ups and downs
 

Hi all. Posting for the second time--thanks to all those who answered my last question. This is such a helpful resource--and I'm so amazed to see how well you all keep each other motivated! :)

So, here is my tale of woe. I had great success in May with a very clean P1--8 pounds, which is much more than 10% of what I'm trying to lose. Then, I had to travel for work and transitioned (I was staying with friends) rather quickly into whole grains, fruit, and wine. After about a week of that, I spent the weekend with another set of friends. I'm going to be honest, I let the wheels come completely off the bus. I drank delicious gimlets made with simple syrup, I ate white pasta, and, worst of all, desserts! And I did that more or less for two days straight (I felt AWFUL, by the way....apparently, SBD has ruined me for a high-carb diet...). When I got home, I could feel the puffiness in my ankles and wrists and so, dejected, I continued to eat WAY off plan. This initial impulse was complicated by the fact that now I was hosting visitors from out of town and we were eating out a lot but I was also clearly feeling that I would have to P1 all over again and that there was no use moderating my consumption of off-plan stuff when I was going to have to start from scratch all over again. Ah, rationalization.

Anyhow, after about a week of that, my partner came back from his work travel, our guests left, and we both got back OP because we both agreed that we felt absolutely awful off-plan. I had gained 3 pounds back. We started on Monday.

By Monday afternoon, it was pretty clear that I had a cold. I persevered without fruit but yesterday, out of curiosity, I weighed myself and I was back down to my pre-P2 weight. I know this is mostly water. BUT, the cravings (which are more situational than anything else--I find that don't crave bad stuff or I can fight the cravings I have unless it is right in front of me and I feel obligated to eat it) are gone, and I'd really like to get fruit back on the menu to help fight off this cold. Do you all think I can move on to P1.5 even after just three days of P1? I don't want to see the puffiness return and feel bloated and gross again but I do want to eat some raspberries and blueberries and other delicious summer fruit. And, maybe some quinoa.

Thoughts?

Thanks all for providing such an encouraging place for advice and commiseration.

You indicate that your cravings are gone and you haven't gained any weight. P1 is so much about getting rid of the cravings. 1.5 (adding fruit and quinoa) sounds like a great plan!

I second Lexxiss. Plus add hot tea if you aren't already doing so. And no kidding when I'm sick I make it a point to drink 50% more water than normal - it really helps flush the cold away. For the fruit, just pay attention to what time of day and how much you're adding back, just in case you notice a sweettooth emerging later in the day...