Planning a cheat (maybe)

"Lady o' the house" writes:
DH and I are going out on Valentine's Day to dinner and a show, and
we plan to try out a new Mexican restaurant in town (everyone has
raved about it.) I was thinking of cheating a little at dinner that
night, but I was

If you're going to cheat, especially for such an occasion, don't try
to cheat "just a little". The whole point of changing your WOE is to
enjoy life - and if you aren't enjoying it, you're doing it wrong.
It's just ONE MEAL. Eat what suits your fancy, enjoy the evening,
don't worry about it.

wondering: for those of you who plan cheat meals, do you follow your
diet up to the meal when you plan to cheat (and just go over), or do
you cut your carbs/calories even lower before the cheat meal to
compensate for your indulgence?

You have two things going for you already: First, LC tends to deplete
glycogen stores, so all those carbs will have somewhere to go, which
should help cut down on fat storage (you'll still have the water
bloat, but that goes away pretty reliably). Second, LC tends to
increase insulin sensitivity, so when the insulin starts coursing
through your veins it will be able to do its job properly.

To add to that, consider strategic weight training - work out that
morning to deplete muscles and put them in the mood for food, then
again the next night (36 hour gap) or morning after (48 hour gap) to
take advantage of the stuffed muscles. Add extra cardio over the next
week or so to use up the extra calories, and away you go...

On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 20:12:25 GMT, "Lady o' the house"
announced in front of God and everybody:

for those of you who plan cheat meals, do you follow your diet up
to the meal when you plan to cheat (and just go over), or do you cut your
carbs/calories even lower before the cheat meal to compensate for your
indulgence?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. :-)

It's not a dumb question at all!

If I'm going to be eating a non-LC meal at a restaurant, I try to
follow the CAD ratio of 1/3 protein, 1/3 veg and 1/3 carby food. Even
though I've never really understood that plan (does a piece of
cheesecake equal 1/3 of a meal? Is creme brulee the same as roasted
red potatoes? Is it a third by weight, by volume or by calories?)

But at any rate ... I make sure I get plenty of protein and vegetation
no matter what it is I order. And I understand that it's for this meal
only -- the next morning it's right back on plan, and I drink extra
water.

Also, I don't have "cheat days" or "cheat meals." I occasionally eat
off-plan and it's part of my general lifestyle, one that I plan to
follow for the rest of my life. I believe that, like using the word
"diet," calling it a cheat is reinforcing bad habits, like telling
myself that I was "bad" and that sticking to a strict diet is "good."
That's a mindset I don't need.

Dawn

Lady o' the house wrote in message
...
DH and I are going out on Valentine's Day to dinner and a show, and we
plan
to try out a new Mexican restaurant in town (everyone has raved about it.)
I was thinking of cheating a little at dinner that night, but I was
wondering: for those of you who plan cheat meals, do you follow your diet
up
to the meal when you plan to cheat (and just go over), or do you cut your
carbs/calories even lower before the cheat meal to compensate for your
indulgence?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. :-) But I've done so well already and I
don't want to have to go back through the carb withdrawal thing again. I
probably will order fajitas (my favorite American-Mexican meal, anyway)
with
a diet soda or water.

TIA,
Linda



If I know I will be "cheating" I go as low with the carbs as possible
throughout the day and the next day. It all averages out in the end.

~Patty




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Linda,

http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/offplan.htm describes what you can
expect to have happen if you do a carb-up and may keep you from worrying
yourself unnecessarily if it seems like it is taking longer than you expect
to bounce back.

Hope it helps, and enjoy Valentine's day! It's one of my annual "nothing
has carbs" days, too. g

-- Jenny - Low Carbing for 4 years. At goal for weight. Type 2 diabetes,
hba1c 5.2.
Cut the carbs to respond to my email address!

Low carb facts and figures, my weight-loss photos, tips, recipes,
strategies for dealing with diabetes and more at
http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/

Looking for help controlling your blood sugar?
Visit http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/...0Diagnosed.htm



"Lady o' the house" wrote in message
...
DH and I are going out on Valentine's Day to dinner and a show, and we
plan
to try out a new Mexican restaurant in town (everyone has raved about it.)
I was thinking of cheating a little at dinner that night, but I was
wondering: for those of you who plan cheat meals, do you follow your diet
up
to the meal when you plan to cheat (and just go over), or do you cut your
carbs/calories even lower before the cheat meal to compensate for your
indulgence?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. :-) But I've done so well already and I
don't want to have to go back through the carb withdrawal thing again. I
probably will order fajitas (my favorite American-Mexican meal, anyway)
with
a diet soda or water.

