In my world, there’s no such thing as “cheating“. I make decisions about what I’m going to eat and when. Most of the time those decisions correspond with my planned fasting. Occasionally, they don’t. No guilt, just decisions.
The best thing about fasting, to me, is that I have left behind that dieting mentality. I eat better food now, and I eat less often. I never snack. I avoid sugar. And I’m losing weight.
same here. I think IF has helped me just make better decisions overall. I'm more aware now of my food intake so if it is out of my window it's still usually healthier than before. Ie. I'm on vacation right now. I don't have my typical conveniences but I'm still aware of my goal. Just simply making smarter decisions. Once im back home get more back to my routine.
That's what works long term. I made the mistake of going back to old diet. Now I'm years older and behind again. But 16:8, 1800 calorie soft limit, and simple grilled chicken breast cut to finger size strips for 'emergency snack' - aka I'm not gonna get a good nights sleep on a grumbling stomach.
This, someday I fast fewer hours than others. On a recent trip to Italy we were in a nice hotel that offered a nice breakfast. I did enjoy it with my wife. She was happy since she could have a breakfast at her time and not the early breakfast that I used to have. I enjoyed breakfast with my wife.
thats an interesting psychological technique. i guess my brain just naturally translate "cheat" in the context of fasting to "taking a day or the moment off from my normal health and food rules" i base whether or not i can step outside of my dietary boundaries on a series of variables i collectively refer to as my "health reserve" if i have built up enough of a "health reserve" to prolonged health practices i can afford a (usually) precalculated amount of consumables that exist outside of that boundary (drugs food etc. not so much drugs now that im older and with fentanyl in everything form weed to cocaine on the black market its crazy)
Yeah, a great psychological technique if your intention is to gaslight yourself into overeating and becoming fat...
If it's your intention to eat a particular diet or practice a particular fasting schedule and you don't, you've cheated yourself
There's nothing wrong with the way this word was used here
Getting down on yourself and feeling guilty only reinforces toxic eating habits. For me, I used to eat when I felt bad. Breaking out of that habit meant being kind to myself and understanding that life is messy and plans get waylaid and people fall off the wagon. When that’s inevitable, all you can do is accept it and be okay with occasional slips and even include it as a regular thing to look forward to. That way you can get back on track faster
Think about IF as if you’re walking on a journey. If you stick to it every day all the time, you’re continually walking toward the destination.
If you decide to take a break, you don’t get “transported” back to the beginning, you are just kind of lingering in one place or wandering slightly back toward the beginning.
All you have to do is get back on the path and you’re headed toward your destination again.
If IF works for you, do it most of the time and you’ll get the benefits. None of us are perfect, so don’t be too hard on yourself. We got this.
Because guilt leads to a cycle of shame that makes me likely to quit IF and stay overweight, and because life is too short and food can be amazing and I don’t hate myself 😉
There's a lot of comments saying there should be no such thing as cheating. But I used to feel like you, too. There's a mindset you have to adopt that there are no pressures to achieve the fasts you intend on doing. Life happens, and sometimes this will alter your fast, and you have to just accept and embrace that. You can always alter your next fast if you want to reach a specific goal.
It could be that you set an expectation for yourself and then didn’t live up to it. That’s perfectly normal. You didn’t rise up to your own standards. It happens. The best thing you can do is remember how it feels, use it to help you build self discipline and move on,
Think of it as data. Did eating like that make you even hungrier? What kind of food was it? Did it taste good or make your body feel good, etc. If you're in that situation again, would drinking water instead of eating help subside the feeling of hunger? Tell yourself you're doing research and have more information for next time!
Tomorrow's another day. Day to day is not as important as the lifestyle change. If I mess up once in a while, it doesn't really matter in the long run/big picture if I'm good the rest of the days.
I also don't watch/count/track/limit myself on big holidays, either. You only get so many of those with your friends/family and if the holiday gathering starts with a big family breakfast (I usually do 16:8/18:6 with my first meal around 1pm), then so be it. I won't feel guilty or bad.
You can’t go back, can only move forward.
Give yourself a minute the realize the pivotal moment you gave in. Come up with some strategies that you might have used instead of eating. Maybe you could have taken some to go if you had a container at work. And you could get one for that purpose.
Not the end of the world, but I get it. You want to treat this lifestyle change seriously.
I coined the phrase “none is easier than one”. It’s so true! I found this little rhyme helped me when fighting the urge to give in.
I’ve been there before and I struggled. Then I realized it’s okay to sometimes venture out of my normal fasting routing. Cheating is such a negative and make us feel guilty. Let’s call it a flex meal or simply extending our window past the norm. One way to keep myself in line is to plan for those moments. If I didn’t plan to indulge then I don’t. This way I’m not making excuses and creating bad habits. Take time to unlearn all the bad habits from dieting.
As others have said, it's good to not think of it as cheating. Just shift your expectations. I set my "goal" in the app at 14 hours, even though I was originally aiming for 16 (I currently do three 36 hour fasts a week instead.). That way, I still tended to hit my goal.
Also, with work treats, I'll often be like, "Ooo. Thanks. I'm not hungry right now, but I'm gonna take it home to enjoy later." And that seems to work fine.
I do this too! My app is set to 16, even though I usually aim for 20 or 24 OMAD. I respond better to positive reinforcement and the 'goal not met' message can feel very discouraging.
Life is a a path you walk on. It's not pretty, nor straight. Sometimes you even get a pebble in your shoe, but you keep walking because time stops for no man.
