Good point about cutting all that stuff out. I've fallen off the wagon & I'm getting back on again on Monday. One thing I have cut out whether I'm sticking to plan or not is the diet sodas & crystal light.
I was drinking a fair bit of Crystal Light because it's been hot, but I really started to notice it was making me feel kinda cruddy. I was feeling more thirsty, more cravings, etc. I know it's not good for you so I have been making a conscious effort to cut it out (aspartame is actually a carcinogen). Then yesterday I read a news story about artificial sweeteners in our water supply. Apparently, sewage treatment is not able to filter out the chemicals used for artificial sweetening and so when you drink your diet soda, use the washroom and flush it down the toilet, those chemicals are going into our lakes and oceans and can affect the metabolisms of plants and animals (much like estrogen replacement hormones are causing reproductive problems in fish because sewage treatment isn't able to filter out the hormones).

Also, when you drink diet soda or chew sugar free gum, etc, the calories are zero, yes. There are not carbs, per se. BUT your body still reacts to these chemicals that trick your body which is why you get the cravings for more sweet stuff (then u end up drinking more diet soda and the cycle continues).

Cheese is the biggie for me. I eat way too much of it, so I can be on LC for months and not really lose any weight, which gets me discouraged. The best way to beat a stall is to eat totally clean. Lots of water, no artificial sweeteners or low carb candies or bars, little to no cheese or cream , hardly any salad dressing, just plan old salad veggies and meat & eggs.

Now it's time to take my own advice!!