I was just wondering....someone made cookies for my b-day (very belated) and I just wanted to taste the cookies...so I took a bite and spit them out. I might have swallowed a bit of crumbs, but I ate a piece of gum and washed my mouth with water. Then I ate a Russell Stover Pecan Delite (Sugar free) to kill the craving. So is that a cheat? Has anyone else ever done this or am I crazy

Thats not a cheat in my book. I wouldnt fret f I were you.

I do this all the time! It makes you realise that it doesn't taste THAT great and you're not really missing out. I try not to let anyone see me though because it looks pretty revolting. Some people might think this would lead to bulimia but if you have never had any problems with eating disorders and are in control then it is not a problem.

I'm curious, what "purpose" does eating the gum serve in overcoming the act of swallowing a few crumbs?

I would say that what you did though, is definately not a cheat, but for some it might trigger (gulp) worse things. Such as full-scale bingeing.

But if it works for you, hey, go for it.

JFF

The only problem is when you put it in your mouth, the digestive proporties of saliva kick in. It deos get partially digested. Becaus eof the sugars disolving, and something sweet being there, your body will release insulin in response.

Just watch how your body reacts. Did you get an increase in cravings form that one bite? Are you able to stop at one buite, or does your hand go for another while your mind is still debating? How often do you have just one bite?

Soemtiems it can work. It just depends on the person and h ow they react. Only you can judge how it makes you feel and if it's worth it.

LOL good idea, if u dont swallow it i wouldnt consider it a cheat

I wouldn't consider it a cheat but.....

I would say this is NOT A GOOD IDEA. You haven't overcome anything if this is what you will be doing. Thats like recommending an alcoholic to swish their favorite drink around their mouth and then spit it out.

Everyone needs to lose the mentality of cheat/not cheat... legal/illegal. Just make good food choices for the majority of your life. If you want a treat, have a treat. But keep in mind a treat is a treat because it is only once in a while. The occasionaly treat will not spell disaster. Doing stuff like taking a bite and then spitting it out is not sound dietary advice.

I wouldn't consider it a cheat. Sometimes I have to check my son's food to make sure it isn't hot, and to do that I touch it to my lips. Occassionally I'll get a smidgen of a taste. I don't consider that a cheat because it's really just residue. And I've never had it trigger cravings either.

I had to laugh when I saw this post.

I did the same thing with a chocolate one time and realized it wasn't all that good, at least not as I remembered it was, so I spit it out before swallowing anything. My DH was like, what the hell are you doing. I had a good laugh before I told him why I did it. I don't do it anymore cause it triggers more craving for me. It's not worth it.

But it's not a cheat in my book if you don't swallow the sinful food.

Lily

Cheat, schmeat. It's all just symantics, really. It doesn't matter what you call it — what matters is what it's doing to you physically and mentally. Onebigman makes a great point that you haven't overcome your cravings if you find yourself feeding them like this. Maybe a strict two-week Induction or KISS would help you kick those cravings.

That said, a few crumbs probably won't bring your weight loss to a screeching halt, but I surely wouldn't make this a habit.

Ok, I may get slammed for this, but here's my thought.

This was for your birthday. If this is the one sweet thing that you want for your birthday, eat ONE cookie. Give the rest away. Plan for the fact that on your birthday you go to maintanence level carbs - same as you might do on other holidays. If you plan for it, and plan the rest of your daily menu around the fact that you will have this one cookie, it is not a cheat. You are in control and are making an informed decision rather than an impulse reaction. In fact, if you want the cookie that badly, save it for the next day, and plan your carb levels accordingly. And if you don't want the whole cookie - eat the bite and enjoy it, toss the rest of the cookie, and estimate your carb intake from the bite. The whole "taste it then spit it out" thing seems to me to be more of an unhealthy practice than just eating the darn bite! All that guilt over a bite of cookie!

In my mind, cheats are when you lose control and somehow the food you eat starts controlling you instead of the other way around. This is a way of eating for the rest of your life, not a diet. There are times when you are going to want to eat a cookie. It is easier to cut them out completely, but if you want to really stay on this WOL you have to be able to make it work for you. And this means (at least for me) an occasional treat. However, it also means that I accept the consequences for my choice, and that I have to cut back on something else to have my cookie. And if you are going to eat the cookie and you've planned for your cookie - NO GUILT about it later! Fundamentally, it is just a cookie!

Just my opinion...

I agree with MaggieP's planned vs. impulse theory. There's a huge difference between the two.

I have to disagree with the "eat a little more on your birthday" thing, though. If you make that allowance on special days, they never end! First its your birthday, then Valentine's Day, then Easter, then Memorial Day, Indepedence Day, and Labor Day picnics, then all your kids birthdays, then your anniversary, then Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas... you see? At least personally, I think if I started making allowances for special occasions, the special occasions would sink me.

I'm not sure Hilary, but I think you may have spelled schmeat wrong!

I believe the rule is that whoever makes up the word gets to decide how it's spelled!

I have to agree with MaggieP, IMHO, this is all about learning how to control what you eat, not letting it control you. If you can plan to have something, and then get right back onto the plan, I don't think you have hurt yourself. You are just learning how to make this a way of life.

I think the thing that people on this board fear, and I have to admit that I fear it myself, is that treat that you are going to have leading to other cravings. Then instead of having one cookie, you have blown a whole week, or worse yet go off of the woe altogether.

But I think that it is imperative that you learn how your body reacts to different things, and I know I am straying of the topic a little here, but sometimes that means experimenting some.