I don't cheat, I cut myself slack. The world is not perfect, and while I strive to excel at eating this way, I'm not interested in punishing myself.

As long as I strive, I'll keep on improving, if I cut myself slack, I cannot fail. If I cannot fail, there is no reason for me to give up my long slow pursuit of perfection.

First of all i'm not fond of the word cheat. If I decide to eat foods I normally don't I strive to do so joyfully. Cheat=guilt. I find I rarely make exceptions, I I'd imagine it is because I look at it the way I do. I find that I actually do not want to eat the things I used to crave. Now that I have started eating with nurishment as my goal, rather than pleasure everything has changed.

This probably depends a lot on why you're doing it in the first place. For myself, I'm trying to fight Crohn's Disease, so avoiding "real" cheats has been pretty trivial, since all I have to do is think, "would this keep the disease going or not" when looking at a food. And now that I'm off my medication, I have an additional whip cracking every time I look at a food - there's no, "Well the meds are working" excuse anymore.

For people trying to lose weight or fight more undefined problems it's probably much harder to be super strict since the stakes are lower. Cheating every now and then probably won't screw up your weight loss goals all that much, so that pizza slice or whatever (unless it gives you an immediate symptom) is much easier to see as harmless. Even if you do have a long cheat week or something and gain some weight, you can get back on the horse at any time. In a way, while this makes cheats easier to justify, it also could help people in the long term; if they've made a real commitment to health, they've made a long term commitment, and so a bump in the road won't look like such a big deal in five years time.

I prefer to think of it as "reward" versus "cheat," especially given how hard it can be sometimes to stay true to this lifestyle despite the barrage of unhealthy options made so easily available, you know?

That being said...

As a pastry chef, I have to sample my work. I'm talking a small bite here and a spoonful there, and in very limited frequency. Yesterday I had to sample three different desserts (a cake and two ice creams) to make sure they came out right. Unfortunately, it's the sort of thing I can't have someone else do and then be told "what something tastes like." I have to do it myself. Do I feel guilty? Eh, a little, but that's a conversation for another time.

The way I look at it, I'm sticking to Paleo at a very high percentage of the time. So to occasionally put something in my face that's not on the diet...I'll live. I really don't sit down and have an entire meal that's unPaleo, although the thought has crossed my mind.

I think cheating is a two headed monster, especially from person to person. And then there is the whole debate on whether your are "Paleo" or "Primal" and all that rhetoric, and there are some areas where the communities clash.

No soap box to stand on, but I rarely cheat. But I guess I consider myself Primal+Dairy per se.

If a strict Paleo person looked at my diet, they probably could light me up on many different things. I have grass-fed cream in my coffee nearly every morning, I drink 10oz of grass-fed milk post work out ( 3x a week), I still use a bit of condiments that have cane sugar in them, sour cream with mexican dishes, a bottle or 2 of wine per month, and I have the occasional handful of berries once or twice a week.

I do not have any immunological diseases or any negative reaction to the dairy that is currently in my diet, so I continue to supplement with it, smartly of course. BUT, there are some things I have cut out of my diet for good and will never go back to: ALL grains, ANYTHING with HFCS/CS, all diet sodas, most nuts, legumes.

So, in the end, when I do cheat, its usually with things that are still Primal/Paleo, I just have a little bit more of them. So if I feel like I need a reward, I'll eat more berries, or have more sweet potatoes, or have a little bit more wine.

I've been following this path for just a little bit over 10 months, with fantastic results. Could I be further along without the dairy, wine, or fruit? Maybe, maybe not. But my meals taste great, Im in ketosis on a daily basis, its convenient, and there isn't much thought involved.

Eh, cheat, shmeat. Once a week I get a Lake Champlain chocolate/maple thingie at the checkout. One. That's my treat since I pretty much cut out alcohol and most fruit (the latter temporarily as I need to cut body fat). Won't hurt me.

In the 4 years I have been on this path I have not "cheated" once. When I made the decision to get my weight and health back in my control I have kept a clear vision of what I want to achieve. I know that my previous lifestyle was the cause of my problems so why on earth would I want to return to those ways even for a second? Foolishness! I'll bet you don't put substandard fuel or oil in your car for a "cheat". Well I won't put substandard fuel in me either. Besides in all that time I have felt absolutely no compulsion to cheat. YMMV.

I maybe 'cheat' once a week when it comes to food and it may come in the form of eating organic chocolate or a pizza night. And even then it is minimal as far as quantity of consumption and I don't feel guilty because that just won't help matters any. ;-)

I do indulge in a couple of ounces of scotch, bourbon, or wine a couple of times a week if that's considered 'cheating'. Since going Paleo about a year ago the 'cheats' aren't as extreme because my body just doesn't crave the bad stuff anymore. Clean eating and simple eating seems to have gotten rid of those pesky craving monsters that have a tendency to lurk somewhere inside..especially for a female. ~Cat~

All you can eat sushi, once a month super carbload. Absolutely worth the crash

glass of red wine daily

Dr. Eades has an interesting post on this idea, from just the lowcarb viewpoint. Carb spikes cause a lot of free radical damage.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/low-carb-caveat/

I used to have a beer about once a month or every two months in social situations, but have found that it bothers my stomach too much to risk anymore.

The "cheats" I still indulge in are rather minor:

• I still have weekly glass of red wine or two
• Occasional cook with and/or eat raw milk cheeses
• Sometimes I utilize "bad" seeds or sausces while cooking (very small amounts)
• Very rarely I will indulge in some sushi w/ rice

Overall, I feel my cheats are very minor and only occasional. Our ancestors would have been exposed to things that were not optimal occasionally as well and I feel our bodies are fine cleaning up the occasional "cheat."

