Morning Rick, another new week, another new start. And you are still here, still reporting in. Well done you.
Get ahead of things, make some frozen banana nice cream when you dont want it and your will power is high, then it is waiting for you when you need it. Actually I cant eat it, having issues with bananas at the best of times, but many people love it.
I have been thinking about you this weekend, and wondering what we can do to get you over the 'hump', so I was glad to see you here today. Those cravings and the effits are REAL and not easy to overcome, but once over the hump, although they never truly go away (and the monster can be re awakened at any time) it does get easier.
So, things that might help.
Go vegan but not plant based? Sort of get one level under your belt before starting the next? So you can eat ice cream, but have to take the time (and spend extra dollars) finding vegan alternatives. Then after a month of that take out processed foods. Then after a month of that take out oils etc etc. This works for lots of people but I sense you are an all or nothing chap?
All or nothing. Try a 10 day potato based Mary's Mini, or even a full on potato hack (potatoes only). On the principle you can do anything for 10 days you just go for it. You tell your friends you are doing a 10 day hack and they dont think you have lost your mind (of course you are regaining your sense, not losing it) its just a 10 day thing after all. And after 10 days you will be over the hump and defeated the worst of the cravings. Spud Fit did potatoes only for a year with amazing results. Has the side benefit of being very cheap and requires no decision making. Is it a potato? Thats the only question you need to ask. Tim Steele has written an amazing book on the potato hack, called "The Potato Hack" available on kindle. Its brilliant and one of the few diet books I would recommend other than Dr McD. I think he also has a web page/blog.
So depending on your nature would either of those 2 approaches help? I have done a few potato hacks when my weight loss stalled, or I fell into the pleasure trap and needed to reset. I also did a number of Mary's Mini's on my journey, finding them more to my 'taste'
than MWL.
Good luck, carry on and eat chips! (photo of potato hack and Dr McD legal chips. You can eat these all day on the potato hack...)