What happens if...

[Ghoti]

What happens to you if you normally adhere to your Atkins or Schwarzbein diet pretty strictly, then succumb to temptation at one meal and eat something you shouldn't? Does it throw your whole program off for a week? A month?

[Mila]

no, it doesn't, lol. the very next 'proper' meal restores the hormonal balance :) some people though do not stop at one cheat, it is difficult for them to tolerate the low blood sugar symptoms that follow the high carb meal and they eat more and more of the 'bad carbs'.

[rosarugosa]

In my experience what happens is up to me. There have been times in my dieting history when I would give in to the mindset that "oh no, I will never be able to stick to *any* plan /boo-hoo, I can *never* control myself! " that was before I used health concerned plans (somersizing now Sp) where I eat balanced/consistent meals that nourish my body properly. Then I would eat some kind of junk item (usually sugary) that I have in my cupboard.

Now I don't have them in my cupboard. When I eat out or eat something that isn't as healthy as I would like because of being a guest somewhere I just view it as a bump in the road and start eating right the next meal, instead of sabatoging myself with more bad items or beating myself up. I may notice the bump in the road, but learn from it and continue on the journey.

For me it was very important to *detox* from sugar strictly for the first several weeks or months. After awhile though it is very true that the good habits become predominate.

[razzle]

hi fish. ;)

Since in order to maintain weight loss, we need to change the way we eat forever (thus, the term "way of life" or "way of eating" rather than "diet"), one slip up a month is probably no big deal--in fact, it's probably a more realistic expectation of how most of us will eat permanently anyway.

But will it slow your loss? Almost certainly. Will it retrigger cravings? Probably, so be prepared for another three or four days of white knuckling those. If you had symptoms because you were allergic to that food, will your symptoms return? Yup. It can't "ruin" the program or anything, though, as the program is a way of life.

On the other hand, if, say, your grandmother is dying of cancer and bakes you a special dessert and you go visit and decide it's worth the blip in the weight loss to please her by eating some and saying, "yum," that seems a reasonable choice to me. The problem comes when people start extending their "special occasions" -- first it's Thanksgiving and Christmas and birthdays...then anniversaries...then somehow, Halloween, Easter, and national holidays. Pretty soon people are eating cake for Arbor Day! ;)

[clodagh]

I find that a blip doesn't affect my weightloss hugely...... IF and only IF I stop after the blip.

unfortunately it normally revives all my cravings and could set me off again.

However I usually make a point of my next meal being very strict so I show myself that the weakness is now over and done with!

But it's very very hard.

I think it's best to have a couple of small treats which aren't so dangerous.

Clo