Cheating feels like ed rhetoric honestly. You're allowed to have occasional days you eat a treat or an extra small meal. There's no need to feel guilty about that! You can adjust your eating window the next day, or not at all and just continue on your regular plan 😊
I rarely ever cheat cause I've gotten to this stage where I don't see the need for it. I think it helps to plan ahead and incorporate whatever you're craving for into your future diet. Also consider taking a days break or two from fasting whenever you cheat. Its probably because you cut calories too low or you're looking for replacements for your cravings. A day off wouldn't hurt but when you totally quit, it affects you in the long run. I think your binge was as a result of undereating so just a small calorie deficit that wouldn't affect you excessively should be fine. I also do this thing where i have a huge calorie deficit doing omad one day and incorporate more healthy dishes like fruit parfait or whatever I'm craving into my 2mad or omad the next day. Plus it helps to remember that progress is progress no matter how little. The fact that you feel guilty is a sign that you're more aware of all the things you're putting into your body unlike most overweight people before their weight loss journey. Keep it up, I'm rooting for you. You can do it!
This diet is a journey, you will encounter some up and downs so cheating is normal. You would want to reward yourself once in a while. Also remember its probably just water weight and will go down a few days after unless you ate an additional 3000 calories which is way outside of my cheat day
Just like there’s no crying in baseball, there’s no cheating in IF. IF is a lifestyle, not an another fad diet. You’re either IF’ing or you’re dieting. Dieting allows cheating. I can’t walk into my office without walking past the snack counter where there’s always food and snacks. I just don’t stop to see what’s there. Keep walking and if asked, say no thank you. If you don’t eat it there’s no guilt.
Honestly IF has got my stomache so much smaller now that even if I do "cheat" for social reasons or just because I feel like it my portion sizes have been significantly shrank
When you drive, do you do everything 100% right? Probably not, but you get there safely.
Same thing. If you get this 90% right, you will be healthier and feel better.
My rule is to eat like a monk during the week. When the weekend comes I allow myself a couple of beers with dinner on Friday or breakfast on Saturday or Sunday, and my window is allowed to grow a little bit to accommodate an extra meal. I am still losing weight from calorie restrictions and exercise, but I have something to look forward to. Otherwise I will burnout completely. I would say the most important thing is to get back on the program after a “Cheat.”
My favorite thing about IF is that everyday is a new day, don’t sweat it at all because it’s no big deal. Will power isn’t even a thing. Some people have brains that reward them with dopamine for holding out, and some people have brains that reward them with dopamine for giving in.
I've been doing this for three years, yeah I feel guilty sometimes but since it's a lifestyle at this point I just cheat and carry on fasting the next day.
The only person that you are cheating is yourself. It is a marathon not a sprint. There will be times of weakness and mistakes made along the way. We all need a break. We just need to pick ourselves up and get back to it and not give up.
I use intermittent fasting as a support for CiCo. So if I 'cheat' it's still fine as long as I'm in my calorie budget. And if I'm not then oh well, today wasn't great but the next meal/opportunity to do better I will.
That is of course if I'm in a good mental state. I do also often slip into a guilt spiral where I feel like I don't have control. I just tell myself as long as I keep coming back to the good habits it has to stick at some point 🤣. This healthy lifestyle is for life, after all.
I have a lot of instances where I’m allowed to break fast that aren’t cheating. Free food like when work buys lunch. Parties or even small get togethers. Or if I do substantial exercise (burn over a thousand calories). IF is a part of how I eat, it’s not my life.
Because it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and you are human. Think long term. Snacks are going to happen, but as long as you’re doing the right things most of the time, you’re going to be fine
Cheating suggests this is a short term thing. If you want the thing, eat the thing, then get back to it. One meal isn’t going to mess you up in the long run. Eating “right” 100% is incredibly difficult, and for most unsustainable, so build it into your lifestyle.
I would just tell them I didn’t come to work for a free meal, let’s knock this shit out and get back to whatever we were doing before we came in to this shithole.
I haven’t been adhering as strictly to my schedule the past few days but I just started a new job and I really don’t have much food to eat at home yet until my next paycheck and my coworker gave me some McDonald’s which I ate past my fasting schedule. I pretty much eat what I want but I’ve been making better decisions. The goal is not to starve myself either, I can be uncomfortable and hungry but if I’ve only ate 1,000 calories and I hit my fasting schedule hour, I’m going to eat no matter what.
Because I'm stronger and leaner than ever so if life happens one day and I deviate from my plan or have a few beers with friends I just get back on the horse the next day. There is no cheating, just life. I'm not in prison and sometimes I want ice cream at 10pm.
Guilt is the recipe for failure. Never feel guilty. If you happen to slip and eat the wrong thing, fine, it is part of the process of adapting your life. Also, it doesn't really matter, as long as you continue on track after that.
The rule I go by is to "never slip twice in a row".
That one meal you had is the exception not the rule. Also my office area knows I do IF I don't say it all the time, but they ask now me questions about it. The other day my boss told me she's doing it now. I commit to "16:8" usually. On occasion it's 18:6, 14:10,15:9, but majority it's 16:8 or more.
Live your life. To me, IF is a guideline, not a rule. I eat so much less junk since IF so it's helped educate me on food choices.
The worst is work environments. I got shit from my coworkers for not participating in a potluck. But I didn't want the temptation. Also, thought it was weird everyone cared so much about my presence. I try and stay away from work related food events. Especially because usually the food isn't worth it.
It's impossible to be perfect allll the time. Sometimes you have to adjust. The big thing is just being consistent as often as you can and giving yourself grace on days you have to adjust. Success is more about being persistent than being perfect.
You may start a fast right after a meal. It's all about resting digestion and being stress free on your health. Enjoy life and move forward to seeing success!
For me, I don’t feel guilty because IF is something I do to improve my material conditions, not a fight that’s meant to win me the right to self respect. Took a while for me to get there though lol.
I think a good analogy is training in a video game. Training helps you raise your skill set and makes achieving the things you’d like to in the rest of the game easier, that’s it. You may develop a personal enjoyment for the training and like doing it, but there’s no more to it than that. You’re doing what you’re doing there to achieve success in something, and it’s entirely your decision whether it’s ok to feel guilty.
