[Lore1]

I am really struggling today. It's day 8 for me and my cravings have kicked in big time! All I want to do is eat bad, starchy carbs! I'll take any suggestion for ways to survive the cravings. Outside activity is out because it's raining. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Christian]

Lore- Hang in there ...I know you can do it, I have had the same problem, I did go ahead and switch to phase 2 to keep on the program, but I have done phase one before with great success so I know it can be done, just eat some extra lean protien and drink a good amount of water and you will make it, I am sure you will

[Lore1]

Thanks. I know it will get easier. I just had dinner and I had some vegetarian refried beans and a glass of milk with dinner...they really helped alot! I think the beans are what did the trick. So...I'm hanging on for now. A few more days to go, but I may go to P2 before my 2 weeks is up. I've had the SB flu since Saturday and my energy level is almost non-existent. DH thinks I should switch now, but I want to give it a couple more days and get as far as I can to get over the cravings.

Thanks Christie

[beachgal]

Lore, it's pretty odd to have true cravings on day 8. Cravings are awful; I feel your pain! Is there any chance that maybe some sugar snuck in without you knowing it? If so, make sure you are eating absolutely P1 safe, and go for as long as it takes to get rid of those cravings. No point in jumping to P2 if you still have cravings...it won't work and you'll just get super-frustrated.

If you are certain that no sugar got in, these could be mental cravings...if so, try other ways to distract yourself. Here are some that have worked for me or that other Beachies have suggested:

• Take a walk...go with someone or take the dog to really motivate you.
• Write in a journal...especially about how you are feeling and why you want to eat. I found, after several months on SBD, that I had been eating before I even knew that I had a feeling. When I didn't obey the mental command to eat, a couple minutes later I would realize that I was upset or mad...isn't that interesting? Find out what's compelling you to eat and write about it!
• Take a bath, using decadent bath salts or bubbles, lighting candles, and taking a good book with you or playing relaxing music.
• Go get a massage, a manicure, or browse the stores where you'll be able to shop when you lose some of your weight.
• Make a list of the reasons why you should be good to yourself, get healthy, and lose this weight. Post them in a prominent place.
• Set mini goals and fix rewards (that don't have to do with food!) for each.
• Chew some SF gum or eat a piece of SF candy.
• Drink tons of water.
• Have a healthy snack...I always tell myself that I can have some veggies. If I find that I'm not interested in that, I know I'm not really hungry.
• Eat good carbs in P1 (bell peppers, tomatoes, beans and legumes like chickpeas)...bell peppers dipped in hummus or homemade 3 bean salad are both GREAT P1 snacks that keep the cravings away!
• Talk with a friend, on here, or over the phone...or even in person!
• Exercise...in P1, take it easy, but if there is exercise you have been doing for a while and enjoy, go for it! Even better if you can do it with another person!
• Read a great book, do a Sudoku or crossword puzzle, or do something that gets you out of the kitchen and keeps your hands busy, like crochet, gardening, or doing a puzzle.

Hope this helps. You can do this!

[pearshape]

I've found that a cup of chai tea with some milk/soymilk and a tiny bit of sf cramel syrup works great for cravings.

[Lore1]

Thanks so much. I'm not sure it was a true craving. I was pretty stressed yesterday and I suspect that's what triggered it. I'm definately an emotional eater! How do you tell if it's truly a food craving, or an emotional craving? Hmmm....come to think of it, I cheated a bit the night before last and I had some cooked carrots. Do you think that could have contributed?

I feel better today. Less stressed, more in control. One day at a time!

[beachgal]

Lore, the carrots absolutely could be to blame. In spite of where you are on the P1 count, do at least three days more without any cheating...some people need as many as five days before cravings go away. So do whatever you need, without any cheats, until the cravings are gone. I know that it's really hard to remember not to eat carrots...they are such a 'diet food' in our mind!

For me, I know it's a craving when I offer myself good food (like veggies) and don't want it. Whether it's emotional or physical is hard. You have to be really in touch with your body! Try to figure out how you are physically feeling. Do you have symptoms of low blood pressure? Do you feel faint, dizzy, tired? The easiest way is to think back and see if there's any possible way sugar could have snuck into your diet. If you do P1 for as long as it takes you to get rid of cravings (for me, it's 3 days), and the cravings don't go away, they're definitely emotional.

The thing is, my body wised up and realized that if I didn't feel the shaky feeling of low blood sugar, I learned to ignore my emotional cravings. So now I sometimes get a psychosomatic drop in blood sugar--the kind where the bottom just falls out and you feel like you're going to literally keel over in a second if you don't eat some sugar. But I haven't had any sugar or simple carbs, so it doesn't make any sense and I know it's fake. It's hard at times like that to be sure it's just an emotional craving! What happens, though, is that if I let that moment pass without eating any sugar or simple carbs, I feel just fine. So I know it's a trick...and not a real thing. But I have to wait it through first, which is tough!

[Lore1]

Thanks Laurie. You're so helpful! I will definately give it more time until I go to P2. I didn't realize the carrots could be so damaging. I'm going to be 100% these next few days till I get to that last day of P1! I have to...for me.

[beachgal]

I know how frustrating it is to find that something that seems so healthy could mess up your loss! But carrots can send me back into craving when I'm in the tenuous point of P1. In P2, they don't bother me at all...I eat them almost everyday. I know you'll do great with those cravings out of your system!

I forgot to mention that another thing that gets me through P1 and cravings are hot drinks...I love a skim milk latte with decaf coffee (a 'why bother' ) and SF syrup...you can get that at most coffee places.

You can also get decaf Tazo chai tea (make SURE you get the kind that's made with a teabag, not the syrup!) made with half hot water and half steamed skim milk. Add splenda...yummy!

I also have experimented with teas at home...a favorite is Celestial Seasonings Gingerbread Spice (it's a tea that's only out at Christmas. It's herbal) with SF vanilla syrup or Stash's decaf Creme Caramel tea with 1% milk and SF caramel syrup. Decadent!

I also make hot chocolate every day, including on P1. Here's what I do (adapted from the recipe on the side of the Hershey's cocoa box):

I heat just over a cup of milk (1% if I'm feeling the need for something decadent, or a mix of skim and 1% other times) in the micro in a pyrex glass measuring cup for 4 mins (that's what it takes in my micro...yours might be different, so experiment). While that's heating, I combine, in a tall mug, one Tbsp. (that's the equivalent of 3 tsp.) and 2 tsp. of unsweetened cocoa with 3 Tbsp. of SF syrup (some favorites are SF Kahlua, SF Toasted Marshmellow, and SF Caramel) and a smidge...like a 1/4 tsp. of salt. I stir them until the syrup combines with the cocoa to make a liquid with no lumps. Then, I add the hot milk while stirring. It makes it's own froth and is delicious!!! If you want, you can add a little vanilla extract at the end...but I'm not sure if that would be kosher in P1 as it has a little sugar in it. (It's such a small amount that it'd probably be like the cool whip, ya think? ) It's SO good and you feel like you are totally cheating!

[Lore1]

That chocolate milk sounds deLICious!! I'm going to have to give that a try