I don't cheat.

However, I do eat what I've decided are rational choices -- fruit during season, heavy whole-grained breads (never more than 1 slice), soups chock full of vegetables (spinach, okra, tomato, green beans....), and some grains (barley and quinoa added to soups). I seldom count carbs anymore (only when I'm initially adding a new food to my WOE) unless I've been kicked out of ketosis -- we have a basic menu of "proven" dishes that we typically eat....

I think my recent weight problems had more to do with excess calories (oh do I like nuts and cheeses!) than adhering to low-carb -- and now that I've started the hoodia (17 pounds in 9 weeks!) I simply eat basically low-carb with reduced calories....and it's working for me.

And I haven't knowingly touched white sugar/white flour for over a year (had a very small piece of my daughter's wedding cake last year -- and come March 19 I'll have another small piece of another daughter's wedding cake!). My extra carbs come from foods that I think are good for me....

I guess you can't call it a Low Carb diet if it is more that once a week can you?

I had two slices of pizza today.

Prior to that... it's been weeks.

I have to say I "cheat" on occasion although I prefer not to call it cheating. Nothing too drastic though. For instance, my DH had left Vienna Fingers sitting on the counter right there in the open. Sometimes I think he does this on purpose. Anyway, after passing them by for the umpteenth time......I decided I was going to have one. Well......good thing I am not a big fan of Vienna Fingers because that was all I had......one. Now, if it was chocolate chips cookies.....I might have a problem and would have to decide not to have any at all. Other times I've had cheats with foods that are legal, just a little higher in carbs. I have not had any mashed potatoes since I started low carbing on 1/1/05 but i will have 1/2 a baked sweet potatoe from time to time. As far as sugars go, I would have to say that I am doing pretty good in that department. On one occasion i had a piece of cherry pie and on another a piece of carrot cake. I don't beat myself up about it though. The next day I am back to low carbing again.

I also feel that what might be cheating on one plan is not cheating on another so who's to say what a cheat is?? I am just trying to keep my carbs down from the astronomical amount they probably were before low carbing. I don't consider it cheating if I have maybe a small slice of birthday cake or something. I just try not to overdo it. You won't find me sitting at the kitchen table eating and entire bag of chip ahoy cookies with milk anymore but that's not to say that I will never indulge in a few cookies from time to time. And believe me, I use to do that quite often!!

Patty

Birthdays don't count ...do they....if they do, I did cheat on my birthday.....OOOOOOOPS...there's no choice for once..darn!!!

I'm with you on that one Patty. I can't stop after I start eating cc cookies.

never in two years.

I cheat once a week i wanted to try to go 2weeks without cheating but i cant I been on atkins for 3 months and lost around 30 pounds and only have 30 more to go i gusse i feel like this is working for me and i still lose the weight so why not

my problem is overindulging in that LC candy from atkins........I have no control lately, I am not buying it again.......

I cheat on the weekends and it helps my weightloss. Like yesterday I cheated. I had to take my kids to the dentist and they wanted McDonalds afterwards and I ordered chicken nuggets in the drive thru, well when I drove off I had a big mac in the bag that I didn't know about. So I ate it. And this morning when I got up and weighed in I had lost 2 pounds since yesterday. So if you want to call it cheating. I call it giving your body a break. It helps with my weightloss.

one day a week. Usually Saturday or Sunday

once a week but this week it's two days but i usually do every sat.

I just cheated today.

When I cheat once a week, yes I still lose weight. I think it helps. Because you need some carbs to burn carbs. I lost 2 pounds the very next day after I cheated. and I havent lost any for 2 weeks before that. So yes I think cheating once a week is healthy for everyone.

I am new on this site, and I was wondering where you guys get those weight loss bars on the bottom of your post. Could somebody tell me?