VLCD Boundary Pushers

[pandorasinbox]

I know some people on here (who are lovely people!) are going to be annoyed at me for saying this, buttttttt...

I've found myself getting really cross at VLCD boundary pushers since I started this diet. People who routinely drink every week, despite being told not to, who eat something carby and miraculously stay in ketosis so cheat every week, or those who break the diet altogether and still manage to lose a bit of weight during the week so get all smug about it - people of that ilk.

I know I shouldn't let this bug me, but it does and I think it's because when I started this diet I knew I was making a big commitment so it narks me when people don't take their commitment as seriously.

Sorry - had to get that bile out. It was building up at the back of my mouth. Rant over.

EDIT: THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON ANYONE WHO SLIPS UP OR HAS A PLANNED BREAK. Please read the following from Starlight which sums it up perfectly:

I definitely think the reason behind the thread has been totally misinterpreted as the pages go on. The thread wasnt created to have a go at people going off plan, it was a complaint about those that do going off plan and either coming on here saying they have but have still lost Xlbs. That puts the wrong message across to newcomers to the diet and its quite demoralising for those sticking to it. The complaint behind the thread wasnt at people going off plan. Lets face it most of us do.

Another point raised was people passing on their own cheats/tweaks as safe or doing no harm when its probably more down to luck than anything else. If you want to break the rules on a diet like this fill your boots but you cant then come on quoting what you did as safe/right

I cant believe people are threatening to leave Minis over one thread!!! Come on people its one thread out of 43,000 on Cambridge. The whole thing with forums is were not all going to agree all the time, how boring would that be, but a disagreement or difference of opinion really isnt a reason to stop posting.

 

[Eclipse]

Hi hun, there will always be some peeps who will push the boundaries whether in a diet, a relationship or every day circumstances. Its just one of those things.

You will just have to pride yourself in being 100% and ignore any of the other posts that irritate you x x

 

[pandorasinbox]

It's not just on here, Eclipse. When I was on LL there was a girl in my group who drank like a fish EVERY weekend and several others who admitted to routinely having a glass of wine.

That bugs me not just because it's off plan, but because people are putting their health at risk for a stupid little glass of alcohol. :S

 

[spangles]

what i did notice is that when people confess to a lapse on the LL boards, there's a lot less of the "don't worry about it" attitude that happens here on CD.

personally, the only way i can imagine this diet working for me is 100% SS. I have SS'd at a wedding, and during a big night out - but really, that's only because it's easier for me that way. yes it annoys the **** out of me when people cheat and still have bigger losses than me. yes i'm frustrated because i think committing to it has to be easier when there are no grey areas. on a purely personal level i agree with everything you say. But...

People can only take the journey that works for them. and if they can make it work for them by having breaks and cheats (and wine!), then that's good. because working is working. and if it doesn't work and they get sucked in by a lapse, then that's a shame but it's no worse than not coping with being 100% and snapping with a great big binge.

 

[pandorasinbox]

I know and appreciate everything you're saying, spangles: I just can't help but feel a little bugged. As I say it's more likely to do with me resenting people not taking their commitment as seriously as I feel they should be, but what's right for me and what's right for someone else isn't necessarily going to be the same.

Wine/alcohol bugs me because I think CD is a good time to look at your drinking habits on top of your eating habits. People really ought to ask themselves how they can go without food but absolutely must be naughty and have that glass of wine, in my opinion! Drinking in ketosis (and on an empty stomach) can be dangerous.

 

[spangles]

yeah - i was a big social drinker before. big. and i think it's been helpful to see how much of a part in my life it played. but i haven't had any kind of epiphany. i am having a significantly less-good time without booze.

 

[great things]

i like this thread i find that the people that annoy me are those that do strange things with the 'allowed' foods too. like eating just egg whites and adding in ham (which isn't allowed) or popping in some carrots etc then think it's ok cause they're still loosing weight. if you're doing CD then flaming well DO CD! don't mess it around with omitting and adding!

i have to admit that i occasionally do have a drink, eat some nuts or cheese but i know that be it on my own head i will have a dodgy weigh in and it is just because of what i've chosen to do. i won't go gloating about wow... i've lost xyz and i drank or i lost an amazing amount and still ate ****! if you eat or drink your potential for a wonderful loss will be greatly reduced.

plus... for those that do drink or eat and still loose... just think what you might have lost if you hadn't eaten or drank and how much closer you'd be to goal!

