You have a point! Except that I tell dh that I'm much too cute to be carrying groceries. :dizzy: (Truthfully though, I'm not supposed to be lifting much right now. So I really do have a valid excuse for not carrying in the groceries!)

You deserve to be a lady of leisure Ruth Ann -- butler, chauffeur, personal trainer, chef...the whole works. Tell DH since you married him instead of a millionaire to get that lucky lottery ticket next time he's at the store so you can live the lifestyle "to which you should be accustomed" :)

Either that, or he better start learning how to give massages and cook you gourmet IP meals :lol:

Aw thanks IP43! :hug:

I agree, I should have my every whim catered to! However, since that's not going to happen any time soon I guess I'll just have to keep on doing what I'm doing!

Well, your DH is lucky . . . mine thinks I have impulse control issues when it comes to shoes! :D

Monica -- Wow, awesome tattoos!

Thanks, everybody, for your words of wisdom and encouragement yesterday. I felt better even just after typing it out -- and even better when I read your responses. What would I do without this forum?? :hug: I had a better day yesterday -- felt more in control of both appetite and mental talk. Thanks, all.

I opened my email today to see that my favorite thrift shop is having a 50% off sale . . . what's a girl, on her first day of maintenance, to do???? ;););) Shopping, if done right, qualifies at cardio, no?

:running:

LOL --My heart rate went up just READING about the sale! Get those runners on girl! Let us know what treasures you found!

Yesterday I had the worst cravings I've had since on IP, but I got through it, and really devoured my Chocolate Peanut Dream bar, mmmm. :T I'm still wondering what triggered it or if it was just the timing (just hit 5 weeks on IP). I was thinking about it and during my 1st run at IP, I think I had my first cheat meal at the 5 week mark, but not this time. NOPE! I stayed 100%!

I'm a little worried because the scale hasn't moved much in the past week and a half, but I'm hoping for a woosh. I'm wondering if my body is just reshaping because my clothes are fitting differently. Here is to hoping!

I'm going to poke around some recipe threads and see if I can find something that makes me drool. What am I saying?! I always can find something yummy on those threads!

Did you try the chocolate mug cake yet? I actually haven't but it gets rave reviews from chocoholics. I posted the recipe earlier but can find it again if you have trouble finding it :)

I like Lisa's advice though to try to retrain your taste buds. She never has bars etc. in the house even. It's probably good advice for me because "Sweet" is dangerous to resist, so maybe try some other types of recipes if you have the same vice as me.

However, I still DO like the sweet stuff so I make the choc pudding into cookies and have those warm... maybe give those a try :)

I haven't tried the chocolate mug cake yet, but I'm thinking about it! I'll have to buy it on eBay or somewhere though, sounds so good! I like sweets, but surprisingly they weren't what I was craving (aside from a cupcake). I feel like I personally need to keep bars in the house because 1) they feel like a treat 2) it feels a bit like a safety net to have something in the house that is IP compliant. Not to mention the only other person in this house is doing IP as well so all "contraband" is out of the house which is a HUGE help.

I'm thinking about making some of the southwest cheese puff chicken nuggets though I'll have to sub in my crispy parmesan protein chips and see if I can doctor up the WF ranch...

Before doing IP I was trying to reduce gluten so I used almond or coconut flour for breading. They also have chickpea flours etc. It's not IP but for future, if you're reducing carbs still, protein flours might be a way to replace breaded items.
When I went into my clinic this week I noticed their advertising poster has a bunch of food on it -- and the top thing on the pile is a breaded chicken breast. I always want to ask my coach what product they use -- otherwise it's a bit "misleading" as to what you can have on plan.

Retraining
 

IP43 - I am not sure whether Lisa is suggesting retraining the taste buds when it comes to sweet - I think it is more retraining (I originally wrote restraining!) the mind. Yes, I think it is possible to enjoy new foods that we never knew before, but when it comes to triggers or cravings, it is a mental process.

I have the same issues with sweets that Lisa does and I simply cannot at this point allow easy sweets into the house, at least more than one at a time. The chocolate cake in a mug is OK because it requires cooking and cannot be devoured quickly (too hot).

When I get to maintenance, I will ask my coach how to deal with this issue but until then, I am reading every book on the subject I can. Lisa posted a list a bit back and I am making my way through it.

[QUOTE=IP43;5027596]Even if you just download "This girl is on fire" and have it ready to play when you need to dance away from that fridge! ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7xsVF_XTEs
[/QUOTE

I had to laugh at this. This is my 2 year old daughter's favorite song. I literally here this song several times DAILY:dizzy:

FutureFitChick = One of the books that has helped me stay strong on this program is one which explains one reason why we may have challenges.

If you read the book by Dr. David Kessler The End of Overeating, you will be surprised at what may be pushing up when we slip. He talks at great length about what the processed foods in America are doing to the health of our children, getting them addicted to fat on top of sugar on top of salt, etc.

This applies to adults as well - the part on restaurants and what they do to keep up coming back for more is frightening. Food "manufacturers" do research as to how to keep people buying products by addicting them to the body feelings we get when we eat processed food.

It is a real eye opener and made me all the more determined NOT to eat processed foods where I can avoid it and to be firm in a restaurant as far as my choices and requests.

Off my soap box!

That sounds like an amazing book--I will look into it! I know that when I was eating paleo (before I knew I was insulin resistant, so I wasn't careful with carbs like sweet potatoes and carrots and Brussels sprouts) I had to quit following a bunch of popular paleo Pinterest & Facebook pages. Seeing paleo versions of cupcakes and pies and ice cream for days just didn't help me! Even if they had no refined sugars or flours. Our SAD is seriously messed up. Even those doing diets like low-carb and the like get filled with low-carb versions of all the same cakes & cookies & chips.

Now, before I sound too self-righteous, I discovered making a waffle from an IP pudding packet. And plan to make the crispy cereal pancakes soon. So I am not immune! Just very aware :)

my parents tattoo was generic that was why I my tattoo artist make her own version, it is on me the rest of my life so I wanted to love it to. :love:
I really did have this booked and planned for a while, lol otherwise that would be a strange impulse buy :dizzy:

:hug:

Cardio shopping sounds like a great workout to me! lol I bought these heels yesterday cause I too suffer from a shoe addiction :woohoo:

I broke an ankle just LOOKING at your shoes Monica! LOL