I am mad!
 

I am mad at myself...been on IP for 1 week and tonitie, witouht thinking, out if stupid habit, I ate a chicken nugget!!! AND a mouthful of spaghetti. I was cleaning off the kids plates and juste ate it! Without thinking!
Am I in big trouble???

ha! ha! I am so mad that I cannot write correctly...sorry for the mistakes!

don't be too hard on yourself, it was probably just out of habit :) you may have just set yourself back a bit but tomorrow is another day. Hang in there!

So frustrating!
Its hard I was making Peanut butter toast for my son and almost licked my finger then later making something for my daughter and same thing.
Hang in there!!

I find that I am always tempted by my daughters leftovers. We used to share a bowl of popcorn ever once in awhile. She wanted some today so I air popped her a bowl, and she looked really confused as to why mommy wasn't sharing any. She came with the bowl to sit on my lap, then shoved (yes, shoved) some in my mouth and said "yummy mommy you like?" (shes only 18 months, so not able to understand my diet) I said "thank you" and spit it out without her seeing (so not to hurt her feelings)

I have also almost licked the peanut butter off the knife, I have resorted to smelling her Kraft dinner (figured if I could smell it, I could almost taste it)

Hang in there, tomorrow is another day. It probably did set you back some, but this is not a race. You will now learn from this and be more conscious of it next time.

It sure is hard to do this diet when you have to cook for your kids.

I could be wrong, but it probably wasn't enough to do any damage. Don't beat yourself up over it.

Besides, tomorrow is a new day! :)

hi Gigi,
in the spirit of full disclosure, let me say I have never had small children. My only daughter came into my life when she was 12 years old, so I have not ever had all the difficulties and pressures of raising children. I applaud you and the others on this board who have taken on the challenge of IP while raising kids.

That said, I'd just like to raise a question you (and others here) may want to ponder...why would you want to be feeding your kids something that you would have to be so worried about while on IP? Are you setting them up to be carb-addicted, overweight or diabetic later in life? I'm not sure what is in a chicken nugget, but it must be not-really-chicken? for other folks who have their kids eating popcorn, that is a great snack choice (as a "once in awhile treat") and there are lots of other high fiber/whole grain or veggie options like that which I have learned that kids can actually really enjoy.

I am always worried when I hear people on here who are regularly feeding their families foods that they simply cannot eat and/or needing to prepare totally different meals for themselves while on IP...Not at all trying to pass judgement and I hope it does not sound that way....I am trying to say that I hope you are able to use your time on IP to examine all your eating practices (and those of your family) and see what long term choices you might make differently for long term health...I just think in terms of long term success most of us need to make fundamental changes to what we eat, which means not just, "I'll eat this way until I lose the weight" but more like, "how am I going to eat and cook for the rest of my life to be sure I keep this weight off?". We will all always have cheat days (thank heavens!) but I urge you to think about how you and your family can eat "well" for the other 6 days a week for the rest of your lives, so you and they will be healthy and happy for as long as you live.

Very thought provoking. Thank you!
I've cooked the same thing for my husband as I ate when I have been done, just more for him except 1 night when he requested a special dish (chicken strips breaded with crushed cheese nips), but he ate the veggies I made. We stopped at whole foods last night and I got myself a halibut steak and he got a lobster tail which I am cooking tonight (need to find how to cook lobster tail)

We don't have kids yet, but my parents never made anything special for anyone--it was eat what I made or go hungry. I got over being picky quickly. My little brother, not so much. I plan to do the same to my kids-although a bit healthier since dad had to cook with Moms dietary restrictions in mind (nothing spciy, with garlic, onions, etc) so we had a lot of heavy food.

I also have thoughts like this about my kids, but they are still growing and active and can definitely handle more carbs than an adult.

Plus, they are extremely picky. I fed them everything until they turned around 4 and then wow! Full change where one only likes hot dogs and the other kraft dinner!

I try to get in as much real food as I can, but I am definitely not making anyone sit at the table until they are done! There are enough other hills to die on-tooth brushing, bed time, clothes choices, etc!

My sister was like this as a kid and in her 20's became a vegan! Sigh

I have good news for you: today is a brand new day! :)

Get back up, dust yourself off and get back on that horse better and stronger than you were before!

You can do this!

I would just like to say that the chicken nuggets were home-made with whole wheat bread crumbs. The spaghetti was, well, spaghetti.
There is nothing wrong with carbs! We need carbs!!!
However, my two young children did not just have 2 babies, are way more active than me, sleep 12 hour nights and can handle carbs once in awhile.
That being said...what am I supposed to give them: a protein shake and some raw brocoli??? They are kids!
I ate spaghetti before having kids, I ate carrots, I even had a hamburger too...and was NEVER overweight. But age, pregnancies, life happens and weight is gained...

