Hi everyone,
I am now on day 10 of my IP program. I have not had one day without cravings! I feel anxious when i go out sometimes because there is so much food EVERYWHERE! I would give away my oldest child for a banana! Anyone else like this out there? I had read that most people are ok after 4 or 5 days....
Also has any ever made meringue cookies with the pudding?

Hi aheck,
Before we started IP we cut out the carbs and fats, after a few day I know I lost cravings and I had serious after dinner cravings for sweets. We did this for almost 3 weeks before we officially started IP.

So far on our first week I no longer have cravings that I can't control, yesterday while buying produce I walked through the fruit section and my thoughts were, the one thing I miss is fresh fruit, but I didn't feel any cravings.

We also are drinking herbal tea if we feel hunger before our next meal which has seemed to help.

Hope you can kick the cravings.

On some level I think the cravings continue to be an underlying issue. I have no desire for sweets, pasta, potatoes (weren't big on my list to begin with) but I do miss the fresh fruit and a glass or two of wine and this is after 12 weeks of being on the program! I am not tempted by most foods outside of protocol but sure do miss some and that may be because I can't have them!! For the most part it does get better and this program works ....Good luck on your IP journey.

What are you craving? sweet? carb? If you give a little more info perhaps some on here can give you alternate, on protocol, ideas.
For me it is more of a mind set. I ask myself.....how bad do I really want to be in better shape or I look at before pictures etc. It works most of the time.
Good luck and keep coming here reading!!

I am having major fruit cravings, i would love some nuts but mostly it is sweet i crave. I dehydrated some cauliflower and made a "flour", then tried to made ginger snaps with spices and coconut oil....YUCK. However i definitely would try this flour to make a "bread"...
I have found lots of good ideas for savory things on here but sweet seems to be less or i have not found it as of yet. I have found ideas with the IP pudding but i was told that to much heat can destroy the protein, also yummy sounding things with Jello or other ingredients i cant use.

I had cravings the first three days but they apparently disappeared until I cheated on week 10 and they came back with a vengeance. I relied on will power for three weeks and it was very difficult. Now that I'm finally on phase 2 the cravings are under control for now.

aheck-
you would give away your oldest child for a banana--- last night i told my husband i would poke him in both eyes for some popcorn. perhaps our cravings are making us violent....
This is just my 7th day, and i've found that i've had cravings that are coming and going. The difference is that i've never been able to stand up to those cravings before now. I know the first 2-3 days i was having physical sugar cravings. Now, i know they're just mental cravings for some "comfort" food. Knowing that i made it through the 'real' cravings helps me to ignore the psychological ones.

lol... I got such a laugh about the bannana!! I guess I would first ask what your daily carb intake is? Then I would ask if there's a chance that you aren't in ketosis? I find the sugar/sweet cravings will continue for me until I am in ketosis for a week or so. I can tell when I'm in ketosis by the absence of the intense cravings.

Also, there is an IP bannana pudding

Do you know what's the maximum carb intake to be in ketosis?

that varies by individual. Everyone's "tolerance" is different. I know that an exact number would be nice.............

Are you hungry? Or just wanting to eat? Since beginning IP, I haven't struggled with being hungry, but when I am stressed, I've found that I WANT WANT WANT to snack! Hmm, I never realized how much of my eating was to cope with stress.

Those Southwestern Cheese Curls have been great for my need to crunch. My coach also allows me to have as many hard boiled egg whites if I want something extra.

Hang in there!

I have been on IP for over 3 months and still have intense cravings! Maybe I'm not fully in ketosis? But I feel that the results are worth it, everytime I feel the need for something not on plan I drink lots of water and wait it out, maybe have my shake a little earlier then usual. I sing the little jingle from Nemo, "just keep swimming" - hehe, I feel like its a mind over matter thing.

I don't really know but for me it's between 34-40 carbs. Have you ever used the test strips (I know they aren't always a good indicator)? I use them on occasion just to see where I stand or when I add something different to my diet.

I may do that. Hopefully I can find them in Walmart or a local pharmacy.

Oh I caved in over the recent holidays and now I'm trying to get back to following IP protocol and I am struggling to curb the cravings! I am on the alternative ip plan because of pre-diabetes and I am still on phase one. But it just seems like I am hungry constantly. I'll try to keep in mind that I'm not the only one struggling and draw on the willpower too!! I hope it works!
I also bought some EAS Advantage chocolate and vanilla shakes at WalMart and find that they don't seem to satisfy me like IP does. Anyone else find this to be a problem?