resisting temptations to cheat

[ruckin]

do you guys do anything specific to help resist cheating on your diets? srs

[j1akey]

I want to be awesome more than I want to pound gallons of Mountain Dew (ie. nectar of the gods)

[nofear24pr]

Whenever I want something sugary I make myself a protein shake

[ruckin]

Whenever I want something sugary I make myself a protein shake

my problem is more that i want 15 cheeseburgers from wendy's than wanting sugar... it's so hard to resist the dollar manu

[j1akey]

my problem is more that i want 15 cheeseburgers from wendy's than wanting sugar... it's so hard to resist the dollar manu

Once I started eating real food every time I went some place like Wendy's, Taco Bell, or really any other fast food place I immediately started to feel like **** whenever I ate food like that. It kicked my fast food habit pretty quick. Taco Bell is still on my list of awesome foods though, just gotta make sure I'm not going to do anything other than lay around all day.

[ruckin]

Once I started eating real food every time I went some place like Wendy's, Taco Bell, or really any other fast food place I immediately started to feel like **** whenever I ate food like that. It kicked my fast food habit pretty quick. Taco Bell is still on my list of awesome foods though, just gotta make sure I'm not going to do anything other than lay around all day.

thats a good point. i've actually been eating very clean for a few months now, with the occasional trip to get fast food, pizza, etc and those foods never made me feel bad (candy, however, makes me feel horrible whenever i eat it now). but now that i'm trying to stick to a very strict diet, it's just a little harder to resist it... today was only my second day with the new diet and i already had a super strong craving, so i went to saladworks and got a turkey melt (turkey, cheddar cheese, & a couple strips of bacon on bread), which now that i think about it isn't too bad. but still, it wasn't supposed to be part of my diet so i'm still upset that i let it happen.

[Musc1eBound]

During my contest prep I chewed gum when I wanted something cheat worthy. You have to want your end result more than you want to cheat. It's all worth it when you reach your end goal.

[ruckin]

During my contest prep I chewed gum when I wanted something cheat worthy. You have to want your end result more than you want to cheat. It's all worth it when you reach your end goal.

that's not a bad idea, I'll try that, thanks.

[JeanPaul1]

look at the big picture...long term goals. it's OK to go once and a while to give yourself a treat.
If you cheat a lot, you set yourself back a couple of days/weeks of hard training...is that"satisfaction" of eating a burger/pizza/whatever worth it?

[ruckin]

look at the big picture...long term goals. it's OK to go once and a while to give yourself a treat.
If you cheat a lot, you set yourself back a couple of days/weeks of hard training...is that"satisfaction" of eating a burger/pizza/whatever worth it?

yeah man you're right, it's just difficult sometimes to remember those things when all my mind/stomach are thinking is FOOD! I'm planning on allowing myself a nice cheat meal once a week though (to keep my sanity).

thanks for replying

[Misctake7]

Once I started eating real food every time I went some place like Wendy's, Taco Bell, or really any other fast food place I immediately started to feel like **** whenever I ate food like that. It kicked my fast food habit pretty quick. Taco Bell is still on my list of awesome foods though, just gotta make sure I'm not going to do anything other than lay around all day.

Same here. I always felt like crap after eating fast food. I kicked it and haven't eaten any fast food for about two years(unless you count Subway).

[ruckin]

Same here. I always felt like crap after eating fast food. I kicked it and haven't eaten any fast food for about two years(unless you count Subway).

the day i count subway as fast food is the day i enjoy when people curl in the squat rack

[PhysiqueKing]

I'm on day 76 of a low carb cut and tonight, for whatever reason, was one of the worst and only nights that I've had cravings. It probably had something to do with my girlfriend eating Papa John's in front of me but all I can say is ignore them and they'll go away. I ate a quest bar, drank a ****load of water and Powerade Zero, kept my mind on other **** and they eventually went away. Mind over matter.

[TiffGarrett]

I agree with the comments above. There has to be a balance. In my offseason, I'm allowed one cheat meal a week. I can eat anything I want for that one meal. I've found that allowing myself a cheat meal, it helps me get through the next few days without intense cravings. You could also research recipes for healthier options of the foods you enjoy. This way, you don't totally derail your goals when those cravings hit. For example, I absolutely love carrot cake; however, it has a ton of calories. Now when I’m craving it, I prepare Jamie’s recipe for carrot cake muffins. They’re a great source of protein and it hits the spot. When I'm leaning down for a show, my cheat meals are cut. That’s when I turn to chewing gum. The flavors are endless. Lastly, you could try doing something that keeps your mind occupied. That way you’re not focused on the craving. Most times I play solitaire or words with friends… I hope that helps!

[ruckin]

I'm on day 76 of a low carb cut and tonight, for whatever reason, was one of the worst and only nights that I've had cravings. It probably had something to do with my girlfriend eating Papa John's in front of me but all I can say is ignore them and they'll go away. I ate a quest bar, drank a ****load of water and Powerade Zero, kept my mind on other **** and they eventually went away. Mind over matter.