Thanks to everybody for their answers!

I have to agree with you, I have children and while I do make them different food is usually because I prepare all my meat a head of time and makes 5-7 oz servings for convenince, however, most ofthe time the kids end up eating the same veggies and salad as I do, of course they have some carbs, but they also need them. Also do to the fact that I go shopping If I can't eat it for a snack I usually don't purchases it, that way I am not tempted.

Gigi, most of us that have kids have experinced the licking of the finger I know that I did, it was a peanutbutter and Jam sandwich. It does get better with time, and the fact that you realized what was happening will allow you in the future to correct that habit. Good Luck.

gigi, I think there was a period my son lived off of kraft dinner and pasta. When I was younger in collage with no money you live off of what you can afford. Thats a fact of life. Wasnt overweight then either, but as I grew up I wanted more goodies, less exercise, thats what did me in. I think young children need more carbs then us, they never stop.

Its rare you see a todler overweight. My son ate at Mcdonalds, chips, candies, and now he plays juinor hockey, no problem with weight. I think that as we age we need to adjust to what our body needs.

Thinking with our taste buds, is way to easy and well..............here we are on IP lol... now I am thinking about Kraft dinner, better make my lunch!

As you said, you have not had to raise young children. Just because I wrote that I have fed my child some popcorn (which is air popped with no salt or butter) and some kraft dinner does not mean this is what she lives off of.
I also feed her healthy foods, what I eat for dinner, she eats. This topic was about temptation, therefore my personal response would have something to do with my own temptations, which happen to be the foods my child eats.

Why should I deprive her of foods she likes once in awhile, just because I am on a diet. Again, with you not having raised young children, you might not know how irritating and stressful it can be when your child refuses to eat. My daughter likes fruit, and veggies, but some days she will refuse to eat anything so I give her something yummy like pasta, or KD in hopes she will eat.

Again, my little girl is a VERY active toddler is won't sit still (unless were reading before bed) she is go go go, and I have no issues feeding her things like air popped pop corn as a snack, you said that some veggies are better for her? well yeah, but she is a kid!
back to your original question of... "why would you want to be feeding your kids something that you would have to be so worried about while on IP? " This is kind of like telling a healthy wife that she shouldn't be allowed to eat a slice of her birthday cake because her husband has diabetes.

It takes 100 times of doing the same thing to become a habit, we can't change over night. we just keep on trying, don't give up just remember all the times you didnt eat the chicken nuggett or spagheti:cool:

and I might add...many vegetables, grains and cheese are restricted in phase 1.
We should, in no way, not allow our children to eat these so called "bad" foods.
I don't think anybody needs to justify herself. As mothers we do what we can. Our kids should be allowed to be kids. And lets be honest: Kraft Dinner, hot dogs, french fries, etc. are awesome (once in awhile!!!!).
I think we should teach our children what intelligent eating is, portion control, weekend treats. Right now, we are not allowed to eat these foods and that is our choice. We choose to be on this diet for many different reasons. I will never eliminate yogourt, whole wheat bread, peanut butter from my pantry just because I am on a diet!
My husband eats really healthy during the week. Only whole grains, raw vegetables, lean meat. He is awesome to watch. He works out, drinks 1 litre of water a day, never adds sugar to anything. He weighs 185 of muscle. However, he allows himself treats on saturdays and sundays. That to me, is what we should be teaching our children. They should know that there are good and bad choices concerning food. But nobody is good all of the time!!!

Just my two cents on the matter of kids. I am an auntie, not a mommy (at least to human kids, anyway) and don't expect to be, though not opposed to it either. So all I have to go on is observation and my own experience as a kid.

Kids are going to be kids. That means they are going to want stuff that they don't know is bad for them or just stuff that tastes rich and yummy. No matter how much you shelter you kids from foods like pasta or sweets, they will eventually run into them or kids with them at school or at sleepovers.

I think the point is to lead by example as best you can and impart what you know. Advice on nutrition is always changing. Don't eat butter, eat margarine; don't eat eggs turns into don't eat margarine, eat butter; eggs are good for you! So chances are what you are teaching your kid about nutrition will be wrong when they are old enough to have kids.

