KBig, of course not, you will enjoy your carbs again, they will be there waiting for you once you get to goal, but of course its a learning progress through all the phases.

The program has a beginning and an end with four specific phases to not only help you lose the weight, but be taught how to eat and exercise properly to ensure that you will keep it off once you've completed the program.

Trick to grocery shopping is tunnel vision. Try staying on the edges. The only isle I go down are the frozen veggies isle and the spices. Then when you are in the checkout line be sure not to look at the impulse buy stuff.

I phased off for a couple months. Carbs will be a battle forever. When they are back in your diet it is hard not to over do it. I really consider myself a junkie. Eating just a few sugary treats and you lose your mind and Over Dose.

RE: Re-introduction of carbs
 

Some can and some can't. It will be a matter of finding out what works for your body. In maintenance you get one "cheat day." This where you eat whatever you want, literally and the next day you go back and do a P1 day to reset your pancreas. But, during the week you are not necessarily eating all the carbs you denied yourself while on P1.

But, everyone is different. While we lose the weight similarly and with a similar protocol in P1, maintaining is different for everyone because of how our body reacts to the re-introduction of carbs. Some believe they will start and not stop and gain all the weight back. Some have control over it and some don't. Because we all have different histories regarding weight gain, keeping it off will vary.

I don't see "cheating" as the big-bad-evil because honestly at some point in time you have to get these items back in your life. It is simply unwise and costly to do so while on P1. Who wants to see the scale go back up or relive those first few days of entering ketosis let alone pay for the setback? But, it's not a bad thing, in my opinion. The IPers who do it accidentally or intentionally are not bad. We have got to get rid of that thinking. We make ourselves feel bad. It's just rough on us. We make others feel bad. It's lose-lose. And right now we have it rough enough trying to live and remain on this diet. It's really, really strict and really, really limiting. Really.

I also had a lot of trouble in the grocery store before. It used to freak me out that I had to pass up like 80% of it. Now, I don't like or want any of that stuff.

In my head a piece of cake may look good or taste good but in my tummy it might be a different thing. My body is no longer used to sugary processed foods.

The greatest issue that I suspect may be a long term challenge for me will be social. Eating out and eating with others. Choices are so limited and nothing is as tasty as I make at home.

Thanks for the reminder! I am doing this diet with my husband. He had it in his mind that once he lost 85 pounds he was going to have a cheat day. He waited a couple of weeks after he hit his goal, so that we would be out of town at some of his favorite restaurants. He honestly did not like anything he ate. He kept trying different things for 24 hours. Nothing tasted good to him, and he felt awful. He also gained about 8 pounds, which was mostly water weight ( he ate A LOT of salt), and it was gone in 5 days.

My coach has been telling me since the beginning, that food will not taste the same and you will not want it. I didn't believe her. I really do now. Especially since I don't think I saw my husband eat 20 vegetables in the 20 years we have been together, to have him say he did not enjoy pizza or Chinese food, made me love this program even more!!!

So Molly, I can use some pointers. I think I will be in P2 or hopefully P3 by mid-June when I go on my vacation. I will be going to a wedding and some dinner/shows. What are some suggestions for me to not gain weight when I'm out west? This is a huge fear for me. It's taken me this long to lose it and I know how fast I put it on...

Thanks for thee tips and help.

Good timing on your friends part!!! I also throw stuff out to avoid eating it... Keep your great head on your shoulders because it will take you through the rest of your life! (Duh, w/o it you'd be dead...) Anyway. I just meant you made good choices by getting right back on track. I began maintenance and while the food is wonderful...doing ONE "fun" day can be difficult...it's a process...a journey...a lifestyle! Keep going! :)

Thank you so much for sharing! Yesterday I had a little scare, felt stomach cramps, like UTI is starting (oh no, not again! and I cannot have cranberry juice!). Anyway, I went to RiteAid to get something like AZO to be able wait till the doctor's visit and there are several different OTC meds for this condition. AZO had warning: may interfere with glucose or ketone tests. I took another one with the different ingredients and had Blueberry Cran-Granata drink after. It was so hard to decide - do I want pain killer that will kick me out of ketosis or else. GOOD LUCK! The cravings will be gone soon!

