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Weight Loss Forum / Low Carb / January 2004Learning How To Get Back On Track
After reading messages from many new dieters about how they aren't going to go off plan for Christmas, it occurred to me that they may be missing an important learning experience. After reading many messages here from people who have regained 50 - 100 lbs after losing that weight on a low carb diet, it's become clear to me that it is precisely those dieters who adhere to the diet most strictly who seem to be most prone to fall into the disasterous binge/quit/regain trap. That's why I think that after you've low carbed for at least six weeks, it is probably a very good idea to start learning how to survive a carb up, be it a purposeful one or one that happened by accident. Because it is almost certain that at some point you are going to have one of these carb ups enter your life, and you better learn how to deal with them if you expect to maintain your weight loss long-term! What I'd suggest is that you schedule a carb up sometime after you've gotten into the groove with your low carb diet--ideally six weeks in or even more. Schedule a carb up that takes you about 40 grams higher than what you eat. Don't do a pig out--you're trying to learn how your body deals with a carb up, and it may throw you some surprises. But do boost your carbs enough that you get a water weight regain and some hunger cravings. Your goal is to watch them, and see how long they last, what they feel like, so that you dont' get taken by surprise one day and catapulted into a real binge by the same cravings. Write down what you ate. Write down when you feel a hunger craving. Write down your daily weight fluctuations for the next week. Write down when you lose your hunger cravings. With these tools you now know how your body responds to a carb up and how long it takes to get back on track. Now you are prepared to survive "accidents". For me, this is what happens when I boost my carbs. 1. I gain 2 lbs the day after I go over my "low carb limit", which is around 60 grams. No matter what I subsequently eat it takes me 3 days to get these two pounds to go away. 2. If I carb up for a couple days, I gain up to 5 lbs. These may take as much as a week to go away after I return to a strict low carb regimen. 3. The day after a minor carb up (over 60 grams but under 80) I usually feel a little hungry, but nothing I can't deal with. However, I've been keeping my carbs near this level for months. When I had been low carbing at lower levels, I would be very hungry for a whole day or even a day and a half after hitting the "low carb limit". 4. If I carb up for a couple days in a row, I will be very hungry for several days and this is the true danger point--and the one at which I think a lot of people end up blowing off the diet. The reason is that you have intense hunger coupled by the fact that it takes a WEEK to see any weight loss. The good news is that if you can get through the couple days and reassure yourself that the weight will, in fact, come off after a week, you can go on and diet very successfully. You may even find your weight loss accellerates in the weeks AFTER you've flushed out the water weight. -- Jenny Cut the carbs to respond to my new email address! New photo: http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/jennypics.htm Weight: 168.5/137 Diabetes Type II diagnosed 8/1998 - HBa1c 5.2 10/03 Low Carb 9/1998 - 8/2001 and 11/10/02 - Now http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean How to calculate your need for protein * How much people really lose each month * Water Weight Gain & Loss * The "Two Gram Cure" for Hunger Cravings * Characteristics of Successful Dieters * Indispensible Low Carb Treats * Should You Count that Low Impact Carb? * Curing Ketobreath * Exercise Starting from Zero * Do Starch Blockers Work? * NEW! Why the Low Carb Diet is Great for Diabetes * NEW! Low Carb Strategies for People with Diabetes > After reading messages from many new dieters about how they aren't going to > go off plan for Christmas, it occurred to me that they may be missing an [quoted text clipped - 53 lines] > > -- Jenny What a useful post, Jenny! Other than my Thanksgiving piece of pie, I have not carbed up. I have increased my carbs somewhat just because I am afraid to be stuck at such a low level. I keep thinking I will actually eat a carby meal someday, but that day comes and goes with me too frightened to do it. This is a demon I have to face sometime. I need to do it and and see that I can then go right back to eating LC. I think for me the planning is essential.... Will that be enough though? I guess I'll never know unless I do it.... Maybe while my daughter is on vacation, we can go have some dim sum.  