asking it

On Atkins we are able to eat high fat because we are not eating many carbs. So if I cheat (whether it's a candy bar or a peice of bread) should my next meal be lower in fat to make up for the extra carbs, sugar that was consumed? Or if it's a planned cheat (I've only did this once) should the day before be lower fat?

There's more to it than that. The high fat low carb approach of Atkins allows you to burn your body fat, because in the decreased presence of carbs, your body won't secret insulin, the fat storing hormone. So rather than storing fat, it uses it. If you eat carbs (sugar, starchy food, etc.), your body will release insulin.

Once you've eaten the extra carbs, the damage is done because your body will release that insulin, grab the carbs, and store the excess as fat. How your body reacts to the carbs is all individual. For some of us, our bodies won't go beserk producing insulin if we eat 40 net carbs. For others, it will because each of us has a carb tolerance level. Dr. Atkins called it your CCLL (Critical Carbohydrate Losing Level) or the CCML (Critical Carbohydrate Maintenance Level) That's why some of us can eat 60 carbs daily and lose weight and others stop losing weight if they eat 21 carbs daily.

My CCLL was 50. In other words, I could have eaten a slice of cheese pizza or a few cookies and it wouldn't have messed up my weight loss. But just because I could eat 50 net carbs daily and still lose weight, doesn't necessarily mean you can too. It all depends on how your body reacts to carbs. That's why I get kind of annoyed when people say "I took a day off and ate lasagna. I still lost weight. So I wouldn't worry about regaining weight if I were you. Go ahead and eat the stuffing, mac and cheese and whatever else you want. I do it all the time and it doesn't mess me up."

But back to the how to prevent cheating thing. I did something similar to Rich: I used to think about myself at my start weight---240+ pounds of fat, double (almost triple) chin, unable to sit in a chair without having pieces of me hang off the sides, etc. Not a very appetizing image, imo.

[ttdriver]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

As I lost the weight, I got rid of my fat clothes. That kept me on track as I never want to see those things in my house EVER AGAIN. Also, I didn't ever want to have to go through sugar withdrawal again .. Once was more than enough.


Betty

[not2late]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

Getting rid of fat clothes is a good idea. I got rid of mine with the exception of 1 blouse and 1 pair of pants. It was the outfit that made me look "slim" when I was 240+. I keep it as a reminder to never, ever, ever get that fat and miserable again. It's a good deterrent too because I can fit my entire new body into one pant leg (and still have some room). I don't ever want to be that size again.....

[chicamarun]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

My biggest thing is not keeping my favorite junk foods around - like M&M's - I cannot eat just one.

BUT - I make small "sweet snacks" to keep me in line. Even a protein shake helps me a lot if I have a need for something sweet.

I also am learning to cook better and PLAN better!! This helps me a lot. With kids - I have to make things they will like or else I will end up making a few dinners and that's just too much. So I add an extra side dish for them when needed to make them happy.

Now I do have it easy with the fact of unlimited eggs and meat because we raise our own. But I still have to come up with recipes for the stuff - and for a woman who never really was taught how to cook (not because my mother didn't try!).

I also think it's important to inform people who are with you what you are doing. My kids know and they are impressed with the lbs as they come off. Plus I think as a side effect, they are thinking more about what they are eating.

For veggies this time of year - I stock up on the ones in the self steam-bag because they are so easy to make.

SHOP AT YOUR LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET!! Learn how fresh veggies when available will help you get more creative in your cooking and they will be healthier for you as most smaller farms grow things organically even without the organic certification.

Know your body - and listen to it! It's an incredible machine and worth paying atteneion to

[Einy]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

dyingtobethin.. Yes, if you drink water more often, you will have to go more often.. that's just the way our body works, it is sometimes annoying, but think of it this way.. You are getting rid of all the toxins that the body has.

[purplecat]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

1.) I'm surrounded by mirrors in my bathroom, so every time I take a shower I'm reminded why I am doing this.

