I'm on Phase 4 now, just started last week. But, the idea of cheating will be germane the rest of our lives. Late last Thursday night, after a particularly rough, painful and exhausting day, I grabbed a can of nuts and scarfed down a good 1.5 cups. We can have nuts, but more like 2oz, not 1.5 cups!!! I could not stop myself and was so disgusted. I think that after not having them for 15 months, I just needed to do it and get it out of my system.
I panicked and thought, I can't do this, I'm gonna gain it all back, I'm a loser, bla bla bla. That is the cost of cheating, for me....and as I continued to think about this during my Phase 1 day that followed, I realized that no matter how crappy I feel, I need to find ways to not cheat myself. I was always good at adding that extra little dollop or whatever, before the program. That can add up to loss of control and 300 pds! I never, ever want to do that to my body again. I have been given a gift, in that my body did not fail me, I did not have a heart attack when I was at my heaviest, so how can I abuse it? I am downright grateful to it!
When I went back to Phase 4 the following day, that breakfast was amazing and I truly appreciated what I could have and still stay healthy. I will always have to deal with my health problems and the urge to escape them with food, and this program has given me many tools to help me succeed.
Okay, that's my two-cents worth!