How often do you overindulge in carbs?

One day a week I don't count (doctor's advise--I think CKD is similar, but they can have 2 days a week... just know that CKD includes quite a bit of exercise and resistance training). However, I try not to go over 50g on those days and I still avoid refined flour and sugar. A good way to track weekly and monthly carb intake is on FitDay. You can set up custom goals (such as protein g, carb b, calories, etc.) and track your activities.

But I don't call it cheating. On the weekend I just eat things I don't during the week, a beer or two, shot of whiskey, and itsy bitsy pastries mostly. Not too much at a sitting, really quite small portions and I don't binge. I'll choose whipped cream over ice cream any day. Ice cream is too sweet for me now.

(I'm also working out regularly and sustaining a reasonable loss every week, so I know I'm burning it up.)

What about less than once per month?

Karen

*lol* Never, but then again its only been 15 days..... Not sure if I'll call it 'cheating' when I do.... how about straying? Must remember to leave a trail of macadamia nuts so I find my way back.

Nat

Nat lol ~ a trail of macadamias! Sounds like you're on your way to writing Low Carb Fairy Tales!

I like Dana Carpender's idea of a monthly indulgence. One meal--not one whole day--you go ahead and have the pizza/berry pie/waffle breakfast/whatever. (Sort of like CAD, but one meal per month, not per day!) The benefit of this is that you don't have to think, "never again" with carbs, and you leave space for special events, like birthdays and religious feasts. If I hold it to once a month, the cravings (amazingly) don't return! Of course, ketosis is likely blown for 3-4 days, but you might decide that's worth it.

Of my nine months on, I had one bad month--I'd eat well for four days, then not for two, etc. The cravings did return with those bad habits, and I realized the carbs really weren't tasting very good. When my list of irritating physical ailments returned, I realized I was being ridiculous, and got back OP with little trouble. It was a good lesson, actually, and I ended that month more committed than ever to this WOL

It's ironic that you ask this question after what I wrote in my journal yesterday. I have been low carbing for close to 9 weeks (I weigh again on Monday). The following is an excerpt from my journal:

Why would we want to sabotage all the hard work we put into our weight loss program by returning to our “normal” way of eating? Our first reward to ourselves once we have lost our weight is a nice big portion of whatever we have dreamed of having when we reached our goal. Why is it that whenever we have reached our goal that we think that we can eat whatever we want. Have we lost our minds???

I have really thought about this program that I am on and about reaching my goals. I cheated in the first week of the program, and was really disgusted with myself. I started out my program by sabotaging it!!! Since the second week, I have been faithful to myself, and haven’t repeated my mistake. My thinking today is that overeating and using food for rewards while on my program just doesn’t make sense. Doing without the things that I enjoy while I am on this program is not a matter of depriving myself. It makes perfect sense. Those things that I am doing without are always going to be there, but right now, they don’t fit in with my program. They will cause me to either gain weight, or not to lose. They might make me feel good momentarily, but really make me feel unwell in the long run. I will be disappointed with myself for not keeping to my strong commitment of losing this heavy burden that is extra weight. How can I justify eating something that isn’t on the program? Why reward yourself with something that will sabotage your weight loss when the actual reward is the loss itself. How ridiculous can one be?

Very good attitude, and I follow that too. I like rewarding my self with a new outfit...been years since being able to do that! When out at shops I now look at clothes...go figure, tis a great feeling!

(at this time in my life, I am finding myself getting bored with my meals, but hey, there is no way am I going to go back to my old habits....aint worth it, no way!)

Well I don't know the defination of cheating. I nibble. I just taste. It doesn't give me cravings, so I don't worry about it. Like last night my ex brought home a "magic" rice crispy treat and insisted I try it. So I did, it was nasty. I gargled with coffee afterwards. Do I consider that cheating? No. I also eat the bread when he offers me a bite of his sandwhich. I just take a small bite and tell him it's good.

Or when I do it.... someone brought in doughnuts, I had a piece if frosting with some nuts.

Ex was eating fruit pie, I broke a cm size piece off the corner and sucked on it.

Maybe I'm weird.

