So upset!!
 

I had a total breakdown! I ate off my diet and I am so mad at myself!
I had a soda and a taco! Ugh! What is wrong with me?? I can't even go a week without failing! It didn't even taste good. The cravings that I was having got the best of me and it didn't even taste good!!

How do some of you deal with your cravings?

Originally Posted by SaraJP0804:
I had a total breakdown! I ate off my diet and I am so mad at myself!
I had a soda and a taco! Ugh! What is wrong with me?? I can't even go a week without failing! It didn't even taste good. The cravings that I was having got the best of me and it didn't even taste good!!

How do some of you deal with your cravings?

:hug: I can imagine how you are feeling. I think job #1 for you right now is to stop defining yourself as "failing." Start over again, right now and forget the past. Start fresh.

I must say, I don't have too difficult of a time with cravings. Make sure you are not eating or drinking any sugars without knowing it. Look at the ingredients of absolutely everything that you are putting into your mouth. Sugar of any kind in any amount will cause cravings. Also, have you eliminated aspartame to the best of your ability? That will help, too. All that said, viewing this time of extreme eating limitations as temporary has helped me immensely. If I really want something that I can't have, I try to view it as I would have viewed it during pregnancy. . . just can't have it right now . . . will have it again when this is over . . . if I still want it. That helps me tremendously.

Hang in there.

I do IP at a clinic, and my coach always reiterates that if I have to deviate, use a bar or something...better to cheat with an IP (or quest, or whatever you use) than to completely go off. So days where I just couldn't stick to the 3 packets + a protein, i've had an extra Quest bar. Next time try that instead. And just go back on immediately, and do not beat yourself up about it!

If I'm having a craving for something, i will search the recipes on here. I made the cauliflower pizza about a week or two ago, and that really helped. For a taco, I made a taco salad using home made seasonings, that I saw on here as well. As far as soda, you can get a sparkling water. If I am having a craving for something sweet, I keep quest bars around and will use one of those instead of my shake. They have so many different flavors that you do not get bored.
Also, the advise from Sylviesgirl too.... I tell myself that its not forever, and I will be able to have it again, just not yet.

Thanks ladies!!
I like the idea of telling myself its not forever! Its nice to think about it that way!
I just have struggled for so long to find the right diet and I really feel like this one is the right one. I just dont want to mess up again! I want this to stick and I want to lose the weight. I really do. My willpower just isn't as strong right now. I need to stop sabatoging myself!

I also try to remember how hard it was to get into ketosis when I think about having something off program. It really simply is not worth it to me. I feel so much better without all the junk I was putting into my body previously and so that is a good motivator to not cheat.

How long have you been following the plan? If you get to ketosis it gets easier.

IP is so expensive I just keep telling myself not to waste my investment. But, I agree that it is not forever, and it is a small period out of your life overall to make such a big impact on your health. I don't have anything else to add that hasn't been offered. I will just say that it comes from you and only you can make the commitment to do this for yourself. And...everyone here has felt the same. :hug:

I've only been on IP for 10 days, but I managed to stick to Atkins for a year (10 years ago). Whenever I get cravings, I just try to find a diet-friendly recipe. Yesterday for lunch I made taco salad with lean ground beef that I seasoned myself, 1 cup shredded cabbage and 1 cup homemade pico de gallo. I never thought I'd ever enjoy a taco without any sour cream or cheese, but it was really quite good, and totally killed the craving! Today I made the "Big Mac in a Bowl" recipe from one of the threads on here, and couldn't believe how filling and tasty it was.

You can do this! It IS only temporary, but you may find at the end of this that you enjoy your new, healthy recipes more than the cheats, anyway!

Don't get so frustrated over deviating one time. You're trying to form lifelong habits, not just going through the motions of a crash course diet and then hoping to keep the weight off. Sometimes in your life, you're going to want a freaking taco. Just don't make it a staple!

Cravings suck. The closer I am to goal, the worse they get. I have gone through heads of lettuce and surprisingly, herbal tea helps.:hug:

Originally Posted by SaraJP0804:
How do some of you deal with your cravings?

Whenever I feel a stress related craving coming on, I either email my IP coach or a friend to just "let it all out" and vent. I find this helps me. I admit that 99% of my weight gain has been due to stress, which I dealt with by eating fast food, alcohol, and just eating out most of the time.

