Hi all,

Four years ago, I posted an intro here saying I was joining you at the Beach. Everyone here was very welcoming, but I must have chickened out and run away for some reason.

I've had a second baby since then, and I weigh more now than I did before I had him (which was more than I weighed before I had my first) and have more physical problems than I did then. Nothing serious, just aches and pains and fatigue that I think are my body trying to tell me to straighten up.

So here I am, on Day 4 of P1, feeling really pretty good about things. I'm diving into the recipes here and learning as I go. The biggest thing for me right now, though, is that I have had a longtime problem with sugar cravings, and feeling really out of control around sweet things. And on Day 2, I was cranky and feeling really down. But yesterday was a bit easier, and today I feel even better. I feel in control and that's HUGE for me.

So no running away this time. Thanks so much for all the great info on this board!

Hey TallSkinnyLatte!! Today is day four of P1 for me too!! Everything has been going good - except the fact that I think constantly about food.....What will I eat next? When will I eat next? Am I eating too much? Am I eating too little? LOL - it's crazy!!

What are some of your favorite meals? I am still learning, as this is my first time on SB....but I have been surprised at how good he meals can be!!

BTW I started Monday at 170ish pounds, and I am 5'3.....33 year old female from Canada!!

Talk to you soon!!

Beth

Hi TSK

I have issues with sweets too so i've decided to give them up. When i give them up i tend not to have cravings for it. However i have noticed that one is prone to sugar cravings when one is a little depressed. I think its connected to our mood.

So on your diet, work on your mood and keeping happy. Things like patience, nurturing self talk, and doing things that make you feel better like getting things done that need doing all help keep the mood up. Procrastinating makes me feel worse. It increases stress and pressure which eventually leads to depression.

I don't need to quit or reduce other carbs. Just all sweets and now i've got to a point where i feel more committed to quitting them forever. Sweets are like cigarettes for me. I can't really afford to eat them. They just trigger the want more button.

Welcome. If you are like most of us, the sweet cravings will significantly lessen, maybe even disappear; the longer you go without, the easier it gets.

Thank you for the warm welcome and words of encouragement!

Beth, I'm still just sort of throwing food together. I'm planning to dive into the recipes on this board and get a meal plan put together. One of my kids is gluten-free, so we've already been modifying meals a bit, which makes it a little easier to wrap my head around it. I'm planning to make some of the eggy breakfast cup things, because although I'm not tired of eating eggs for breakfast, I am tired of cooking them every day.

Pattience, that is fantastic advice - thank you! I haven't necessarily been depressed, but I've definitely been stressed, sometimes overwhelmed, and often sleep-deprived since my second child was born. I think the combination of those things is a LOT like depression, and has definitely made it more challenging to make good food choices. And then the sugary or refined carb food choices, usually grabbed because they're quick and give me a quick boost, leave me feeling bad again in a short while. And the cycle continues. I think recognizing that cycle, and not just being upset about wearing my fat jeans, is a really good start.

WT, thank you - I definitely feel like the cravings are less of a big deal now, and I'm only on Day 5 now, so I think this can only get better.

Welcome TSL!!

I like what Pattience said about how sweets are like cigarettes you can't just have 1 because it triggers the want more button. One of the great things about Phase 1 is it really rids your body of the sugar cravings. I find that now it doesn't take much to satisfy me when I do get the need for something sweet which is very rarely. A little fruit usually does it or the occasional diet soda and if I order diet soda out, I usually think it's regular soda at first because even diet soda tastes sooo sweet to me now. So you will definitely find more self-control which is a very empowering feeling the longer you stick with this.

Sue