[CindyLouWho]

Ok, I am assuming that I am not the only one who occationally eats something that I know full well is BAD for me but I eat it anyway.

So here is my question to those who 'cheat'. HOW and WHEN??

With me, I will go for a few weeks sticking to a strict meal plan and being very good. Then, I will take one day and have whatever I want. I still stay REASONABLE in that I keep my BS below 140 after a meal or snack, but the calories, carbs and fats are simply 'forgotten about' for the day.

The next day, I am back on task. So my whacked sense of logic tells me that it was just one day and now I am back on track.

Do you have 'throw away' days, or do you just sneak a cookie every other day? OR, do you never cheat?

 

[Joshua Shorter]

Of course I NEVER cheat!
Okay, maybe a cookie every once in a while after I have tested. This Christmas is my first since I was diagnosed and it has been a little more challenging than I expected. My numbers have stayed under control (read <120 98% of the time and always <140) but they have been higher than I usually like.
I'm sure everyone cheats every once in a while.
Maybe not ThoseBackPages.

 

[CindyLouWho]

I also survived Christmas and Thanksgiving very well. I had both weeks off of work but managed to still lose weight and kept my numbers together. today has been a 'cheat day' for me.

 

[thcri]

My problem cheating becomes a snow ball effect. Today one cheat is fine, tomorrow two cheats is fine and so on and so on. My weight is my biggest concern right now as I have my BS in line and off the insulin. Yes cheating will put me back on insulin. I guess what I am saying is my cheating hurts my weight right now more than my BS.

 

[CindyLouWho]

My problem cheating becomes a snow ball effect. Today one cheat is fine, tomorrow two cheats is fine and so on and so on. My weight is my biggest concern right now as I have my BS in line and off the insulin. Yes cheating will put me back on insulin. I guess what I am saying is my cheating hurts my weight right now more than my BS.

fortunately, I don't snowball. I will suffer through and 'miss' some of my favorites for several weeks, when I break, I break. but then I am quick to regain control the next day. It took me years to put on the weight, I am trying hard to get it back down. This system is working for me, just wondered what others do.

 

[Joshua Shorter]

My problem cheating becomes a snow ball effect. Today one cheat is fine, tomorrow two cheats is fine and so on and so on. My weight is my biggest concern right now as I have my BS in line and off the insulin. Yes cheating will put me back on insulin. I guess what I am saying is my cheating hurts my weight right now more than my BS.

I actually noticed that too. The low carb thing really helps us lose weight and the extra cheating I did this last week, which wasn't that much, put on about a pound and a half. That took me about 2 weeks to lose and less than a week to put on. That really gave me a motivating kick in the butt!
If we don't cheat today we will be less likely to cheat tomorrow. That's why I tell people I just can't eat certain foods, even though I could cover it with insulin, instead of explain the whole process to me. If I use an extra unit or two of insulin today it becomes much easier to do the same thing tomorrow. Then it isn't cheating, it is a lifestyle.

 

[thcri]

fortunately, I don't snowball. I will suffer through and 'miss' some of my favorites for several weeks, when I break, I break. but then I am quick to regain control the next day. It took me years to put on the weight, I am trying hard to get it back down. This system is working for me, just wondered what others do.

What is working is great, keep it up. For me it just seems as soon as I cheat it becomes easier to cheat again.

I too like you am losing weight. I started back in March lost 75 and would like to get rid of 25 more but the scale has not changed in the last two months. I know I am working out more and probably am building muscle but it is frustrating not seeing the scale change.

 

[CindyLouWho]

What is working is great, keep it up. For me it just seems as soon as I cheat it becomes easier to cheat again.

I too like you am losing weight. I started back in March lost 75 and would like to get rid of 25 more but the scale has not changed in the last two months. I know I am working out more and probably am building muscle but it is frustrating not seeing the scale change.

Yeah, the scale is a huge encouragement for me. As are low BG readings.

 

[Joshua Shorter]

What is working is great, keep it up. For me it just seems as soon as I cheat it becomes easier to cheat again.

I too like you am losing weight. I started back in March lost 75 and would like to get rid of 25 more but the scale has not changed in the last two months. I know I am working out more and probably am building muscle but it is frustrating not seeing the scale change.

I know what you mean. I would really like to drop another 10 or 15 LBS but they don't seem to be wanting to come off. I have lost about 20 LBS since I was diagnosed and put on insulin so I am happy about that.
Doing what works for us is the weird thing about this disease. What works for me won't work for you. We can encourage each other and we can understand what the other person is going through but we cannot give advice about every scenario. We have to figure that out for ourselves...

