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A friend told me in a comment that a sensible cheat day once a week was a good way to keep up morale and reset my metabolism.
So while I appreciate and even agree with the concept, I'm going to pick on the wording. It's funny to see the words "sensible" and "cheat" in the same sentence, yet I get what he meant by that. He meant eat more calories, but don't go have a gallon of ice cream! Still, I hate the word "cheat".
I hated it in school, I hate it in a marriage, and I hate it in a diet. In fact, people can call it what they like, but words have a powerful meaning for me.
Sure, it's "just a word", but ask a woman how she feels about certain descriptive words about females, or how black people feel about certain words, and all of a sudden, you realize the power of words.
Words have power. Period. And I choose not to call myself a cheater. Ever.
I AM going to take my friend's advice, but I'm going to call it something different for my own sensibilities: I'm going to say this:
"I choose to have a higher calorie meal once a week to confuse/reset my metabolism during my transformation."
I like this a whole hell of a lot better than, "I cheat on my diet once a week to cheer myself up." And it's far more accurate, too.
Because the truth is, I'm not cheating. I do choose to eat more. It is part of a plan to prevent my metabolism from flipping out again. So since it's part of my plan, it's not cheating.
Thank you for allowing me to rant about this nasty little word.
And by the way: if you want to use this word, I won't hold it against you: it's your choice. But it's just not me or who I am. I know it's just a silly word, but as my identity changes with my weight, I'm finding a lot of things changing along with my dress size, including how I perceive myself.
Thanks for listening.
P.S. All time low weight today. Expecting ups and downs this week, but thrilled nevertheless!
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92.8 kg
Lost so far: 34.2 kg.
Still to go: 25.2 kg.
Diet followed: 100%.
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1101 kcal
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Fat: 57.52g | Prot: 93.72g | Carbs: 58.36g.
Breakfast: Watermelon. Lunch: Cottage Cheese (Lowfat 2% Milkfat), Bacon (Cured, Pan-Fried, Cooked). Dinner: Trader Joe's Frozen Lobster Tails, Outback Steakhouse Outback Steamed Broccoli. more...
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Losing 3.2 kg a Week
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1 to 20 of 28
 Comments
I call it "Free Day Sunday"... seems to kickstart the diet when you return on Mondays
16 Jun 14 by member: luvcatz1
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Yeah I like your wording better. I choose not to "eat whatever I want once a week" because I know that starts me on a binge. Its like being an alcoholic - I can choose to eat a fruit, sausage, or something not on my food list but there is no free for all. Every choice has to be deliberate and well thought out or I put myself in danger.
I really hate it but thats the way it is.
16 Jun 14 by member: ny_shelly
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I totally agree. In my mindset if I cheat on my foodplan I am cheating myself which I am busting my butt not to do. I also do not get the I'm full message so eat anything I want day would probably end up with a 5lb gain which I'm not willing to lose again and again. I have tons of people tell me its ok to have flour and sugar once in awhile. I don't know how THEY know what is good for my body and my mind. This whole food issue is part mind game for me as well.
16 Jun 14 by member: Kris AZ
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Was it me? Lol. You know my approach now. Cycling calories gives me high days and low days. Placement of carbs in the high days keeps glycogen up. On low cal days, I basically avoid carbs. I'm betting better at it too. Carbs sneak in so easily. :)
16 Jun 14 by member: northernmusician
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I hate the cheat word too. I never cheat, because I'm always conscious of my decisions and don't do anything that I would consider wrong for me, because this is a lifestyle, which means being consistent, not having days where I completely blow it. That would send me back to where I started, because I'm like what Shelly mentioned: a food addict.
16 Jun 14 by member: ChristyLA
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First, congrats on your ALL TIME LOW (yes, that was worthy of yelling). What a rush to step on the scale and see a number that you may not have been anticipating. Nice work! Next, I agree about the power of words. I have the same issue with "diet" and "cheat". Cheat hits me all the same ways it does you. "Diet" for me automatically makes me think of deprivation and rigidity. Reframing what I'm doing and thinking of looking for better foods to eat and better ways to eat makes the process something I look forward to rather than dread.
16 Jun 14 by member: Vickie 5966
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16 Jun 14 by member: jparlett
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Try "spike" day, which can be a day when you are allowed to go over your RDI, but you still eat mindfully. During my last diet attempt, I did one "cheat day" a week. It wasn't good. I'd go crazy and want to eat ALL THE THINGS that my diet prevented. Then I'd feel like a bloated pile of ick. Now I have weekend days where I don't track calories and may indulge a bit more, but don't go overboard either. I prefer to think of them as "spike days" or just days I don't track rather than a day to overindulge to make up for all of the other days. I like your thoughts. :)
16 Jun 14 by member: megmonster
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Congrats on the new low. Very happy for you. I chose to use the word "indulgence" day. Got that from Keld. I like the word. And do agree that we're not cheating. We know damn good and well what we're doing and it's done with intention.
