The Cheat

Perhaps the most sought out Optifast topic is cheating when on your program. What if I do it, what will keep me from doing it, can I complete the program if I keep doing it, why do I do it. Let's face facts: Cheating is one of the top obstacles you face in your quest to achieve your goal weight. We are on a very restrictive diet, limiting us to a handful of products we must take repetitively day after day. In some cases, for a good period of time. Food is all around us, and most of us up until this time ate pretty much what we wanted. And now times have radically changed.

If you've read through my blog, you know that I have been on the program for three months and I have never cheated with real food. However, I have had two "cheats." I bought a box of Optifast chocolate peanut butter bars and they tasted like candy to me. Until the box was gone, I ate one at night like a treat -- on top of my five Optifast products I had that day. Just like cheating, I consumed extra calories. I knew it was wrong but did it anyway. I had the option of throwing the box out or giving the bars away, but didn't do it. I felt guilty and angry at myself. And I dreaded the upcoming weigh-in, knowing that I probably retarded my weight loss for the week. I did.

There was also a second incident regarding Optifast bars. We decided to take a last-minute trip to Tennessee that would involve some moderate uphill hiking and turbulent white water rafting. I purchased a box of bars before I left, to use as meal replacements (or so I hoped). The same thing happened. I had more than my five products a day, and mentally viewed those bars as a chocolate treat/reward. I ate an entire box over a 4-day weekend (this was on top of my Optifast shakes). As before, I felt guilty and disappointed in myself. When I returned from the trip, I had a .2 lb. weight gain, my first gain since starting the program. And I felt rotten.

So though I may have had success steering clear of "real" food, I am not immune to cheating. I've been there and I know what it feels like. Here's what I've learned: First, if you have cheated, please know you are not alone. I'd bet the majority of people on Optifast cheat at least once. Probably 20% get through the program cheat-free. It's a difficult thing to do and importantly, you must remember that just because you have a cheat, that does not mean you should throw in the towel and give up on the program. You must get right back up on that horse and keep going, putting the cheat behind you, and move forward step by step, day by day.

Secondly, I believe we should ask ourselves why we did it. Were we bored? Hungry? Upset? Sick of the program? Worried we'd never have a favorite snack again? Something drove us to risk continued weight loss and to trigger feelings of guilt and remorse. We need to ponder that a bit and see if we can come up with some solutions for addressing these situations in a way that does not involve a cheat.

And third, we need to put mechanisms into place that will help prevent a cheat. In my case, I know from two experiences that although they may be an option for others, those Optifast bars are not for me. Period. I will not get them again. I have to be resolute on this, no matter how difficult that may be. I have a weakness, I am acknowledging it, and I am taking the action to address the problem. Sounds regimented and it is, but I do so want to succeed in my Optifast journey. So it must be done.

Temptations will always be around us, but we can navigate around them. Remember my advice to "stay in today" and think to yourself, "Today I will be committed to my Optifast schedule." Go no farther than that. It works for me. Remember that when we meet our goal weight and complete transition, then move into long-term maintenance, we will have the opportunity to taste food we enjoy. It will come down to portion size and frequency of indulgence, tempered by a good exercise program. So it's not like we will never have something we had in the past. We may just find we don't want the bad foods we craved in the past. Wouldn't that be great!

So in conclusion, you can survive a cheat and have a successful program. I'm living proof of it. Forgive yourself, put it behind you, and move onward. You can do it!