 

[CindyLouWho]

I know what you mean. I would really like to drop another 10 or 15 LBS but they don't seem to be wanting to come off. I have lost about 20 LBS since I was diagnosed and put on insulin so I am happy about that.
Doing what works for us is the weird thing about this disease. What works for me won't work for you. We can encourage each other and we can understand what the other person is going through but we cannot give advice about every scenario. We have to figure that out for ourselves...

Very true!! It is not so much that fewer carbs have caused my weight loss, but fewer calories. If you take in fewer calories than you expend, you should lose wieght.

I wonder when you guys hit the point where you are no longer losing if lowering the calories you take in would help? Perhaps your new, more slender body does not need the calorie count you have been used to having while you were losing???

It is something I will have to experiement with if/when I hit a point where I stop losing and still want to.

 

[ThePunkHippie]

I try to cheat while still staying on my diet, if that makes any sense
if I'm in the mood for something I know I shouldn't have, I eat a couple bites, then give the rest to my boyfriend to eat *laughs*
it helps satisfy my craving, so I'm not eating my way across creation trying to make up for not eating what I actually want

 

[thcri]

I try to cheat while still staying on my diet, if that makes any sense
if I'm in the mood for something I know I shouldn't have, I eat a couple bites, then give the rest to my boyfriend to eat *laughs*
it helps satisfy my craving, so I'm not eating my way across creation trying to make up for not eating what I actually want

You know I have been known to do that now and then. But since it is not good for me I don't give it to my wife but I throw it in the waste basket. Or give it to the dog.

I remember 25 years ago when I quit smoking. I would give in and go buy a pack. Smoke one kick myself and throw the rest of the pack in the waste basket. I wouldn't even give it to someone else. Expensive process but in the long run I won.

 

[jwags]

I don't count calories only carbs and have lost tons of weight. Once you get to the point you are burining fat, the calories don't really matter. When you eat low carb ( under 50 a day) it is really hard to gain weight. I have found out though when I do cheat at a party or family reunion and eat carbs, the pounds come on very quickly. One weekend of cheating can add 3-4 pounds. I hit my goal weight of 125 last January and have lost another 12 since. I keep my weight in the 111-114 range pretty much even eating over 2000 calories a day. I did cheat with a few too many christmas cookies this past weekend and I did gain 1.5 pounds. So went on a long walk yesterday and today.

 

[Mary Huskey]

I don't count calories only carbs and have lost tons of weight. Once you get to the point you are burining fat, the calories don't really matter. When you eat low carb ( under 50 a day) it is really hard to gain weight. I have found out though when I do cheat at a party or family reunion and eat carbs, the pounds come on very quickly. One weekend of cheating can add 3-4 pounds. I hit my goal weight of 125 last January and have lost another 12 since. I keep my weight in the 111-114 range pretty much even eating over 2000 calories a day. I did cheat with a few too many christmas cookies this past weekend and I did gain 1.5 pounds. So went on a long walk yesterday and today.

I would like to lose about 100 lbs i am 262 they say i should be 130 at a high weight for my height however if i was 130 and 5'4 i would look like a crack head i am not looking to be super skinny or anything but i believe i would be happy at 150-160 even 180 at a very high i have already lost 98lbs and have been stuck at 262-263 for about 7 months now

 

[jwags]

I started out around 200 about 10 years ago when I turned 50. I had always exercised but kept extra weight on with 6 pregnancies in 10 years. My last daughter was born when I was 39. So between that and peri menopause and then full menopause I was very overweight. I made the decision after I saw some Christmas pictures of myself. I started to work out 2-3 hours a day and did diets like Atkins and South Beach. In about 5 years I lost 50 pounds and went from a size 16 to a size 8. That is when I was dx'd with diabetes. The first thing the doctor said was maybe you could lose more. I was 148 at the time and thought he was crazy. I decided to give up all processed food and 4 years later I am 112 pounds, the weight I was in high school in the late 60's. It took me awhile to get used to the new me. My friends think I am way too skinny but I am muscular and getting used to the thinner version of me. I have had to replace my wardrobe. Luckily my daughter in law gave me some of her hand me downs. For awhile I could share clothes with my 21 year old but even now I am thinner than her. I feel I am healthy and the lower weight is great for my bgs. I wake up around 90-100 most mornings and rarely spike over 120-130. After meals I return to my fasting within 2-3 hours. Diabetes can be managed with tweaks to your lifestyle. I am 5'3.5 and I think I look pretty good for a 60 year old woman.

 

[Shanny]

If my BG stays under 140, I don't consider it cheating, regardless of what I eat. If it's something I know will cause trouble if I use it regularly/frequently, it has to remain in the realm of severely limited foods, but I don't consider a bite or two to be cheating. Now sitting down & eating the entire pecan pie or the whole loaf of sourdough bread would definitely be cheating!