There comes a point where you have to be your own best friend. This means forgiving yourself for slipping up and getting back on the ball so to speak. You slipped up and you've learned that it's not wroth it. Forgive yourself and keep going! :hug:

I'm a newbie too, but I took the advice of having a "go to" snack/food item. When I feel deprived or wanting something special, I have 1/2 of a coconut cashew quest bar (I'm using alternatives). It hits the spot. And I agree about reading the recipe threads...amazing dishes!

Originally Posted by NinjaNurse:
Cravings suck. The closer I am to goal, the worse they get. I have gone through heads of lettuce and surprisingly, herbal tea helps.:hug:

Off topic but Ninja Nurse, you are looking awesome!! WTG!

We joined after going to an informational night at my MDs and one thing that stuck in my head that he said was that if you had a life threatening illness, and had to have a treatment that wasn't particularly pleasant, but would be for a limited time and would save your life, would you do it?
IP is the "medicine", the limited time treatment that will save your life.

I also second what sarita75 said, that it was so horrible getting into ketosis (headaches, nausea, hunger) that I don't want to go through that again.

Hang in there, be loving to yourself, and have lots of hot teas on hand, they really help alot, especially sweetened with splenda.

You can do this- it works - you just have to believe it.

Well, I'm a total tightwad, so all I have to do is think about how much that one little bite (or whatever) will end up costing me in order to get back in to ketosis (probably about three days of food) and that takes care of the craving right away.

I keep zevia on hand for when i'm craving pop. It's an all natural pop. Doesn't taste as good as the real thing, but it certainly helps!

Also, I LOVE tacos! LOL I eat a lot of taco salad. I use tabasco sauce for spice. I like it hot!

It does get easier. I find the first 4 days are hard, but once you're in ketosis, it gets a LOT easier to say no to your cravings. You still have them, but they are more managable

Good luck!

Originally Posted by EasierWithTwo:
We joined after going to an informational night at my MDs and one thing that stuck in my head that he said was that if you had a life threatening illness, and had to have a treatment that wasn't particularly pleasant, but would be for a limited time and would save your life, would you do it?
IP is the "medicine", the limited time treatment that will save your life.

I also second what sarita75 said, that it was so horrible getting into ketosis (headaches, nausea, hunger) that I don't want to go through that again.

Hang in there, be loving to yourself, and have lots of hot teas on hand, they really help alot, especially sweetened with splenda.

You can do this- it works - you just have to believe it.

Tea has saved me also. I got an electric kettle for my office and I keep the strong tasting Celestial Seasons teas like Apple Cinnamon and Bengal Spice. I even put some cinnamon sticks in them sometimes and then just suck on the cinnamon afterward. It really helps my hunger at different times of the day.

For my first week on IP my coach put me on the 'alternative plan' to help wean me off carbs more gradually - after that week (and 5lbs lost) I went on the full plan and experienced 2 unpleasant days of headaches and cravings (I wasn't hungry but really wanted to eat all the no-nos) after two days the cravings went away and I have been really satisfied with the food ever since. Talk to your coach about how you felt and maybe ask for some info on starting with the alternative plan.

everyone has a slip up sometimes, the important thing is to move on from it instead of beating yourself up over it. However, since it does take three days to get back into ketosis make this your last slip up, so you don't have to waste any more time. Next time you have a craving, go into your closet and try on an outfit that is maybe a little too tight and think "do I want that off plan food or do I want this to look good on me again?" or take something that now is bigger on you and ask yourself if you really want to fill it out again... This weight loss journey is YOUR journey, there will be bumps along the way but you are a strong individual and you can push through them. Try making your own IP friendly tacos, or adding franks red hot buffalo sauce to your foods to satisfy a spicy craving. I read somewhere that a woman made her own soda by using sparkling water and a few drops of sweet leaf liquid stevia drops in root-beer flavor (you could also use the grape kind, orange, etc). The drops aren't cheap but compared to the cost of cheating they are well worth it. I always find that a sparkling water with a lime curbs my soda craving. Find what works for you and keep pushing along.. you can do this, just imagine how wonderful you will look and feel once you've lost your weight. Ive lost weight a few times before, but it has always come back on because on other diets I never took part in maintenance or just got too comfortable.. now, when I think about cheating I realize that so many people have seen me gain weight, so many people knew I was on a diet and saw me fail.. I never want to give someone the satisfaction of feeling bad for me, I never want to give them something negative to talk about.. Pick yourself off and do this diet, let everyone see how you accomplished your goals and proved that you are stronger than your cravings! I have faith that you can succeed!:carrot: