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Maybe I'm up in the night, but is it really that hard not to cheat on IP? If the cost of the IP packets weren't enough to deter someone, the life changing weight loss and the benefits of better health should be.
Over the past few months, I've put myself into some awkward social situations where the potential to cheat was high. Instead of cheating, I used those situations to recruit the support of family and friends in helping me to stick to it. When everyone else was hanging out, eating chips and dips, cookies, brownies and various other goodies, I stuck to my lemon pudding and celery and fielded their questions about why I wasn't indulging. Every time this has happened, I've added to the following of the curious who are now watching my progress. They don't wave the brownies in my face and pressure me to eat them. In fact, I think they'd be disappointed if I did take one.
That's not to say I haven't cheated over the past few months. But each cheat was planned in advance (my anniversary, for example) where the cheat was a meal or two off the protocol, and discussed with my coach in advance.
It's fair to say that the first several weeks on IP were the hardest in terms of avoiding temptation and staying on the protocol. I think that's normal. Your mind and body take a while to give up their desire for bread and sugar. A trip to the grocery store opens your eyes to all of the things you can't eat. Soon enough, that changes from can't eat to won't eat to don't eat.
I was offered cookies three times this weekend, cake twice, donuts once. When I turned the donuts down I was offered a banana and some gatorade. When I passed on that and took a bottle of water instead, I got some strange looks. But frankly, it's just as easy to say no to a cookie as it is to say yes. And since I know it's better for me to say no, it's actually easier to say no than yes.
You really can't do IP as an on again, off again program. It doesn't work that way. My apologies if I don't seem to understand what you're going through and how hard it is to not cheat. I do understand. I've been through it. Sometimes it takes long term perspective to reach short term goals. Short term goals can lead to long term results, but only when the long term goal remains the most important.
In that spirit I will commit to not cheating today. I will also commit to not cheating tomorrow. I honored that same commitment yesterday and the day before. And with each successful day that commitment grows stronger and reaching my goal becomes more of a reality. And reaching my goal is, and always has been, the reason I can't, won't and don't cheat.
BRAVO - Enough said.Originally Posted by salesgod
I guess this is what happens when you have a busy weekend and don't look at the threads for a while. I didn't even realize there was a "let's not cheat this weekend challenge."Maybe I'm up in the night, but is it really that hard not to cheat on IP? If the cost of the IP packets weren't enough to deter someone, the life changing weight loss and the benefits of better health should be.
Over the past few months, I've put myself into some awkward social situations where the potential to cheat was high. Instead of cheating, I used those situations to recruit the support of family and friends in helping me to stick to it. When everyone else was hanging out, eating chips and dips, cookies, brownies and various other goodies, I stuck to my lemon pudding and celery and fielded their questions about why I wasn't indulging. Every time this has happened, I've added to the following of the curious who are now watching my progress. They don't wave the brownies in my face and pressure me to eat them. In fact, I think they'd be disappointed if I did take one.
That's not to say I haven't cheated over the past few months. But each cheat was planned in advance (my anniversary, for example) where the cheat was a meal or two off the protocol, and discussed with my coach in advance.
It's fair to say that the first several weeks on IP were the hardest in terms of avoiding temptation and staying on the protocol. I think that's normal. Your mind and body take a while to give up their desire for bread and sugar. A trip to the grocery store opens your eyes to all of the things you can't eat. Soon enough, that changes from can't eat to won't eat to don't eat.
I was offered cookies three times this weekend, cake twice, donuts once. When I turned the donuts down I was offered a banana and some gatorade. When I passed on that and took a bottle of water instead, I got some strange looks. But frankly, it's just as easy to say no to a cookie as it is to say yes. And since I know it's better for me to say no, it's actually easier to say no than yes.
You really can't do IP as an on again, off again program. It doesn't work that way. My apologies if I don't seem to understand what you're going through and how hard it is to not cheat. I do understand. I've been through it. Sometimes it takes long term perspective to reach short term goals. Short term goals can lead to long term results, but only when the long term goal remains the most important.
In that spirit I will commit to not cheating today. I will also commit to not cheating tomorrow. I honored that same commitment yesterday and the day before. And with each successful day that commitment grows stronger and reaching my goal becomes more of a reality. And reaching my goal is, and always has been, the reason I can't, won't and don't cheat.