I've been struggling lately with certain nomenclature in the LC arena. I was recently on vacation, and while I'm a true LC advocate, vacation is one of the times where I make allowances for a higher carb intake. When I attempted to discuss this on another forum (a FB group), my post was rejected because it apparently promoted "cheating" and mentioned "off-plan foods."

First of all, I reject the notion that my mentioning something like "beer" will somehow drive a budding LCer into a fit of misbehavior. If seeing a naughty word on a forum triggers you that quickly, your way of eating isn't your biggest problem.

I tend to see "cheating" as bingeing on foods and beverages that don't appear on acceptable foods lists and such. And I see certain foods are being fringe items that may or may not be "off plan," depending on the consumer's position in the LC universe and the quantity of the item that is consumed.

Which brings me back to my vacation story. I stayed pretty strict for most of the week, but I did allow myself a couple of beers through the week, and I did have one burrito with (GASP!) a regular tortilla. I should also mention that the fillings I chose were all happily LC - beef tongue, cabbage, sour cream, and a splash of pico de gallo. Was it LC? Of course not. Was it cheating? I don't think so. Is it inappropriate to discuss this with other LCers?

I was accused of saying, "I'm on vacation so I didn't care about cheating." My feeling is that in the context of following a LC lifestyle, it's perfectly acceptable to temporarily increase your carb levels to have a more relaxed (and less vigilant) experience from time to time, and that's miles away from what I consider cheating.

What do you think?