How much "sway cheating" is ok before it's too much?

[LuvMyGuys]

Hi! Was wondering - does anyone know just how much "cheating" during a sway is deemed too much? I previously was a serial snacks and ice cream eater and as I'm TTC girl, have had to change those habits drastically to cut calories. This sway/hopefully upcoming pregnancy will be my last chance as we're done after 3, so as I have the occasional cheat (that's so tempting around this time of the year), I'm wondering how many meals/days of cheating is enough to consider it a wash and to just try the next cycle around or after I'm confident enough that I've stuck with the diet consistently? Thank you in advance!

[XXforhubby]

Just try your best. Any change from how you ate before makes a big difference.

In general, a day or two off, once a month is fine. Most have the first day or two of AF off and then pick back up again. Also if there are special occasions, most save their cheats for then as it's easier than to explain things.

FX and GL to you!!



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[foxtrotmama]

I would say that as long as you have changed the general trend, as much as you can live with if you get an opposite. If you'll be tearing yourself up about snacking or eating specific foods if you end up with a boy, I would cheat less than if you're just trying to stack the odds a bit.

[cosmosis]

Well, you want to avoid eating in between meals. I would suggest that if you cannot control your urge for a "cheat", then eat it WITH your meal, not in between as a snack

[Throwaway_panther]

I was a chronic LE person when I conceived my DD, and I definitely had occasional "cheats" -- even with my relapsing eating disorder. Generally, though, my big cheats would be all at once still, since I still followed a sort of Intermittent Fasting eating. VERY occasional days of snacking all day, and when I say occasional, I mean holidays.

Since I've gone over my food diary from before I conceived my DD ad nauseam, I can tell you I had a family reunion during my first period off BC where I did eat frequently, and then an average of one day a week of more calories than normal, though still all at once. Keep in mind, though, that my "cheating" was literally calories -- I was drinking alcohol, etc., which still falls into girl lifestyle, so I think defining what you mean by cheating would help, too.

[atomic sagebrush]

Each individual, each month, each unique set of circumstances is different - it's not something I can really pin down and say yes, X amount is ok, Y amount isn't.

The most important thing about diet as a whole is that you're eating "pinker" than you were when you got your boys. I had to make a diet with specifics because people wanted that, but any time you're doing better than you were, that will still sway pink for you. I like to think of the 80-20 rule here - you get 80% of the benefits of anything from 20% of the effort, and to get that remaining 20% of the benefits you have to shell out 80% of the effort. And with pink swaying, the intense level of committment and strict mindset you need to shell out that 80% of the effort can end up undermining your sway due to psychological factors. Stick with the 20% of the effort.

Practically speaking, what most people have found is that giving oneself license to eat things when they really want them, ends up circumventing a kind of "binge/extreme self-denial" cycle that people tend to get into. And by eating what you really want, 9 times out of 10 you end up still within limits anyway. What we want to avoid is when you get so hard on yourself that you end up trying to stick to a diet that makes you feel terribly deprived all the time, and then you end up having a bad day where first you stick to the diet but you're so hungry that you end up eating 3000 calories of rice cakes and craisins and cucumbers, then say "eh screw it, I've blown it anyway" and go on to eat a pizza and half a pie. Decide what you really want to start with, like a slice of pizza and a piece of pie, have that, and be satisfied. You will nearly always be better off on those hard days we all have!!!

Writing off months can actually exacerbate this. People think "well, I've ruined it for the month" and then a bad day turns into a bad week, into a bad month, ending up with you having to start all over again with another 12 weeks on diet (yes, I've actually seen people do this) and people invariably end up giving up totally and just conceiving anyway, or having an accidental pregnancy in the meantime. WHen you mess up, just pick up again the next day. No harm done.

[LuvMyGuys]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions/info!!

Atomic - I feel better about my adjustments knowing I can follow the general 80/20 rule, although I'm trying my hardest to change as much as I can! I can't imagine how much hungrier I would be if I opted to include an hour of cardio everyday.

Nusaybah - That's what I've been doing, just including some cheat items with my meals and not adding in a whole additional meal/snack. Hopefully that's ok!

XXforhubby - Here's the basic breakdown of how I'm dieting, which is very different from how I was eating before:
Wake up at 5:30am
Coffee with a little almond milk around 7:30am/8am
Lunch at noon: veggies and a little chicken, sauce
Small meal around 3ish (sometimes): snack
Dinner around 6:30pm

My "cheats" include sometimes eating more protein (via eggs, chicken) and also cheese or some snacks with my meals.

[atomic sagebrush]

I don't even know that those are cheats, Luv.

Cheat = an extra large supreme pizza. Not some cheese with your meal!

[Butterflies buttercups]

My cheats are like when I've already eaten 1500 calories then eat a chocolate bar before bed ! Can't help myself this time of year ! X


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[honeybee37]

Wow, those do not sound like cheats to me!!
I had spent almost a year on LE but post miscarriage, my very loose version just includes not snacking and not eating meat. And aiming to be under 1800kcal. Now I know for most of you this is NOT LE so please don't follow me on this, but just to reassure you that your diet sounds very very LE to me! (I became very obsessed with it over several points and for me at the minute, this is the best I can do)


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