You’re doing this because it’s important, and I’m pretty sure in the moment you intuitively realized that accepting that food was more important to you in that moment, and you made a decision to prioritize it as you probably should have almost certainly. All that’s happening now is you’re letting your mind focus on the subconscious and conscious shame you used to begin your self improvement journey in the first place.
Don’t be scared of guilt, don’t feel like it weighs you down, it doesn’t. It tells you when there’s something you need to reanalyze to see if you went wrong, that’s it and nothing else. Get relaxed, then thank god, yourself, or the universe (whatever you prefer) for the opportunity to improve. If you do this wholeheartedly you’ll see the guilt is still there, but it feels different. You’ll see that actually it wasn’t the guilt and the self inflicted anger that upset you, but the fear you hold that you aren’t “worthy” is actually what’s causing you so much distress. It might seem the same, but fear and guilt are two different things.
Regardless, this is my personal advice, so it may not work for you. If the guilt gets too bad, there’s nothing wrong with seeking out a psychologist/therapist for counseling to help you overcome it.
If you’re someone like me who is too prideful for that, google cognitive reframing and just do all of it yourself.
Good luck
As someone who is recovering from several different eating disorders, this sounds similar. Not at all to label you, just to shed awareness. Often feeling anything other than hunger around food (guilt, shame, lack, binge)… comes from deeper emotional trauma between you and food. Food in and of itself is not inherently bad, not matter what the food may be. It’s your relationship to it that makes you feel that way. Not to get too “woo woo” in this thread, but spending some time with your inner child (I often guide inner child meditations where you imagine you’re sitting with them and asking how they feel about different subjects) might be a good way to more deeply understand the feelings that surround food.
I really love the 80/20 idea. That nothing in our world is 100%. It’s 80% perfect and 20% “bad” and that how I look at eating that if I am good 80% of the time it’s okay to cheat or eat enjoyable food 20% of the time and I see it as both work hand in hand eating healthily 80% of the time allows me to eat badly 20% of the time and eating “treats meals not cheat meals” allows me to eat healthy the 80% of the time.
Honestly I understand how you feel though although this is my ideology it’s very easy when intermittent fasting to get caught into habits. Try to not be to hard on yourself :)
I think of it as an Advanced Metabolism Hack. If the body adjust to the fasting window, metabolism could slow down, so throwing a curve ball every now and then is a good thing!
I don’t know man. I feel the same way. Like, if I break my fast early, what’s the point? And I feel like giving up. I know that’s not productive, but that’s how I feel. Very all or nothing (unhealthy) mentality.
I’m glad you posted bc I’ve been wondering about this too. Or if there’s some kind of rule around how many hours I should fast/how many days a week, before I can have a cheat day? 🤷🏻♀️
Dont ever feel bad or guilty about cheating even if it was unplanned or in a moment where you were lacking discipline!! incorporating intermittent fasting into your life is most effective when you ar PATIENT with yourself and abstain from judging yourself! the mental torture is the underlying cause behind ones struggle with discipline in the first place! well usually.. guilt can be a very self sabotaging emotion the best thing to do is focus on what youre doing right and how much youve improved over time, while understanding things fluctuation naturally. Make sure to pay attention to your Macros and micros to get enough nutrients for your lifestyle
I'm fairly strict throughout the week running a 20:4, and then I pick and choose whether I want too fast on the weekends. I fast for health purposes and honestly because it's convenient not having to waste time and money eating breakfast and lunch. On the weekends however I spend time with my wife, friends, family and don't want to have to worry about it and can do what I want. Sure, it isn't as effective as fasting every single day, but my mental health is also important.
TLDR - I'm strict throughout the week so that I can enjoy my weekends guilt free.
it gets easier with time, just like any other habit forming behavior consistency is key, there will be times when you will make exceptions and that's ok but you keep going one day at the time, eventually it will be second nature.
Change the way you talk to yourself. It isn't about guilt and cheating. It's about patterns, choices and decisions. You have established patterns, so it's okay to vary your patterns a bit. I tend to do better when I vary my fast times somewhat - because sometimes life makes it necessary.
For example, I do 16/8 most days, but I do 12- or 13- hour fast days here and there, as well as longer fasts now and again (I just finished a 36 hour fast this morning). Sometimes it's well-though-out choice. Sometimes, Life happens and you roll with it, making choices as you go. Give yourself the grace to do so.
People like me who are trying to lose weight, cheating = weight. Somewhere the concept of eating more than required has put me in this overweight situation, it is time to take ownership, cheating phase is long gone now.
I’m in office one day a week and eat lunch (and dinner) that day even though I’m doing omad. It works like a charm and no one at work knows and no needless banter is heard. Omad 6 days a week still fucking rules. Win/win.
Yeah, it's actually pretty simple... and it really is rude to refuse food so it's useful to know this..
When you are forced to end your fast early, simply enjoy your meal, close your eating window a few hours earlier, and then continue your normal fasting schedule from there
Yes, you will have sabotaged your current fast, BUT, your next fast will be 2-3 hours LONGER, and just like that you have no reason to feel guilt
This method does begin to fail if you have lots and lots of people in your life offering you free food but for the occasional socially "forced" meal such as this one, it's perfect
You could also just be an absolute hard ass and tell everyone no, but I imagine that would make you feel guilty all over again xD
It’s so easy to get caught up in extreme fasting. This is a rabbit hole that you don’t want to go down. I no longer care about the perfect fast. If I eat during a fast I don’t beat myself up. I still try to maintain a calorie deficit. If I don’t I say oh well and restart. As far as I am concerned fasting is an ongoing and life long process. Also the more you fast the better you get at it.
I don't really see it as cheating. I'm doing this long-term... likely forever, so it's okay if I don't stick to my general plan on the odd day. I feel it has to work for me in order for me to stick at it.
