My In-Laws are great people! They started this WOE in March and got me hooked in June. I don't desire high carb foods anymore but they still do. In fact, they told me that all along, both of them have craved carbs (they don't like sweets as much as they like things like fries). I cannot figure out why they have been craving carbs all along. I will admit that both like to drink (one prefers LC beer and the other drinks LC wine - white wine) and perhaps that is making them get cravings. I have found that in some ways they didn't follow plan very closely - they have done Induction and really never spoke of the other phases, instead they have slowly or sporadically upped their carbs each week (neither has kept a journal so I don't know how much of an increase for either). I know they do not take supplements for this WOE. Both also have never exercised in any consistent manner but still lost weight. They are both thin now but I fear they will slip and I will lose my LC buddies and by Thanksgiving I will be the only one making LC dishes (my mother in law controls the holiday cooking so this is vitally important to me).

Any suggestions? They have both cheated and my father in law is cheating almost everyday now (someone arrives at his work place with croissant sandwiches to sell that are buy 1 get 1 free so he is having two sandwiches for breakfast most work mornings). In an effort to get rid of father in law doing this, mother in law is ordering some LC fresh bagels, breads, hamburger buns and hotdog buns from a bakery up in Vegas (we both are) so that she can help hubby get back on track by supplying him with *carb* like breads (you cannot tell the difference with these breads).

I also want them to be an example for my mother-in-laws mother (grandma) who is 86 and weighs about 200 lbs and has diabetes. She eats candy all the time and the meals she makes for guests consist of about 6 dishes, 1 is meat and all the others are a mixture of carb/fat in the form of mayo/some vegies. One of the dishes may be mostly sugar/fruit/jell-o with mayo kind of stuff. This makes eating at her house IMPOSSIBLE for me (often even her meat is stewed in bbq sauce). I was hoping she would be inspired by their WOE and weight loss (as she has recently dropped 25 lbs on the *soup* diet) and also improve her diabetes (she is going blind, neuropathy in feet, not steady on feet, post-heart attack patient, blood thinner, etc). Sure, many of you think she is an old lady but consider this: her mother is alive and 108 years old. Her father passed away at 88, so she has some good years left in her and we don't want to see her in prolonged ill health from diabetes and poor eating (if we can help).

Any suggestions about the in-laws are graciously accepted. I'm a nervous wreck about losing my LC buddies (the only ones I have in-person).

I haven't heard mention that your inlaws are unhappy with their state of affairs. I understand your concern and it is valid. However, if THEY are ok with it - there's really nothing you can do. As adults I'm sure they are aware of the consequences of their actions.

The drinking could be doing it. It could be too that they are having a higher carb item without even relising it. Alot of hidden carbs and so on. Encourage your mother in law to start keeping a daily food journal. She can do it on paper if no access to the computer. Maybe then at the end of the week you can sit down and go over it with her looking for hidden carbs in things like the drinks, coffee, cream, eggs and so on.

As for your mother, all you can do is keep trying to be a good example. When you go to her house bring a dish along to share with the group that is LC. Hide an Atkins bar in your purse to have later while everyone else is haivng dessert. Adults her age are really hard to change habit wise, and I think for many people kids are the last people they will take advise from. The more you push her, the more she may try to resist. You can also invit eher to dinner a few nights and serve an LC feast so she can see how well you really do eat and that you aren't completely depriving yourself.

It would be a drag to lose you buddies, but at least they know and can relate to what you are doing. Maybe that will give you some help/relief at the holidays. Otherwise, they can only chose for themselves. I like the idea of offering to help your MIL to do a journal. You could do it FitDay for her and open up those peep holes!

It very well could be the alcohol that is causing them to have these cravings. I was never much of a sweet eater but instead I loved my salt- chips, pretzels, doritos all that yummy stuff and I have not had any cravings for these at all. Unless they are having the low carb chips or things like that, I find if you have those you will crave the real stuff, it happened to me the last time so I have stayed clear of them and now I am doing just fine when I go down that junk food isle in the supermarket. I hope they hop back on the wagon and you don't lose your LC buddies. My best friend is my LC buddy and we check in with eachother everyday sometimes more than once and encourage one another., Good Luck I hope everything works out

TO be honest, I have been following the diet very closely. I am still craving carbs. Mostly bread. So, it isn't going away for me. So, it is a matter of self-control for me. So, it may just be there natural state.