The IP diet is healthy for what it is, but it is certainly not balanced and not for long term. The restrictions for this diet are definitely not kid-friendly. They have more energy and are still growing. For those with overweight tots (I was one!) we have to correct their behavior of overindulgence as soon as and as best as we can. It can be trying at times, I have nieces. I know. But they follow what the adults do, how the adults eat. We as the caregivers have to lead by example. We are re-learning how to eat, ourselves. We are learning what the warning signs were for us. That ah-ha moment where we realized that's what started this. As long as we teach our children moderation and look for these signs, be proactive about it, the kids should be fine. Remember, tastes change, even moreso for kids. I remember loving squash as a kid and mayonaise/baloney sandwiches. as I grew older I would gag at the thought of either. In my twenties I branched out to "mom-food". Now in my thirties, I am loving things young kids wouldn't dare eat. I am relearning how to eat.

So teach your kids the basics and moderation. Let them enjoy some treats. Watch for signs of insulin problems (especially in young girls at TOM age). And trust that at least some of what you taught them sunk in.

Being a father of 3 young children 2 of which eat solid food, I found this response to be a bit bothersome. My children pretty much snack and eat all day. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good. My children are always on the move and very active. Most dinners my family eats my dinner but on occassion I will fix 2 or 3 meals at one time to add some variety and give them something they might want. I see nothing wrong with doing this or letting my children have popcorn, a candy bar, chicken nuggets be it from MD's or the grocery store. My oldest daughter who is 5 has learned so many healthy tips from me on this journey she recognizes good and bad foods. Some dinner times are a struggle. Get a 15mo old to eat roasted asparagus, come on...you can try but most are not going to like it. That does not mean substitute it with bowl of ice cream.

Since not experiencing having little, young children, I think your post was a little off base. No one is makeing their children become carb addicted, insulin resistant, diabetic people. Children are constantly growing and active. If its got some balance between good and bad, I see no issue. If our children were just eating bologna and pudding each meal, then yes, that would be a problem.

Carbs are an essential energy form no matter how you look at it. We all have our own reasons why we are overweight in our adult lives, whether that is just over eating, lack of exercise, having children, life changing injury, getting older, etc. We are changing this and just by us changing, our children are going to follow suit. There are many things we cannot eat on Phase 1, 2 and 3 that are perfectly fine for our families to eat, why not let them eat it? It does not fit into our protocol right now, but does not mean we can never eat it again. I willl have a heaping serving of spaghetti later on, I will have a pizza later on. We in the earlier phases with children have to make choices that keep our children from having melt downs and adding tremendous stress in our households. Many items we cannot eat right now because of protocol will be just fine later in phase 4.

Having small children while on this protocol is difficult. Do not beat yourself up if you lick the peanut butter off the knife as you finish a perfectly fine snack of PB&J for your kids. Its not like you gave them 4 peanut butter cups and had 4 yourself. If you happen to finish off their last spoonful of mashed potatoes from their dinner plate, opps, not on protocol but not the end of the world. Learn from those times and try to retrain yourself.

We are all doing great at this and will make mistakes and will move on. I applaud those with small children who take on this program. We are bettering our whole family by doing this.

This is an excellent point and I thank you so much for making it here!

I have two small children (ages 5 and 7). I always thought that I fed my family well. I only occasionally feed hotdogs and chicken nuggets as a meal. The kids usually eat what we eat and that has always included meat, fish, seafood, a variety of fruits and vegetables, which my kids are very familiar with and actually like most of them. Of course they have their individual preferences: one won't eat potatoes or lettuce, another won't eat tomaotes and both dislike mushrooms and onions. However, being on IP has also forced me to realize that our day-to-day also includes a lot of carbs and too many sweets.

It's going to be a slow process but I am really going to have to work on this!

I think this is partially due to habit, partially to convenience and partially due to the fact that I work and don't make a lot of the items that we eat... it is going to be a slow process but I have resolved that it is going to change for the better.

Luckily, my kids are very reasonable when it comes to sweets but we still have far too much (although it has already gotten better since I've been on IP). There are some items that I think my husband and kids will have more problems limiting (or doing without than other) like sugary cereal, for example... but again, we'll give it time and work on it. Recently, my kids asked for Kashi Go Lean cereal and we do have that at home (in addition to Corn Pops and Lucky Charms) and they like it. I also like to make them yogurt parfaits with fresh fruit, different yogurt flavors, healthy cereal and a drizzle of honey... that is a change for the better for sure (although not OP for an IP girl like me)!

That said, my kids are very active and will always have some kind of kid foods, desserts and sweets as well as I have always felt that by limiting foods too much, they kind of become like the "forbiden fruit" that they will just want more and more and won't be able to control themselves around later. I want to teach my children to mostly eat the good stuff but that they can also enjoy occasional treats and hopefully, they will learn to make the right decisions when it is finally up to them. I don't want to obsess over the food they eat as I do not want them to obsess over food.