SignatureJean B. Great post! I have had similar experiences also. On the rare occasion that I have a few beers, I will gain 2lbs the next day and it takes 2 - 3 days for it to come off. Last week I had a bad experience with Christmas cookies. Obviously my blood sugar level went up, but the crash afterward is what sent me for a "loop". I was cranky, curt, and downright miserable. Then I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open. No cookies for me!! I occasionally eat pizza (crust and all) and don't have any adverse effects, as long as I plan for it throughout the day. I don't gain any weight on the pizza, but I also don't lose any for a # of days. Just part of the science experiment we call life : ) > After reading messages from many new dieters about how they aren't going to > go off plan for Christmas, it occurred to me that they may be missing an [quoted text clipped - 68 lines] > Starting from Zero * Do Starch Blockers Work? * NEW! Why the Low Carb Diet > is Great for Diabetes * NEW! Low Carb Strategies for People with Diabetes Peggy, Now that I'm maintaining, I've found that I'm happier living with that 2 lbs of water weight on me most of the time and watching calorie intake very carefully. While losing weight, I had to eat less carbs. I too find that Pizza works for me as long as I a) don't eat more than 2/3 of the crust and b) hit the gym. My gym happens to be down the street from the best pizza place in the area (Antonio's in Greenfield, MA for anyone who cares.) So the deal is that if I do an hour work out, I get to have a slice of cheese. The common wisdom on the Diabetes group is that the high fat content in the pizza slows down the carb metabolism. However, the carbs do get metabolised, so it is important to count them into your daily number. I estimate 20 grams for the slice with 2/3s of the crust eaten. This is a very thin crust pizza. -- Jenny Cut the carbs to respond to my new email address! New photo: http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/jennypics.htm Weight: 168.5/137 Diabetes Type II diagnosed 8/1998 - HBa1c 5.2 10/03 Low Carb 9/1998 - 8/2001 and 11/10/02 - Now http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean How to calculate your need for protein * How much people really lose each month * Water Weight Gain & Loss * The "Two Gram Cure" for Hunger Cravings * Characteristics of Successful Dieters * Indispensible Low Carb Treats * Should You Count that Low Impact Carb? * Curing Ketobreath * Exercise Starting from Zero * Do Starch Blockers Work? * NEW! Why the Low Carb Diet is Great for Diabetes * NEW! Low Carb Strategies for People with Diabetes > Great post! I have had similar experiences also. On the rare occasion that > I have a few beers, I will gain 2lbs the next day and it takes 2 - 3 days [quoted text clipped - 97 lines] > > is Great for Diabetes * NEW! Low Carb Strategies for People with > Diabetes >After reading messages from many new dieters about how they aren't going to >go off plan for Christmas, it occurred to me that they may be missing an [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >is precisely those dieters who adhere to the diet most strictly who seem to >be most prone to fall into the disasterous binge/quit/regain trap. Please provide the professional research studies that support this statement. I'm afraid that the statement is pure bull sh.t and nothing that follows is worth reading. Having only low carbed for 9 months you have a lot to learn. Try using the Google Advanced Groups search on this newsgroup and the word "regained". Many of the people who have posted here about major regains were dedicated low carbers who stuck with the diet longer than you have. There are very few "research studies" about ultra low carb diets. The recent one that pitted an Atkins diet against Ornish, Weight Watchers, and the Zone found that 1/2 of those on the diet were not able to stick to it over a year. The WW dieters lost less weight but had a greater percentage of people staying on the diet. Staying on the diet is the single biggest difficulty with low carbing. Especially since when you do go off it the weight comes back extremely intensely as you've taught your body to be extremely frugal with carbs. Until you've done this for a couple years, it's worth keeping an open mind. It's also worth remembering that none of the examples in Atkins' books were from people who had been on the diet for many years. He only cited people in the early stages of the diet. I always wondered why no one noticed that--or that the examples were the same in all the books. . . . -- Jenny Cut the carbs to respond to my new email address! New photo: http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/jennypics.htm Weight: 168.5/137 Diabetes Type II diagnosed 8/1998 - HBa1c 5.2 10/03 Low Carb 9/1998 - 8/2001 and 11/10/02 - Now http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean How to calculate your need for protein * How much people really lose each month * Water Weight Gain & Loss * The "Two Gram Cure" for Hunger Cravings * Characteristics of Successful Dieters * Indispensible Low Carb