You know... the thing I don't understand about cheating is...well...you are only hurting you. 1 minute of taste every week or so is not worth being fat for the rest of the year. I don't remember hardly any of my previous cheats. Why is that? Because, food ,once it's eaten, just isn't that memorable. It's instant taste bud gratification. But it's disastrous for losing weight on low carb. And
The thing is.... Low carb is mostly about staying within your carb range for losing weight. And of course it's different for everybody so there is no use comparing yourself to someone else. It's like comparing apples and oranges. One person can be really insulin resistant while their friend may not be at all. Just because one person can do fine cheating once and a while does not mean that I can get away with it.
The emotional part of staying on track and losing weight is a whole another problem. If you are in ketosis then your cravings should be more manageable. In fact the deeper into ketosis I go my appetite really diminishes and I don't notice any cravings. Everyone says, that as long as you register a color it doesn't matter how dark it is. This, however has NOT been my experience. Otherwise, if you are still having trouble not cheating the you are eating emotionally. You are the only one that can change why you eat.
For me it's pain and simple. I owe it to myself, my kids and my husband to lose this weight and be as healthy and as energetic as I can be. How dare I choose to remain fat and unhealthy by periodically eating a handful of cookies and thereby risk jeopardizing the future of my kids. I lost my father when I was 5 and I know what it does to children financially as well as emotionally to lose a parent. Being a mom of two small children, I don't have the right to ruin my health.
And... I've spent the last decade in the mid to upper 200's. I can't even remember what it's like to shop in regular stores or sit in a chair like a healthy size person. I want to spend the next decade forgetting what it's like to be fat.
I could fill a whole notebook full of reasons why I want to lose weight. I guess that's why I don't cheat. To me, anything that gets in the way of reaching my goal this year is poison to my diet, my body, my soul, and the my life.
If I hit a stall, who am I punishing (rewarding) by eating some high carb food? I look at weight loss this way. No matter what a persons medical problem or metabolism problem, when put in a situation like a prisoner of war camp or worse a concentration camp they all lost weight. So what does this say? It says that everyone will lose weight if their calories are low enough. Starvation is not the answer. Most all of those that get a gastric bypass lose their excess weight too. All they are REALLY doing is following a low carb low calorie diet. They are forced to or they will make themselves sick. Gastric Bypass isn't the answer either. You would have to see doctors monthly indefinitely. However, just because Susie down the street can lose 50 lbs eating 2000 calories and 45 carbs a day doesn't mean that I can do the same. It is every low carb dieters responsibility to find their own magic level that gives them the loss they want at the rate they want it.
To me, this issue is black at white. If your body can't handle the cheats don't do it. You control what goes into your mouth. If you absentmindedly chomp down on a cookie, spit it out. No one says you have to swallow. If you CHOOSE to cheat...well then you have to figure out why eating a particular food is more important to you than reaching your weight loss and health goals.
I didn't mean this to sound harsh. But sometimes reality is that way.
I also know that it's a struggle. I've had to struggle with it myself. But once something clicks in your head. It all becomes really simple. Cheating will kill your chances of making it to your goal.
As you can tell I feel strongly about this
And I wrote this with the best intentions
Julie Huck
310/270/160