Like Boxing Day dinner . . . daughter-in-law had all baked tater-type things wrapped in foil. I crossed my fingers & hoped for a sweet potato, but my luck ran out. Tried to switch with my everlovin' husband, but he had mashies which I obviously didn't want either. So rather than cause a fuss, I just ate the darn thing & hoped I used enough butter to slow down the carbs (shoulda eaten the foil & left the tater! Why don't people just oil the skins & forget the foil anyhow?! Sweet taters or russets either one bake up perfectly without foil!). Fasting the next morning was 160, so there it was - simple cause & effect: eat a baked tater for supper, I'm gonna pay for it in the morning. (I shudder to think what I'd have tested an hour after the meal . . . I've rather relaxed the post-prandial testing because there's usually no carbs to speak of, to need to test)

Ok, I am assuming that I am not the only one who occationally eats something that I know full well is BAD for me but I eat it anyway.

So here is my question to those who 'cheat'. HOW and WHEN??

With me, I will go for a few weeks sticking to a strict meal plan and being very good. Then, I will take one day and have whatever I want. I still stay REASONABLE in that I keep my BS below 140 after a meal or snack, but the calories, carbs and fats are simply 'forgotten about' for the day.

The next day, I am back on task. So my whacked sense of logic tells me that it was just one day and now I am back on track.

Do you have 'throw away' days, or do you just sneak a cookie every other day? OR, do you never cheat?

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Here is what tell my friends and family:

i will "take a day off" when Diabetes "takes a day off", which is never.

im sorry, but as someone who was 38 at diagnosis, ive eaten enough sh*t in my life that i do not need to eat anymore of it.

 

[thcri]

I started out around 200 about 10 years ago when I turned 50. I had always exercised but kept extra weight on with 6 pregnancies in 10 years. My last daughter was born when I was 39. So between that and peri menopause and then full menopause I was very overweight. I made the decision after I saw some Christmas pictures of myself. I started to work out 2-3 hours a day and did diets like Atkins and South Beach. In about 5 years I lost 50 pounds and went from a size 16 to a size 8. That is when I was dx'd with diabetes. The first thing the doctor said was maybe you could lose more. I was 148 at the time and thought he was crazy. I decided to give up all processed food and 4 years later I am 112 pounds, the weight I was in high school in the late 60's. It took me awhile to get used to the new me. My friends think I am way too skinny but I am muscular and getting used to the thinner version of me. I have had to replace my wardrobe. Luckily my daughter in law gave me some of her hand me downs. For awhile I could share clothes with my 21 year old but even now I am thinner than her. I feel I am healthy and the lower weight is great for my bgs. I wake up around 90-100 most mornings and rarely spike over 120-130. After meals I return to my fasting within 2-3 hours. Diabetes can be managed with tweaks to your lifestyle. I am 5'3.5 and I think I look pretty good for a 60 year old woman.

Congratulations, job well done. I am sure you are an inspiration to many people. Just hearing your story you are to me.

 

[jwags]

I think the most frustrating part of diabetes is you can have perfect numbers for months and then just a little change in diet or exercise will push you over the edge. Since I cheated over the weekend I've noticed my bg setpoint has changed. So today I am seeing bgs 20 points higher than usual. I guess my D body is telling me not to cheat, but those cookies did taste so good.

 

[breezeonby]

Ok, I am assuming that I am not the only one who occationally eats something that I know full well is BAD for me but I eat it anyway.

So here is my question to those who 'cheat'. HOW and WHEN??

With me, I will go for a few weeks sticking to a strict meal plan and being very good. Then, I will take one day and have whatever I want. I still stay REASONABLE in that I keep my BS below 140 after a meal or snack, but the calories, carbs and fats are simply 'forgotten about' for the day.

The next day, I am back on task. So my whacked sense of logic tells me that it was just one day and now I am back on track.

Do you have 'throw away' days, or do you just sneak a cookie every other day? OR, do you never cheat?

I try to eat normal food, but I read every label and carb amount in each serving and when I buy sugar-free food, I read the ingredients and I am amazed what is thrown in to make sugar free food taste good. If I had a "throw away day", I would need some major Novolog injections to keep my blood sugar in my target ranges and using more insulin to just eat what I want, I have gained enough weight from using insulin, it would not be a good day for me. I do eat cheese and meat and poultry without measuring the amounts and I try to use full fat foods, I don't eat that much of those. I love mustard and put it on many foods to boost the flavor. I add as much as I want-free food! I actually prefer string cheese to potato chips for a snack and no carbs in string cheese.