I agree with the comments above. There has to be a balance. In my offseason, I'm allowed one cheat meal a week. I can eat anything I want for that one meal. I've found that allowing myself a cheat meal, it helps me get through the next few days without intense cravings. You could also research recipes for healthier options of the foods you enjoy. This way, you don't totally derail your goals when those cravings hit. For example, I absolutely love carrot cake; however, it has a ton of calories. Now when I’m craving it, I prepare Jamie’s recipe for carrot cake muffins. They’re a great source of protein and it hits the spot. When I'm leaning down for a show, my cheat meals are cut. That’s when I turn to chewing gum. The flavors are endless. Lastly, you could try doing something that keeps your mind occupied. That way you’re not focused on the craving. Most times I play solitaire or words with friends… I hope that helps!

that does help, thanks a bunch. i haven't had a bad craving again since tuesday, when i posted this. i think it helps to know that i have a nice pizza to look forward to on friday

[henderjb]

Green vegetables are your best friend! So is cabbage! Make sure you are getting plenty of vegetables in your diet to help keep you full. When you are hungry, snack on them. The calories are so low they are really a "free food".

Of course, always make sure to eat your meals on schedule so you don't get overly hungry.

One thing I have also noticed is soaking in a hot tub (or a hot tub of water) seems to take away the hunger. Strange, but I find this true! After 12 years of competition, trust me, I know!

Visit me: http://joyhenderson.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/PositiveEnergy247Fitness
and join my mailing list for more tips: http://bit.ly/join_my_mailing_list-today

[ruckin]

Green vegetables are your best friend! So is cabbage! Make sure you are getting plenty of vegetables in your diet to help keep you full. When you are hungry, snack on them. The calories are so low they are really a "free food".

Of course, always make sure to eat your meals on schedule so you don't get overly hungry.

One thing I have also noticed is soaking in a hot tub (or a hot tub of water) seems to take away the hunger. Strange, but I find this true! After 12 years of competition, trust me, I know!

hey thanks a lot, that's some very good advice. I do eat A LOT of veggies. so much so that i've actually grown to enjoy them a little. i eat roughly 2 cups of broccoli or green beans or sometimes spinach with nearly every meal (not breakfast and not my last, late night meal; i have celery with natty pb at that time). and about the tub idea: i would love nothing more than to relax in a warm bathtub every day, but the one on my apartment isn't big enough for me to lay in lol i can only shower in it. thank you for the tip anyway though!

[FunkDaddy]

"Grown to enjoy them a little" - I think that's where you are failing.

Find the healthy food you don't have to live with, rather the food you enjoy eating. You can fit a burger into your macros if you really want it that bad. Or if you can't, have the burger anyways and go kill a good workout so you can tell yourself you burned it off. One day going over your calories won't do anything. Make a "healthy" burger to satisfy your cravings...tuna, turkey, chicken, etc. Fast food in general is garbage, regardless of macros. That's what I tell myself when I'm tempted to grab some Mickey D's on the way to/from work. I just know as soon as I finish it I'll be thinking about how I could have easily cooked something ten times tastier and 100 times healthier.

If you've been on a strict diet for a while, you might find a good cheat meal re-invigorates you. Just be prepared that it might make the next craving even stronger. It works both ways though, the longer you resist, the more the temptation weakens. To the point that eventually you won't crave it at all.

[henderjb]

Veggies - yes, you start to enjoy anything when you get hungry enough! Glad the advice helped. One more thing to remember:

Never lose sight of your INNER CHAMPION

Ever had one of THOSE days............
where you just didn't feel like yourself? Didn't like how you saw yourself? Just needed some carbs to make you feel like yourself??

maybe you should just .......GIVE YOURSELF A BEATING!!! (in the gym of course!)



We all have our challenges from time to time, it is how we deal with them that DISTINGUISHES a CHAMPION from the rest of the pack! Now lets go! WHIP yourself into shape!

CALLING ALL CHAMPIONS! Click here:
http://bit.ly/join_my_mailing_list-today
Visit me:
http://www.facebook.com/PositiveEnergy247Fitness
http://joyhenderson.blogspot.com/

hey thanks a lot, that's some very good advice. I do eat A LOT of veggies. so much so that i've actually grown to enjoy them a little. i eat roughly 2 cups of broccoli or green beans or sometimes spinach with nearly every meal (not breakfast and not my last, late night meal; i have celery with natty pb at that time). and about the tub idea: i would love nothing more than to relax in a warm bathtub every day, but the one on my apartment isn't big enough for me to lay in lol i can only shower in it. thank you for the tip anyway though!

[mikel1975]

I agree with the comments above. There has to be a balance. In my offseason, I'm allowed one cheat meal a week. I can eat anything I want for that one meal. I've found that allowing myself a cheat meal, it helps me get through the next few days without intense cravings. You could also research recipes for healthier options of the foods you enjoy. This way, you don't totally derail your goals when those cravings hit. For example, I absolutely love carrot cake; however, it has a ton of calories. Now when I’m craving it, I prepare Jamie’s recipe for carrot cake muffins. They’re a great source of protein and it hits the spot. When I'm leaning down for a show, my cheat meals are cut. That’s when I turn to chewing gum. The flavors are endless. Lastly, you could try doing something that keeps your mind occupied. That way you’re not focused on the craving. Most times I play solitaire or words with friends… I hope that helps!

