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Watch the CarbSmart Podcast Episode 14 on YouTube
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Show Notes for the Podcast
Includes Dana’s Backwards Pizza Recipe
Do you spend time on Reddit? I do. Among the many subreddits I pay attention to is r/lowcarb. I frequently see questions about cheat days – most commonly, “How often should I have a cheat day?” There seems to be an assumption that cheat days are a good idea, something that should be built into a low-carb diet to keep people from feeling deprived.
I beg to differ.
Indeed, I’m not sure where the idea of a cheat day even comes from.
Obviously, it’s meant to appeal to people who cannot imagine just giving up carbs, not eating their favorite carby foods again. But people seem to think it’s a good idea, and that I cannot see.
I have written of the occasional indulgence – a term I prefer to cheat. “Cheat” implies that you’ll get away with something, and you never, ever do. Your body will notice. And I admit to a few handfuls of potato chips at a party now and then. I recall a cousin’s wedding where I ate a mini-chocolate cheesecake about an inch-and-a-half in diameter – maybe fifteen years ago.
When I first started, I would have an Indulgence for a holiday meal like Thanksgiving dinner – but I would eat a high protein breakfast that morning, eat one modest serving only of the carbs that really mattered to me – and be done. No leftover potatoes or stuffing or pie that night or over Thanksgiving weekend. Nuh-uh.
But never a whole day! And never a weekly, or bi-weekly, or even monthly thing. That way lies madness, not to mention failure.
Why? I’ll respond with a question of my own: If someone you loved was fighting alcoholism and had finally gotten sober, would you suggest that they have a cheat day once a week – start the day with mimosas, down some beers with lunch, go through a bottle or two of wine at dinner – and then expect them to be right back on the wagon the next day? No?
How about a two-pack-a-day smoker? If they finally managed to quit, would you suggest that they have a smoking day every couple of weeks so they wouldn’t feel deprived?
This is no way to kick an addiction.
Yes, I said addiction.
I have said it over and over: I stole to support my sugar habit. That’s pretty much the definition of an addiction, no? Of course, as an adult I could buy all the carby junk I wanted without stealing, because carbs are cheap and legal. That doesn’t change the fact that they’re addictive. Opium was cheap and legal until the 1930s; that didn’t change it’s addictive nature. Alcohol is cheap and legal and we all know that it’s addictive.
Too, I can’t count the times people have said to me, “I could never give up sugar!” I reply, “Say you don’t want to give up sugar. Don’t throw away your power.” But it’s tempting to say “A lot of people feel that way about cocaine, too.” And if you’d like to know just how addictive wheat is in all of its many forms, I urge you to read Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis.
Back when I was writing a weekly ezine, I commonly got email from readers saying that they’d been doing great on their low carb diets, losing weight, feeling far better, full of energy, health markers improving, not hungry all the time, not even having cravings. Then the “special occasion” arose – “I’m on vacation!” “It’s the Holiday Season!” “It’s my birthday!” – take your pick. They’d declare an existing state of nutritional indulgence for the duration – and never stop. I’d hear from them eight months and forty pounds later, just starting over.
Do you have cravings when you first start low carbing? Maybe. I didn’t; I was too dazzled by how much better I felt. But many people do. That doesn’t mean that a cheat day will help. It will only prolong the cravings.
Among my many youthful addictions, I smoked a pack-and-a-half a day. Knowing how stupid and destructive it was, I occasionally told myself I’d cut down and eventually quit. Yet I always knew I was lying to myself. I knew that if I did quit I would simply get fed up, throw a half a pack away, and be done with it.
That’s exactly what happened. About 36 hours after my last cigarette, I was hanging out with friends, many of whom smoked. One of them asked me how I felt. “Like I want a cigarette,” I replied. The friend said, “Tell you what: If you still want a cigarette in half-an-hour I’ll give you one.” By thirty minutes later my resolve had reasserted itself. The same with food cravings – you can wait them out. And the longer you stay away from your addiction, the less the cravings will trouble you.
There are strategies for riding out cravings. You can, of course, go for the low carb version of whatever you crave – coffee with sugar-free syrup or flavored stevia extract and heavy cream, sugar-free chocolate, one of the many recipes for low carb pizza out there, etc. (look below for my recipe for Backwards Pizza) Because of the addictive nature of wheat, I skip the low carb breads and tortillas that are now commonly in stores, but I did eat low carb tortillas for many years; they may not be ideal, but they’re better than regular tortillas.
Dana Carpender’s Backwards Pizza Recipe
Preheat oven to 350.
Line a jelly roll tin or sheet pan with non-stick foil — do not skip this step! Cover it completely with an unbroken layer of shredded mozzarella. Bake this for 15 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden. Remove from oven. This is your crust.
If you think of it, brush the cheese crust with olive oil, but it’s not essential. Spread no-sugar-added pizza sauce all over the cheese — this is the carby part, so use your discretion. Top with more cheese, then whatever you prefer; we like pepperoni. (I take no side in the “does pineapple belong on pizza” wars, but pineapple is one of the carbiest fruits, so it does not belong here.) Slide it back into the oven and give it another 15 minutes or so, again, until the cheese is starting to turn golden.
Remove from the oven and — this is important — let your Backwards Pizza cool for ten minutes. This lets the bottom layer of cheese solidify enough that you can pick it up in your hands. After the cooling period, use a pizza cutter or kitchen shears (my choice) to cut it into squares and serve with the usual sprinkle-on additions — Parmesan, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
Since I cannot know the size of your pan, the exact quantity of cheese or sauce you’ll use, and what toppings you like, I cannot give an accurate breakdown. But this is my best pizza sub and a whole lot easier than making low carb pizza crust. Gluten free, too.
Make sure that you’re getting enough fat
And here’s an odd tip that I got when I was on Weight Watchers in 1969 at age eleven: If you’re craving sugar, eat a big dill pickle instead. It’s counterintuitive, but there’s something about the strong flavor that really does quell a sugar craving.
Another point: Regular cheat days reinforce the notion that that is the “normal” way to eat, that you should have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, that a burger with fries and a shake is the normal and desirable lunch, that of course spaghetti and garlic bread are a great dinner. Why prolong that destructive way of thinking? Skip the cheat days and sooner than you think a steak with garlic butter and a salad with plenty of olive oil will be your new normal.
I’m not here to judge; there are many forms of carbohydrate restriction and different versions work for different people. Just be aware that not only are cheat days not required, they’re not even a good idea.
Let us know in the comments below.
Until next time stay low-carb, happy, and healthy and go have some fun.
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More Low Carb Recipes & Articles by Dana Carpender
This episode is such a powerful and practical take on the concept of cheat days! I appreciate how you’ve reframed indulgence versus cheating—it’s a much healthier mindset that respects both the body and the progress made in a low-carb lifestyle. The analogy with addiction is eye-opening and really drives home the potential pitfalls of regular cheat days. Your tips for managing cravings and the emphasis on creating a sustainable “new normal” are incredibly helpful. Plus, the Backwards Pizza recipe is genius! Thanks for sharing such insightful advice—I’m inspired to approach low-carb living with even more intention.