Is it me? Does anyone else think these recipes are just replacements for stuff we should be teaching ourselves not to eat?
In other words: If eating crisps, muffins, chocolate etc is what got people here, shouldn't we be learning not to eat so much stuff like that instead of finding ways to keep eating junk?
I am not ranting or putting anyone down, honest! I just just wonder how anyone can ever learn new behaviours if they are so intent on making the stuff they should wean themselves off of from shake packs (also, EW!! These cannot taste so gooood that they're worth all this effort - so there has to be something else afoot here....)?
Sorry if I am being a party pooper or anything - I am just asking because i am really curious about this.
Actually, I don't see the recipes as replacements for stuff we should be learning not to eat. Because let's face it, if you take that viewpoint, then you could say that having VLCD products full stop doesn't work because it doesn't teach you how to control your food intake--an argument I've heard oh-so-many times, LOL.
Here's the thing. Many of us here have lots and lots of weight to lose, which even on a diet like CD may take several months. Almost inevitably, if all you have in those months are shakes, soups and bars, boredom will set in. I say almost inevitably because some people do manage to do this diet without ever resorting to use of a recipe. (My CDC lost all of her weight eating nothing but vegetable soups--I don't know how she did it, LOL).
I don't think I made a muffin until I was around three months in--but boy, did I wish I'd done it before. Just to have a different texture--something to chew--was a lifesaver.
If making a muffin makes the difference between you caving in for a McDonalds and staying on the diet, I say make the muffin, LOL. Besides, there are no foods we should be teaching ourselves not to eat. The moment you ban a food, the moment you want it. It's all about learning moderation.
The sole source bit of CD isn't about teaching you how to look at food, rather it's a break from food, a chance to lose weight without stressing about whether you've eaten all your calories/points/fat units, etc., for that day. It also gives you a chance to reflect on the reasons why you overeat so that when you're done with sole source and start to re-introduce food, you can think about what you're doing and why. That's where the re-education bit comes in, that's why it's important to work your way back up through the plans so that you can re-educate yourself around food.
That's the way I see it, anyway.