My hardest is day 3, i don't know why but if i can pass day 3 i am pretty solid, around day 14 i totally give up on fast foods and temptations, they just disappear for me

I'm pretty motivated until something happens I don't plan for. I always just want to cave to what is easiest, with fast food being the all-too often choice. I'm trying to learn to plan better by carrying food with me

The hardest part for me is definitely the first couple days. It's not so much that I'll buckle and cheat, because I'm pretty good at sticking with it, but my body has trouble adjusting to the much smaller portion sizes and I feel hungry almost all the time.

Of course, that's the fault of me being a glutton when I'm off a diet. I eat massive meals and my stomach gets stretched, so when I reduce my intake to an appropriate level I'm left hollow until my stomach can shrink to a healthy size.

Where I risk falling off a diet is when I visit home. I've lived on my own for the last five years, but when I spend a week or two at my parents' place for Christmas or a summer vacation I'm just surrounded by food that I'm better able to avoid at my own house. They've got two fridges, two freezers, and two pantries overflowing with delicious food.

I could go in the fridge to get some mustard to put on a low fat wrap and emerge with cheese and salami. Then I could go to the pantry to choose a can of soup and see my favourite flavour of chips and think, "One or two while my soup is heating up won't hurt." Except one or two becomes half the bag... or more. My parents' house is where diets go to die.

Ha I could not agree more on every account. No one in my parents are on diets, my entire family is obese. I am trying to break that mold. It's been two days and I have stuck with it but I think that I am not bloated, and I have to pee all the time, which is shedding water weight, I didn't lose any lbs on the scale yet but my waist is slimmer for sure.

I think I'm there's a trend in what makes it hard. It has nothing to do with you and your willpower in your bubble at home with only healthy food. LIFE can make it difficult. There will always be an event with unhealthy food, a busy day where you wanna stop for fast food, or family/friends offering up things that aren't great for your eating plan.

I think the trick is to be prepared! Think about these situations before hand. Maybe you should have snacks in your purse/car. Plan your meals for the day, etc. I think it's always easier when I have a plan. When I'm caught of guard, I mess up.

Yeah, the first few days are the toughest for me.. but TOM is pretty bad, but I've been managing to get over those days too.. I just have to REALLY stay away from the kitchen, lol. The times I really cave though, are around social events.. those are the ones I'm really working towards getting over. I just recently got over a big one when my friends went to this place known for really good pizza and bought a salad... I plan on visiting that place much later, when I can better moderate myself.

Beaka - I totally agree!!

The first few days aren't a problem for me, it's usually pretty situational. The times when I'm most tempted to fall off the wagon in a big way are when I'm traveling for business. I live in a small community and don't have easy access to a lot of different restaurants, but when I go to bigger cities for meetings, there's any type of food I could possibly want in abundance and easily accessible. No matter how much planning I do, I have an urge to dive head first off the wagon.

The whole first month was pretty horrible for me...probably because I don't like change and I really loved all my junk food/unhealthy habits. After the first few weeks it became a whole lot easier to deal with cravings/temptations. Although I do occasionally have the urge dive head first off the wagon too.

Getting started is the hardest. Then day 2 with diet, exercise, anything when I realize i have to keep doing it and not just for the one day lol. It's a mental thing. It's been long since i've been on a diet but i vaguely remember that once my stomach gets more accustomed to smaller servings it's slightly easier and eating at home for awhile i am less inclined to buy out. then something stressful comes up and it's off the wagon for me. Social events - yeah i have no clue how to avoid that except to eat before and just have really small helpings once there.

I have decided to work on diversion with cravings - go listen to a song instead of eating the ice cream. We'll see how that goes. I'll keep trying methods until i find a good one.

I'd have to say the hardest time for me is when I watch one of my friends doing something that I want to do too (aka eating crap and drinking a ton). I get all in my head about it and become really whiny, thinking things like "It's not fair; I'm only 23, I should be able to go out and eat pizza and drink beer!"
Plus, I'm in a sorority and we have food at virtually everything. Trying to hold back from it makes me feel left out.

I love this quote! I think I'm going to follow your lead and post that around the apartment.