I go on long binges, impulse control problem I think. I will stick to my diet without cheating for months and then I will have one small cheat that sends me out of control for weeks.

well, until very recently, i'd stick to it for a week, and then go off for a week or month even, but it's been 2 weeks now, and i only cheated once the first week, and twice the second, and even on those days i might call it little strays, since it was only over by about 10 carbs. so I clicked the once a week button. hope someday to be able to say once a month. that never, doesn't even seem like a remote possibility.
Jeanette

Right. I never cheat and I won't apologize for that (for not being "human" as some might say/think".

I eat SO luxuriuosly...eggs, steak, cheese etc - eating carbs, bad no no carbs would be nothing but a let down. I always have a choice and I choose what I LIKE. I don't LIKE carbs anymore/the way they make me feel or even the sugary or starchiness of them. Guess I'm a true convert!

It really disturbs me that "Cheats" have become a very accepted component of this diet. People tend to think of "cheats" as something included /that's going to happen to everyone/during this eating style. I think we have to stop that. The only thing accurate about calling MISTAKES AND FAILURES "cheats" is that we are leading ourselves into THIS kind of thinking - "Oh, I cheated but it's okay - I'll get right back on tomorrow". If you abuse cheating this way (and you know who you are) you need to stop. Cheating is nothing but not following the diet and it shouldn't be considered a "normal" part of eating this way. Sure people make mistakes and have failures, but if you lighten the burden of not following the diet by calling it some kind of "cheat", like it doesn't really matter then you are only cheating yourself.
It does matter. It made you feel miserable and threw you out of ketosis.

We are all human and make mistakes. I understand that and yes, I know that most everyone feels SO AWFUL about "cheating" once in a while. But I mean if you PLAN a cheat - then it's no accident.

Some people may argue that "cheats" actually help them lose again. Interesting. May be so or may be some rationalization.

I never cheat. I DO make MISTAKES and have FAILURES though...for example, I ate that scoop of my mom's chicken salad before she told me it had LOW fat mayo in it (sugar). Now THAT is an innocent mistake.

A "cheat", to call it that sounds very planned! And what is that? Are we planning to fail? Some would argue, no that cheats are planned on purpose to help them stay on the diet. Which is fine, but are these planned "cheats" written into Atkins' book?

Please inform me. Everyone must do what's best for them.
There are mistakes and then there are purposeful cheats. I do not cheat. I do make mistakes.

Point made.

Hmmm...

I don't really have a set time schedule for "cheats", but occasionally (lately it's been about once every week or two) we'll order in or go out to eat, and I have a meal of whatever I want, and usually a small dessert too. I eat it within an hour, like on the CAD program. I try to keep it fairly balanced, including a good amount of protein & veggies along with the carbs, as that seems to keep my blood sugar nice and stable. And I don't go overboard and pig out, I just eat until I'm satisfied, which helps I'm sure.

I don't really consider these "cheats" though. I honestly believe that moderation is the key to everything. I don't think anyone eats perfectly ALL the time, even people who are naturally thin. I figure if I'm staying on plan and eating healthy the majority of the time, then little treats here and there don't hurt. I'm lucky in that these treats never cause more cravings or ill effects -- if they did, I'd have to rethink them. And I haven't gained weight doing this, so I know my body is tolerating it well.

Wendy

I am sorry, but I have to disagree with nsmith4366 . I don't want to and I don't plan to imagin the rest of my life without Rice, Pasta, Pizza, McDonald's, Crisps (potato chips) and fruits - I never was a big fan of sweets
But I also don't want to put all that weight back on, so I will keep these much more limited than before, and I will give up biscuits for life (funny enough, I never ate them before I came to this country). I do a planned "cheat" about once a month (sometimes less, never more often). But I don't call it cheat. I call it a day out/off/joining the rest of the family/going back to old habits...whatever. On this day, I will usually eat whatever comes to mind ( Last time it was McDonalds for lunch and Pasta for dinner). It helps me keep focussed, I don't seem to miss it so much, as I know I can have it again and the cravings for a good old Pasta Carbonara or Indian Take-away have gone. It doesn't seem to affect my weight-loss and makes me feel better, but then everyone is different, Maybe it would increase cravings for some ? Maybe some people would just live for that 1 day a month ? I notice, once I didn't have carbs ( bad carbs) for a month, I want to get my teeth into something really nice and gooey.
Just my 2 cents, and good on you, that you don't seem to be missing the good old comfort food at all

Sabine

Depends on who.