Treats * Should You Count that Low Impact Carb? * Curing Ketobreath * Exercise Starting from Zero * Do Starch Blockers Work? * NEW! Why the Low Carb Diet is Great for Diabetes * NEW! Low Carb Strategies for People with Diabetes > >After reading messages from many new dieters about how they aren't going to > >go off plan for Christmas, it occurred to me that they may be missing an [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > I'm afraid that the statement is pure bull sh.t and nothing that > follows is worth reading. | >After reading many messages here from people who have regained 50 - 100 lbs | >after losing that weight on a low carb diet, it's become clear to me that it [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] | I'm afraid that the statement is pure bull sh.t and nothing that | follows is worth reading. PJx, You are obviously either a newbie or have your head completely stuck up your a.s. Jenny is absolutely right. And be extra careful; it's the self-righteous that fall the hardest. Peter > | >After reading many messages here from people who have regained 50 - 100 > lbs [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Peter But they'll never fall as hard as the French. : But they'll never fall as hard as the French. God bless the French. Everything for them is an art-form. David > : But they'll never fall as hard as the French. > > God bless the French. Everything for them is an art-form. > > David Even the "Surrender". >> : But they'll never fall as hard as the French. >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Even the "Surrender". Before you click the following link, put any hot beverages or lap-cats down. You have been warned. http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html -- Howard -- doing low-carb > 4 years, lost 100 lbs. http://www.SuzyQShop.com <-- We still have the Eades book, carb counter, & wall poster; now $1! "Howard" <hlh_nospam@iwon.com> wrote in message | | Before you click the following link, put any hot beverages or lap-cats | down. You have been warned. | | http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html Hint" Change "French" to "Napoleon" in the google search. (The URL your refer to is obviously a comedy site.) You'll find thousands of references to the military victories. Of course, many would also like to forget that the Colonies would still be bowing to the British Queen if the French had not helped in the Revolution ... Peter >"Howard" <hlh_nospam@iwon.com> wrote in message | >| Before you click the following link, put any hot beverages or lap-cats >| down. You have been warned. >| http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html Hee hee hee ;-) I'm a quarter French and still that was amusing. Almost as good as the Bush one a few weeks ago though (admittedly that was a real Google action, this is a spoof on Google)... anyone remember the phrase to type into Google to get to the Bush bio on the White House page? Insufferable failure? Nope. Colossal hopeless failure? Not it either. (Help?) >Hint" Change "French" to "Napoleon" in the google search. (The URL your >refer to is obviously a comedy site.) You'll find thousands of references >to the military victories. Of course, many would also like to forget that >the Colonies would still be bowing to the British Queen if the French had >not helped in the Revolution ... Yes, Napoleon was no slouch. But we in the US owe our thanks to the French for our independence in the Revolution? Help, yes, but the deciding factor, I don't think so. Sarah Jahn >> "Howard" <hlh_nospam@iwon.com> wrote in message | >>> Before you click the following link, put any hot beverages or [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Almost as good as the Bush one a few weeks ago though (admittedly that > was a real Google action, this is a spoof on Google)... Er, the apropriate google action sends me to that page. anyone > remember the phrase to type into Google to get to the Bush bio on the > White House page? Insufferable failure? Nope. Colossal hopeless > failure? Not it either. (Help?) "miserable failure" Signaturerevek You can't go around building a better world for people. Only people can build a better world for people. Otherwise it's just a cage. {Witches Abroad, 1991} >> Almost as good as the Bush one a few weeks ago though (admittedly that >> was a real Google action, this is a spoof on Google)... >Er, the apropriate google action sends me to that page. Well, I mean that http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html brings up a page that LOOKS like Google but has this at the bottom: "Parody transcripted ?2003 Albino Blacksheep This Parody is not sponsored or endorsed by Google Click here to tell a friend about this page!" Hence it is not a "real" Google page... but looks very much like the genuine article. ;-) >> anyone remember the phrase to type into Google to get to the Bush bio on the >> White House page? Insufferable failure? Nope. Colossal hopeless >> failure? Not it either. (Help?) >"miserable failure" Thank ye. Sarah Jahn ::: On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 09:58:01 -0500, "Jenny" ::: <lottadatacarbs@hotmail.