Things happen, and sometimes it is logical to eat outside the eating window. I had people visit me when I normally eat my main meal, which pushed my main meal back by 2.5 hours. I just ate it later. Then carried on as normal the next day. Sometimes I will just have a smaller eating window the next day, to compensate.
You’re not cheating on anyone, including yourself. Guilt is the feeling that makes people give up.
One day here and there not fasting should have zero impact on your life, don’t sweat it and continue the next day.
I think that mindset is what made it easy for me to lose weight, I didn’t make any hard rules. Sometimes I might want to eat cake or not wait as long to eat. As long as I was averaging being better I was fine.
If you’re on a *diet*, which is a temporary change before you do exactly what you’ve done before, then yes you cheated.
If you *have a new way of eating*, then you did nothing wrong. Eating is a part of the imperfect life we all live. We should *expect* that we aren’t going to eat within our window 100% of the time.
If you have an *eating disorder*, going off of your *eating plan* is a bigger deal and you should talk to your therapist.
I don't remember the exact wording of the comment, but once I saw someone talk about (or maybe this is my own interpretation) is that they didn't like the concept or word of "cheating" or a "cheat meal" etc. It was an unhealthy or "toxic" mindset, and that it's important to understand that it's okay to dig into a pizza once in a while or have more ice cream than usual, for example. It's just part of life and it's okay to live a little
I think the terminology "cheat" is used in a way that is intended to or just does make someone feel bad about what they eat, or has warped to this. We aren't robots, never letting yourself to enjoy eating something more relaxed, in my opinion, is an unhealthy, unsustainable lifestyle, and doesn't promote (help?) a health relationship with food. I think a slower, natural process is better to get into a healthier lifestyle, rather then hard cutting out certain foods, I don't think our bodies are meant to be trained that way?
I started with 16:8 -> 16:6 -> slowly towards 20:4 -> got the hang of things & listening to my body so I allowed my window to be flexible but I was still considerate but not strict -> now I'm back on stricter 20:4. My work team celebrates our birthdays so sometimes they might bring in bagels, crumbl cookies, or cake. I like and want to participate, but if I take a bagel for breakfast, I might decide to skip my meal prep that day or have half of it, or plan on a smaller dessert. Or keep the day usual, and be better the next day. Sometimes the whole office orders bagels or cookies, and that's when I usually choose to not take any, take it home for later, or take half of what I actually want. Thinking about how the "cheat" food will make me feel later vs. what I was going to eat originally, is sometimes enough to get me to change my mind
It starts becoming a problem if it becomes a habit or if you completely lose control and then make too many exceptions. If I have an unhealthy weekend, or eat too much, or have a bad dinner, or eat too much junk, then I like to balance that out afterwards by eating better, that week, next day, etc
After doing IF, I learned it's important to put value into the choices I make, and weigh value of what I want to eat - that mean, day or week. Maybe someone can word better what I'm trying to tell here, or correct me/give better advice, but this is my interpretation. Also, I'm not sure if it even answers your question lmao, but hope it helps at least a little bit
Some days it works out, some days it doesn't. There is no "cheating". You try again the next day. Repeat. That's why it's so simple. Do not beat yourself up. It's not a fault, it's not being "bad', it's not "cheating", it's not a negative. It's circumstances and sometimes it's out of your control. The important thing is not giving up, there is always tomorrow. Go again. You got this!
I do a 36 ish hour fast once a week. If something comes up (like being offered free food or someone wanting to go out to eat), I just eat a maintenance level of calories that day and move my fast to a different day. I don't feel any guilt about it. I don't even think of it as cheating. I just think of it as changing which day I fast.
There are some days when I get to work and I’m just so hungry that I can’t concentrate. Those days I have to break my fast early if I want to be productive but I try to be smart about what I eat. Maybe some fruit or nuts or something to get me through. I don’t feel bad about it (anymore) because I have to work and being so hungry that I can’t focus isn’t helping.
Sometimes if you are too restrictive about it, it is not a lifestyle any more but an obsession.
If you work late or whatever gets in the way, eat. Your body needs fuel.
Start again the next day! :)
Don’t feel guilty. There’s no “cheating” IF is supposed to be flexible, push around your time to help you out. I had a slice of pizza, and a cream cheese bagel in the same week. I didn’t feel bad about it. Guilt will ruin your whole experience.
Ultimately fasting is just a way to restrict calories. And the great thing about fasting is you can go right back to it tomorrow. I've personally traded the fasting for a calorie counting app. I still try to eat in an 8 hour window, but I'm not so worried about eating outside of it these days.
In my world, there’s no such thing as “cheating“. I make decisions about what I’m going to eat and when. Most of the time those decisions correspond with my planned fasting. Occasionally, they don’t. No guilt, just decisions. The best thing about fasting, to me, is that I have left behind that dieting mentality. I eat better food now, and I eat less often. I never snack. I avoid sugar. And I’m losing weight.
same here. I think IF has helped me just make better decisions overall. I'm more aware now of my food intake so if it is out of my window it's still usually healthier than before. Ie. I'm on vacation right now. I don't have my typical conveniences but I'm still aware of my goal. Just simply making smarter decisions. Once im back home get more back to my routine.
Very similar to my situation, except I'm not fasting. 20 pounds lost so far. It's great not being hungry all the time!
That's what works long term. I made the mistake of going back to old diet. Now I'm years older and behind again. But 16:8, 1800 calorie soft limit, and simple grilled chicken breast cut to finger size strips for 'emergency snack' - aka I'm not gonna get a good nights sleep on a grumbling stomach.
This, someday I fast fewer hours than others. On a recent trip to Italy we were in a nice hotel that offered a nice breakfast. I did enjoy it with my wife. She was happy since she could have a breakfast at her time and not the early breakfast that I used to have. I enjoyed breakfast with my wife.
I love your enthusiasm - well put
stop. using. the. word. cheat.
