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Too Much Cheating Is Defeating The Purpose Of Low-Carb

Posted by Jimmy Moore on September 25 in Low-carb Tips

"Aw, come on, won't you have it just this one time?"

"What's it gonna hurt you to go off your diet for a little bit?"

"Go ahead, taste this food because you know you want it!"

"Stop depriving yourself and enjoy life a little!"

"Get back on the diet tomorrow, why not cheat a little today?"

Raise your hand if you have heard any of the above statements at some point during your low-carb lifestyle. I know I have many times and it just goes to show you that people are clueless and don't understand what the meaning of a LIFESTYLE CHANGE really is. It's not about some temporary Band-Aid on some small cut that will heal in a few months. Nope. For most of us who have been morbidly obese for most of our lives, our weight problem is a gaping open wound that's 2 feet long and in desperate need of permanent surgery and stitching up.

That includes several lifelong changes that have to take place, including the mental awareness of what certain kinds of foods (specifically sugar and other refined carbohydrates) can do adversely to your body, the unshattered resolve to keep on resisting the temptations that will be dangled in front of you, and a steel will to make the right choices when the time comes. It's what distinguishes those of us who have been successful at livin' la vida low-carb and those who have not.

With that said, my Atkins videomaking blogging buddy Kent Altena has another new video this week dealing with the issue of cheating on your low-carb diet. He believes it is better to not risk the temptation and eventual (for most people) defeat on their weight loss plan. I have a different take on this topic than Kent which I will explain in a moment.

Check out his latest Atkins educational video:

CHEATING: IS IT INEVITABLE?

Kent and I do not necessarily agree on this point, although I can certainly understand his position very well. He believes that the low-carb lifestyle allows you to enjoy so many wonderful-tasting foods all the time that you don't need to "treat yourself" to any high-carb "cheat" meals or days. That is tantamount to rewarding your good dieting behavior with food.

"In the end for me at least, I’d be certainly on pathway back to starting weight," Kent contends.

Fair enought. While I agree that REGULAR "cheat" meals or days when you get off the plan is NOT a good idea for people who are livin' la vida low-carb, I certainly believe my controlled cheating approach is one that helped me immensely during my 180-pound weight loss in 2004. The idea of a planned splurge every 6-8 weeks for ONE meal is what got me through to reach my eventual goal. I have no doubt in my mind that it was an essential ingredient in my intial success.

This strategy is not without controversy though among low-carbers, including this response from Kent. But my fellow Atkins weight loss buddy made a very astute observation regarding this issue that is worthy of repeating again.

"In the end, it just comes down to knowing thyself, and acting accordingly. If you can plan and limit yourself to one meal or one day and that those foods still give you pleasure, having that control is a wonderful thing."

What's funny, Kent, is that now that I have been livin' la vida low-carb going on nearly three years now, my desire to have a cheat meal has almost entirely diminished. I just don't want that bread or dessert item I thought I could never live without anymore. And this is a point that Kent makes very clearly on the video: your desires will change and you will begin saying no to all those foods forever. The power of saying no is the greatest feeling you will ever have as a dieter and is something we all hope to attain. It is all up to the individual to decide whether they CAN make that choice and get back on the plan or if will cause them to stumble and fall.

Another outstanding video, Kent! THANK YOU!

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