I personally find that giving in to a craving periodically (but with moderation applied) that it actually helps me get off a plateau. Sometimes I think that my body has a little mind of its own and will occasionally throw a tantrum and say "if you dont give me some chinese food - you can starve yourself and you will never lose another pound" You see the little fat cells are being held hostage by your craving centers - so when you satisfy a craving (1 or 2 bites will usually do it) - the hostages get released.
Guilt will also make you hold in fat - The point of a healthy eating plan is train your self to eat healthy 95% of the time and to allow yourself goodies in moderation so you dont feel deprived.
I went cold turkey at the beginning - lost 20 lbs, trained myself on portions and timing of eating - regular intervals - etc. Then I gradually stopped using the scale and the recipes and just winged it. I found that as I lost weight the appetite went way down anyway. And as long as I kept losing on a monthly basis - I kept doing what I was doing.
Since everyones body is different - you know how much you should or shouldnt eat and what.
FYI - I started May 1st. I just weighed in at 217 - 2 lbs below my New Year Goal - 43 lbs lost so far - and I ate fries and pizza yesterday but that was really all I ate all day so calorie wise it was low.
Have a safe and Happy New Year - PS Dancing burns tons of calories - so dance like nobody's looking.
New Year's Eve
At least my sister will be with me to share all the fattening goodness of yummy fried rice, general tso's chicken, beef with broccoli, sweet and sour chicken, and other bad stuff. So, here's to my calorie-filled New year's eve...hope you all have a little more will power than me. I'll be working it off for the rest of the week, but it will be so worth it. 
So far we have planned the mall, & the movies. Not too exciting but perfect!
Moderation not Depravation