16 Jun 14 by member: ClassicRocker
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volutary endulgence day vs. involutary endulgence day (consiously eating more vs. binging)
16 Jun 14 by member: puhpine
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To clarify, I will never NOT log my food. I believe that I'm a food addict and not logging my food would be very dangerous ground for me. I'd rather log it and know that I had 5000 calories than not log it and wonder, even if I only had 2500. I hope that makes sense. I just need to be aware of what I'm doing, is what I'm trying to say. For five decades., I had no idea what I was eating, and that's how I got to be 130 pounds overweight. Now I'm aware of what I'm eating and for me, that's 50% of the battle. My "one day" will include four chicken thighs instead one one. I'm really not about the strawberry shortcake or the beer. That's not who I am anymore. I'm working to build muscle and eating more calories is a well thought out, planned behavior, not a free for all at the County Fair's hot dog eating contest. It's not that I don't want to have fun anymore as some might perceive, it's just that I no longer find the wild abandon of overindulging in food and alcohol fun anymore. It just seems gross to me now. It's like looking at life through completely different eyes. If you've ever done anything that you used to do and said, "How did I ever used to do that?" then you know what I mean. Something really changed. That's why I think I won't gain it back. I look at food completely differently now. It's not a treat, a reward or even an indulgence. It's fuel that can taste good at times. But it's also a dangerous drug that needs to be monitored (for me). I have to be very careful how much I take and watch that I don't OD.
16 Jun 14 by member: mrsmole
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Great job on the loss! I never liked "cheat" either though I allow for it when communicating on FS because I have read it so many times, people understand the concept when eating healthier or "dieting". Again, another word that doesn't apply. It is a life change to be healthier.
16 Jun 14 by member: kattay
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@mrsmole...yeah I have the same problem. It is interesting that even when I was doing atkins instead of primitive/paleo I thought I was eating less than 10 g of carbs and no sugar. Putting the info in a food log made me realize I was eating way more of both than I thought. Last night I had a sugar attack out of nowhere. The food log helped me figure out that the trigger may have been eating more than 10 carbs at a meal. Sounds nuts but I am that sensitve to sugar and I almost binged out...yikes!
16 Jun 14 by member: ny_shelly
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Both cheat and diet have been taken out of my vocabulary in terms of food and eating. I am not on a 'diet' therefore I am not 'cheating' if I eat more calories. I choose to eat fewer calories and healthier foods in general most days but I am not locked into it and if I choose to eat some high-calorie foods then I will own it.
16 Jun 14 by member: ammittai
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Ny_shelly, I'm so glad you see how the food log helps. Last night, the food log saved me, too. I thought I was starving, but when I looked at what I had eaten, I saw that I was in for about 1300. That's plenty. Were it not for the food log, I would have eaten another 300-500 calories I didn't need.
16 Jun 14 by member: mrsmole
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I agree with Ammittai - we need to eliminate such words from our vocabulary. We are all learning to eat better and healthier, but deprivation is a killer. It's almost human nature that when we feel deprived, we rebel. So I don't deprive. For me, in order to achieve a healthy weight, I need to limit my calories, fats, carbs, etc. If I want that brownie, I will have maybe half of it - log the calories and such - and be on my way. The rest of the day I keep an eye on what I'm eating. I won't feel deprived so I won't rebel and binge. I still achieve my goals but I don't ever feel like I've "cheated because I have nothing to "cheat" about. I'm making choices I'm comfortable with but still enjoying life and what it has to offer.
16 Jun 14 by member: cmlynn
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Agree with the use of the food log as sometimes the day gets busy and we might forget what has been eaten, or every prevent one for cheating.
16 Jun 14 by member: herrhoff
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It sounds like you're saying you've really changed as a person, MM. That is what it takes to not gain it back :) Yay!
16 Jun 14 by member: ChristyLA
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I must log my food too, because I'll just keep on eating if I don't, lol. Kinda sucks to know that I'll always have to log my food, but it's worth it to keep these 100 lbs off!
16 Jun 14 by member: ChristyLA
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I hear you. When I first started on here I was using language I had heard my husband utilize, where 5 days out of every 7 he carefully logged his intake and restricted his caloric intake. Then, on the alternating two days (split apart throughout the week) he was free to NOT log and to eat more calories. I, too, like you, decided I wasn't "cheating," as I have not gone over my RDI since the first month on this new lifestyle plan. I just have days I am not as far UNDER as usual. I created my own diet, so there aren't any things totally off limit. Yet another reason to not need to "cheat." But, I do evaluate my eating habits periodically and admonish myself for too many sweets, knowing that my body needs healthier fuel. You have made choices for yourself that you won't budge on because of concerns over not being able to stop. I understand those choices. I make different choices in order to not feel deprived and that works for me. I feel it will result in my being able to live this way for the long haul. Different strokes for different folks!
16 Jun 14 by member: gilliansings
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