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] :: up your a.s. Jenny is absolutely right. And be extra careful; it's :: the self-righteous that fall the hardest. You can say that again....Jenny is absolutely right, imo. >::: On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 09:58:01 -0500, "Jenny" >::: <lottadatacarbs@hotmail.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > >You can say that again....Jenny is absolutely right, imo. No, it is an unproven theory of yours, but there is absolutely no scientific study that supports it. Sorry, but it really is pure bull sh.t. PJ :: On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 21:10:36 -0500, "Roger Zoul" :: <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] :: :: Sorry, but it really is pure bull sh.t. Doesn't matter that there is no scientific study. It's not bullshit, either. Well, it does seem logical to me that when people go on "diets" they expect eventually to go off them. If they weren't feeling that the diet deprived them somehow they wouldn't want to go off it. When they go off they return to their old ways that got them fat in the first place. The people who succeed in maintaining weight loss have a different mind set, they have a different way of eating now which is a permanent lifestyle change, not a temporary fix that won't last. Actually, that is the one good thing about Dr. Phil's approach, he emphasizes making permanent lifestyle changes. || No, it is an unproven theory of yours, but there is absolutely no || scientific study that supports it. || || Sorry, but it really is pure bull sh.t. || || PJ I understand what Jenny is suggesting but I am a yo-yo girl no matter what I have tried. Low fat, low cal, small portions more exercise, slim for life, WW, prescription diet drugs, I have always gained back and a few more thus getting me to my heaviest ever. Sometimes I denied myself everything I loved other times I allowed for small rewards to avoid the binges. Neither way has been successful. There always came a time where I had a bad day, turned into a bad week, then I gave up. Since I started LC a couple of months ago, I posted of the first holiday party of the season. I thought I ate well, enjoyed one pudding/Oreo dessert and a few drinks. The next day I was up 2 lbs and it took me over a week to shed it (not the 3 days that it takes Jenny). It was disheartening, frustrating, and a good lesson early in the holiday season. So now when I think about planning a carb up, I think about the week I lost trying to lose pounds I already lost once. Time is very precious to me and I have already spent years re-losing weight. It wasn't worth the drinks and dessert. I have found other tasty desserts that are much lower in carbs and still enjoyed all of my holiday parties without having to "work off" the damage done. I really don't feel like I am missing out on all of the "good holiday food" - my god the last 20 years I have eaten enough of it to last me the next 20 years. Its only food - the stuff we should be putting into our bodies to help us live. We should eat to live not live to eat! Enough, off my soap box. Have a great holiday and spend time with the things that bring joy to your life. For me it is family and friends, not food. SignatureMelisa 203/178.5/140 > After reading messages from many new dieters about how they aren't going to > go off plan for Christmas, it occurred to me that they may be missing an [quoted text clipped - 68 lines] > Starting from Zero * Do Starch Blockers Work? * NEW! Why the Low Carb Diet > is Great for Diabetes * NEW! Low Carb Strategies for People with Diabetes thank you Melisa... you said it so well... I have started to think of all of my eating choices as responding to a MEDICAL condition as opposed to "being on a diet", something that I HAVE TO DO as opposed to something that I CHOOSE to do. By thinking that sugar/hi-carb living is something that MAKES ME SICK, I am having better mental discipline walking away from all of the office candy and pizza sharing that this time of year. Happy Holidays to all of the posters here... Nancyy Bakker (thinner,in older clothes but ITCHING up a storm!) > After reading many messages here from people who have regained 50 - 100 lbs > after losing that weight on a low carb diet, it's become clear to me that it > is precisely those dieters who adhere to the diet most strictly who seem to > be most prone to fall into the disasterous binge/quit/regain trap. Depends on what you mean by "strict". For me, "strict" means following my plan of choice as it is written, not treating it like a fad diet. > What I'd suggest is that you schedule a carb up sometime after you've gotten > into the groove with your low carb diet--ideally six