What should I expect?
 

Well, I had my first "planned cheat" tonight. I decided a few days ago at my last doctors visit that I would indulge once a month over the summer on soft serve. Tonight was the night and it was TOTALLY YUMMY! I'm wondering what I should expect from it. I know that I've been totally thirsty ever since I ate it and I've been loading up on water.
I guess I'll see what the scale has to say for the next couple of days.
Alli

I don't know about you but when I cheat and eat carbs I get a wicked stomach ache equivalent to that of a hangover. Plus for the next couple of days I notice I feel so sleepy in the late afternoon.

When I've cheated in the past, I've usually ending up feeling groggy and unwell for a couple of days :( This is very often accompanied by cronic indigestion, so I've learnt by experience that a cheat very often is worth it.

I've also found that the cheat never tastes as good as I think it will be - in other words, it nevers tastes as good as how I remembered it.

Has anyone else found that ???

For every cheat, Ive had 2 days of serious mid-afternoon slump and a stomach ache in some cases! And the saddest part is that one or two cheats each month stalled my weight loss in a serious way! BUT, we learn as we go :) , thats whats so great about Atkins not being a diet, but a way of life. We have plenty of time to learn from our mistakes. Best of luck!

You probably haven't gained actual weight. Even when I carb loaded one night on a burrito, a whole Totino's pizza and Snackwells, I gained almost 7 lbs of fake weight. It all came off fast, within a week. I'd say you may be bloated and tired and most likely have some serious carb cravings for two days.

If you're at all squemish about your scale number, best to leave it for a week or so! :)

Yep.... which is.... sort of good and sort of bad. I'm sort of dabbling in CKD type stuff and it makes choosing what to eat in carb ups harder.

Expect a four-five lb weight gain, and to feel groggy later that night. The next day or so, expect not to feel as energetic. I have noticed when I start to feel better, the water weight is gone too. I think it is good to eat a treat meal once in a blue moon and feel like crap. Reminds you why you need to stick with good whole unrefined foods.

I do the same thing every couple of weeks. I have found no ill effects from it. I guess it is different for everyone.

Good luck. :)

Try the atkins ice cream...
That is my BIGGEST temptation... ice cream! The atkins stuff is in 4 premeasured serving cups and is pretty darn good! I admit... it's not the same as the carmel preline that I used to eat, but for vanilla ice cream.. It's low enough in carbs to work into my "modified induction" plan with out problems.

Carina

So, Alli - I think we all want to know - what happened ??? how did you feel ??? :)

I had no lasting results from my planned cheat a few weeks ago. I was still down a pound at the end of the week--and I no longer craved the rhubarb pie I had stuffed myself with!

Hi folks,
Well, I had no ill side effects other than being totally thirsty for the rest of the evening. It was definitely as good as I remember, although I didn't get chocolate sprinkles like I used to ;). I figured that would add several more calories and carbs to the mix. I have decided that this months "cheat" ice cream will be in a dish, the cone didn't really do anything for me.
I have tried the Carb Smart ice cream from Breyers and I really enjoy it once in a while but it's NOTHING like having soft serve on a nice warm evening.
Alli

I did the same, and had a whoosh.. plus the stomach ache and the trots that go along with it ;)

Gas and bloating are probably in your future. Whenever I try to cheat, it just doesn't taste right, so I end up not cheating. I want to eat fried rice so bad, but it tastes awful to me, not like I want it to taste...and yes, I tried the cauliflower mock fried rice..it's not the same, really.