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Great thread - Have told myself that this is way to much money to not stay on plan. Don't want to sway. My son is getting married in June, my gown fitting is 3 weeks away, I have every intention to be close to my goal by then.

Hi! I hope everyone has been doing well!! I've been in Maintenance since mid November and doing great! Not truly following the maintenance plan (had a hard time separating fats and carbs!) but just a good, balanced diet and I track everything I eat in Myfitnesspal. And I think about the cost of cheating!

When I was actively OP, I knew that I spent around $100 a week on food and vitamins. And a big piece of the plan was shutting down my pancreas and staying in fat burning ketosis, and then waking it up slowly so it could be "rebooted" to function properly and lose the insulin resistance. So.....by cheating, sometimes even once, I could put myself out of ketosis, and kill 3-5 days of progress right there, but another 3-5 days to get back in the groove and back in ketosis. So over a week! And at $100 a week, that's expensive for a moment of indulgence! Wasn't worth it!!!
So just the financial price alone was enough to keep me on track. And the emotional/mental piece that's already been mentioned is just as huge!

Short term pain....long term gain!!!! Hang in there!!
Best,
Ken

Not only has that been encouragement for me - I tell myself, nothing is worth a setback, get it done...the sooner the better. But more importantly, I've found I have no desire to cheat. You couldn't pay me to eat something restricted. I can't think of a single thing I would even want - sure, I remember that things tasted good, and if I smell or see it, I'll think it looks or smells good, but I have absolutely no desire to eat even a crumb. I think that's the difference between a cheater and a non-cheater. The only "cheat" I've had is the host at mass (catholic) and I even get nervous about that.

I have some friends who have cheated their way through IP...yes, they accomplished their goal, but 1) it took a lot long than it should've, 2) they were constantly thinking about food (almost fantasizing), so it's as though they didn't break their addiction, and that made them cheat more, 3 - and to me the most important) they have struggled in maintenance. IP is a commitment, cheating is only hurting yourself. If you're going to dedicate this much time to it, get the most out of it. The one other person I know who like me was serious and extremely cautious about the diet, continued to lose in maintenance, and our coach says that's because her metabolism is working properly - I hope that's the case for me too!

I didn't even move to the green foods, I've stuck to the whites - I like them and I'm losing, why slow my progress!?! I also haven't ha any of the restricted like Salmon. I can eat that stuff when I've reached my goal. For now I'm focused on achieving my goal.

Additionally, I've found I can't even stomach most of the rich IP products...that scares me off of real foods. I was sick to my stomach over the Vanilla shake, and later that day I almost got sick in the baked goods aisle at the supermarket from the smell. I can manage just fine around them otherwise - I served the cake and ice cream at my nieces birthday, and it didn't tempt me one bit.

I will confess I had one day where I wanted to eat - nothing in particular, I just had a desire to eat...it was the day before my TOM, so hormones. I didn't cheat, I had lettuce and got through the day...next day was back to normal. One difficult day out of 78 isn't bad!

I can't stress enough the importance of discipline on this diet - or any diet. I also say, trying to dress light and trick the scale at weigh-in is only hilurtung yourself too.

Stay strong!!

you are doing great thirteen! Thats how I was the first few months, then the devil wore prada, or in my case, PIZZA!

My idea of cheating is eating a 4th package...haven't figured out how to seperate them, or how to stay full between 1pm (lunch) and 5:30pm (dinner). At 3:30, I'm driving home, then it's unpack backpacks, take dog out, debrief with DH, organize evening (gymnastics, scouts, homework) with kids and then get dinner ready. By this time, I've drank 4 glasses of water on the go, and now I'm so hungry, I'm shaking. I've tried: eating a bar on the drive home, taking 5 minutes and eating veggies as I'm coming in the house. But if I stop, then my mind starts "why don't we just order pizza??" Yeah. So, I wait for dinner (which I enhale and can't fill up on) and then sit down with a bar or pudding...On weekends I'm ok, 3pcks, no hunger, all good. How bad is this?

You are doing well as long as you don't have pizza

It's probably not going to hurt you right now, but as you get closer to goal it will slow your losses. I've read that some coaches recommend 4 packets a day until you get under 200 lbs.

There are a bunch of things you can try to do to keep from getting hungry. You can try splitting your protein up between lunch and dinner, swap dinner and lunch if it works better with your schedule, reserve some veggies for a snack, drink hot tea, etc.

You should make yourself a priority when you get home. If you need to eat when you get home, then eat and everything else can wait. Once you get to goal you can go back to the normal routine. We moms tend to put our needs last, but it isn't necessarily the best thing for us or our families.

Good idea, I'll have a sit down with the troop tomorrow. They know how important this is to me, I'm sure they'll get it. Why do we forget to put ourselves first?? Thanks for the reminder...I'm going to get a big salad ready right now for when I get home tomorrow

I have senior prom May 10th and graduation June 3rd :]
I want to be healthy for the summer and college! Start the next chapter of my life on the right foot, and in the right jean size.
about 10-13 pounds to go

So happy for you that you are taking control of your health at such an early age in life. You will be so far ahead of the rest of us. Good for you! Keep up the great work! Jen

Bring a shake and eat only the salad at dinner. No problem then.

I'm much the same way (with out the crazy schedule which obviously makes my situation a tad easier...)

I'm hungry a lot, particularly by the time I get home from work and then it lasts until my third packet around bed time. Or sometimes its all morning and all night! I have found (by accident) that by splitting me meal into two parts I actually am not only not hungry after dinner, I could easily forget about the third packet.

It definately requires advance planning, I often makes things like meat balls witch really stretch my protein, like I can get 8 meat balls from 8 oz of ground meat, I then have 4 over salad with veg for lunch, packet around 4-5pm, dinner if I'm hungry soon after between 6-8, then packet before bed. It really saves me. I also wake up less hungery...its like my body really just needs to be fed more frequently.

I also buy pre cooked turkey breast (no oil or additives) at Trader Joes, don't know if you have that in Canada, or a rotisserie chicken (leave all but the breast meat for my fiancee) and might use a couple of oz of meat over salad for lunch or snack, then have less protein at dinner.

I love the big dinners on this diet but I find I don't really need them when I go this route.

Its been a huge relief to me to find this.

I have been faithful.. this is why. there are times when I feel like cheating, I say to myself.. why?? you have tasted that before, then I go and have some tea! or eat a cucumber, while I am cutting up the cucumber I take a look at how far I have come, and think of all the diets I have been on and cheated, wasted peoples time and my money... so here is too all of you who have stayed "sober" and kick the diets a$$! and for those that do struggle, the best advice I got from a friend was " Be mindful of what you put in your mouth"

Yes, I'm replying to myself...lol
I needed the reminder to be good to myself...also, I needed to be confident that I could make it from dinner to bedtime and not be hungry. Took a few days and many herbal teas and now, no problem. So, after many failed combinations, here's how I split my food on workdays and not feel like I'm starving:
B: IP pack
L: (split in 2) 11am big salad with 2 oz of meat and a 0/0/0 treat or 1cup of veggies. 1pm IP pack with 0/0/0 treat or 1 cup of veggies.
D: 6oz meat and 2 cups veggies, then for dessert I have my 3rd IP pack

My 0/0/0 snacks or either a homemade soup with half cup of veggies (which I remove from my dinner portion) or 2 sticks of celery with WF choc spread, or I make "jello" out of herbal tea.
Results? I am sated all day and can make it through the evening without having to snack. Took awhile, but I had to find what worked for my body.