Post vacation control

Hi guys,

I just got back from a week in Montreal, where I went wayyy off trac**** cream, bagels, POUTINE. This is my first time doing so for more than one day, and I've gained two pounds. My first gain since surgery, ugh.

Since I got back I've found it difficult to control the cravings - they're back with a vengeance and I know post-vacation blues and the gorgeous summer weather are a big part of it.

I was cleaning my kitchen this morning and discovered a box of Optifast. Bad idea? I was thinking of replacing my meals for 2-3 days.

I know the protein and carb counts aren't great but I'm thinking it might provide the mental shake that I need. To remember that I can do this. Then back to high protein, low carb diet as as usual.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

It's hard for me to get back on track after vacation too. I basically have to go back through carb withdrawal and that sucks.

For me, going back to protein helps me more than going back to shakes would. All meat, all week.

Detoxing from carbs is hard any way you do it but any type of week long "fast" will work. This could be a meat fast, a fat fast, a water fast, a bone broth fast, an egg fast, or a protein shake fast but choose a low carb one rather than optifast. Or you could just force yourself to jump into the way you should be eating and know it will get easier after a week. It's hard.

I am just finishing a 2 week vacation and am up almost 4 pounds. Part of that is bathroom/sodium, but part is regain. Last year after the same trip I had gained 3 pounds. I just went back to eating my usual way, but staying on plan as much as possible and my weight was back down in about 3 weeks.

This year I felt that I wakened some cravings more, so I am going to try to go extremely high protein for a few days when I get home. My plan is to do 2 days of only meat, then 3 of meat and dairy. That routine usually calms the cravings for me (called AMAW or CAMAW on OH).

This how I do it. We hosted our oldest grandchild for a week last week. There was lots of bad food. I ate some of it. I went up a couple of pounds. When she left, the bad food disappeared too, and I went back to my normally strict regimen. Here I am a week later and those pounds have disappeared.