TIA,
Linda

It's better to actually lose some weight before you start cheating.

--
JC

Eat less, exercise more.

--
"Lady o' the house" wrote in message
...
DH and I are going out on Valentine's Day to dinner and a show, and we
plan
to try out a new Mexican restaurant in town (everyone has raved about it.)
I was thinking of cheating a little at dinner that night, but I was
wondering: for those of you who plan cheat meals, do you follow your diet
up
to the meal when you plan to cheat (and just go over), or do you cut your
carbs/calories even lower before the cheat meal to compensate for your
indulgence?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. :-) But I've done so well already and I
don't want to have to go back through the carb withdrawal thing again. I
probably will order fajitas (my favorite American-Mexican meal, anyway)
with
a diet soda or water.

TIA,
Linda

DJ Delorie wrote:

If you're going to cheat, especially for such an occasion, don't try
to cheat "just a little". The whole point of changing your WOE is to
enjoy life - and if you aren't enjoying it, you're doing it wrong.
It's just ONE MEAL. Eat what suits your fancy, enjoy the evening,
don't worry about it.

What horsepuckey. If you need to have a blow-out carb binge to "enjoy
life" instead of partaking of a somewhat carbier than usual meal, then
you need to get a life. And your food fixations are likely going to be
a problem in maintenance.

168/125/125 7 years: LC since 2/18/97 maintaining since 3/17/99
--
jamie )

"There's a seeker born every minute."

Dawn Taylor wrote:

If I'm going to be eating a non-LC meal at a restaurant, I try to
follow the CAD ratio of 1/3 protein, 1/3 veg and 1/3 carby food. Even
though I've never really understood that plan (does a piece of
cheesecake equal 1/3 of a meal? Is creme brulee the same as roasted
red potatoes? Is it a third by weight, by volume or by calories?)

I do that also, when I have an off-plan meal. It's been about 6 years
since I read CAD, but as best as I recall, it's one third by eyeballing
volume, and the meal is supposed to start with a large salad, before
the thirds-divided plate.

I usually do restrict carbs a little more than usual at other meals when
planning a CAD dinner, but not always.

--
jamie )

"There's a seeker born every minute."

(jamie) writes:
What horsepuckey. If you need to have a blow-out carb binge to "enjoy
life" instead of partaking of a somewhat carbier than usual meal, then
you need to get a life. And your food fixations are likely going to be
a problem in maintenance.

That's not at all what I meant. If you're planning a special night out,
and you have three choices:

1. Stick to your diet and worry about the food you eat.

2. "Cheat" a little, and STILL worry about the food you eat.

3. Don't worry about the food you eat; after all it's a special
occasion and it's only one meal.

I'd pick #3 or #1, but not #2. If worrying about what you're eating
detracts from enjoying the time spent with the person across the table
(after all, it's a Valentine's Day dinner), then IMHO you've got your
priorities all wrong.

Sheesh, next thing you know you'd be breaking up with your SO because
you got chocolates for Valentine's Day.

DJ Delorie wrote:

(jamie) writes:
What horsepuckey. If you need to have a blow-out carb binge to "enjoy
life" instead of partaking of a somewhat carbier than usual meal, then
you need to get a life. And your food fixations are likely going to be
a problem in maintenance.

That's not at all what I meant. If you're planning a special night out,
and you have three choices:

1. Stick to your diet and worry about the food you eat.

2. "Cheat" a little, and STILL worry about the food you eat.

3. Don't worry about the food you eat; after all it's a special
occasion and it's only one meal.

I'd pick #3 or #1, but not #2. If worrying about what you're eating
detracts from enjoying the time spent with the person across the table
(after all, it's a Valentine's Day dinner), then IMHO you've got your
priorities all wrong.

I fail to see how one has to worry at all about the food. You either
eat on plan or you have some food that's off plan. Worry that detracts
from the event? If you have undue anxiety about what you eat or might
eat, again, the food fixation is going to be your bigger problem.

--
jamie )

"There's a seeker born every minute."

(jamie) writes:
If you have undue anxiety about what you eat or might eat, again,
the food fixation is going to be your bigger problem.

Agreed! Hence, cheating "a little" is a problem. Either cheat or do
not cheat, if you're trying to fine-tune your cheating, you're putting
too much thought into it.