first "planned cheat" was dissapointing

My first "planned cheat" was yesterday. I had been a good low-carb
girl all day, as my plan was to just cheat for one meal... dinner.

I had decided if I was going to cheat it would be really, really worth
it. I had a cheese lasagna in the freezer which I cooked for dinner,
and I picked up a loaf of italian bread and cut it in half, slathered
it with melted butter and roasted garlic and broiled it brielfy to go
with the lasagna.

I had some crackers as an appetizer while waiting for everything to
get done. Crackers are kind of boring without cheese. and if 'm going
to eat cheese anyways, why not nuke the cheese until crunchy and skip
the crackers entirely? So I put the crackers down, figuring I'd save
room for the lasagna and garlic bread.

So then I had a big, oversized plate of lasagna and garlic bread.
Ummm... it *wasn't* really, really worth it. It was OK, but not that
great. And I kinda passed out early last night after all that,
couldn't stay awake for the movie we were watching (which admittedly
was a bad movie - do not bother renting "Brazil", it's stupid).

I've *never* been dissappointed with my lasagna before. I asked my
husband today whether the lasagna and garlic bread were good last
night, and he said they were great.

The leftover lasagna is in the fridge and I don't really care. It's
not even tempting particularly.

I made stuffed peppers a few nights ago, just mixed up a big batch and
stuffed some for me before adding the rice for the family's peppers.
All made with red and yellow peppers, which have been on sale latey,
and I enjoy so much more than green ones. I had one for brunch today.
I didn't dish up a huge plate of the stuff that I couldn't finish,
just nuked a pepper and munched on it. It was *good* - hit the spot.

So... I didn't seem to enjoy my planned cheat very much.

I like the *idea* of monthly planned cheats, of not setting myself up
for failure by thinking I can *never* eat potatoes or rice or
whatever. But the reality isn't nearly the great big deal I thought
it would be.

If anything... it seems the way cheating is going to work for me is by
being a monthly reminder that I'm not really missing much.I expect my
cravings and desires for carb-laden foods are just going to decrease
when the reality *so* doesn't live up to the craving.

Feb 27 is my next planned cheat as it's my birthday. I'm thinking I
should make bread that day as the one thing that has driven me nuts on
low-carb is the smell of fresh bread out of the oven. Maybe I can
kill off that craving too.

jpatti wrote:

My first "planned cheat" was yesterday. I had been a good low-carb
girl all day, as my plan was to just cheat for one meal... dinner.

I had decided if I was going to cheat it would be really, really worth
it. I had a cheese lasagna in the freezer which I cooked for dinner,
and I picked up a loaf of italian bread and cut it in half, slathered
it with melted butter and roasted garlic and broiled it brielfy to go
with the lasagna.

I had some crackers as an appetizer while waiting for everything to
get done. Crackers are kind of boring without cheese. and if 'm going
to eat cheese anyways, why not nuke the cheese until crunchy and skip
the crackers entirely? So I put the crackers down, figuring I'd save
room for the lasagna and garlic bread.

So then I had a big, oversized plate of lasagna and garlic bread.
Ummm... it *wasn't* really, really worth it. It was OK, but not that
great. And I kinda passed out early last night after all that,
couldn't stay awake for the movie we were watching (which admittedly
was a bad movie - do not bother renting "Brazil", it's stupid).

I've *never* been dissappointed with my lasagna before. I asked my
husband today whether the lasagna and garlic bread were good last
night, and he said they were great.

i think where you made a mistake was in eating too much, not so much as
what you chose to eat. if you had eaten normal sized portions instead
of a "big, oversized plate" you probably wouldn't have felt so crummy,
and you may even have enjoyed it more.

you should never plan to overeat. it's fine to plan for eating foods
that you generally try avoid when you're in weight loss mode (sorry, i
loathe the concept of "cheating" and won't refer to it as such), but to
eat too much of them is not the best way to go about it.

eat less: it's almost never bad advice.

In article ,
says...
And I kinda passed out early last night after all that,
couldn't stay awake for the movie we were watching (which admittedly
was a bad movie - do not bother renting "Brazil", it's stupid).

Yes, it's kind of tedious, but seeing Katherine Helmond in her shoe hat is almost
worth it :-)

--
Saffire
205/173/125 - 5'2.5"
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

We keep saying we'll have a 'planned cheat'. The idea becomes less and less
appetizing the further we go along with this WOE. I even made sugar cookies
last night for my daughter and her friend to decorate, and told myself as I was
making them "You've been so good, you can have one, it's OK." And then just
didn't bother. It wasn't a Herculean display of self-control, just the way
things are now I guess...