weeks in or even more. > Schedule a carb up that takes you about 40 grams higher than what you eat. Ah. I see. Well, I've been on Atkins for 4.5 years at this point and it is clear you aren 't referring to following Atkins strictly. If you follow Atkins strictly, as in following all of the directions, then your carb quotas by week go in a sequence like this: 20, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40. You see, by week 6 you are *supposed* to be at forty. No carbing up in that, just plain following the directions. ALL of the directions. So I offer a rewrite of what you've written. You're actually referring to folks who treat low carbing as a fad diet and stay as low as possible as long as possible. Yup, I completely agree that the dropout rate among fad dieters is very high. And I also completely agree that if you switch from a fad diet to a sustainable way of life your chances of staying are higher. Resist the temptation to treat your plan as a fad diet, folks. Pick a plan and follow it the way it's really written. If you pick Atkins find your CCLL. If you pick PP move up to 50. If you pick CAD follow the portion ratios and time limits on your big meal. But do NOT stop at some point. Don't stay on Induction and claim that what you're doing is "strict". That's not what the word means. dfreybur@yahoo.com (Doug Freyburger) wrote : If you pick Atkins find your > CCLL. If you pick PP move up to 50. If you pick CAD follow the portion > ratios and time limits on your big meal. But do NOT stop at some point. > Don't stay on Induction and claim that what you're doing is "strict". > That's not what the word means. Doug: If you have a lot of weight to lose, how long can you stay on induction? Listening to the CD that came with the Atkins book and cards, it is implied that one can stay on induction for years with no trouble... at least 2 testimonials state that. Thanks, Nancyy Bakker Nancyy, The thing to remember about eating at any level of carbs (or calories) is that if you do it for a very long time and lose significant weight at that level, you are going to have to keep eating at that level or face a very real possibility of weight gain. Dr. Richard Bernstein, the diabetes doctor/author who I respect enormously, not the least reason being that he doesn't hawk products or make the diet sound easy, simple, and fun, comes right out and says this in his book. I have found it to be true. So you'd do better to find the very highest level of carbs and calories at which you can lose weight and stay there long term, so that when you have lost the weight you'll be able to continue eating what you were eating when you lost it and not end up regaining. People imagine that when they reach goal they'll be able to boost their carbs way up again, or add in a lot of calories. My experience is that while I can boost carbs a bit, I have to watch calories like a hawk and that I regain at levels much lower than what the formulas say I should be able to eat. This is partially because I'm middle aged and have type II diabetes, but I'm not the only person who has found that the difference between maintenance and the weight loss diet is not a huge amount of food. Also, cutting carbs alone won't necessarily improve weight loss. I was in ketosis for almost 3 years without losing a pound. What worked for me was limiting protein too, watching portion size, counting calories and taking a medicine that counteracted my insulin resistance. -- Jenny Cut the carbs to respond to my new email address! New photo: http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/jennypics.htm Weight: 168.5/137 Diabetes Type II diagnosed 8/1998 - HBa1c 5.2 10/03 Low Carb 9/1998 - 8/2001 and 11/10/02 - Now http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean How to calculate your need for protein * How much people really lose each month * Water Weight Gain & Loss * The "Two Gram Cure" for Hunger Cravings * Characteristics of Successful Dieters * Indispensible Low Carb Treats * Should You Count that Low Impact Carb? * Curing Ketobreath * Exercise Starting from Zero * Do Starch Blockers Work? * NEW! Why the Low Carb Diet is Great for Diabetes * NEW! Low Carb Strategies for People with Diabetes > dfreybur@yahoo.com (Doug Freyburger) wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Nancyy Bakker > > If you pick Atkins find your CCLL ... > > Don't stay on Induction and claim that what you're doing is "strict". > > That's not what the word means. > > Doug: If you have a lot of weight to lose, how long can you stay on > induction? Nancy, if you have a lot to lose why would you even want to delay moving on to OWL even a single day? The simple fact of the matter is loss is better on the average during OWL than during extended Induction. It's not just the huge list of people who stall by staying too low. It's not just all those people like Jenny discusses who screw up "strict" with "fad" and end up crashing because they feel