I wouldn't consider it as cheating but more being flexible. Once a month I usually have a get together with my friends, which usually involve birthday cakes etc and I don't have any sensitivity against grains/sugar/gluten etc so a slice of cake once a month won't hurt, provided I keep my food unprocessed 90% most of the time.

The hardest part for me would be when I go to my in-laws for weekly dinner gathering since they're the ones who prepare all the food (literally nearly everything I could not eat - soy sauce, oyster sauce dishes, cooked in hydrogenated vegetable oil etc) - either I skip it or I ate beforehand and just nibble a little bits of here and there.

When I "cheat" it's a Double Double Protein Style from In 'n' Out, no fries or soda.

Like my fasting, I never schedule them. I avg two IFs a week and 1 Cheat but not a major one. I stll feel that the Warrior Diet approach to IF is the best, I eat only late in the day- far easier than the other styles.

I usually cheat one or two meals a week. Living in Arizona, Mexican food is an addiction...so I let myself splurge occasionally.

I suspect that the compulsion to cheat is related to malnutrition, however subtle. I know that the more and more that I stick to paleo, the more satisfied I am. This is satisfaction with MY LIFE, no matter what my outer circumstances are.

My birthday's coming up. I'm not-at-all-seriously in agony over whether to do this amazing, high quality Chicago-style pizza buffet or not.

Why do I want this cheat? Is it because I want to feel something that I'm not feeling? Is it because I want to avoid feeling what I am feeling? These questions supersede any concept of reward for "doing the right thing, the Paleo thing" or "making it another year" or "it's a special occasion", especially with food. Special occasions can happen at any and all times.

I ask these questions of myself whenever I get that little urge to have some food that I know is not nourishing. This is because I know that I will be OK with or without this food. There's nothing I'm missing out on, nothing I'm depriving myself of. Most thoughts of deprivation stem from dissatisfaction with the present moment.

Out of anybody's current answer, I side mostly with Alan's 100% approach, though (hopefully) without the ego-inflation that I sense from him. It is fucking amazing eating paleo.

I've gotten a point in my journey where I legitimately enjoy smelling cinnamon buns more than I do actually eating them. It's possible to enjoy many things that aren't "normal" to enjoy.

It's possible that stress about CHEATING is more damaging that any cheat could be. On the other hand, I've never felt pain in my fat tissue from worrying, but I definitely have from cheating on an entire 2lb frozen pizza and a pint of ice cream.

Another angle: What happens when you find yourself cheating? When you "wake up" to yourself cheating.

Aim for 100%. If you fall, get back up. Continue on the path, wherever you are.

Since I'm trying to avoid a major gall bladder "heart attack", its easy for me to stay on the straight & narrow. If I do have a cereal carb, it is usually the bun on a hamburger. Or, I do a partial Paleo pancake, which is regular pancake mix with 1/4 to 1/2 almond meal. Dinners and evenings are strictly verboten for cereals or dairy. I don't need any late night surprises.

Ahhh! I totally relate to the guilty feeling of eating outside the diet. Thing is, there is actually a lot of freedom in this diet. For instance, you can eat as much as want, so no pressure to get your calories in a certain limit. I do find, after cutting out refined sugar and relying on fruit, I don't like sugar after I eat it; sweets sound like a good idea and then I feel gross afterwards. (Like kissing your friend's boyfriend. Wink.)

I am a triathlete, who just started this paleo thang a few weeks ago... I have just bumped up my training, and I'm craving dairy and bad things like pizza, nachos, etc. oh, so much! I have been gluten and dairy intolerant forever, so I don't get the craving.

depends on if my parents ask me over to dinner that week or if they leave me alone hahaha my parents never have paleo friendly meals (...and don't compromise either) usually on the weekends I will end up getting a burger or sandwich from a fast food joint or restaurant with my husband.

I've discovered that if I set up cheat meals regularly, it's easier for me to stick with what I'm doing. For instance, I eat pizza one day a month. Also, I allow myself corn weekly (Mexican food) and white rice weekly (Asian food). Maybe that's really bad but I think overall I'm sticking to what I need to in order to be healthy.

I started Paleo around two months ago and have cheated a bunch. I live in China, so I have no choice in whether to cheat or not every time I go out to eat. I think it depends on your body, goals, etc, when deciding whether or not it's good or bad. Personally, I'm in amazing shape. Not just good...but yes, amazing. I have been working out for over a decade, doing Crossfit 5 days a week on average for the past two years, too. Cheating doesn't hurt my mood, doesn't hurt my body and doesn't make me feel bad. If I denied myself some of the foods I love, then my mood would be affected big time. The bottom line is that I like eating. I eat Paleo 5 days a week and usually cheat on the weekends, but not in excess. Just impossible to avoid oils, salts, gluten, flour etc here. I say cheating is FINE but just in moderation.

I'm a T2 Diabetic. If I cheat, they'll end up cutting all my toes off, and my eyeballs will start to bleed.

That's pretty good motivation not to cheat.

I guess I might keep my "Cheats" to when I have to "Cheat", such as if there is no food available and I have to choose an non paleo option then I will "Cheat" and enjoy it when I can. Yes the results are always terrible afterwards but within a few days to a week I'm back on track. Not really cheating, just making do. But making the most of it when I have to.

Falafel Pita with Tahini and Hummus!!!!!!!!

White Bread (Pita) Fried Beans (Falafel) [Fried in veg oil most likely] High in Omega 6 Seeds (Tahini) Mushed Beans (Hummus) Veggies (Stuffing) {Most likely with Veg oil}

Tastes great and I might only do it once every 2 months or less, due to body allergic reactions to it afterwards :(

But when I "Cheat" I let loose so I won't be tempted do it again for a long time. Plus, not feel guilty about it either as it doesn't help. Especially if there were no food options available other than that.