LCing since 12/01/03-
Me- 265/231/140
& hubby- 310/258/180

I've been on the diet for a year and a half now...I do treat myself to a
"carb day" or "carb meal" from time to time....(spaghetti, lasagna or
something similar)....it is often disappointing and I generally feel
polluted after doing i t (like I do today after eating pasta last
night)....And man...the mother of all heartburn has returned today....used
to have it all the time...went away with Atkins...BUT when I DO have those
carb days the hearburn returns....whoa....ya thinks there is a connection?


tony

"jpatti" wrote in message
om...
My first "planned cheat" was yesterday. I had been a good low-carb
girl all day, as my plan was to just cheat for one meal... dinner.

I had decided if I was going to cheat it would be really, really worth
it. I had a cheese lasagna in the freezer which I cooked for dinner,
and I picked up a loaf of italian bread and cut it in half, slathered
it with melted butter and roasted garlic and broiled it brielfy to go
with the lasagna.

I had some crackers as an appetizer while waiting for everything to
get done. Crackers are kind of boring without cheese. and if 'm going
to eat cheese anyways, why not nuke the cheese until crunchy and skip
the crackers entirely? So I put the crackers down, figuring I'd save
room for the lasagna and garlic bread.

So then I had a big, oversized plate of lasagna and garlic bread.
Ummm... it *wasn't* really, really worth it. It was OK, but not that
great. And I kinda passed out early last night after all that,
couldn't stay awake for the movie we were watching (which admittedly
was a bad movie - do not bother renting "Brazil", it's stupid).

I've *never* been dissappointed with my lasagna before. I asked my
husband today whether the lasagna and garlic bread were good last
night, and he said they were great.

The leftover lasagna is in the fridge and I don't really care. It's
not even tempting particularly.

I made stuffed peppers a few nights ago, just mixed up a big batch and
stuffed some for me before adding the rice for the family's peppers.
All made with red and yellow peppers, which have been on sale latey,
and I enjoy so much more than green ones. I had one for brunch today.
I didn't dish up a huge plate of the stuff that I couldn't finish,
just nuked a pepper and munched on it. It was *good* - hit the spot.

So... I didn't seem to enjoy my planned cheat very much.

I like the *idea* of monthly planned cheats, of not setting myself up
for failure by thinking I can *never* eat potatoes or rice or
whatever. But the reality isn't nearly the great big deal I thought
it would be.

If anything... it seems the way cheating is going to work for me is by
being a monthly reminder that I'm not really missing much.I expect my
cravings and desires for carb-laden foods are just going to decrease
when the reality *so* doesn't live up to the craving.

Feb 27 is my next planned cheat as it's my birthday. I'm thinking I
should make bread that day as the one thing that has driven me nuts on
low-carb is the smell of fresh bread out of the oven. Maybe I can
kill off that craving too.

So then I had a big, oversized plate of lasagna and garlic bread.
Ummm... it *wasn't* really, really worth it. It was OK, but not that
great. And I kinda passed out early last night after all that,
couldn't stay awake for the movie we were watching (which admittedly
was a bad movie - do not bother renting "Brazil", it's stupid).

Brazil is a brilliant film...perhaps you'd be happier with "Bird on a Wire"
:P

TheMilligans wrote:
I've been on the diet for a year and a half now...I do treat myself
to a "carb day" or "carb meal" from time to time....(spaghetti,
lasagna or something similar)....it is often disappointing and I
generally feel polluted after doing i t (like I do today after eating
pasta last night)....And man...the mother of all heartburn has
returned today....used to have it all the time...went away with
Atkins...BUT when I DO have those carb days the hearburn
returns....whoa....ya thinks there is a connection?


I've experienced exactly the same. I was on Prevacid before starting
Atkins, and haven't needed it since starting. I actually expected the
heartburn to get worse on this WOE rather than better - because conventional
wisdom says that fatty foods are a major contributor. I actually eat more
fat now than I did then, and don't have any problems at all.

My doctor said that the weight loss helps quite a bit, but I found that the
acid reflux went away even before I'd lost any significant amount of
weight - so I guess that isn't the answer either.