 

[andju]

I must admit,I tend not to read posts where people are cheating anymore as it almost pulls me in the same direction.I cant afford to go off plan as it is so hard for me to get back on x

 

[pandorasinbox]

if you're doing CD then flaming well DO CD! don't mess it around with omitting and adding

This is the crux of my point. If people want to be naughty there are plenty of diets out there that will let you continue to eat the things you like to some degree and still lose weight. The whole point of doing CD is to break that cycle of bad eating habits, cheating and treating and work up to eating in a sensible and healthy way.

 

[great things]

i think mine is kid stress. like today emily drove me round the bend. she's written in permanent marker pen and draw a pic on her walls. very depressing. has really got to me as they're both wrecking my house and i feel helpless in my attempts to keep up with them.

 

[Starlight]

If people want to cheat then thats their decision but what I HATE is when people come on here and 'share' their cheats as being ok. There was a thread on a section recently where someone asked about drinking in ketosis, the thread had lots of good advice about not doing it, how to best get out of ketosis quickly then one person comes on and says 'Oh I wouldnt worry about it, I had a full bottle of wine last weekend and it did me no harm' If someone wants to risk their health/life by drinking in ketosis go ahead fill your boots but do not come on here and say its ok to do so People might get away with cheats in the short term but passing them on to others as 'ok' is just out of order!!

 

[pandorasinbox]

That too, Starlight! People also seem to do a lot of "oh I do X cheat and Y cheat and I stay in ketosis so you'll be fine!" - not everyone is as lucky as that. We all have varying levels of carb sensitivity and what cheat might be okay for one person won't be for another. Just because you were lucky enough to stay in ketosis doesn't mean you should pass it on as good advice!

 

[great things]

i'm kind of lucky as i can eat a very small amount of carbs and 'get away with it' but it's not something that everyone can do we are all so very different.

 

[Starlight]

I think sometimes more 'tough love' is needed on here. Theres a fine line between being supportive and not but if someone posts and says I just ate 'X, Y and Z' is responding with 'dont worry about it youll be fine, youll probably still be in ketosis' the right way or is kick up the backside better. Like I say its a fine line, you dont want people being put off coming on to fess up or to get support but when I see threads with people saying its fine its ok I wonder if thats the right message too.

Cos lets face it on a TFR eating carbs is NOT ok x

 

[spangles]

the phrase "it hasn't affected my weightloss" drives me potty. How do you know? how do you know what you would have lost if you hadn't done it? it's factually inaccurate (because something is being stated as fact that no one can know) and worse than that, it's potentially misleading.

 

[pandorasinbox]

the phrase "it hasn't affected my weightloss" drives me potty. How do you know? how do you know what you would have lost if you hadn't done it? it's factually inaccurate (because something is being stated as fact that no one can know) and worse than that, it's potentially misleading.

Ooooh that line gets me. Yes, you might have lost 3lbs this week even though you cheated and that's great, but maybe if you hadn't cheated you'd have lost 6lbs!

 

[great things]

Lol yes, so true!

Here's a pic of my 4 (almost 5) year olds idea of drawing, my idea of killing her slowly over a roasted spit! Hense my stress with my kids! I might also add this is not the first time. I've lost count now and I only re-painted that part of the wall on Thursday!

Permanent marker on a light yellow wall. Don't think my scrubbable paint will even stand a chance with this

 

[pandorasinbox]

I don't think children are on the SS+ allowed list, GT!

 

[MaryMZ]

Well I have to say I haven't been perfect on the Cambridge diet. But overall I am quite pleased with my weight loss. Althought it's nothing like as good as most people. I have been disappointed a couple of times when I thought I had lost more. But my opinion is this. Some people will stick to the diet and not seem to lose much, others will cheat and lose a lot. Depending on a lot of things like their lifestyle, their age and so on we all know this. I'm looking at it as a kind of learning curve and not going to do this well I've had this that or the other so might as well not bother and start again Monday. I've done that too many times in the past. I agree alcohol isn't a good idea on the VLCD.

 

[Rkmriddell]

Like you guys, I believe I have to be 100% to make this diet work for me. To address my issues with food and deal with the problems. I think that the reality is that if you are more likely to cheat on plan, you're more likely to struggle maintaining your weight in the future.

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