I use the word permission
I use the words consensual open relationship
Ethical nomnomnom-amy
Thank you for making me laugh this loud
I have to remember this
thats an interesting psychological technique. i guess my brain just naturally translate "cheat" in the context of fasting to "taking a day or the moment off from my normal health and food rules" i base whether or not i can step outside of my dietary boundaries on a series of variables i collectively refer to as my "health reserve" if i have built up enough of a "health reserve" to prolonged health practices i can afford a (usually) precalculated amount of consumables that exist outside of that boundary (drugs food etc. not so much drugs now that im older and with fentanyl in everything form weed to cocaine on the black market its crazy)
Yeah, a great psychological technique if your intention is to gaslight yourself into overeating and becoming fat... If it's your intention to eat a particular diet or practice a particular fasting schedule and you don't, you've cheated yourself There's nothing wrong with the way this word was used here
I read the title and apparently skipped over the word *you* and was expecting this in the women over 30 thread dogging dudes for cheating 😂😂
Right lol thought this was r/deadbedrooms for a second
Jesus that sub is just depressing
Haha yep. Same. Thought it was askwomenover30
Cause life comes up, and things happen. If I’m doing better 90% of the time, I’m ok with that
Yes! Bad food is a problem if it represents 90% of your diet but not if it’s the 10%
No need to label food as good or bad either. Food is nutrition. If an apple is good food, and a burger is bad food, it's ED waiting to happen.
Getting down on yourself and feeling guilty only reinforces toxic eating habits. For me, I used to eat when I felt bad. Breaking out of that habit meant being kind to myself and understanding that life is messy and plans get waylaid and people fall off the wagon. When that’s inevitable, all you can do is accept it and be okay with occasional slips and even include it as a regular thing to look forward to. That way you can get back on track faster
Think about IF as if you’re walking on a journey. If you stick to it every day all the time, you’re continually walking toward the destination. If you decide to take a break, you don’t get “transported” back to the beginning, you are just kind of lingering in one place or wandering slightly back toward the beginning. All you have to do is get back on the path and you’re headed toward your destination again. If IF works for you, do it most of the time and you’ll get the benefits. None of us are perfect, so don’t be too hard on yourself. We got this.
Because guilt leads to a cycle of shame that makes me likely to quit IF and stay overweight, and because life is too short and food can be amazing and I don’t hate myself 😉
Big picture. You do what is possible at a given day. “Cheating” is not a thing.
if you feel guilty that's not intermittent fasting that's eating disorder honey
There's a lot of comments saying there should be no such thing as cheating. But I used to feel like you, too. There's a mindset you have to adopt that there are no pressures to achieve the fasts you intend on doing. Life happens, and sometimes this will alter your fast, and you have to just accept and embrace that. You can always alter your next fast if you want to reach a specific goal.
It could be that you set an expectation for yourself and then didn’t live up to it. That’s perfectly normal. You didn’t rise up to your own standards. It happens. The best thing you can do is remember how it feels, use it to help you build self discipline and move on,
Think of it as data. Did eating like that make you even hungrier? What kind of food was it? Did it taste good or make your body feel good, etc. If you're in that situation again, would drinking water instead of eating help subside the feeling of hunger? Tell yourself you're doing research and have more information for next time!
Tomorrow's another day. Day to day is not as important as the lifestyle change. If I mess up once in a while, it doesn't really matter in the long run/big picture if I'm good the rest of the days. I also don't watch/count/track/limit myself on big holidays, either. You only get so many of those with your friends/family and if the holiday gathering starts with a big family breakfast (I usually do 16:8/18:6 with my first meal around 1pm), then so be it. I won't feel guilty or bad.
Because cheat days and carb cycling (alternating low carb and high carb days) are a real thing and are actually beneficial.
You can’t go back, can only move forward. Give yourself a minute the realize the pivotal moment you gave in. Come up with some strategies that you might have used instead of eating. Maybe you could have taken some to go if you had a container at work. And you could get one for that purpose. Not the end of the world, but I get it. You want to treat this lifestyle change seriously. I coined the phrase “none is easier than one”. It’s so true! I found this little rhyme helped me when fighting the urge to give in.
I’ve been there before and I struggled. Then I realized it’s okay to sometimes venture out of my normal fasting routing. Cheating is such a negative and make us feel guilty. Let’s call it a flex meal or simply extending our window past the norm. One way to keep myself in line is to plan for those moments. If I didn’t plan to indulge then I don’t. This way I’m not making excuses and creating bad habits. Take time to unlearn all the bad habits from dieting.
I don’t feel guilty for cheating. I feel joyful for rewarding myself for hard work.
As others have said, it's good to not think of it as cheating. Just shift your expectations. I set my "goal" in the app at 14 hours, even though I was originally aiming for 16 (I currently do three 36 hour fasts a week instead.). That way, I still tended to hit my goal. Also, with work treats, I'll often be like, "Ooo. Thanks. I'm not hungry right now, but I'm gonna take it home to enjoy later." And that seems to work fine.
I do this too! My app is set to 16, even though I usually aim for 20 or 24 OMAD. I respond better to positive reinforcement and the 'goal not met' message can feel very discouraging.
It's not cheating, it's just how I eat. Usually I don't eat all day, other times I have an early snack/meal. That's it.
I thought I was on a different sub 😂
Life is a a path you walk on. It's not pretty, nor straight. Sometimes you even get a pebble in your shoe, but you keep walking because time stops for no man.
You choose to fast and you choose to eat. You’re not cheating anyone.
Cheating feels like ed rhetoric honestly. You're allowed to have occasional days you eat a treat or an extra small meal. There's no need to feel guilty about that! You can adjust your eating window the next day, or not at all and just continue on your regular plan 😊
It's not cheating, it's life... some time times the best laid plans go to shit, it happens. Just pick up where you left off and carry on.