My buddy at work is helping me with workout portion of my transformation. I've got my diet down in past 3 weeks. He has sad along with numerous others that my diet is insane for someone my size but lost 10 lbs this week. I begin week 4 tomorrow and he said have a cheat day, don't count calories tomorrow. I told him I will have 1 cheat meal not a whole day. He says I'll need it from going insane. This will be 1st time in 4 weeks I've cheated. Keep thinking about what's more important? My goal or a cheeseburger and fries haha. A cheat now & then will keep you sane.

[Brokmeister]

I always try to have ziplock bags with healthy snacks so when a craving hits i can resist the temptation. and drink tons of water, I cant believe how much that helps.

[ThePhillyNinja]

I like to watch a motivating movie, the last one I watched was Warrior. Very good movie about MMA fighting. I especially like the part when they're at the diner, and the dad says "If your gonna train with me, no more eating **** like this, it's for losers and old men like me". Really gets me pumped not to cheat

[BlackSwan88]

My downfall is snacking between say 7pm to 10 pm. The rest of the day I'm at work...busy and not near the refrig. At night, after dinner and after my two workouts...I get rather bored. So what do I do...head to the refrig or food shelves. I reach for either ice cream or chocolate. I get down on myself as I work all day and do great only to lose out at the end. So I've come up with 4 lines of defense.
1. Posting Motivation pictures on my refrig. 2. Drinking flavored water first...hopefully that will fill my stomach. 3. Not buy the bad stuff to begin with (but I have a teenager in the house, so that doesn't always work). 4. Fill up my evenings with something of interest...recently started playing squash...problem is, it takes several hrs for me to come down from my high. Hope this helps.

[henderjb]

It’s THAT time again……….

The beginning of a new month, not just any month, but CHRISTMAS, and you’ve got a BIG DECISION to make!
Did you take your monthly progress photos or are you AFRAID to? Are you ALREADY afraid of the weight you’ve gained from THANKSGIVING? Another HOLIDAY lies ahead & YOU have to MAKE A DECISION, NOW!!

Decide RIGHT NOW that you are NOT going to let your eating get out of control this HOLIDAY SEASON! You ARE NOT going to find yourself 5 to 10 lbs heavier at the end of the month, disappointed in yourself, with a lot of weight to lose the first of the year, or EVEN WORSE just becoming complacent with your new heavier weight! Make that decision, NOW, and develop a PLAN to be PREPARED for whatever you encounter this Holiday Season.

Schedule your cheat meals around Holiday parties and even then, stay FOCUSED on your goals. If you have a lot of Holiday parties, you DON’T have to EAT at EVERY ONE OF THEM! Bring your own food to eat before, after, or during the parties and DON’T be embarrassed about doing this. YOU are a CHAMPION and YOU have a PLAN and YOU have a GOAL to be a happier, healthier, YOU and that goal does NOT need to wait until the New Year!

Remember, you CAN have your ABS & CHRISTMAS too!

To get a JUMP START this HOLIDAY SEASON, check out my BASELINE MEAL PLAN: http://joyhenderson.blogspot.com/
Visit me: http://www.facebook.com/PositiveEnergy247Fitness
and join my mailing list: http://bit. ly/join_my_mailing_list-today

[BlackSwan88]

AWESOME Pic Henderjb! Nicely said!

[ruckin]

[b]It’s THAT time again……….

The beginning of a new month, not just any month, but CHRISTMAS, and you’ve got a BIG DECISION to make!
Did you take your monthly progress photos or are you AFRAID to? Are you ALREADY afraid of the weight you’ve gained from THANKSGIVING? Another HOLIDAY lies ahead & YOU have to MAKE A DECISION, NOW!!

Decide RIGHT NOW that you are NOT going to let your eating get out of control this HOLIDAY SEASON! You ARE NOT going to find yourself 5 to 10 lbs heavier at the end of the month, disappointed in yourself, with a lot of weight to lose the first of the year, or EVEN WORSE just becoming complacent with your new heavier weight! Make that decision, NOW, and develop a PLAN to be PREPARED for whatever you encounter this Holiday Season.

Schedule your cheat meals around Holiday parties and even then, stay FOCUSED on your goals. If you have a lot of Holiday parties, you DON’T have to EAT at EVERY ONE OF THEM! Bring your own food to eat before, after, or during the parties and DON’T be embarrassed about doing this. YOU are a CHAMPION and YOU have a PLAN and YOU have a GOAL to be a happier, healthier, YOU and that goal does NOT need to wait until the New Year!

Remember, you CAN have your ABS & CHRISTMAS too!

damn that was an epic speech. very well said, thanks for taking the time to write that.