2.) I have arthritis in my spine so the more weight I lose, the better I feel.

3.) I remember how it felt to play with my daughter on the floor but have to crawl to the nearest furniture object just to get up.

4.) I remember having to grab my pants leg to pull my leg up...just to cross it over the other leg so I could get my shoes on.

5.) I remember having an important business meeting and trying all my business clothes on just to find NOTHING fit (usually dress casual on my job).

Plus, I've taken progress pics from my beginning point (240); midpoint (227) and current (209) so I can see what a difference a few pounds can make and it's NOT worth it to gain it all back and feel like a failure. I have been cheat free since I started, even though it's not been easy (emotional eater). It has been well worth it though for the boost in my self-esteem.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

SHOP AT YOUR LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET!! Learn how fresh veggies when available will help you get more creative in your cooking and they will be healthier for you as most smaller farms grow things organically even without the organic certification.

That is incredibly true. Fresh tastes so different and better. I have always loved veggies, but shopping weekly at the local Farmer's Market gave me the opportunity to try stuff I had never had before. I found so many 'new' favorites the last two years. How could I feel deprived with all these scrumptious foods to eat??? I'm counting the days until my Farmer's Market opens again in April.

Sunny!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

1. I worked hard on changing my attitude about food and eating and it worked miracles.


2. When I want to eat for emotional reasons, I ask myself what, if anything, will be better if I eat _________. The answer is always NOTHING.

3. There are many special Atkins-legal foods that I save for special occasions and I consider them a splurge.

4. I join challenges. I work extra hard to keep commitments made to others.

5. If all else fails, I give myself permission to eat the carbage, but I must eat it naked in front of a full-length mirror.

Sunny!

[dyingtobethin]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

not2late & ttdriver - thanks for the advice! maybe it's time for me to think about throwing out my fat clothes and buy some new ones. (keep one outfit around just to remind myself what I use to look like and feel like when I wore it.

purplecat - photos might also help me with all the progress that i have made so far. I would be able to carry them with me in my purse and when I have a bad time all I have to do is pull them out and remind myself of what it was like being overweight.

chicamarun - a farmer's market might be the right choice for me when they open back up for the year. fresh veggies sound really good and I have noticed that the ones in the stores don't really look that good all the time - bad spots.

sunnysmile501 - thanks for the advice especially the one where if you really one to eat something bad you have to infront of a full length mirror - no thank you!!

[chicamarun]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

If you all don't have a year round farmer's market.... get to know the farmer's during the summer. If they have a mailing list - GET ON IT!! I send out specials for people and let people know I have something to sell before it's at the market or when I'm not there I love it for people to come up and get stuff direct from the farm

Also - check out http://www.localharvest.com and you can search in your zipcode! You never know - some farmer's grow stuff in their "cold frames" during the off-season and sometimes have extra fresh veggies (even in Alaska I know a farmer who has grow light etc on fresh lettuce!) So don't always think - Spring and Summer! Winter squash is in - like spaghetti squash, acorn squash & butternut squash and you can stock up and eat like royalty over the winter for a lot less money than in the stores.

[Chicklady]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

You guys are gonna think I'm nuts, but that's Ok, I might well be

I used to sell clothing on Ebay. I had two "dummies" hanging on my wall, to model the clothing I was taking pics of. They were weird looking, but when visitors would ask, we'd tell them that they were modern art
Anyway, I no longer sell clothes, so I sold my dummies. However, I was thinking......I'm gonna take my largest outfit as I outgrow it and yesssss, you guessed it....hang it on the wall.
My "art".....my reminder of what that "just one bite" can lead to......

[daione]

Re: How do you keep yourself from cheating???

Sunnysmile, Number five is classic - 5. If all else fails, I give myself permission to eat the carbage, but I must eat it naked in front of a full-length mirror.
i think I will try this ..