Hi everyone.

I was just wondering about carb cravers: Can you do them without actually taking the carb busting pill? Has anyone had success while doing the carb cravers?

Also, why must we worry so much about water weight. Are we expected to keep on a low sodium forever? Once on maintainence, if we eat regular food, will we bloat up past the 5 pound we are supposed to stay within?

One last question: What is maintainence like? Is is more normal eating?

I know its a lot of questions to post at once! Thanks for your thoughts!

Happy Halloween!

I do Carb Cravers every once in a while. I don't take any supplement. The one they sell is nothing but white kidney bean and you can get it at WalMart for $7 if you want to try it. I just drink a couple extra glasses of water, like it says in the book. Hopefully our bodies will adjust as we go and we won't have to worry so much about water weight. If you continue drinking water like we are doing now we should be pretty well flushed out by goal, don't you think????
Sorry, I don't know about maintenance, just that they DO add back some of the foods that we've had to give up during weight loss phase.

I do carb cravers once or twice a week without the pills. It hasn't affected my weight loss at all. I just drink the extra 2 glasses of water on those days.

I do the CC to and haven't used the pills with no problems.

I have wondered about the water weight myself, but I am not planning on becoming a sodium fiend liek I useto be after reaching goal. Ms. Dash will be perminent in my home and i can't even tell the difference with lite salt.

Apple, I think that what we are used to eating in the beginning becomes obsolete eventually or at least our methods of preparation.
I am sure that i will always crave french fries, but i can bake them just as well as fry them know and I can use my lite salt and lemon pepper Ms. Dash on them.
I actually cheated on some chips the other week and they were soooooo salty to me, it just wasn't fun too cheat.

So I wouldn't worry to much about it now and just kind of test the waters when the time comes with reintroducing foods, because you will find that eventually your body will get used to eating healthy and i personally literally make myself sick when you get too far off into fatty salty foods.

But truthfully, I did once think of loosing an extra 3 lbs so I can add back my water weight at the end...sad, I know.

I ate carb cravers at least once a week without the supplements, and it didn't affect my weight loss at all.

During maintenance, you are still following the plan, but you get more portions and have more choices for foods. I haven't found that salty food affects my weight that much, but I never did use much salt in my food. I've eaten bacon (bacon counts as a fat during maintenance--I can have bacon and eggs again!) and pickles without any problems. I think as long as you don't overdo the salt and keep drinking enough water, you won't have a problem. I also agree with what has been said before--I think you will find that once you get to maintenance, you won't want as much salt as before.

Truthfully, I've NEVER done a cc meal that's listed in the planner. I think I'd be too confused. But I do use the lc/hc's - sometimes I go on a real jag and eat 3-4 a week, and do okay with them - and I always buy the pasta ones, or the rice and beans. You don't need the supplements. If you want to try them - look for something with white kidney bean extract -- you can get them a little cheaper at the grocery store. I think LAWLs are about 20$/bottle.

I have done carb cravers multiple times in a week without the pills. I wouldn't really know if it's affecting me or not since there isn't a week that I don't eat them.

Thanks so much for all your information! You are so sweet! I may try and add cc's and see how I do. And of course, drink my water!!

I see how well everyone else is doing and it makes me want to do good too! Thanks for the motivation!

Just a side note: Yesterday my counselor recommended the CC's and frozen dinners, because she says i need more variety in my protiens.

I do CC once a week, because I love pizza sooo much. That Little Ceasars $5.00 cheese pizza is good enough for me. Two slices, 2 glasses of water. I have to admit, though, that recently I sustituted 1 starch, 1 fat, 2 veggies, and 1 fruit for an extra slice. I was so full after 3 that I really regretted it. Calorie wise though I think that it was pretty close, but I was over the top on sodium, I'm sure. Once a week is enough CC for me, though. I am afraid that food like that will get me too close to the edge of the wagon!!! Katie

I use the carb cravers sandwiches a few times a week. I think it has actually sped up my weight loss because i dont sit around thinking about peanut butter or ham all the time...