Do you plan to cheat, or does it just happen?

[Otto's Doll]

Do you plan your "cheats" or do they "just happen"? Which do you find easier to recover from? What do you cheat with?

Otto's Doll

 

[MelanieC]

Since nothing on WW's is offlimits, I can honestly say that since 6/2/03 when I started this years journey, I have not cheated once. Everything I have eaten has been on program. Basically, whatever I want, I just work it into my program. If it's too high in points, and I don't have points today.......I try to work it in for sometimes in the near future. I have gone on 3 summer vacations and did great.

Next month when I go on vacation to WDW, I think I will probably go off program. Try eating healthy and good the majority of time, but I won't stress or not eat what I want. It's my new lifestyle, and I will always have vacation. I try to eat things I want when I want them so I don't feel like I am on a diet.

Melanie

 

[webray]

We plan our days off our plan...then we get right back at it the next day. Works well, and doesn't take more than a few days to recover from any temporary gains.

 

[ohMom]

i have done it both ways - and I think planned cheats are easier to get back on plan from.

Melanie - you are my hero! this is the part of WW I'm struggling with and really working towards - counting everything and planning for some treats. I just feel like it's wrong to plug 17 pts in my journal for a DQ Blizzard

But I know that's how the program is set. I'm doing WW on my own and need to figure out how to convert my PDA journal to flex pts - it's already on Dotti's site I just haven't get it set yet. And that is what I need to do - journal everything and not feel guilty for spending the pts!

 

[trola2]

I posted a moment ago and I don't know what happened to it! So, if this is doubled, then I apologize.

I'm like MelanicC. I pretty much stay OP with WW. I just plan my TREATS into my day. The only time I run into problems is when I am confronted with unplanned things at home...like someone dropping by with a plate of warm homemade chocolate chip cookies. (That does happen in my msall town!!lol)

webray- I can't seem to switch the flip back to "on" once I tell myself that I'm "off" program. I know a lot of people who can, but I just can't. I can't be trusted.

ohMom, About once a month we hit DQ for a big treat. But we plan it and call it DINNER!lol. And although I think I'm liking the hot fudge sundaes best...they are relatively low in points in the grand scheme of ice cream, even the banana split is only 11 points. For most of our normal fast food stops, I checked the menus and made a short list of 3 items from each place...one being a low points, one being mid, and one high...then I can quickly pull out my list when we make a stop and make an informed decision. All things that I liked that I can be happy with.

~~Beth

 

[DoeWDW]

I eat low-carb, and try to stay under 60 grams of carbs for the day. I have really struggled with the idea of cheats vs. treats and working them into my eating plan.

There are times when I plan on treating myself. I know ahead of time what I'm going to have and that it will be over my carb limit for the day. This is controlled eating. I find it very easy to do this and I don't feel guilty about it. I get right back on plan, but this is only once a week or so - can't have treats EVERY day!

There are also times when I want to eat out of stress or anxiety. This is MUCH harder! If I give in and eat stuff that has too many carbs, then I feel like I've cheated because I've let my emotions dictate my eating behavior. I need to find another way to handle these emotions instead of eating. I also find that it's much harder for me to get back on plan, because I'm eating out of stress or anxiety and that emotion is still there after I've eaten! Until the emotion goes away, I still want to keep eating. That's why I need to find alternatives to eating my way through these emotions.

Thanks for bringing this up - it's really been on my mind lately!

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

Knock on wood, I haven't cheated since starting on Atkins June 5. I've long had a planned cheat day for Thanksgiving, but I'm rethinking that. I'm at the point now where there is no food that's worth going OP.

I'm dreading the Christmas season, not because I think I'm going to cheat but because I'm going to be confronted with a lot more prohibited foods. I have to bake for my family, and I'm wondering how hard it will be baking w/o tasting.

 

[ibouncetoo]

DoeWDW, you are so right.
A planned treat, or a plan for a holiday/vacation is going to be a way of life, especially for those of us with lifetime weight issues. It's those emotion based trips to the pantry/fridge where we are cheating OURSELVES. And it's that kind of behaviour that is the hardest to recover from. That's one of the reasons I love this group. There is always plenty of support and ideas here, to help you get on track when you run into trouble.

Everyone have a great, on your plan, day!
Onward and downward!

(don't you just love our new emoticons? Think we'll be seeing the 'group hug' a lot on this board!)

 

[tlgoblue]

I don't consider a treat now and then a cheat. I only consider it a cheat when it becomes more of a binge, and then it's too late. I am finding my treats are fewer and far between, which is my ultimate goal. I just need to stay away from the "crack house". (Hooter's and Cebolla's) So I guess I don't plan my cheats, they just happen. And no, I don't recover easily from them. I have certain weaknesses and like an addict, I can keep myself from the first bite.

Keep the Faith!
Tracy

 

[bunnyfoo]

I use to cheat under the old WW plan because there were days when I didn't have enough banked points and I wasn't able to get out to the gym. I still wrote down what I ate and I tried to bank/earn back the rest of the points during the week.

I like the new Flex Points system much better because you're given all of your discretionary points up front. There's no real way to cheat anymore ... Plus, as Melanie said ... there aren't any off limit foods either. My favourite high-point foods are sweets ... I love cheesecake and chocolate ... yum!

 

[Otto's Doll]

Everyone brought up good points. I seem to do best if I know that there is something coming up and then I plan ahead for a cheat day. I feel better knowing it is a finite time (1 meal or 1 day), and that the next morning I will be right back on plan. I find, for me, it is a good way to say "oh, I could wait to make the brownies for the kids til next Saturday, when I am going to have a day off...", and then I can be happy with waiting.
I have not had any unplanned cheats yet, as I think that they would be much harder to recover from. A control thing, I am sure!
Love the new smilies!
So proud of you all!
Jeanne

Otto's Doll

 

[KathyTX]

Oh, I really like that idea that "cheats" are different from "treats"! That's a great point.

Most of us need to make room in our plan for treats- I know I do! Life without chocolate would be so SAD.

So what is a cheat? I guess it would be REALLY going off your plan... for WW, eating beyond your weekly Flexpoints allowance and not trying to balance it out with activity. For Atkins, carbing up and sending yourself spinning out of ketosis...

I think many of us have had times that we've planned a "vacation" from our eating plan for unusual circumstances- some medical, some vacation related, etc. I don't think of these as "cheats" at all- we've just had to (or chosen to) change our eating habits for a short time, and we've returned to our plans later.

The binges are a whole 'nuther story!!! I don't think we usually plan these. They're probably mostly emotionally triggered events, and we do nothing but hurt and sabotage ourselves between the extra and unnecessary calories, fat, carbs, (fill in your own weakness here), and the GUILT. (Nope, you'll never catch me standing in the kitchen at the end of the day eating chips straight out of the bag while standing over the sink! )

So, I'm thinking we PLAN our TREATS and make them fit into our plan. (If they sabotage our plan, they're not much of a treat!)

CHEATS are the nasty little things that take control of us, and try to derail our plans for healthy eating.

I'm wondering- if we're good about planning some on-program treats for ourselves to satisfy those cravings (ummmm- chocolate!), does this reduce the liklihood that a CHEAT-BINGE ogre will try to derail our good efforts?

 

[tlgoblue]

Originally quoted by Kathy TX

(Nope, you'll never catch me standing in the kitchen at the end of the day eating chips straight out of the bag while standing over the sink! )

OMG! And I never wash mine down with a margarita,you know, to help with the guilt part! (Those were tortilla chips?)

Thanks for the AB workout! My sides are splitting from laughter!