what is this!

[Noraq]

I've lived on lettuce salad and stuff for a year and reached my target weight and lower even..and to-day I am in agony dreaming of chocolate, curry, fish & chips, ice cream. crisps and basically anything fattening....what is going on!!

Talk about yer self destruct button!!!

[tiggerblue10]

You are allowed to treat yourself every once in a while.

[237SJ]

I would have reached that point a long time ago if I had been living on lettuce for a year. It`s obviously your body`s way of telling you it needs some fat. You could have that in the form of good fat without having to compromise your diet though. A little bit of fat now and again won`t hurt.

[askyourgran]

Give in to your inner feelings now and again. Just have a small treat, you will have to keep up to a maintainence diet and eat sensibly. Well done.

[Noraq]

I know..but the fat sister is in there and if I unleash her....Gawd knows what might happen! =)

[tiggerblue10]

Have one treat once a week or every two weeks. You're not trying to lose anymore, you're just maintaining so it shouldn't do any harm.

[The-HouseHusband]

As long as the majority of your diet is healthy then you should have no problems having the occasional treat.

If you are doing exercise as well as your diet it could be your body telling you it needs some fats and sugars to balance out your needs, both physical and mental.

[tiggerblue10]

I crave certain things if I don't have them in my diet for a couple of days. Fruit is the main thing I crave.

[Noraq]

Yeh I've been walking loads...I actually got to like it..that could be it!

Right...I will take your suggestions on board everyone and thanks..sorry for the whinging!

[Jan1957]

If you've gone below your target weight Noraq go for it. Once in a while won't hurt. I just wish I could do it.

[cazzz1975]

if you are worried about losing control make sure you assign yourself a treat time, once a week or fortnight or month, depending on how strict you are dieting. buy yourself something nice on treat day, enjoy it and you will find that your body adapts to having a treat without starting off a gorge fest.

that way you can have the one thing you are craving in a controlled environment without falling off the wagon,

[Noraq]

Just had a scone with butter and strawberry jam...counter acted the longing for another with a pint of iced water and lemon.

Gawd it was better than sex......well it's been so long....between either!!

[cupid04]

I need to lose weight and give up smoking. Any aber ever successfully managed to
do both at the same time?

[Noraq]

Cripes..no..one of them is bad enough!..but if you have to.....good luck with that!

[Bambiagain]

The only way I can diet successfully is by allowing myself one day a week off the diet. On that day I eat whatever I crave, but the rest of the week I am "good". If I try to diet seven days a week without a break, I eventually crack completely and lose control. That's my own personal psychology, of course, but I find that one day out of seven doesn't stop the weight loss.

[cazzz1975]

its sensible bambi, if you restrict yourself indefinitely then your body will only continue to crave more until you break. a day off is a good way of controlling the fun without blowing it.

[Bambiagain]

Cazzz, I learned that from many years of trying the total denial way. Now, if I'm dieting and I am asked out for a meal, for instance, I say yes and let that be my day off, rather than either saying no or going along and eating only a lettuce leaf and being miserable. So I remain sociable but go back to the diet the day afterwards. And sometimes when chocolate is essential it's better to yield for once. There is always something to look forward to! The trick is to be in control most of the time, knowing there can be a day in the immediate future when you can enjoy what you crave.

[maclarencat]

I lost 3 stone and stopped smoking at the same time. Dont I sound smug? I believe that you can only do either if the time is right for you and then you seem to find the will power from somewhere to do it and it doesnt make any difference if you do them both at the same time. It has been 7 years now and I am still stopped smoking but I did put a stone back on and maybe one day I will find that will power again and loose the next stone again.

[Bambiagain]

Maclarencat, you are so right. No matter how many people tell you that you need to lose weight, or stop smoking, there is only one person who can achieve that - and that is you. If you haven't found the willpower from somewhere, then it won't happen.

[DTCwordfan]

I'll volunteer the remedy to the sex if you are in the SW.....

Seriously take care, Noraq about the pace of dieting - no more than 2 pounds a week otherwise you can risk gall bladder issues, especially if you are blonde, middle aged, fair, (were overweight) and stressed. More women suffer from this than men......I fell foul of this through a diet, a virus and the stress of a divorce, culminating in the surgery eighteen moinths ago.