On the verge of a full blown relapse?

[Katers]

Hi everyone! I am new to this board and fairly new to South Beach. I have been on Phase 2 for about 4 weeks. I was on Phase 1 for about 3 weeks before that. For some reason, I have "fallen off the wagon" the last few days. I know I am getting cravings at night and I try to ignore them but then I end up caving. I am determined to get it under control before it gets out of hand but I need some advice from the long-timers. Should I go back to phase 1 to straighten myself out or just tighten up my menu on phase 2? Please help! I've lost 14 pounds and still have about 20 to lose. Thanks!

-Katey

[Chris55]

It would be helpful if you could figure out what triggered the cravings. Sometimes just having starches at the wrong time of day will do that for me. Like if I have bread for breakfast, I'm likely to be craving more food all day long, so I've learned (most of the time!) to limit my grains to my evening meal.

Some people find that after a weekend of eating out with family and friends that it helps to do a day of P1, just to kind of reset your brain if not your body! It really depends on how crazy you went. A couple of cookies and a slice of pizza is no reason to go back to a full-blown P1. Just keeping to a stricter P2 and writing down what you eat may help.

It also helps, if evenings are your challenging time, to have a healthy snack, like some yogurt, before bed. I've also found that after I have my "dessert", if I floss and brush my teeth I'm less likely to start snacking when everyone else is sitting in front of the TV with a box of crackers or cookies.

You've done really well so far, but as time goes on we all tend to start sneaking in things here and there. It's good now and then to get back to basics.

[bethy]

How *many* new foods had you introduced when the cravings hit you? I think I'd probably back up to the point before they started (but NOT back to P1), like early P2 with one or two of your first transition foods that Didn't set you off. Stick with that for a week paying attention to the time of day when you eat them, making sure you eat them WITH your protein and veggies. And then add a different grain or fruit from the ones that seem to have been involved when the cravings started coming back. Good luck, don't panic! Remember it's Trial and Error and it's the Errors that teach us what we need to learn.

[Katers]

Thank you Chris55 and bethy! I traced it back to eating whole grains later than usual. I had dinner late those days due to my kids' activities. So I skipped grains for the last two days and have had no cravings! I will just have to remember to skip the grains on those unavoidable late nights. I really appreciate the helpful advice!

Thanks,
Katey

[bethy]

That's wonderful Katey! Cravings are just so SCAREY