I don't get it. It's like every other thread is about cheating.

Sorry- I don't mean to offend anyone, but am I the only one tired of hearing about cheating all the time?

Its OK Salt...
Some folk's need the help, and think about cheating too much...and it makes em feel better to talk about it, I suppose. Better to talk about it for them, then to actually do it!

It is so very hard to lose weight, and the "pressure" of wanting that damn scale to move in a favorable direction can become just too much at times...so folk's lose stride and talk about cheating, cheat days, etc...
Lets just all lose our damn weight and get on with it! LOL!

Best wishes!
Happy Jake

The only time it really bothers me is when someone cheats fairly regularly, once a week or even once a day, then gets extreamly upset and state they are in a stall because they havn't lost everyday and it's all the fault of the eating plan.

I don't think there is such a thing as cheating, I think there are good and bad choices. As with everything else in life we will make some bad choices now and then, but the trick is to get right back up and on track. If you are craving something over and over and end up having it (say pizza) then don't stress over it...you won't gain back what you've lost, it may slow you a little but you will get to where you are going and you may find the trip a little easier when you aren't so strict and hard on yourself.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Suzan

i,m with you suzan
the problem with being on a diet(any diet) is that some foods are not really allowed.i think its human nature to want what you can,t have.i try and do it with treats, not cheats.
twice a week i allow myself a LEGAL treat-in my case peanut butter or a l-c cheesecake and then just get back on track.it doesn,t always work but it usually stops me wanting anything high carb.it also gives a bit of a break from the foods i eat normally .there are so many good l-c recipes on this site that i need never go over to the "other side"

christine

I've been on here a couple of months and I only just realized if you mouse-over the topic, you get a preview. Don't check the ones about cheating if it bothers you.

My own opinion is that the very notion of "cheating" indicates a lack of commitment, but no-one's asking for my opinion. Except maybe you.

REAL addicts don't talk about "cheating;" they talk about death and incarceration when they fall off their recovery. Think heroin, cocaine, etc. People quitting smoking mostly understand that if they cheat, they are NOT quitting smoking. Alcoholics who are serious about recovery don't think they can "cheat" and get away with it; when they cheat, they find themselves getting cut out of cars at the base of a tree.

So I listen to these foodies and kinda chuckle. It's simply easier (at least, it is for me) to put those high-carb foods in the same category as cigarettes. They were enjoyable when I smoked, but they were killing me, and I chose not to go back there.

But I have to admit, the more I read these boards, the more amazed I am at the varieties of experience we bring to our attempts at weight loss. Truly awesome. And whatever works...

I can honestly say I haven't cheated at all since I started. Don't get me wrong here, I have wanted to, but the thought of starting over is just too much for me to give up!!

YOU SAID IT BEST JAKE ! LOL

After the first week of induction and carbohydrate withdrawels.. I havent had the urge to cheat either.. I've had the urge to want something sweet but settle for something that I can have.. such as an Atkins breakfast bar.. sometimes I just cut it in half and nibble on that, just to take the urge away or make some jello or another low carb recipie.. The withdrawels on carbohydrates is harder then when I quit smoking a year ago.. lol ..

also.. I dont think of this as a diet really.. I think of it as a new way of eating or a lifetime eating plan..

when you say "diet" you automatically think of when I get off this "diet" I can have this or that.. and have what you want. its so much easier to just take one day at a time and perhaps make that recipie low carb..and.. if you feel you really need to..just do it and get right back on program..and forgive yourself and go on..

Same here. No going back for me. After almost six months I can't even think of an illegal food I would like to have....

Alina

There are probably several reasons why people post about cheating on here. And many many people cheat. For what reasons?