I also have experienced the same feeling after a planned carb meal - feeling
'polluted' and not really enjoying it that much, even when eating very
moderately. I guess that's a good thing though, because that feeling has
certainly made it a lot easier to resist temptations and stay with this WOE
long-term.

Stargazer
Atkins since Apr '03
192/151/140

(The Queen of Cans and Jars) wrote in message ...
jpatti wrote:

i think where you made a mistake was in eating too much, not so much as
what you chose to eat. if you had eaten normal sized portions instead
of a "big, oversized plate" you probably wouldn't have felt so crummy,
and you may even have enjoyed it more.

you should never plan to overeat. it's fine to plan for eating foods
that you generally try avoid when you're in weight loss mode (sorry, i
loathe the concept of "cheating" and won't refer to it as such), but to
eat too much of them is not the best way to go about it.

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my post... I *planned* to overeat, but
didn't actually. I ate about half my oversized plate and then set it
aside.

It just wasn't... well, it wasn't all that overwhelmingly awesome like
I thought it would be.

And it wasn't that big of a deal even aside from the falling asleep
afterwards bit. A bit of brain fog from cabrs isn't that bad, on a
Saturday night when not doing anything more intellectual than watching
a bad movie.

It just wasn't *that* good.

I mean, after a month of watching other people eat stuff I "can't"...
giving myself permission to do so for the one meal was like... well,
so what? OK, so it's lasagna... big, furry deal.

"Stargazer" wrote in message . ..
TheMilligans wrote:
I've been on the diet for a year and a half now...I do treat myself
to a "carb day" or "carb meal" from time to time....(spaghetti,
lasagna or something similar)....it is often disappointing and I
generally feel polluted after doing i t (like I do today after eating
pasta last night)....And man...the mother of all heartburn has
returned today....used to have it all the time...went away with
Atkins...BUT when I DO have those carb days the hearburn
returns....whoa....ya thinks there is a connection?


I've experienced exactly the same. I was on Prevacid before starting
Atkins, and haven't needed it since starting. I actually expected the
heartburn to get worse on this WOE rather than better - because conventional
wisdom says that fatty foods are a major contributor. I actually eat more
fat now than I did then, and don't have any problems at all.

My doctor said that the weight loss helps quite a bit, but I found that the
acid reflux went away even before I'd lost any significant amount of
weight - so I guess that isn't the answer either.

Same here....I found the acid reflux (for which I took prilosec) went away right after the carbs did....but man do I have heartburn today....guess it is because I at the pasta last night and then at some leftovers this morning...I got a double dose!


I also have experienced the same feeling after a planned carb meal - feeling
'polluted' and not really enjoying it that much, even when eating very
moderately. I guess that's a good thing though, because that feeling has
certainly made it a lot easier to resist temptations and stay with this WOE
long-term.

Just shows you that the carbs are bad for you....I figure one contributor is that the yeast from the bread b egins to ferment in your stomach causing gas/acid....but no matter WHAT causes it...I am thankful that I no longer suffer from daily heartburn!....and then there is the decrease in my cholesterol!...this diet is a way of life for me now!....I'll stayu on it for good (except for that occasional day when I want to have heartburn!...


Stargazer
Atkins since Apr '03
192/151/140

You know...I've found that I don't have as big of an appetite since getting
on the diet.

"jpatti" wrote in message
om...
(The Queen of Cans and Jars) wrote in message
...
jpatti wrote:

i think where you made a mistake was in eating too much, not so much as
what you chose to eat. if you had eaten normal sized portions instead
of a "big, oversized plate" you probably wouldn't have felt so crummy,
and you may even have enjoyed it more.

you should never plan to overeat. it's fine to plan for eating foods
that you generally try avoid when you're in weight loss mode (sorry, i
loathe the concept of "cheating" and won't refer to it as such), but to
eat too much of them is not the best way to go about it.

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my post... I *planned* to overeat, but
didn't actually. I ate about half my oversized plate and then set it
aside.

It just wasn't... well, it wasn't all that overwhelmingly awesome like
I thought it would be.

And it wasn't that big of a deal even aside from the falling asleep
afterwards bit. A bit of brain fog from cabrs isn't that bad, on a
Saturday night when not doing anything more intellectual than watching
a bad movie.

It just wasn't *that* good.

I mean, after a month of watching other people eat stuff I "can't"...
giving myself permission to do so for the one meal was like... well,
so what? OK, so it's lasagna... big, furry deal.