Getting Through First Two Weeks

I had no problems until about 14 days into the program - then I had a mini meltdown. After that night, (the night of why on earth am I doing this to myself / I'm hungry / I hate this) I was fine. You'll get through it - hang in there!!

Allow yourself a cheat day once a week only to take care of that sweet tooth ... I don't know much about weaning of soda since I don't drinkin ...but I've heard you should wean off so you don't get headaches and such ...maybe try crystal light to curb the cravings ? They even make that soda machine now where you can use crystal light in it !!I've used carbonated water with crystal light .. But def. have to get control ...if you want the weight gone got to pull through be sure your allowing yourself your BMR so your not binge eating good luck

In the past I've found it easiest (in terms of guilt) to make sure I put in a good workout and earn some extra calories if I'm having a really hungry/munchy kind of day so I can indulge later. Right now I'm just getting back to mfp after a year away (and 10 lbs gained back) and I know I've gotten into a habit of snacking too much, especially at night. I went ahead and bought a variety of snacks that were healthy or easy to grab a reasonable serving to satisfy any cravings without going overboard. I know that for me it helps to have a variety of snacks so I don't feel like "there's nothing I want, let me run to taco bell at 1am". Even if the snacks aren't so healthy at least a small serving isn't the end of the world and having them on hand will help me get through the first week or two until I adjust to snacking less often/smaller portions. I will buy any snack I want if I can easily get a roughly 100 calorie serving... 100 calories of cheetos or chocolate might save me from a complete binge if I went out for something else and IMO that's a win

Pain. Pain is how you do it!

Pain is a greater motivator than the idea of being successful. Sales classes talk about this, but I digress.

So, remind yourself constantly of the painful situations that WILL come if you don't do what you're supposed to do. Not discomfort, but the worse scenarios. Think of that every time you have trouble, instead of the idea of winning or losing or trying to eat this and not that. Put yourself in one or more of your painful situations that could be here a year or two or three or five from now.

I agree- moderation, not exclusion, for the most part. I try not to exclude things from my diet because that makes me crave them more- I either eat small portions of what I want, or I find a healthier swap or make my own. I'd say work on the donuts first, and don't worry about eliminating the diet soda- focus on getting rid of the calorie bombs first for a few months! Personally I think diet soda is probably safe and okay, just don't drink too much, and get enough water separately.

What helped me squash sugar cravings was making sure I get enough healthy fat in my diet! Protein too, but healthy fat makes a big difference in my satiety levels throughout the day. My favorite sources are almond butter, avocado, olive oil, and other nuts. Make sure every meal has veggies, protein, and healthy fat. Eat fruit when you're craving sugar during the day- if you crave dessert after meals, have a small serving of fruit after each meal, like 10 grapes or a small apple.

Something that works for me is to plan an indulgent evening snack every night- set aside 200-300 calories for a really great dessert that you can look forward to all day, like ice cream with a brownie/cookie, a slice of healthy pumpkin pie with ice cream, homemade healthy apple crisp... those are my most recent creations!