Hello - I really thought I had gotten past my cravings for carbs and sugar. I was down to an all-time weight low for me, and that should have made it easier for me to stick to the plan and keep on going, but no, I figured I was doing so well that a bite or two of the odd forbidden food wouldn't hurt. In some way, I guess I thought that I had a little more leeway now. Anyways, I am up a pound and a half and can't seem to control the sugar/carb cravings now. Do I need to go right back to induction to get rid of these cravings again? I am also hungry all the time now, and it's horrible, as I was getting used to not feeling hungry and craving something all the time.

I guess I'm just wondering where I go from here, and I really wasn't prepared for all the changes that happened with just "a few bites" of forbidden food every now and then.

Cap, it sounds like you learned something about yourself that will be valueable to you! Each of us has to discover what works for us as an individual and; sometimes that involves some "testing". Once we try something and learn the extent of the consequences, we're in a better position for making future choices.

It happened to me a few times, too - especially when I experimented a couple of times with the "LC" bars.

When the cravings re-awakened, I didn't go all the way back to induction. If I cut back on cheese, dairy, and nuts and eliminated fruit (getting most of my carbs from legal veggies), the cravings seemed to go away faster. Usually, it was just a day or so for the worst of the cravings to subside.

I don't know why, but in my case, cutting back on legal salty foods (breakfast sausage, cheese, salted nuts) also seems to decrease my cravings.

Another thing that helped with the cravings was eating smaller meals more frequently, and switching foods often. I.e., if I ate a hardboiled egg and craved more, I'd eat celery with PB instead. If I still craved someting after that, I'd eat a some bell peppers dipped in sour cream... and so on.

~~~Teelbee

174 (Mar. 2002, highest weight), 164 (Jan. 2003, begin LC)
164/135/137-134
remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic

Thank you for the kind suggestions! I too started off with the lc bars, thinking that I had "graduated" into being able to eat them. I had a couple of chances to cheat again, but I refused each and every one of them, and I feel so much better already!

I "fail" over the Labor Day weekend. I kept telling myself "its ok just a little bit". Before I know it I had gone on 3 days into a full blown binge. Each day I hated the fact I know I would betray my choice of how I wanted to eat. I finally said "God please help me, Iv lost my way again, and I don't know how to get back." What that my sanity returned and my focus clear. Now I pray each day that I remember how powerless Im when it come to some food (carbs) and that I keep my eye on my true "goal": Loving the feeling I have each morning that Im not being controlled by food.

If God is for me, who can be againist me?

Hartensia, I really was inspired by what you said. I cheated just a little and ate some doritos. I didn't mean to but I was giving the kids some and before I realized it I was eating them too. Luckily I caught myself before I had the chance to eat too many. I guess that is an example of how food controls us. I am looking forward to the day it doesn't control me anymore.

I experience sugar cravings monthly. To be more precise, exactly one week before my period. I'm like a deranged chocoholic madwoman out of control.

Sometimes I resist...sometimes I don't.

Just wanted to let you know that "a few bites" is the kiss of death for this way of life because you will be out of ketosis...and you don't wanna be out of ketosis, um kay?

Also...this thing about being hungry is not good. You should never be hungry. If you are, EAT. Eat stuff you're allowed to have. Now if you're talking about appetite, that's different. If you're talking about "I just ate but I'm looking for something else to satiate my appetite"...that's a different ballgame. That happens to me, too. That's when the moment of truth arrives and I find out just how strong my determination is and what I'm made of, and I either bite the bullet and don't cave, or I cave and then regret it for the next three days while trying to get back into ketosis.

The choice is ours.

Following a low carb way of life truly builds character, I've found.

April
352 / 202 / 180
5'10", large frame, size 13 shoe
www.geocities.com/aprilreinhardt

Yes, what I meant was the appetite feeling, not the being hungry. I just love that feeling of not wanting to eat anything more because you are pleasantly full and satisfied. I know you only get that when you are following the plan correctly, and it was one of the first signs I got that I was slipping. Although slipping up is not good, it IS kind of neat to find out where your strengths and weaknesses lie and what it takes to bend or break you!

I concur with April about the kiss of death thing, heh

Experimenting with fringe foods like fruits and nuts is a natural part of OWL. OWL encourages experimentation so you can find your limits, mostly by testing your carbs until you find your CCL. So if you want to experiment, experiment with something that won't blow your whole game plan.