I think the way we eat as a society is seriously flawed and a lot of people don't realize that. I feel that it often costs more to eat healthier but then, I am thinking of the money we would save on healthcare and medication if we could all work on that a little more!

I beat myself up too....I've been cheating with IP foods....I can't even keep the bars in the house anymore or I eat 2-3 of them a day in addition to everything else. Urg

In my first few weeks I drank a cup of hot chocolate without even thinking!!! I was helping out at a polar plunge (hince the cold weather) and I was freezing my patuty off and someone offered me a cup and I was so busy with registration I didn't even realize what I was doing (spit the last gulp back in the cup). Freaked out after but drank tons of water that day and moved on but have been a lot more careful since then.

I think we have all made an unintentional mistake with a lick, bit or even a spit out once we realize....Nothing else to do but move forward...

Someone in my office asked me this same question the other day. I just completed week 1 of IP. I have to defend the Moms but I understand why you question what someone would feed their family. I grew up eating typical Southern food. Casseroles and fired stuff and I have battled my weight all my life. I try to feed my kids better food so they will make better choices. But lets face it, sometimes it is out of sheer convenience. I work full time and have my business on the side so it is hard to plan and cook healthy meals. Sometimes it is easier to grab fast food or fix something from a package. I also was never taught portion control. Kids are still taught to leave a "happy plate". I do differently with my kids. They eat a sensible portion of the less healthy stuff and offer them more of fruits and veggies. And lets face it just because someone is not overweight it does NOT mean they are healthy. That is a message my kids have heard a million times!

I So Know The Feeling!
 

Thank you for your post! I was just thinking today as my kids were eating mint oreo cookies and milk for a snack. It's just a habbit. It's just something we have to get used to over time while we are on IP. I wanted that cookie SO BAD. This morning I was blowing on my son's hashbrowns and went to put it in my mouth to test it for heat. I caught myself before I shoved it in my mouth. Try not to kick yourself too bad, these things happen. It will all get easier.

I agree with you!
 

I agree with you here! I'm glad to see you speaking your mind!!

I Really Like Your Outlook
 

I am here to say yet again.....you're doing great! I like the way you think! Kids do need to have the chance to be kids!

I'm glad to hear that so many people have such interesting thoughts on this topic, but I do want to reiterate that I was not criticizing anyone's choices, I was just hoping to get the question onto people's radar, and hear what people (especially parents) think about it, because I think about it a lot.

For me, so much of my eating (I realize now) that led to my weight problem is due to what I was eating when I grew up. I never drank soda, I hardly ever had junk food, was not a big sweets eater (not because we were health-conscious, only because we were poor!) I was an active kid living in a rural area riding my bike all day long including 2 miles back and forth to school every day. But I was still overweight as a child and teen (living on casseroles, potatoes, pasta, etc.) which as I got older and my metabolism slowed, translated into being obese by the time I was 30.

Being on IP for the 4 months it took me to lose the weight was not that bad. But it was very, very hard for me to permanently change my eating habits and realize that for the rest of my life I need to eat very small amounts of carbs if I am going to keep the weight off. I can't just go back to the way I was eating (which was not necessarily a LOT of food, just the really wrong food). THAT change has been at times depressing, at times angering, at times ok. Because eating those foods is a habit, and one that I was very happy with.

Almost 20% of kids in the US are now rated obese, and the rate is still climbing. Diabetes and other diet-related illnesses are on the rise. My own pre-IP condition was labeled pre-diabetic and I was clearly obese.

And I often wonder, "if I had been raised looking at foods/types differently, would I have ended up where I did? If our typical family dinner had included 60% veggies instead of 60% carbs, would I have developed different (better) eating habits? What eating habits did I develop as a child that eventually led to gaining all that weight?" I guess I'll never know the answers to those questions, but that does not stop me from wondering them.

Wow this really is a thought provoking thread. I will be keeping it bookmarked for that day far far in the future when my kids are old enough to eat real food. Since they are not even a glimmer in our eyes yet, it will be at least another 5 years for me I think.
I do agree with Rocky Monarch's last quote:

"if I had been raised looking at foods/types differently, would I have ended up where I did? If our typical family dinner had included 60% veggies instead of 60% carbs, would I have developed different (better) eating habits? What eating habits did I develop as a child that eventually led to gaining all that weight?"

I have discovered since I left home (I'm 26 fyi) that my mothers likes and dislikes drove a lot of the food my dad cooked for meals. She doesn't like many vegetables-and NOTHING spicy. So all the foods I am eating on this plan, except the protein, we never had growing up. I think the same thing about veggies and carbs-growing up veggies were corn, carrots, and potatoes!