Cheating makes it harder to not cheat.

My ‘worst’ cheat is having a coke in the morning. I don’t like the bitter taste of coffee and I’m used to caffeine in the morning, so that means coke. I can rationalize it a bit, too, by knowing that glycogen stores are depleted after sleeping (ie fasting), and so if I’m going to have a coke, the time to do it is early in the morning.

A 20oz coke, though, is 68g of carbs. I won’t be burning any fat for 3-4 hours after consuming that much. Plus, about 3-4 hours later (ie at lunch time), I’m famished — and tempted to order fries with my bunless burger, or noodles with my chinese, or maybe hashbrowns if I order bacon & eggs, or …. I’ve lived with my body long enough to know what carb cravings feel like, and to know what sates that feeling. Cheating begets cheating; it’s the vicious cycle of carb addiction.

Since I’m trying to cut down on the caffeine, too, my alternate breakfast is water. I don’t need to eat, and if I’m eating moderate carbs daily (~150g), skipping breakfast isn’t very hard. I don’t feel hungry in the morning. The more I skip breakfast, the easier it gets.

And if I don’t have a morning coke, I don’t crave carbs with lunch.

And if I don’t eat carbs at lunch, I don’t get that 2pm post-lunch lull that says “omg go get some more sugar.” Peanut M&Ms are ok, aren’t they? Nuts, right? Well, no, on two counts. A normal bag is another 56g of carbs, and peanuts are legumes, which means lectins. My other afternoon craves are milky way dark (mmm, dark chocolate) or beef jerky and cheese. Although convenience-store cheese isn’t really cheese, it’s the best of my choices. If I skip the morning coke and stay away from carbs during lunch, I also don’t get afternoon cravings. And if I do step out for an afternoon snack, it’s much easier to pick up some beef jerky and a 0-carb beverage (diet coke, diet energy drink, or just water) if I didn’t have a carb-heavy lunch or breakfast.

Then I’ll get home and go for a run. An afternoon candy snack means I’m craving carbs again. Run, then go get fries, or tater tots, or eat a potato with my steak. Order a coke (cuz I’m craving sugar again). But if I’m not craving carbs, it’s easier to just sit down and cook or eat through my pantry, which tends to be zero-carb. Olives, cheese, and salami, or I’ll cook bacon & eggs, or a steak and some green veggies.

The easiest time to continue eating low-carb is after a fast, and since it’s easy to fast while sleeping, breakfast is the big weak spot. If I skip that morning coke, the rest of the day is much easier.

I can rationalization it as a one-serving, glycogen-restorating, small-impact event… but that ignores the cascade that carries through the day. The reason to not drink a coke in the morning is because I know about the cascade. I hate the cascade. I hate the cravings. I hate myself for giving in to the cravings. I hate the blood-sugar yoyo. I hate the morning coke for what it brings.

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I think there are two things that lead people to cheat on their diet. One is bad habits (”we always order pizza on Fridays, I always get the potato with my steak, I always eat sandwiches at home”). The other is a cascade. The easiest way to stop the cascade is to ride the overnight fast: eat a good, zero-carb breakfast and ride your new, low-carb diet throughout the day.