Feels like ....

The night before a diet. I have been very bad with food this weekend -- kinda the "last supper" type thing because I really want to do the protein thing for at least 4 days so when I weigh in Friday morning at WW I will have a loss. And because I am up five pounds from my lowest weight which was in August. I am so proud of you guys and tonight I am telling myself if I can just do 5 protein shakes a day for 4 days I will feel better and know that I can kick these last 30 pounds. The shakes I have are approximately 200 cal./ 30g protein and 4 WW points so I will have consumed daily 1,000 cal, 150g protein and 20 points (with a goal of 22) I have a question are any fruits/veggies acceptable on this plan. I have celery, cherry tomatoes, apples and grapefruit in the frig that may tempt me. But I figure if i do eat those instead of white bread, sugar, potatoes, cereal etc. I am still doing better. I do have a good supply of jello, sugarfree popsicles, soda and crystal lite. Also broth-- although I am afraid of the salt content there. Anyway, tonight I am really wanting to do this thing. Even thinking about skipping lunch with a friend so I don't have to face any extra temptation. Just make these next four days off limits to any tempting activity. Gosh Darn it!!! I hate being this hooked on food. Still!!! Maybe if I get those carbs washed out of my system it won't be so bad. God Bless You all for being here, understanding, and setting such a fine example. We can do this! I may be posting like a maniac the next few days just to deal with this. So bear with me, try not to get bored or irritated and probably if you don't hear from me, I have fallen off the wagon. Keep up the good work! Lucy

Lucy, You can commit to doing whatever you think will work for you. I have avoided fruits/veggies totally and lost 8 pounds in four days (but you know I still have 90 pounds to lose). After the next five days I plan to add some good carbs back in but I think I'll do strictly protein all day and for an evening meal have my good carbs. That way I can go to bed before the carb monster attacks! Don't know if it'll work but I do want to add some good carbs back in and this is how I think I can do it. I went to lunch with co-workers last Friday and managed to eat shrimp and skipped the rice; you don't have to skip lunch with friends. Actually, I got a big yipee moment from going out with them and being successful! We're here for you; post away lady and we'll support you. You can email me all day long if you need encouragement. DeeDee

It's okay (I think) to customize what works for you. I'm actually at goal (my surgeons), but I had picked up 4-5 pounds and didn't want to let it get the best of me, so I jumped on a modified protein train and as of this morning, I've lost 6 pounds since last Wednesday. I pushed the protein up to at least 90 grams, water a minimum of 80 oz., eliminated almost all sugar, and then ate some carbs whenever I wanted them. But between all the protein and the water, there just simply wasn't much room or desire for the carbs, so it's helped get me back on track. I even had someone ask me this weekend at my daughter's party how I managed to cook and bake and still stay thin. Truth is, as full as I have been with protein, 1/2 a chocolate chip cookie was enough. I KNOW it sounds wierd...it even sounds strange to me, but some of that stuff just doesnt' appeal to me as much as it used to and often when I go ahead and eat it, it doesn't taste as good as I remember. At least, it doesn't seem to satisfy me like I thought it would. The reality is that I want to eat a little of everything; I do better when I don't feel like I've completely eliminated some aspect of my diet. Be honest with yourself about what you're eating, but don't beat yourself up if you're less than what you perceive as "perfect." Perfect is a tough place to be and almost impossible to remain. You'll only set yourself up for failure and we don't want that! Have a great day! Julie