I have *over carbed* twice since I started in September. Once over Halloween weekend and once for a birthday party.

I put down once a month - but really its just on "special occasions".

Ie Christmas, Valentines, Easter, Birthday and Holidays!!! which can averge out say once every two months.

I don't count the odd day or two of drinking in the week as cheating, nor do I count having low-carb chocolate alternatives as cheating either! They are just legal treats so I try to minimise them.

Helen.

I tend to "cheat" during/around TOM, and generally when I feel physically unwell. It's stupid, I know. Part of the problem is that I NEVER fall out of ketosis when I cheat, and I've tested this thoroughly! Even after a week of very high carb, I'm still spitting out ketones. So I have this justification that it doesn't matter all that much if I'm still in ketosis.

Cheated last night (shared two pieces of cake with DH) and woke up this morning a half lb. lighter! It's terrible, I know. Way to make me regret it, huh?

I remember, though, my early stages of LC when cheating made me feel like CRAP the next day and I vowed never to do it again. But I'm weak-willed.

I said once a month, but it's more like once every couple of months.

I never knowingly cheat. However, I do have a problem of over-indulging in legal treats. In my high carb days I would have urges to eat... and eat... and eat. I wasn't particularly hungry, I just wanted to eat.

This rarely happen any more and I'm afraid if I cheat I will have those awful cravings again.

I have cheated once since I started. DH was speaking at a church Valentine's banquet. I was good at first. I got water to drink and took my pork off the bun. But there were also baked beans and coleslaw, which I just nibbled at. When dessert came, I couldn't resist the chocolate cake. I only ate half a piece, but I still felt guilty! It's really hard not to cheat in a situation like that where you're a special guest...

I am reading Dana Carpenter's book on LC living and she said something that really stuck with me:

What "can't" really means, of course, is "I don't want to." And depending on your life, your body, your emotions, that may be a valid statement. On the other hand, it may be a cop-out. Because if you were really comfortable with that decision [to "cheat"], you wouldn't try to disown responsibility for it by using the word "can't."

So, the next time you catch yourself using the word "can't" in this way - for instance, "I can't seem to resist the donuts in the breakroom" - try taking responsibility for the decision instead. Say to yourself - aloud if you possibly can - "Eating donuts is more important to me than my physical and mental health. I would rather eat donuts than lose the next 10 pounds. Five minutes of eating donuts is worth three to four hours of feeling lousy, and a five pound water weight gain." If you can say these things aloud and mean them, feel comfortable about them, then go ahead and knock yourself out. But don't go giving your power away so that you can lie to yourself about what you are doing.

- Carpenter, How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet... page 75.

The bolding is mine. This is my blueprint for indulgences, if I can say the things above truthfully and with conviction then I may choose to indulge. I am not responsible for my food addictions, but I am responsible for my choices and how I recover.

Paris

Paris,

Thanks for the quote, I think I'll post it where I can see it often.

I've only been on the plan for two months, but I haven't cheated by overindulging on carbs yet. I have cheated by having "unallowed" or inadvisable foods (a tater tot here, a small glass of milk there, a nibble of normal bread, etc.) and I suppose I do that about once every couple weeks.

I give myself a cheat day every 5lbs loss. I usually go up a couple lbs as a result, but it seems to be mostly water weight.

It's not fair though, some of those things I really thought I wanted don't taste as good anymore.

Oh well...I like myself better this way anyway.

When I decided to give the LC thing a try, I said from the beginning my "cheating" would be drinking on Saturday nights. Now I'm five weeks in and have held to it. I have drank beer (Michelob Ultra, not my beloved Budweiser) and shots of bourbon the last three weekends and am still sucessfully losing weight.

I'm sure I will cheat in other ways in the future. I love to tailgate a football games and will have to eat some of my special recipe Redskins Potato salad.

I've been in cheat mode since the weekend. Feeling lousy. I thought that just one little cheat would be satisfying. Now I'm finding that I'm pretty much out of control and craving like crazy. Hopefully I've learned my lesson.

Am I the only woman here who has trouble when pms rolls around? I am usually on track most of the month and then *bam* I get pms and get such cravings for sweets and salty things. I've become more adept at quelling my cravings but sometimes I just give in and eat chocolate or chips. I have been losing weight, not as quickly as others but I feel I will do better in the long run if I go about this route.

You aren't alone. I had a hard time with pms cravings too. Most the time I was able to fight it off others well.. cheezits found there why to my cart but I did at least have the sense to get the single serving packet! I feel really fortunate that I have never been a fan of chocolate so no problems there. French fries, chips, (potato in any form) and SALT are my cravings. Now days I am dealing with a whole new type of craving OMG pregnancy ones are a bit stronger than the pms! And the fact that I have a much higher carb limit now sometimes temps me into factoring naughty stuff into my carb count.

I never knew how much of an alcholic I was till I started doing Atkins. I don't cheat by eating rice, pasta or even potato chips, but I do drink a few beers, so I save my carb allowance for them. Besides I have no desire for these foods now.