Does anyone out there mix it up sometimes? Because I've read almost all the plans, sometimes I incorporate a reward meal in my day if I really want something carby. I'm trying to stick with the Eades way of about 10 carbs per meal or snack mostly but, for example, made a crockpot roast last night with roasted potatoes and carrots for the family. Was going to eat roast and salad but couldn't resist the potatoes and carrots so had a few of each, not too many, and counted it as a reward meal. I think doing this probably slows the weight loss but figure if this is a WOL it will come off eventually anyway. I'm thinking, if I'm going to indulge, then following the reward meal guidelines is the safest way. What do you think?

A few things come to mind:

you will most likely NOT achieve ketosis, where you body totally goes to fat burning for fuel, mode.

you run the risk of keeping your *cravings* for carby food very much front and center.

Everybody is different though, and you need to find what works best for you. Sometimes you have to give the tweak a trial and see how it goes.

Good luck!

s

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Shelley
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Life deserves a treat now and again, but life also deserves being healthy[with required disipline] to make it worth living!

For me, eating any potatoes would lead to carb cravings, and then out of control carb eating, so I find it best to just ignore the potatoes. The once-in-awhile nibble will turn into a full-fledged carb blowout, and I know it, so I don't eat the carby foods. It's what works for me.

If a reward meal works for you, then go for it, but be aware that it can slow you down, or put you into a stall, and certainly can awaken the old craving monster.

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Nita

it's very much a "you have to find ways to make this work for you" kind of thing, from what I've seen.

yeah, eating offplan will slow down losses, sure. and yeah, making this a part of your lifestyle, and knowing it is a way of life, is absolutely essential. which means not making too big of a deal out of individual choices. if this is just how you eat, there will be times you might choose to eat stuff that isn't part of your daily menu.

i will say the concept of "reward meals" bothers me just a little bit, in that the idea is that eating offplan is some kind of reward for "being good" by sticking to plan, y'kno? but i'm not well-versed enough in any plan that incorporates reward meals to be able to speak knowledgeably about it. it's also good to note that with practice and some imagination, you can usually find "legal" stuff that will satisfy the same desires. (for example, sliced turnips in the Crockpot with your roast tastes just like potatoes when it's all cooked together )

as others have said, too many carbs can lead to cravings, or even stuff that tastes particularly sweet, for that matter. for me, when i eat too many carbs, i find myself particularly hungry and often craving carby stuff for the next couple of days. but everyone is different in that regard. i do OK with sweet tasting stuff as long as it's not from real sugar. for some, that doesn't work. so monitor how you feel and your appetite after you do eat offplan to see how it impacts you.

realistically, having some potatoes and carrots once in a while is probably not going to be a big deal, no. but if it becomes a regular thing, it could be. and each of us has to find that balance about what leaves us feeling satisfied vs. deprived, and what works for us vs. what introduces problems.

the big thing to watch is whole "carb creep" issue, since that's what gets most of us when the weight stops coming off or (egads!) adding back on. when i see folks coming back after losing with lc and then regain, it almost always is, "it started with just a little here and a little there."

and if you're looking to stay in ketosis as mentioned (and keep the decreased appetite and full fat-burning mode that makes the LC magic), then those kind of forays outside your regular plan will have to remain limited, y'kno? depending on how much you go offplan, it may not impact ketosis; if it does, it may take anywhere from a day to 3 or 4 days on plan to get back into ketosis, which means a couple times a week if overdone could conceivably keep you out of ketosis most of the time.

in other words, make whatever choices you feel best with, but also make sure they're informed ones.

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

If I have even a taste of say a Banana or a Potato thats it for the day. But I know that about myself and I consider all carby foods as poison. That sounds strange but that is the way I look at it and I'm not tempted. Sometimes I have to walk away, but I haven't had a cheat day yet, but I'm sure I will, it stands to reason that it will happen. I found myself more likely to mix it up when I was fairly new to this way of eating. Carbohydrate Addicts diet would never work for me for the above reasons. But if you can do it you should at least try so you know your own limits. Judy

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If at first you don't succeed, change your approach and try again