Hello! I'm back on the beach after falling into old habits for the past year or so. However, I hav a bit of a potential problem coming up.
July 4 and 5 are big parties/reunions in my family. I plan to take some of my own plan-approved foods, but I know at least one day I will have dessert that is NOT on plan (It's my fav desert and my mother only makes it once a year, but I only plan to have a few bites.)
My main question is this: I had originally planned for Phase 1 to end next Tuesday (I was a weird mid-week starter!) Knowing that I will have some non-approved food over the weekend, should I stick to Phase 1 until the weekend or start on P2 like originally planned? (I know that SUnday will be back to P1, at least for the day) I know if I get too many cravings after Sat I can go back to P1 to get rid of them, which is why I'm not sure if staying on P1 until the weekend or switching to P2 (or as I say Phase 1.5, since I know I need to enter into P2 slowly) would be healthiest.
Any suggestions?

I think your plan sounds right. Go to P1.5 when you had planned and then also plan for a couple of days of P1 after the holiday weekend. You should be right on target! Good work planning.
BTW.....welcome back!

Can I ask what she makes?

It's an "eclair" in a pan- layers of graham crackers, cool whip and pudding topped with my fav part- a chocolate icing.
I've asked her in the past to mke it with ff cool whip and sf pudding, but the rest of the family din't like that idea- felt it might make it too bland (my dad supports me, but thinks my deserts that are either ff or sf are bland and tasteless, and since he and my brother & sil get the leftovers, I've been overruled. Thery have though promised to help me control myportion!)

Gotta love self-interest. Are they perhaps helping you control your portion to ensure there's more left for them?

You know, we have to remember that this is a lifestyle change and not agonize over the occasional deviation from plan. Otherwise we'll go nuts! Enjoy the meal and then get on with life.

Oooh, my Amish friend shared her recipe for that Chocolate Eclair Dessert with me, and it's soooooo yummy! I have made it with sf pudding and ff Cool Whip, and you can't even tell the difference in taste.

I would like to say that I can show discretion and have only one or two bites but sometimes, quite honestly, I can't. I hope that the whole family once-a-year celebration doesn't throw you back to former times.

I have my birthday coming up in the third week of July and I do not want to undo all of the work I have done. I have found that going to a restaurant and ordering one serving is a lot easier than having it around for me to sneak-eat, if no one is looking. In a restaurant you can always pretend you are full ( is anyone ever too full for dessert? Not me!) and then you will have plenty of offers to help you finish your dessert (unless of course, they ordered one too).

My sister always asks for a couple of favorite desserts: chocolate creme pie and banana pudding (Southern style) for her birthday. She told everyone a head of time that these were "hers" and no one was allowed to touch them.

She told me later that to ensure that her teenage (twig) daughters wouldn't have any she put the leftovers in the dishwasher because she knew they never bothered to help load it!

I used to be that way with certain foods too. I admire your courage but it would be hard to have a few bites of something I only have once a year. I am planning on a local Mom n Pop pizza for my birthday. I have had pizza many many places and as far as I am concerned, it is the BEST. Do you think I am going to have one or two bites---no, I plan on a large thin crust Italian sausage, black olives and mushrooms all for myself!! Phase 1 will follow immediately afterwards!

Enjoy your eclair dish on the 4th. Now, how about passing the brats and potato salad??? Hmmmm.....