I have not touched any illegal starchs or sweets at all. I am doing good in that sence. But I do consider atkins advantage & breakfast bars cheating.... I have anywhere from 1-3 of those a week. Sometimes I am good though & don't have any.

Candice

I think when I first voted, it was "once a month", but in truth I haven't eaten anything that isn't included in this WOE since January. After cheating and feeling horrible several times, I finally came to the conclusion that it just isn't worth it; no high carb food tastes good enough to make it worth it for me to feel like crud for the next 2 or 3 days. Funny how it only took one hangover from drinking for me to realize I never wanted that experience again, but it took several carb hangovers for me to come to that same conclusion. Guess that shows how truly addictive sugar really is; even though it makes you feel rotten, you keep coming back for more.

I mean it. I haven't really cheated once yet. I've been on TSP for almost 6 months, and on that program, I can eat so many different and varied foods, that I havn't been truly tempted.

I sort of counted a piece of toast for breakfast at a restaurant once as a cheat, but realistically, it wasn't a cheat, because it fell within my 15 carbs for breakfast. With TSP, we don't count the carbs in non-starchy vegetables, and I had eggs, bacon, tomatoes and that one piece of toast. Since then I have added some low-carb toast at breakfast all the time.

I do have to admit also, that I have never been adicted to sweets or carbs, so for me it's a lot easier than most people. And as I find more and more veges that are replacing the starches I used to eat a lot of (cauliflower for rice and potatoes, and Karen just suggested eggplant for noodles in lasagna, which I will try soon), I will never need to bring those foods back into my list when I am ready to maintain my weight.

I do think a lot of it has to do with the plan. With TSP, I am allowed a much higher intake of carbs than people on Atkins and some other programs, so it's kind of harder to "cheat."

;-Deb

Never cheated even one time to date

I was so sick of my weight I refuse to lose focus

I drank beer (2 or 3 or 4 max) everyday for the past 10 years and haven't had one or wanted one since I started this WOL

There are so many things you can make that will satisfy you, I don't know why anyone would even think about cheating.

I am sick of being fat and I WILL succeed it's just a matter of time, I don't cry, I don't pout and I don't get mad at the friends that tell me I am fat.

I want the challenge, I invite it to try to defeat me, it won't.

31 lbs in 63 days on this WOL doing it by the book and loving every minute of it and crushing the naysayers with the results.

It took me 15+ years to determine what made me fat to start with... You think I am gonna go back to that poison.

Fool me once shame on you
Fool me twice shame on me

Jeff

You're right. In order for it to be a cheat, it has to be an intentional mistake. I have cheated twice in 8 months.

Once, we went to a casino restaurant that had such a selection of desserts that I could not then resist. I think I would be stronger now, but that time was too much for me. Even though I cheated, I was careful about the amount of dessert I had. Basically, I tried one bite of several and ate one serving of my favorite. Not the best behavior on my part, but we haven't been back to that restaurant since - specifically to avoid temptation.

The other cheat was my daughter's birthday. The three of us on the diet had made low-carb cakes for our birthdays and my daughter who is not on the diet did not like them. She felt obligated to eat some each time because it was a birthday. For her birthday, she insisted that we have a "real" cake and that everyone had to eat some of it. We bought a small cake that she chose and invited enough friends over that she didn't notice our tiny-sized pieces.

I had planned to cheat for the holidays, specifically Christmas, when I began dieting 8 months ago. Now, I see no reason to do that and won't. We have low-carb pumpkin pie with whipped topping, low-carb cheesecake, bread, pound cake, vegies, cheese, relishes and turkey. Who needs more than that?

And, I don't really consider it cheating anymore to choose a small amount of some high-carb item for a good reason. As long as the rest of my meals that day are low-carb, it isn't going to ruin my life. This WOE is forever for me and life cannot always be planned.

I "cheat" about twice a week and it works ok for me. I order in a chinese on a FRiday or Saturday night and don't feel bad about it. I don't considor that cheating. I intend doing this WOE for the rest of my life to control my PCOS so I just considor these meals "treats". Ironically, last week I had like 3 takeaways ( cause there was no food in house etc.) and I lost 2lbs whereas normally I only lost 1/2 to 1 lb a week.

I am a sugar adddict and if I ever have sugar I do considor it "cheating" - on myself. I had a mince pie on Sunday and that is cheating to me. I do that very, very rarely.

I don't call it "cheating"...I call it "Scheduled Days Off". I have two official cheat days a year...Halloween and Thanksgiving. I don't care to deprive myself on two of my most favorite holidays of the year.

Today is turkey day, and I'm looking forward to the stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy!!


-- Nicky

Not me

Me passed on the taters, gravy and stuffing and corn on the cob.

I ate turkey greenbeans salad and a little bit of pumpkin custard low carb style.


It's just another day and another test of your willpower.


Jeff

It's not just another day for me! I *want* to celebrate this day the usual way.

-- N

I never cheat because I am not on a *diet*.

I am allergic to wheat and all other gluten containing grains as well as corn, soy and hazelnuts. And I might as well add white sugar to that list because after detoxing from it and then giving in to temptation a number of times over the past year, I've noticed it makes me a little sicker each time.

So I have very few foods to cheat with unless I go to great lengths to concoct wheat-free, sugar-free substitutes. Just don't have the time or inclination these days.

Since I started alowing myself a little more fruit each day I have not had to deal with cravings. I seem to be slowly losing 1/2 lb per week these past 3 weeks since I returned to LC.

Life is good.

amie
Sugar-free since Oct 20/02

We do an eat out night every week with the whole family. It's a great way to have my cake and eat it too (Literally)!!

About once every two weeks I've been taking a cheat day. I get depressed when I don't get past my stall and end up eating to comfort myself and I still eat when I'm stressed. Yes, I KNOW this is just shooting myself in the foot but I'm in progress of making changes and continue to work on this area. I'd like to get to where I'm only "cheating" on holidays or at the most once a month but I haven't gotten there yet. I honestly can't imagine never eating anything that's not LC again - I'd miss certain things and can't imagine NEVER having them again.

Anyway, my two cents worth.

Hardly ever. When I first started I cheated a couple of times but once I got past the first month I rarely cheat. Sometimes I do go over the 10-12 X my weight calorie rule, but I rarely go over 30 carb grams a day.
asugar

Totally agree with this

Everyone has there own opinion..but i've never cheated..i have no reason to..If you follow the plan correctly and up your cards you CAN have 'regular' carb foods..I eat so much delicious food i have no reason to want anything else I eat 10X more food then i did before..much more balanced..much more variety..so on and so on...There is no point to 'cheating'..why would i want to..'cheating'...'binging'..'having no control'..is what made me fat...I'm going to be one that succeeds..not interested in taking the chance on failing