Cheat Days - Help or Hinder Efforts to Stay on Track? page 3

[MissJecka]

If you want an occasional slice of pizza or a cup of ice cream, no big deal- just eat it. It's just feeding yourself. If you constantly want these things, I'd examine what you are eating that is primal really carefully. Are you bored with the primal foods? Not eating enough? Eating things you don't enjoy?

I've found that there are a lot of old foods I just lost a taste for. Bread, baked goods. I used to crave them, ate some and they kind of sucked. Good for me- now that I know they have lost their appeal, I don't crave them.

I agree 1000000%. When I first started a paleo lifestyle, my cravings for gluten, wheat, and dairy were gone. Once in a while, the only thing I really want is some ice cream. I don't plan it, but if I'm out with friends, for instance, and we're getting good-quality ice cream (not a Ninja Turtles Ice Pop or something!) and I want some, I'll get some. A kiddie cup with no toppings hits the spot. I've actually found I immediately feel a bit ill after eating ice cream even in small quantities, so it seems like my "cheats" are just my brain wanting it, not my body.

[Cossycarrick]

Dont do it iv tried and failed several times, it leads to binge eating.
Like the other guys said just eat what you want if your out with friends. I find this easier but still try to eat as well as possible and now that i have kids its about setting an example to them so they follow the right path and not end up fat, unfit and problems later in life.

[sbhikes]

I abhor the word "cheat" as applied to my WOE. It implies some external force compelling me to eat a certain way and a need to 'escape' from that coercion by 'cheating.'

^ This

Cheat Days.. Cheat with primal carbs type refeed (fruits, potato, clean carbs), that's a help.. Cheat with bread, desserts, nachos, wings, etc (non-primal), certaintly hinder..

^ This, too.

I don't have cheat days or cheat meals. I make the best decisions I can at all times. I love the feeling of health I have now and don't want to lose it.

Also, sometimes it feels to me that eating primal IS the cheat. I mean come on, pork belly, all the salmon I can eat, rib-eye steaks, liver and onions and wild mushrooms, bacon, sweet potatoes fried in beef tallow. If anything is cheat food, it's that stuff!

[magnolia1973]

Yeah, I try not to ever think of any whole food as a cheat. I ate a bunch of fruit yesterday. Probably too many calories, but it was good. It's not like I ate a Lean Cuisine then a carton of fat free ice cream with chemicals coated in fudge sauce. It was a bunch of fruit. The funny thing is that your mindset changes and now the "treat" is something actually really good for you.

I do get concerned when I see people stressing over something simple like a banana. If you keep denying yourself certain foods, you are almost certain to snap eventually. We all want to eat sweet, savory, salty etc. in balance. You can satisfy all of that primally if you allow yourself. Sweet seems to be the biggie.... But think back to CW where you never ate fatty or rich, until you snapped and ate that Big Mac, large fries and milk shake.

There is a balance to a diet, and I think sometimes when we crave "treats" our body is seeking a balance. Yesterday I ate a lot of fruit. Makes sense- the two prior days had been very low carb- no fruit in the house. Got to the farmers market and went nuts. Wanted something sweet, and its back to normal today.

Other times my cravings are related to boredom. I get tired of grilled meat, a sweet potato and veggies. I want.... pizza..... but the reality is I want something new. So I make spaghetti out of zucchini and make "chicken alfredo" or I make a new recipe from a book or whatever.

I think if you consider why you cheat carefully, you can better understand and get a diet that works really well for you with minimal need or desire to eat outside of primal guidelines. If you just "suffer through" the week, to get to your cheat day.... 6 of 7 days you are unsatisfied. Why not just figure out how to stay very satisfied, primally.

One example. I am not into fish. I noticed when I eat fish, I always want ice cream or a big dessert. My meal doesn't satisfy me. So.... I just don't bother with fish since it doesn't satisfy me. I substitute pork, beef, chicken or eggs.... easy peasy. I'm happier with my dinner and less likely to have a treat.

[magnolia1973]

Yeah, I try not to ever think of any whole food as a cheat. I ate a bunch of fruit yesterday. Probably too many calories, but it was good. It's not like I ate a Lean Cuisine then a carton of fat free ice cream with chemicals coated in fudge sauce. It was a bunch of fruit. The funny thing is that your mindset changes and now the "treat" is something actually really good for you.

I do get concerned when I see people stressing over something simple like a banana. If you keep denying yourself certain foods, you are almost certain to snap eventually. We all want to eat sweet, savory, salty etc. in balance. You can satisfy all of that primally if you allow yourself. Sweet seems to be the biggie.... But think back to CW where you never ate fatty or rich, until you snapped and ate that Big Mac, large fries and milk shake.

There is a balance to a diet, and I think sometimes when we crave "treats" our body is seeking a balance. Yesterday I ate a lot of fruit. Makes sense- the two prior days had been very low carb- no fruit in the house. Got to the farmers market and went nuts. Wanted something sweet, and its back to normal today.

Other times my cravings are related to boredom. I get tired of grilled meat, a sweet potato and veggies. I want.... pizza..... but the reality is I want something new. So I make spaghetti out of zucchini and make "chicken alfredo" or I make a new recipe from a book or whatever.

I think if you consider why you cheat carefully, you can better understand and get a diet that works really well for you with minimal need or desire to eat outside of primal guidelines. If you just "suffer through" the week, to get to your cheat day.... 6 of 7 days you are unsatisfied. Why not just figure out how to stay very satisfied, primally.

One example. I am not into fish. I noticed when I eat fish, I always want ice cream or a big dessert. My meal doesn't satisfy me. So.... I just don't bother with fish since it doesn't satisfy me. I substitute pork, beef, chicken or eggs.... easy peasy. I'm happier with my dinner and less likely to have a treat.

[Paleobird]

I used to "cheat" every now and then, get some pizza, have some beer, pasta, sub ETC. Then I realized the longer I went between them, the worse they made me feel. I know now, if I eat 2-3 slices of pizza I am gassy,bloated and just feel like garbage all-around.
The more I stay Primal, the more I WANT to stay primal.
Now, Once a week instead of cheat I treat myself to a very expensive/decadent Primal meal. Lobster, Prime-rib ETC. So I don't have to feel like crap after I eat.
I would say, get in tune with your body and find out how non-primal things affect you. Then decide if you still want to cheat.

This^^. I think a good "cheat" (I hate that word too, how about if we say "indulgence") is to take the lid off the quantity but keep the quality of the food like a huge porterhouse or something.

Another point were a cheat day really impedes progress is for those attempting to become keto-adapted for athletic endeavors. If that is an end goal then you would have to skip cheat days all together as it takes a few weeks-months for full adaptation.

Or trying to stay in ketosis for epilepsy control.