I know how imperative it is to follow the protein diet but on occasion does anyone splurge? I don't mean splurge by eating a lot just having an occasional cheeseburger or unhealthy foods. I have occasional cravings for cupcakes or cheeseburgers and I'm worried if I eat something like that it will put me off track. Any advice would definitely be helpful.

I think the best advice is to stay on plan as close to 100% as you can during the weight loss phase. However, I did eat a couple of off plan things during celebrations after I passed the 5 month post-op mark, and I was able to get right back on track the next day. For some people, one indulgence turns into a diet disaster that can last for days or weeks. You have to know yourself and your history to decide what the likely outcome of eating off plan will be.

I stay on the straight and narrow because I know if I stray, I am giving myself permission to do it again and again. That's how I got in this fix many times over! If you are having a craving, try to suppress it for a period of time. Revisit that thought hours later or the next day and more often or not, the craving will have passed. If you are strong enough to go through surgery, you must be strong enough to wave off what you know is not a good choice! Be strong for yourself! ????

I've not had bread since before surgery almost 3 years ago - I'm sure that I could have some without too much trouble, if I took small bites - but I choose not to go down that path again - I was a sandwich addict..... sometimes it better to just tell yourself, you can not have something... and if a craving arises, just say no to yourself.. it is simply not an option... if you have something once - you are liable to go back for more...

I have tried a couple things and have discovered that things i used to crave do not sit well with me- the foods don't taste the same or generate the same feeling I got from them and I'm very grateful.

Among the things I have tried bites of was a pretzel (very gluey), Sausage- I didn't want to get full fat sausage so I tried turkey sausage and it was too fatty- I did find one that is much more reasonable and works for me as an occasional treat and it is a source of Protein just not something I want to incorporate daily, nuts- I like the crunch but they don't sit well, etc.

So basically I am realizing I want crunch and I can do that other ways.

Also for the cheeseburger- is there any reason you couldn't make yourself a little cheese slider without a bun? or maybe wrap it in lettuce? I used to replace cheeseburgers with the 'whopper salad' I browned some turkey or beef with diced onion and served it over chopped lettuce and tomatoes, a little grated cheese on top and the 'dressing' was a mix of lowfat mayo and ketchup to simulate the burger king whopper. In the winter I served it over steamed zucchini 'pasta' that I made with my Spirooli.

What I am trying to do now is if I have a craving I google that thing along with the term low carb and there are some great healthy tasty ideas out there

I'm a bit different to some on here - my general approach is to watch my calorie intake (I try to keep it below 1000 most days, or up to 1200 one or two days a week). Within that limit, as long as I am thinking about what I eat, I allow myself anything.

That includes bread - not just a bite, and quite regularly. It includes potatoes (though even though I used to love potatoes, they have less appeal for me now), chocolate, crisps, popcorn etc - as long as I stay within my daily calories. This means that if I make bad choices - loading up on empty calories - then I will be hungry later on. I avoid that - but I don't have any set rules.

My biggest ambition with this is to be able to be disciplined with the food I love. For me, cutting something out completely isn't sustainable - I know that I will fall off that wagon. Stepping off a wagon in a controlled way always hurts less than falling off it at 100mph.

I did "splurge" as you say occasionally all the way thru my loss phase and did just fine. Entered maintenance and maintained easily for 6 months, but now I'm struggling a little. I put on 5, take off 4. That said, it's summer and I to have a beer\skinny margarita now again and my social life is much more active than it used to be :-). My workout schedule is regular, but it seems like I'm just a couple of pounds over where I want to be right now, and I'm working new ways to be successful in maintenance. So, I've adopted kind of a "weekends off" schedule for food indulgence. I keep it light 5 days per week (shake for Breakfast, salad for lunch, Protein bar snack, sensible high protein dinner, no alcohol) to allow a little more flexibility on the weekends. For me, cutting any one thing out entirely is not the way I want to live. I just need to maintain the appropriate balance!

As I'm getting closer to goal, I just can't bring myself to splurge right now. I just don't feel like spending another week working off the half a pound or pound I may gain from it. I want to keep moving forward, not backwards.

I figure once I get to goal, and am allowed a few more calories to maintain, then I can experiment with little splurges here and there. But they will still be tracked and accounted for in my daily calories.

Jeez, what a bore I've become. Lol.

@@Babbs -- You're not a bore!! You've gained wisdom on your journey.

One phrase I've heard in a variety of places over the years is "Eat to Live. Don't Live to Eat." (Or some variation on that theme.) food is fuel for our bodies. I'm working on not thinking of food as a "reward" or a "treat," but a necessity for a healthy body and strive to make wise choices within the parameters given my by surgeon and NUT. It does take work, a lot of work.

I had a cheeseburger a couple of weeks ago because I was craving one. I skipped the bun and ate it with lettuce. If you make it yourself you have control over how lean your beef is. I think you have to decide how to make it fit your plan, and if it is something that will get you off track or not. I choose not to eat bread because it was something that I really thought I would miss. I don't, but I also don't want to open the door. If I crave meat of some kind or fruit or something that has nutritional value that I don't eat regularly, I'm going to fit it into my plan. If I'm craving jelly Beans or Pasta, maybe not.

Good luck!

I've given in to the occasional craving and then I don't want it anymore. I waited for my sons birthday which was 3 months after surgery and had my cupcake. I'll eat a cheeseburger without any bread - I keep saying I'll put it on a sandwich thin but I can't even finish the burger. I'll treAt myself during special occasions but just have a little to satisfy. I did give into Lays Stack Chips at 2 months post op because I reAlly craved them and have no desire to eat them since