For full disclosure, I am curretly PMSing and saw no weight loss on my third week.. And nada to this day either... I am craving pizza, muffins and risotto at my chair at work!!! How sad!! I have read may of you being indefferent toall goodies around you. I wish I was like that.
I keep praying for some will power !

Week 4 I was still interested in pizza. ****, I'm still interested in pizza. The difference after being on IP for a while is that now I can sit in the room and watch others eat it, and smell it, and it doesn't take a lot of willpower to not grab a slice and indulge. But in week 4 I would've left the room to avoid the temptation. So hang in there.

Haha, I'm on week 10 and I'm pmsing and I'm craving pizza and feta cheese and a pita... I think its just the whole pms thing! lol

Oh yeah, and I want a breakfast sausage something fierce!

thanks guys!!! Dave, I have read your other posts, I am amazed by your will power. Same with you Susie, congrats on the consistent loss...I thought I was loosing it at work today once I started day dreaming about pizza!

Week 5 here, and I sat on an outdoor patio at a restaurant for two hours drinking water with lemon while four other women friends ate pizza and drank beer and wine. No problem at all for me.

Be patient. I think it still happens like this for most people. If you are not adding any extras to the program and watching your veggie portions and dairy portions. The cravings will eventually disappear or become more like a "oh, I liked that" or "that'd be good but, no" kind of thought. PMS is still a killer and somethings, they never change. ONLY during PMS do I crave chocolate. ??? go figure!

Let me give you a different take on this.

When I was younger, I spent some time living in Sweden. The winters there are cold and dark. The sun barely rises above the horizon, and it's only visible for about 4 hours a day. The rest of the time it's really dark and cold. I purchased a really nice down-filled coat to keep me warm, and a headband designed to keep my ears warm. Still, it was really cold. When I think about it, I have very vivid memories of those times, like how inhaling through my nose in the extreme cold felt (it's an odd sensation to feel your nose hair freeze), and I can still remember what the northern lights look like. I can hear the sound of the frozen snow crunching under my feet. Oddly enough, I used a certain brand of deodorant while I was there, and that particular smell (which I've encountered several times since) brings me right back to that small apartment in Sweden. The human brain is amazing in its ability to capture moments and store them as memories, sometimes very vivid memories.

Now, I told you all of that for a reason, and it's fairly simple and something that works for me when I'm tempted. I know what pizza tastes like. I have vivid memories of some of the finer restaurants in which I've dined. Think about it for just a moment. Have you ever said or thought something like, "The pasta here isn't as good as the pasta at whatever restaurant"?

I believe that there are physical cravings and mental cravings. In the first few weeks of IP, we all go through some serious physical cravings as our bodies adjust to our new intake. But once the physical cravings diminish, we still have mental cravings to address. I've found that, for me, it's enough to look at the donuts that someone brought into work and access the file that my amazing brain has stored, so that I can remember what donuts taste like without actually having to taste the donut in front of me. In most cases, the mental donut is much tastier than the real thing. There are things in life that are wonderful and enjoyable, and some of the most memorable things in life are those we only experience once. It's possible to look at food the same way. We don't need to experience food over and over again to enjoy it. Sometimes the memory of it is enough, especially when pursuing a more important goal.

I know it's kind of odd. But it's been working for me.

Well said (and I agree)!

I agree, too. The way I look at it now is if there's something I really want, I'm like I'm just going to eat it and then it will be gone so what's the point? It's not worth it.

YES!! Excellent visualization technique. I have used something like it a few times but, you describe it so well.

BTW, I am jealous of you! I have not yet been to Sweden and still have on my list of to-dos "see northern lights." Someday, I hope!

I tell myself, it's not like I'll never have pizza again in my life. Just not now. and not regularly, but not never. However, the pms thing is very difficult for me. I could eat a whole pan of brownies. Once my husband had me tearing fresh donuts in half to hand back to the kids in the car because, after all he was driving! Why did we have to bring them in the car in the first place?! It was the week of my cycle and I could have killed someone.

Kelley

Dave... Wow great description and incredibly motivating wording. Dunno what kind of business you are in but you can always make money writing. Really enjoyed your explanation.

Thanks! I kinda figured my username gave it away, but I've been manipulating people into buying things for years now.

Never gave much thought to being a writer...

I've always had cravings but now on week 4 of IP, they've turned into "longings" and I deal with them so much better than before. My office had a potluck today and I sat at my desk with my salad and IP drink feeling somewhat deprived. Until that is, I saw everyone crash because of the carbs around 3pm and I was feeling great and ready to go!

There are experienced IP followers who are willing to answer your questions. They have lost 50, 80 pounds and more -- they've walked the path you're on and have reached the destination. Trust me, you want their insight

If you post in the daily chat thread, you're more likely to get an answer from them. It may feel a little uncomfortable just jumping in. But, it will be worth it. Come join us.

How to find the daily chat thread

1. Navigate to the IP main forum
2. Look for a thread called IP Daily Chat with the current day's date in numbers, e.g. IP Daily Chat 8/20/2010
3. Click on the thread, read or just click to the last page
4. Post your message
5. Wait for replies!

Here's a link to the main forum
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/ideal-protein-diet-236/