I've been LCing since Sept '01 and this is what I've learned.

1) You cannot succeed without variety - I strive to make 1 new recipe each week. Peek into people's journals to see what they are eating - if something strikes you, ask them if they will post the recipe on the recipe forum (that way we all benefit )

2) I bought almost every LC cookbook on the market - VARIETY

3) Be organized! I freeze things like lemon juice, lime juice, broth, sauces, canned pumpkin, chopped leeks etc. into ice cube trays and then dump them into freezer bags to have on hand for cooking. Of course, making big batches of food and freezing them is also helpful.

4) You mention feeling deprived. When I'm feeling deprived, it's b/c I'm not eating enough fat - most people think they are eating enough fat until they input their food into fitday to find that they aren't - For this reason, I used to binge regularly and it's now under control - it feels so decadent when I eat now.

5) Stay as far away from most processed LC foods as you can - I found that nothing made me feel more deprived than eating something that reminded me of what I was missing. My only LC indulgence is LC tortillas b/c I really like the taste of them.

When done properly (and I know b/c I've made almost every mistake there is to make ), there should mostly be no feelings of deprivation or cravings.

Wanda