Biggest challenge for me is being exposed to starches. If they aren't there, I can resist.
However, I have to cook for my growing teenaged son, and have to have some there for him. He gets pasta, rice, and bread on a regular basis.

I hate having to cook two separate meals in the evening, one for him and one for me. Guess which one of us loses? Me. I give up and either eat nothing or something cold and simple, like tuna. It gets tiresome, because I would like a hot meal, too. Sometimes our meal plans jive, but not all the time.

Traveling is a challenge, too, and trying to eat out while following this plan. I found some good options that work most of the time, but sometimes (like this past weekend), my options are just simply limited.

The good news: when I have to indulge in starches, I know whatever I gained will come off very quickly once I am back on plan. It has worked like a charm -- once I get motivated back in the right direction.

What kinds of starches are you craving? Is it at a particular time of day? I found that I had to identify some triggers and place an acceptable snack in that location to keep me on track for the long term.

4:00pm is a munchy time for me, so I have an Atkins bar while I'm driving home from work. When I walk in the door from work, I'm not hungry.

8:00pm is another time where I crave a treat. That's when I have my ice cream dessert.

By anchoring those two times with something in plan, I was able to stick to it.

You can also eat deer meat (which substitutes for beef well in most recipes). After the first 17-day cycle, I added some white pork and beef, but only the leanest cuts and no more than 4 oz. portions. Maybe ate 1 serving of each per week.

Chicken is so versatile. They even make chicken sausage now, which can add some variety.

Chicken Marsala is good, easy in the crockpot.

Chicken cordon bleu, homemade with bernaise sauce is good, too (use canadian bacon rather than ham).

Bake a chicken breast, then add a slice of provolone cheese and a teaspoon of Hollandaise and some asparagus, and that makes a good meal, too.

Just some ideas.

Im barely on day 5 of C1, and already have fallen into the carb pitfalls.
My challenge is definitly feeding the family. I have two little kids that are healthy & very active, so of course they require carbs. My husband is very supportive & eating whatever I cook, but is not ready to go carb free & wants his carb side. So having dinner and watching them eat their side of pasta, potatoes, rice, etc. is driving me crazy! Im not going to lie, I did cave in in the past two days a bit. I am determined to start fresh today...its a new day.
My biggest weakness is ice cream...I love it! I have stayed away from it, so I know anything is possible

Im barely on day 5 of C1, and already have fallen into the carb pitfalls.
My challenge is definitly feeding the family. I have two little kids that are healthy & very active, so of course they require carbs. My husband is very supportive & eating whatever I cook, but is not ready to go carb free & wants his carb side. So having dinner and watching them eat their side of pasta, potatoes, rice, etc. is driving me crazy! Im not going to lie, I did cave in in the past two days a bit. I am determined to start fresh today...its a new day.
My biggest weakness is ice cream...I love it! I have stayed away from it, so I know anything is possible

Yep, that is a BIG challenge. But should only be a problem for C1. After that, you can add two servings of starch into your daily plan. The trick is to pick a starch that works for everybody.

I like to make whole-grain bread in my bread machine. My growing teenaged son likes it as well, so I can fix us both lean protein and vegetables (he just gets 3 times as much on his plate!) plus bread. Oatmeal is good choice for breakfast.

And yet, Dr. Moreno does stipulate that starches should be eaten prior to 2pm. If you are young, then that rule may be less important for you. I think it is more applicable to the over-the-hill crowd.

Choose the starches you serve the family carefully, according to the lists. I think you will find it easier to stay on it if your meal can coincide with theirs at least to that degree.

Eating at home has become easy. Eating OUT is becoming a huge challenge. I sometimes do well & other times dont - like today. It seems impossible to escape carbs or sodium or fat, even in a so-called "healthier " dish. Whatever...Im just going to be more choosey in my selections & try to eat out less. Meaning, pack lots of snacks. Im always on the go with two kids. Its a CHALLENGE for sure!!!