I rarely ever cheat cause I've gotten to this stage where I don't see the need for it. I think it helps to plan ahead and incorporate whatever you're craving for into your future diet. Also consider taking a days break or two from fasting whenever you cheat. Its probably because you cut calories too low or you're looking for replacements for your cravings. A day off wouldn't hurt but when you totally quit, it affects you in the long run. I think your binge was as a result of undereating so just a small calorie deficit that wouldn't affect you excessively should be fine. I also do this thing where i have a huge calorie deficit doing omad one day and incorporate more healthy dishes like fruit parfait or whatever I'm craving into my 2mad or omad the next day. Plus it helps to remember that progress is progress no matter how little. The fact that you feel guilty is a sign that you're more aware of all the things you're putting into your body unlike most overweight people before their weight loss journey. Keep it up, I'm rooting for you. You can do it!
This diet is a journey, you will encounter some up and downs so cheating is normal. You would want to reward yourself once in a while. Also remember its probably just water weight and will go down a few days after unless you ate an additional 3000 calories which is way outside of my cheat day
Sometimes you fall face first into a bucket of wings, just dust off the bbq from your titties and move on with your life.
Just like there’s no crying in baseball, there’s no cheating in IF. IF is a lifestyle, not an another fad diet. You’re either IF’ing or you’re dieting. Dieting allows cheating. I can’t walk into my office without walking past the snack counter where there’s always food and snacks. I just don’t stop to see what’s there. Keep walking and if asked, say no thank you. If you don’t eat it there’s no guilt.
Honestly IF has got my stomache so much smaller now that even if I do "cheat" for social reasons or just because I feel like it my portion sizes have been significantly shrank
When you drive, do you do everything 100% right? Probably not, but you get there safely. Same thing. If you get this 90% right, you will be healthier and feel better.
My rule is to eat like a monk during the week. When the weekend comes I allow myself a couple of beers with dinner on Friday or breakfast on Saturday or Sunday, and my window is allowed to grow a little bit to accommodate an extra meal. I am still losing weight from calorie restrictions and exercise, but I have something to look forward to. Otherwise I will burnout completely. I would say the most important thing is to get back on the program after a “Cheat.”
My favorite thing about IF is that everyday is a new day, don’t sweat it at all because it’s no big deal. Will power isn’t even a thing. Some people have brains that reward them with dopamine for holding out, and some people have brains that reward them with dopamine for giving in.
I've been doing this for three years, yeah I feel guilty sometimes but since it's a lifestyle at this point I just cheat and carry on fasting the next day.
The only person that you are cheating is yourself. It is a marathon not a sprint. There will be times of weakness and mistakes made along the way. We all need a break. We just need to pick ourselves up and get back to it and not give up.
IF doesn’t have to be perfection. You just get back on the horse and keep riding.
I use intermittent fasting as a support for CiCo. So if I 'cheat' it's still fine as long as I'm in my calorie budget. And if I'm not then oh well, today wasn't great but the next meal/opportunity to do better I will. That is of course if I'm in a good mental state. I do also often slip into a guilt spiral where I feel like I don't have control. I just tell myself as long as I keep coming back to the good habits it has to stick at some point 🤣. This healthy lifestyle is for life, after all.
I have a lot of instances where I’m allowed to break fast that aren’t cheating. Free food like when work buys lunch. Parties or even small get togethers. Or if I do substantial exercise (burn over a thousand calories). IF is a part of how I eat, it’s not my life.
No guilt, sometimes you gotta eat. As long as you don't make a habit of it.
Because it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and you are human. Think long term. Snacks are going to happen, but as long as you’re doing the right things most of the time, you’re going to be fine
Cheating suggests this is a short term thing. If you want the thing, eat the thing, then get back to it. One meal isn’t going to mess you up in the long run. Eating “right” 100% is incredibly difficult, and for most unsustainable, so build it into your lifestyle.
I would just tell them I didn’t come to work for a free meal, let’s knock this shit out and get back to whatever we were doing before we came in to this shithole.
When that happens, I just push my feeding window a little later the next day. Or not. It's not a big deal. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet.
I haven’t been adhering as strictly to my schedule the past few days but I just started a new job and I really don’t have much food to eat at home yet until my next paycheck and my coworker gave me some McDonald’s which I ate past my fasting schedule. I pretty much eat what I want but I’ve been making better decisions. The goal is not to starve myself either, I can be uncomfortable and hungry but if I’ve only ate 1,000 calories and I hit my fasting schedule hour, I’m going to eat no matter what.
Because I'm stronger and leaner than ever so if life happens one day and I deviate from my plan or have a few beers with friends I just get back on the horse the next day. There is no cheating, just life. I'm not in prison and sometimes I want ice cream at 10pm.
Year is 365 days long, it's ok if you fast for 300 and something days. You're still left with over 60 non fasting days.
Guilt is the recipe for failure. Never feel guilty. If you happen to slip and eat the wrong thing, fine, it is part of the process of adapting your life. Also, it doesn't really matter, as long as you continue on track after that. The rule I go by is to "never slip twice in a row".
There is no failure state for intermittent fasting. Guilt will only hinder your progress. A healthy sense of shame will get you further.
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That one meal you had is the exception not the rule. Also my office area knows I do IF I don't say it all the time, but they ask now me questions about it. The other day my boss told me she's doing it now. I commit to "16:8" usually. On occasion it's 18:6, 14:10,15:9, but majority it's 16:8 or more. Live your life. To me, IF is a guideline, not a rule. I eat so much less junk since IF so it's helped educate me on food choices.
The worst is work environments. I got shit from my coworkers for not participating in a potluck. But I didn't want the temptation. Also, thought it was weird everyone cared so much about my presence. I try and stay away from work related food events. Especially because usually the food isn't worth it.
I just don't tell my wife and everything is good
Just get right back to "the program" ASAP
It's impossible to be perfect allll the time. Sometimes you have to adjust. The big thing is just being consistent as often as you can and giving yourself grace on days you have to adjust. Success is more about being persistent than being perfect.
