What's a Cheat Free day

[roisinmc]

I've been here since the 7th so don't know if I am still a newbie but what does cheat free day mean? Do you save your carbs or something so you can cheat? Couldn't find it in the book. Also, woosh, I'm assuming that means you dropped a lot of weight over night? Learned about TOM a couple of weeks ago.

[lisabinil]

Just what it says no cheats-no high carb foods that aren't allowed or going way over your carb limit for the day. Dr. A stated in DANDR not to save your carbs for one sitting-it will cause your blood sugars to spike and that's what causes cravings and hunger. Keeping your blood sugar stablized is a key to success on lc'ing. Whoosh means when you drop a couple of lbs or more-usually overnight. Also some people say the Whoosh Fairy visited them and there are even poems about her. :lol:

[liddie01]

to me a cheat is when I stupidly go off plan, never worth it and always derails my progress and causes cravings.

[leslieam]

I've been here since the 7th so don't know if I am still a newbie but what does cheat free day mean? Do you save your carbs or something so you can cheat? Couldn't find it in the book. Also, woosh, I'm assuming that means you dropped a lot of weight over night? Learned about TOM a couple of weeks ago.
Hi roisinmc,

Cheat Free Day - I'm not sure in what context you saw this phrase so I can't really speak to it. But here is what I will say - many people who have been at low-carb a long time (I'm talking 9 months to a year) find that 'carb cycling' is a good way to kinda kick start their body into weight loss mode again. This 'carb cycling', from what I understand, is a day of eating healthy but higher carb foods in the way of veggies, etc. It's not a pass to eat a whole chocolate cake. ;) Personally, I've honestly never had a cheat day - an off plan meal perhaps, but never a full day. If I may be so bold, I'd recommend you staying on your Atkins plan, working the program the way it's illustrated in the book, for long term success.

Woosh - you are right. This is a morning when you wake up, stumble to the scale, and Mr. Scale decides to surprise you with a signifigant loss. The number of pounds varies - for me a woosh was anything over a pound, or a pound every day for a few days.

TOM - I figure you've already figured that out. The poor guys on our board are subjected to our TOM talk but for us women, it's something that truly affects our weight, our cravings, etc. It's a very 'real' thing so you'll see loads of discussion about it.

HTH. :)

[BluePants]

I use the term "cheat free" and it means that on that day I followed induction rules to the letter. So far I am on my 9th cheat free day. Saying that, a cheat can be one thing to one person and quite different for someone else. For instant today I had packaged lettuce and it had some carrot sliver in it, and I didn't bother picking them out. To me that isn't a cheat, to someone else it could be depending on how closely they are sticking to plan.

[Ptrcmcc6]

To me.....a cheat-free day would be a day or many days where you stick to only the foods which are allowed on whichever plan you are following. If you look in the "challenges" thread you'll probably find quite a few "cheat-free" challenges going on. For some people, it helps to keep them on-track if they're in a challenge with others.

As for a "whoosh" that is when the scale hasn't been moving although you've been eating on-plan and then suddenly you step on the scale and you've lost 2 or 3 lbs. maybe even more. Personally, and I'm sad to say..... the "whoosh fairy" hasn't been to visit me in quite a long time but I only have myself to blame.

[KiaKaha]

This is my second time doing Atkins - first time I lost 30+lbs then stupidly went back to eating carbs and over the years gained it all back plus plenty more.

I tend to think of cheating as eating anything that could get me into trouble.

I try and have a balanced diet - I'm at home all day so I have eggs, bacon or ham and rhubarb for breakfast, meat/fish and salad for lunch - maybe 1/2 a dozen berries (small ones or one large strawberry) if I feel the need for something sweet - if not a peice of cheese if I am still hungry. If I get low over the afternoon (hasnt happenned yet this time around) - I'll have a 20gm bag of peanuts, then dinner, meat and salad or 2 or 3 L/C veg maybe jazzed up a bit. Again a handful of berries or a piece of cheese (every few days I have a fruit fool - rhubarb or raspberry) as a treat.

From having done this before I know about how cheats get you into trouble.

When I was on ongoing weightloss last time - I got into baking muffins, LC banana bread, cheesecake etc. I started having them within my allowance but they were so moreish I would always have just a little too much of them (not a pig out) - a 1 and 1/2 serving size here and there. Anyway I stalled pretty quickly.

Doing it again and having an established blood sugar problem, I know that metabolically, the items that keep me at a good level of blood sugar and very stable are those hunter gatherer type foods that we were originally designed to eat. Also when eating the meat, veg and berry way - I havent once been hungry and I am enjoying the flavours of the food more than I ever did.

Which is pretty amazing when you consider that a few weeks ago I wouldnt eat meat etc that wasnt smothered in some sweet sauce and I rarely ate a vegetable. In fact I snacked on chocolates or sweets every hour throughout the day (even had 4 snack size choc bars every night before bed whilst reading my book).

So my advice is try not to cheat for as long as you can and if you do - dont have more of the offending item around that will allow you to do it again the next day!

Having said that, the carbo cheat to end stalls is a metabolic kick start so I could see why people would do that.

[roisinmc]

Leslieam, thanks it is really clear. Thanks everyone for yor advice. I haven't really cheated with food but I do like a glass of wine or a cocktail now and then. I try to make it a rum & diet coke for no carbs but I do know it can stall you.

[shreveport]

Once in awhile I might have a few bourbon and cokes but i dont make a habit out of it but there are times when you might want to have a few cocktailslespecially when i go to a concert or just hanging out with friend,it might stall me for a bit but that is ok, it is ok to enjoy life at times,remember this is a lifestyle not a diet, there is never a finish line
I also have sushi once in agreat moon, then the next day i am back on my low carb lifestyle, I know dr.a say not to do that but I will treat myself once in awhile, i mean like once every month or two