O.K. I've had it up to here! The word "CHEAT" must die

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(Randy) #1

[rant] I’ve got to admit that I throw up in my mouth a little every time I see some one use the phrase “cheat meal” or “cheat day” etc.

No morality play from me. You do you, and I’ll do me. But the word cheat implies “getting away with something”. You’re not. If you’re living a low carb life and choose to have a carb fest, you know and accept the consequences. You haven’t cheated anything. It’s like wink-wink, nod-nod, cheat day.

Some people choose to go in and out of ketosis, and are happy with their lifestyle. But calling it “cheating” just sounds dumb. [/rant]

Back to your regularly scheduled happy fun keto time. :smile:

(Karen) #2

It’s about keto choices and non-keto choices. Not good or bad. Just choices.

K

(Pete A) #3

Amen brother!

(Raj Seth) #4

As @KHAN said you do you, I’ll do me. Since I went keto Halloween 2017, My total carb intake has been 4 French fries. Not 4 orders - 4 individual fries. 8 halves on 8 different occasions. Sister owns a Canadian A&W franchise, so I have 1/2 a fry whenever I visit her

I just don’t see carbs as food anymore. Food is savory, not sweet. I know how poisonous carbs are for me, and I consider myself extremely fortunate that I find myself with NO irresistible urges to “cheat”.

Yeah - cheat is a crappy word to describe that behavior.

#5

I should be working but thought I would cheat and read your rant.

(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #6

I call it a slip-up rather than cheat.

(Kirk) #7

My story is that I tripped and my penis fell into that stripper, but my wife insists on calling it a “cheat”.

(Randy) #8

That I would have no issue calling a cheat day. lol :rofl:

#9

Completely agree. I sometimes choose to eat something non keto. I never think of it as a cheat, since i can’t cheat good health. It’s either on plan or off plan but it’s not a cheat it’s a life choice.

(Rob) #10

You do like a [/RANT] don’t you? :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

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Khan MEme.jpeg684×504 26.5 KB

Not that there’s anything wrong with that… (I agree about “cheat” too)

(TJ Borden) #11

@KHAN. Amen brother. Perfect example was me this past weekend. I drove about 500 miles away to help my brother move and it happens to be one of the closest Cracker Barrel’s to me. Since I rarely get to go, I decide I wasn’t going to skip the hash brown casserole. My brother was asking me how I could justify eating that with my “diet”. To which I responded, it’s hash brown casserole, how do justify NOT eating it.

I didn’t “fall off the wagon”. I made a choice. And after also choosing Arctic Circle (another rarity) for lunch before driving home today. I’m probably going to choose to fast tomorrow.

(Karen) #12

I fast after a lapse.

K

(Jay Patten) #13

You’re only cheating youself when you hit up that “keto” brownie mix!

But if you need an occasional cheat to keep things in prospective, then go for yours! (Just don’t complain when you gain some weight back! :rofl:)

(Robert C) #14

I think the word “cheat” has a positive and negative aspect.

The negative aspect (for keto) is greater than the negative aspect for a calories in / calories out mindset. For that mindset, the Sunday extra calorie day is just that, one blown day (“I’ll be back to it on Monday”). For keto - I feel that the effects are longer lasting in two ways. First, if you are in the beginning of your keto journey, you’ve just messed with your hormones (assuming some amount of carbs) and so maybe not just a single day lost on getting to fat adapted (maybe the low ketone measurements happen for several days). Second, you are back to reinforcing what many appreciate goes away after getting into deep ketosis. (Again, assuming it was carbs) You are avoiding what I have read here many times - that the urge for carbs and sweet things disappears over time (which I see as a true benefit of this WOE).

But, there is the positive side, you are signaling to others that their restaurant choice is not limited on that day. Imagine a weekend away in some exotic place where, next to your hotel there is a famous French restaurant with a fixed price $150 per seat menu that would be both a great multi-hour journey in flavor as well as romance for you and your partner (and the town has nothing else to do).

Does you partner want to hear “cheat day” or “you can go alone, I’ll grab some sausage at the market and make use of the microwave in our hotel room”?

(Roy D Rushing Jr ) #15

There really is no cheating your body. You eat certain things and they have consequences. Every. Single. Time. If you’re aware of those consequences and accept them, then have at it. The only objection I would have is to those people who haven’t done their research and think the diet just doesn’t work because they have cheat meals and then don’t lose weight.

#16

I am another who really hates the use of the word ‘cheat’ when applied to a keto way of eating. I cringe when I see it. Do keto your way. If you want to be strict, be strict. If you want to have carbs occasionally - planned or unplanned, or the occasional unintended slip - accept that that is part of your WOE. But also accept any consequences (large or small) for making your choices.

#17

That scene is best on VHS, where you can literally rewind it over and over.

(Brittany) #18

I don’t like the word “cheat” because that would mean keto is a diet to them…I was keto for a coupe years, now I’m converting to carnivore, and I plan to eat this way till the end. I always say, its not a cheat…I just don’t think I could ever say “Ill NEVER take a bite of watermelon ever again”, I think people need to be realistic…although, I can count on how many fingers how many times I’ve “cheated”

(Raj Seth) #19

Right. Not “Cheat”. “Choice, with consequence”

(Brian) #20

The definition of the word cheat goes something like this: act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage.

In regards to someone’s diet, there really is no dishonesty other than lying to one’s self. And there is no advantage at all because anything taken is taken from one’s own self, not from anyone else. No one else will get fat because you eat a doughnut.

Eat what you will. And don’t eat what you won’t. Own it. It’s yours. Dr. Fung mentions the idea that if you go to a birthday party (and you’re able to reasonably do so without severe medical consequences), eat the cake. Just don’t be going to birthday parties every day!

If you want to eat keto, eat keto. If you don’t, there is no point in pretending or lying or exaggerating. It is only you who will reap the rewards of your own eating choices, whether they be good or bad.