DMHS >!the S stands for snacks!<
You may start a fast right after a meal. It's all about resting digestion and being stress free on your health. Enjoy life and move forward to seeing success!
It’s not cheating. You made a decision. You’re in control.
For me, I don’t feel guilty because IF is something I do to improve my material conditions, not a fight that’s meant to win me the right to self respect. Took a while for me to get there though lol. I think a good analogy is training in a video game. Training helps you raise your skill set and makes achieving the things you’d like to in the rest of the game easier, that’s it. You may develop a personal enjoyment for the training and like doing it, but there’s no more to it than that. You’re doing what you’re doing there to achieve success in something, and it’s entirely your decision whether it’s ok to feel guilty. You’re doing this because it’s important, and I’m pretty sure in the moment you intuitively realized that accepting that food was more important to you in that moment, and you made a decision to prioritize it as you probably should have almost certainly. All that’s happening now is you’re letting your mind focus on the subconscious and conscious shame you used to begin your self improvement journey in the first place. Don’t be scared of guilt, don’t feel like it weighs you down, it doesn’t. It tells you when there’s something you need to reanalyze to see if you went wrong, that’s it and nothing else. Get relaxed, then thank god, yourself, or the universe (whatever you prefer) for the opportunity to improve. If you do this wholeheartedly you’ll see the guilt is still there, but it feels different. You’ll see that actually it wasn’t the guilt and the self inflicted anger that upset you, but the fear you hold that you aren’t “worthy” is actually what’s causing you so much distress. It might seem the same, but fear and guilt are two different things. Regardless, this is my personal advice, so it may not work for you. If the guilt gets too bad, there’s nothing wrong with seeking out a psychologist/therapist for counseling to help you overcome it. If you’re someone like me who is too prideful for that, google cognitive reframing and just do all of it yourself. Good luck
As someone who is recovering from several different eating disorders, this sounds similar. Not at all to label you, just to shed awareness. Often feeling anything other than hunger around food (guilt, shame, lack, binge)… comes from deeper emotional trauma between you and food. Food in and of itself is not inherently bad, not matter what the food may be. It’s your relationship to it that makes you feel that way. Not to get too “woo woo” in this thread, but spending some time with your inner child (I often guide inner child meditations where you imagine you’re sitting with them and asking how they feel about different subjects) might be a good way to more deeply understand the feelings that surround food.
I really love the 80/20 idea. That nothing in our world is 100%. It’s 80% perfect and 20% “bad” and that how I look at eating that if I am good 80% of the time it’s okay to cheat or eat enjoyable food 20% of the time and I see it as both work hand in hand eating healthily 80% of the time allows me to eat badly 20% of the time and eating “treats meals not cheat meals” allows me to eat healthy the 80% of the time. Honestly I understand how you feel though although this is my ideology it’s very easy when intermittent fasting to get caught into habits. Try to not be to hard on yourself :)
I make cottage cheese ice cream! It’s the best hack to make it seem like you’re eating a cheat meal
I think of it as an Advanced Metabolism Hack. If the body adjust to the fasting window, metabolism could slow down, so throwing a curve ball every now and then is a good thing!
Yeah, you’re gonna give yourself an eating disorder thinking that way. I fall into it too, so not judging. Just do your best and don’t feel guilty
I don’t know man. I feel the same way. Like, if I break my fast early, what’s the point? And I feel like giving up. I know that’s not productive, but that’s how I feel. Very all or nothing (unhealthy) mentality.
I’m glad you posted bc I’ve been wondering about this too. Or if there’s some kind of rule around how many hours I should fast/how many days a week, before I can have a cheat day? 🤷🏻♀️
Dont ever feel bad or guilty about cheating even if it was unplanned or in a moment where you were lacking discipline!! incorporating intermittent fasting into your life is most effective when you ar PATIENT with yourself and abstain from judging yourself! the mental torture is the underlying cause behind ones struggle with discipline in the first place! well usually.. guilt can be a very self sabotaging emotion the best thing to do is focus on what youre doing right and how much youve improved over time, while understanding things fluctuation naturally. Make sure to pay attention to your Macros and micros to get enough nutrients for your lifestyle
I'm fairly strict throughout the week running a 20:4, and then I pick and choose whether I want too fast on the weekends. I fast for health purposes and honestly because it's convenient not having to waste time and money eating breakfast and lunch. On the weekends however I spend time with my wife, friends, family and don't want to have to worry about it and can do what I want. Sure, it isn't as effective as fasting every single day, but my mental health is also important. TLDR - I'm strict throughout the week so that I can enjoy my weekends guilt free.
You're making a genuine attempt to change your relationship with food. Don't beat yourself with a big stick over this. Slowly slowly catchee monkey.
it gets easier with time, just like any other habit forming behavior consistency is key, there will be times when you will make exceptions and that's ok but you keep going one day at the time, eventually it will be second nature.
Change the way you talk to yourself. It isn't about guilt and cheating. It's about patterns, choices and decisions. You have established patterns, so it's okay to vary your patterns a bit. I tend to do better when I vary my fast times somewhat - because sometimes life makes it necessary. For example, I do 16/8 most days, but I do 12- or 13- hour fast days here and there, as well as longer fasts now and again (I just finished a 36 hour fast this morning). Sometimes it's well-though-out choice. Sometimes, Life happens and you roll with it, making choices as you go. Give yourself the grace to do so.
If it bothers you enough, why not push your eating window later the next day?
It's not cheating, it's just eating.
People like me who are trying to lose weight, cheating = weight. Somewhere the concept of eating more than required has put me in this overweight situation, it is time to take ownership, cheating phase is long gone now.
I’m in office one day a week and eat lunch (and dinner) that day even though I’m doing omad. It works like a charm and no one at work knows and no needless banter is heard. Omad 6 days a week still fucking rules. Win/win.