Feel like I have my feet planted firmly again
 

Hello all,

I wanted to follow up and let you know that I have had a 100% OP day and I am feeling good the cravings are gone. That was a close call and a great learning lesson thank you all for all the encouragement :hug:

Pookie- So good to hear this!!

I am one who will never be able to return to my previous carb intake. I am very carb sensitive. It is an injustice, but the reality of the genetics. There is no way that exercise could win the day for me either. Research on the exercise stuff is pretty good. Mostly it is about what I eat. Carbs mean fat for me.

After IP, I plan to adopt a low carb lifestyle. I heard today of two people who had great losses on IP. They began consuming carbs of some signifigance again. Unfortunatly both have regained 50 lbs. The same would be in store for me if I don't live pretty darn carb restricted. Everyone is unique in the intake they can withstand.

Purple Sky,
I agree with you - eating out and eating with others isn't as much fun as it used to be, by far.

A strategy that has worked well for me while on IP has been to eat my meal BEFORE I go out to "dinner" or to someone's house for dinner. I take my own salad dressing so in effect, I just have salad and WF dressing and maybe a tiny piece of a plain pure protein if available, otherwise, I'm having very little. Very few people notice and no one really cares except that I now look like I've lost a fair amount of weight and women comment on that.

But, it seems, people really don't care how much or what you really eat as long as you appear to be eating...Sounds strange perhaps. I focus on other people much more, keep folks talking about their lives, their upcoming vacations, and its more interesting that way anyway.

My tip: Phase off properly!

I worked w/ Wuv to come up w/ a vacation phase off strategy as I don't have a coach and am midpoint in my phase 1 weight loss. I'm doing 2 weeks of phase 2 and 2 weeks of phase 3 in preparation for 2 1/2 week European food and wine tour. While on vacation, I will attempt to stay on phase 3 so that means watching the carbs closely but still having a good breakfast and healthy meals for lunch and dinner. I will be taking lots of bars with me.

I will still enjoy many of the foods that will be in front of me and will just give my husband my portion of the wine (he likes that!!) and while I used to drink wine, I stopped all alcohol while on IP and don't have the desire to go back. I already have 3 weeks worth of phase 1 packets and will put a couple days' worth of packets on my kitchen counter so I can't avoid them or conveniently "forget" to go back to the program. As soon as I get home, I'll see them. Plus on the counter will have this little doc I put together called "IP and motivation" - just snippets of things I've found here and there - so I get back to Phase 1 the moment I step back into my home. I'll lose in the first 2 weeks whatever I gained while away, we expect.

Long term: Low carb lifestyle
 

Samba,
I am also pretty carb sensitive and since being on IP, my arthritis is largely gone. Had it in my feet, hands, neck and lower back. So, for me, lots of non-scale benefits to living low carb and staying at a lower weight. My cholesterol also went from 222 (in Jan 2012) to 158 (May 2012).

So I've been recently buying some books on living low carb, cookbooks, finding low carb food sources (websites), etc. in preparation for living low carb in the most satisfying way. Just started doing this so open to any suggestions anyone has in this regard. Also looking into having more vegan meals post IP - but will probably always be a carnivore.

Early on I felt like everything carb was attacking me. Walmart was like running the gauntlet. Even those nasty little Debbie snacks were calling me. You are tougher than all of that. Keep repeating "that snack is not worth giving up all of the hard work of the last weeks or months. I am worth this". And you are.

Grocery shopping is really difficult for me too especially since I buy for more than just myself and to purchase the rocky road ice cream that I can't eat is difficult. What I've started doing is taking a ready to drink vanilla drink with me and before getting to the store I pick up a black iced coffee and mix it together. While I'm shopping I just sip on that and it makes me feel much better. Recently I've been adding the archer farms (target) sugar free caramel syrup...it tastes so good sometimes I feel like I'm cheating.

Glad to hear that you're back on track and no more cravings, etc. Going through the experience vicariously through you is a good learning experience. :)