With the Holidays upon us, how do you not cave to the temptations of all the sweets around Christmas time? I have had a rough day and co-works have made me cookie trays and goodie bags of treats . I thought I was doing so well and then it hit me. That overwhelming desire to have it! I should have thrown them in the garbage, but I didn't want to hurt my co-workers feelings. I thought "I will just take them home for my kids". But I caved. I was having a bad day (like that is an excuse ) and started eating, thinking "oh I will just have a little bite". I did not have a little bite, I ended up eating the whole thing and then some. Now I sit here feeling a little sick because I have not had sweets in months and wishing I could take it all back.
How do you stay strong in the face of temptation? I obviously could use some help.

I think about how sick I feel afterwards.....just not worth it.

There are online meetings to go to just type in The Recovery Group .org and you will find 12 step meetings every 3 hours to help you.

When i used to LC I would actually tell people NOT to give me sweets because I would eat all of them before I made it home. I was so brutally honest with people it made them uncomfortable but maybe just maybe - they could relate?


hugs to you
just start over thats all.
and after 3 days your cravings will go away again

I think about how long it takes me to lose what I gain from a cheat. I think of the time I'll lose--when I could be losing weight as I normally do on low carb, but will be taken up by gaining and then trying to lose that extra weight. I think about that next size smaller that I want to be, and that those cheat foods don't help me get there.

After I read about "keto adaptation" in The Art and Science of Low Carb Performance, I realized that "one bite" CAN hurt you. According to the research reported by Phinney and Volek in that book, the body takes a minimum of two to four weeks to become fully keto-adapted. Keto adaptation is the process of switching the body from being a glucose burning engine to being a fat burning engine. When fully keto-adapted, the muscles can burn fatty acids directly from fat stores. Most of the muscles can't directly burn fatty acids until the body is fully keto-adapted because it takes a few weeks before the body can completely reprogram its fuel burning system. Ketosis is only the first step toward keto adaptation.

The problem is that the reverse process -- switching the body from fat burning to glucose burning -- happens very quickly. All you have to do is give the body a significant enough amount of glucose to halt the process of ketosis, which ends the period of keto adaptation. Then, there's no shortcut to return to the keto-adapted state. The body will require another two to four weeks to become keto-adapted again.

I've been able to avoid carby foods for the past few months -- when they've been handed to me, when people have told me how "amazing" something is and that I have to try it, when my homegirls bought me my favorite chocolate martini without asking me, when one of my close friends told me how much he misses having nieve (ice cream) with me -- I've been able to say "no" because I haven't been able to bring myself to just throw away all of the effort it took me to reach this fat burning state. Money comes and goes, but *time* never comes back. Once I've wasted time, it's lost forever. That's a HUGE sacrifice to me, and I have not *yet* come across any food that's worth losing the time I've invested.

Well said! And next time I am tempted by whatever it may be, I will remember this! Thank you all so much for your insight and support

Your first impulse to throw it away wasn't a bad one. Your kids don't need that stuff either... no one's kids do.

I'd have stuffed it into my purse and gone to a kitchen on a different floor and leave it on a table or in the trash.

If anyone asks, tell them it was delicious!

BTW: This will happen again, and again, and again. It isn't a one-off situation.

This helps me realize "it's not worth it."

It's like getting an 18 wheeler up to speed. You have to work up through the gears, and finally you are booming down the highway.

Eating carbs is like slamming on the brakes.

Nice analogy WereBear! I'll keep that one firmly in mind as I work my way up those gears! Nothing like a bratty little SmartCar (carbs!) cutting you off in traffic, ha ha! [Nothing against actual smart cars, btw, lol!)

THIS.

I so agree. I worked at this. changing my eating and do not want to backtrack ever. I say NO and that is final to crappola carbs. I can't do this again and again and again and again. I can't lose the same stinking 3-4-5 lbs. over and over and over again. Not worth it to me. one time down the scale and stay there long term is what I want. I will get it also

Christmas 2011 I thought I'd just take one little bite of one piece of Godiva chocolate. That derailed me to the point where I finished off the whole box and every other box of chocolates I received that Christmas. The self-loathing and sense of failure was worse than the few pounds I gained back - which I spent weeks trying to get rid of again.

This year, I didn't hesitate to immediately give away every single chocolate gift I received, without waiting to even think about it and get tempted. In fact, even last night I gave my doorman a box of chocolates that someone had just given me as a belated gift. I do it so the gift-giver doesn't know, but if they did I'd just have to explain that I appreciated the thought but my body can't process those foods. (Not really a lie, my body can't process them and remain healthy).

I cannot tell you how good it feels when you don't give in to temptation. It's so euphoric that it makes me want to keep giving chocolate away just to experience that high, LOL!