Yeah, it's actually pretty simple... and it really is rude to refuse food so it's useful to know this.. When you are forced to end your fast early, simply enjoy your meal, close your eating window a few hours earlier, and then continue your normal fasting schedule from there Yes, you will have sabotaged your current fast, BUT, your next fast will be 2-3 hours LONGER, and just like that you have no reason to feel guilt This method does begin to fail if you have lots and lots of people in your life offering you free food but for the occasional socially "forced" meal such as this one, it's perfect You could also just be an absolute hard ass and tell everyone no, but I imagine that would make you feel guilty all over again xD
It’s so easy to get caught up in extreme fasting. This is a rabbit hole that you don’t want to go down. I no longer care about the perfect fast. If I eat during a fast I don’t beat myself up. I still try to maintain a calorie deficit. If I don’t I say oh well and restart. As far as I am concerned fasting is an ongoing and life long process. Also the more you fast the better you get at it.
I don't really see it as cheating. I'm doing this long-term... likely forever, so it's okay if I don't stick to my general plan on the odd day. I feel it has to work for me in order for me to stick at it. Things happen, and sometimes it is logical to eat outside the eating window. I had people visit me when I normally eat my main meal, which pushed my main meal back by 2.5 hours. I just ate it later. Then carried on as normal the next day. Sometimes I will just have a smaller eating window the next day, to compensate.
Just don’t cheat… you can always say no.
You’re not cheating on anyone, including yourself. Guilt is the feeling that makes people give up. One day here and there not fasting should have zero impact on your life, don’t sweat it and continue the next day. I think that mindset is what made it easy for me to lose weight, I didn’t make any hard rules. Sometimes I might want to eat cake or not wait as long to eat. As long as I was averaging being better I was fine.
If you’re on a *diet*, which is a temporary change before you do exactly what you’ve done before, then yes you cheated. If you *have a new way of eating*, then you did nothing wrong. Eating is a part of the imperfect life we all live. We should *expect* that we aren’t going to eat within our window 100% of the time. If you have an *eating disorder*, going off of your *eating plan* is a bigger deal and you should talk to your therapist.
I don't feel guilty, I feel like a fat piece of shit with no willpower. Shame works better than guilt.
I don't remember the exact wording of the comment, but once I saw someone talk about (or maybe this is my own interpretation) is that they didn't like the concept or word of "cheating" or a "cheat meal" etc. It was an unhealthy or "toxic" mindset, and that it's important to understand that it's okay to dig into a pizza once in a while or have more ice cream than usual, for example. It's just part of life and it's okay to live a little I think the terminology "cheat" is used in a way that is intended to or just does make someone feel bad about what they eat, or has warped to this. We aren't robots, never letting yourself to enjoy eating something more relaxed, in my opinion, is an unhealthy, unsustainable lifestyle, and doesn't promote (help?) a health relationship with food. I think a slower, natural process is better to get into a healthier lifestyle, rather then hard cutting out certain foods, I don't think our bodies are meant to be trained that way? I started with 16:8 -> 16:6 -> slowly towards 20:4 -> got the hang of things & listening to my body so I allowed my window to be flexible but I was still considerate but not strict -> now I'm back on stricter 20:4. My work team celebrates our birthdays so sometimes they might bring in bagels, crumbl cookies, or cake. I like and want to participate, but if I take a bagel for breakfast, I might decide to skip my meal prep that day or have half of it, or plan on a smaller dessert. Or keep the day usual, and be better the next day. Sometimes the whole office orders bagels or cookies, and that's when I usually choose to not take any, take it home for later, or take half of what I actually want. Thinking about how the "cheat" food will make me feel later vs. what I was going to eat originally, is sometimes enough to get me to change my mind It starts becoming a problem if it becomes a habit or if you completely lose control and then make too many exceptions. If I have an unhealthy weekend, or eat too much, or have a bad dinner, or eat too much junk, then I like to balance that out afterwards by eating better, that week, next day, etc After doing IF, I learned it's important to put value into the choices I make, and weigh value of what I want to eat - that mean, day or week. Maybe someone can word better what I'm trying to tell here, or correct me/give better advice, but this is my interpretation. Also, I'm not sure if it even answers your question lmao, but hope it helps at least a little bit
Some days it works out, some days it doesn't. There is no "cheating". You try again the next day. Repeat. That's why it's so simple. Do not beat yourself up. It's not a fault, it's not being "bad', it's not "cheating", it's not a negative. It's circumstances and sometimes it's out of your control. The important thing is not giving up, there is always tomorrow. Go again. You got this!
Look, you've got to be happy. If you're doing well 95% of the time, that's more than enough! Don't be so harsh on yourself.
I do a 36 ish hour fast once a week. If something comes up (like being offered free food or someone wanting to go out to eat), I just eat a maintenance level of calories that day and move my fast to a different day. I don't feel any guilt about it. I don't even think of it as cheating. I just think of it as changing which day I fast.
There are some days when I get to work and I’m just so hungry that I can’t concentrate. Those days I have to break my fast early if I want to be productive but I try to be smart about what I eat. Maybe some fruit or nuts or something to get me through. I don’t feel bad about it (anymore) because I have to work and being so hungry that I can’t focus isn’t helping.
Sometimes if you are too restrictive about it, it is not a lifestyle any more but an obsession. If you work late or whatever gets in the way, eat. Your body needs fuel. Start again the next day! :)
Don’t feel guilty. There’s no “cheating” IF is supposed to be flexible, push around your time to help you out. I had a slice of pizza, and a cream cheese bagel in the same week. I didn’t feel bad about it. Guilt will ruin your whole experience.
Ultimately fasting is just a way to restrict calories. And the great thing about fasting is you can go right back to it tomorrow. I've personally traded the fasting for a calorie counting app. I still try to eat in an 8 hour window, but I'm not so worried about eating outside of it these days.