People cheat because this WOE is so different from what we've been eating all our lives. We're used to having starchy and sugary substances, both "good" foods and "junk" foods. Our minds are programmed for habit. When we break that habit, our tendencies are to keep wanting to do whatever the habit is, and fighting that tendency sometimes preoccupies people. (There's probably not one person here who hasn't "cheated" in some way or another on this WOE.) So they decide to cheat or not to cheat. That's their personal decision. But some people maybe need help making that decision. That's when they post, hoping others will make the decision for them. Or, they have already cheated, feel bad about it, and want either to be told "you'll be ok, just get back on plan" or to be told "naughty naughty." These people are really dedicated to this WOE, but are having a tough time with it, for whatever reason. They want to stay on plan, and use posting as a tool to help.

Some people cheat just because they haven't yet made the committment to this WOE. They cheat, and then use it as an excuse for not really following this WOE. These people aren't losing weight, and they're griping about it. Most of these people probably aren't on this board. A few are. We support them and hopefully they will finally realize that the answer to their weight problem is this WOE. These people will cheat on any diet they choose. They want to lose weight, but don't want any effort to do so. No sticking to a good diet and no exercise. These are the people who want to take a magic pill and have the weight disappear overnight. These people want to shift the blame for their lack of weight loss somewhere besides themselves. (It's the cravings, it's the food I have to keep around for other family members, it's the temptations at work, it's the travel I have to do, etc.) And they'll keep doing this until they decide to change their thinking and their actions. It's not these other things. It's them.

As I mentioned, there probably aren't too many people who fall into the second category on this board. If they don't take the effort to really try and lose weight it is doubtful that they would take the effort to belong to something like this. To the few people on this board who do fall into this category, good for you for joining this board. I hope that you will soon come to realize that you can't keep blaming others for your lack of motivation. Please stay on this board, but don't use it to shift blame. Use it to make the decision to finally do what you need to do.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Joan

On any diet, people have "cheated" to satisfy some craving and have some psuedo-understanding in their minds that it won't hurt. It's like telling someone to not think of pink elephants--what's the first thing that comes to mind....those damn elephants!

We must also try to understand that a good number of obese/overweight people aren't that way because they either want to be or eat entirely too much food, it's a psychological process which either protects them from past hurts (i.e., insulating one's self from pain) or feelings of inadequacy.

I am no expert, but it's hard to commit to something that is out of the ordinary. Some people do not have that yet and some may get it and some won't. We know what results to expect and if those results aren't as expected, we modify our program to attain the desired results.

The only cure for this "cheating" is to know that a level of committment has not been reached, they have and will "cheat" on any diet, and will probably continue doing so. We can only encourage as much as we can, and hopefully know when to let go (could turn into nagging, hence, more cheating) and most importantly, take care of ourselves.

______________________________________________
Your arms are too short to box with God!

Tehn you also have to consider when pl talk about foods that they thought would be ok to eat but turns out its not. Thats valuable information IMO. But thats more of an accidental cheating

well like I said, I don't understand it. this WOL is so satisfying - I eat all I want (which isn't a lot bec the types of foods we eat make me full fast) and I don't get hungry. I don't get cravings, feel bloated or lethargic. I don't know why people would plan a cheat.

I know there are temptations and/or mistakes and when one is overcome by that, sure it's nice to have a pat on the back from someone to say, 'it's ok, look to tomorrow'. that's fine. we ALL learn from that, and probably, reading those posts has kept me from straying off the path.

I think it's the planned cheats, or the people who give in to tempations too often without learning from the last time, and then complain they're stalling - those posts bug me.

It's so simple - you cheat, you will not lose weight.

i promise i don't mean to sound snippey, saltnpeppa, but this is "low-Carb Diets Forums & Support . it can be difficult to be supported when people don't know your "failings" or mishaps. it's often difficult to have a non-low-carb advocate understand and support someone who is devastated for consuming a slice of toast with jelly, and a glass of milk. but here, it makes sense to us.
cs_carver has a great point- just let your mouse hover over each thread before you enter- and you'll be able to avoid most of them. good luck and happy hassle-free low-carbing.