deprived. Take a step back and think what the names mean. Induction, to Induce ketosis. OWL, Ongoing Weight Loss. Hmm, one of those even has "weight loss" in it. Funny thing that. Now take another step back. Which makes more sense? Following all of the directions, or following a quarter of the directions? Think it over for a bit. Remember that the directions have 30+ years of experience behind them. Does it really make sense to ignore three quarters of them? I know at the start it's an emotional situation. It just feels right that less must be more, less carbs, more loss. But it is'nt true. It just seems right that the most radical fad lunacy must be the right thing to do, but it's not. That's why folks years into the plan are here, to splash the newbies with rationality. It's a cold splash but it is a neccessary splash. > Listening to the CD that came with the Atkins book and cards, it is > implied that one can stay on induction for years with no trouble... at > least 2 testimonials state that. The what? Is that a little red booklet? Trash it immmediately. Get the actual book, the real book, THE book. Get Doctor Atkins New Diet Revolution. Editions 2003, 1999, 1993 or 1972 (no New in the name of that last one). The book gives a 6 month time limit. It's a safety limit. Ask someone whose CCLL crashed to zero from staying too low just how well staying at 20 works. And note well that the people who stayed low all were under the direct supervision of Dr A, no longer possible. And note that after those 6 months they all still had 100+ too lose. Do the right thing. THe name of the next phase has "weight loss" in it. There's a reason for that. Doug Freyburger, on Atkins since 21 June 1999 > > Listening to the CD that came with the Atkins book and cards, it is > > implied that one can stay on induction for years with no trouble... at [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Revolution. Editions 2003, 1999, 1993 or 1972 (no New in the name of > that last one). Doug: I have both the Doctor Atkins New Diet Revolution, edition 2003 and a book he wrote called "Atkins for Life". The copyright on The Essential Atkins For Life kit (which includes cards, meal plans,a carbo counter, a foldout counter with glycemic rankings, a CD with Dr. Atkins and others speaking of how the plan works with success stories, etc, a dining out guide, etc. etc. is 2003. Several testimonials inside that say they stayed on induction for far, far longer than you mention. I think it's great that you have your your experience and success, but you aren't actually going to tell me that "doing Atkins" shouldn't include the options of doing things he has in his very own books, are you? Again, thanks to all of the support... Nancyy Bakker > dfreybur@yahoo.com (Doug Freyburger) wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Doug: If you have a lot of weight to lose, how long can you stay on > induction? Doug is being a tad abrupt and not really explaining himself beyond "there's a reason"--please try to forgive him his mood. There is a very good reason, and here he is explaining it in detail. http://tinyurl.com/xtdr Pehaps we should ask the maintainer to add Doug's post, and the question it answers to the FAQ? Signaturerevek "jack-knifing from argument to argument, jigging direction randomly and erratically like a shoal of Argument Fish being followed by a Truth Shark", in the words of Mil Millington. >"n k bakker" <nkbakker@hotmail.com> wrote in message excellent link, very interesting, thanks for posting, if you check out the headers of this newsgroup, you will see Got a whoosh after uping carbs, Can't lose even at very low carbs, article explains alot. >http://tinyurl.com/xtdr > >Pehaps we should ask the maintainer to add Doug's post, and the question >it answers to the FAQ? > After reading messages from many new dieters about how they aren't going to > go off plan for Christmas, it occurred to me that they may be missing an [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > is precisely those dieters who adhere to the diet most strictly who seem to > be most prone to fall into the disasterous binge/quit/regain trap. <snip> Jenny, I have been following this thread with interest and thinking about your comments, which I think are excellent. I believe strongly that a sure way to sabotage a weight loss diet it to martyr yourself to it, leading to feelings of deprivation that can lead to uncontrollable backsliding. This is especially true for those of us who have had a lifelong complex of treating food as simultaneous comfort and punishment. The other side of that coin, however, is knowing one's own limitations and weaknesses, and avoiding situations in which the impulses to self-sabotage take over. As an example, I went to two Chanukah dinners and a Christmas dinner, all in the past week. Here is a partial list of the foods I did not touch at these parties that I would have chowed down upon eagerly prior to beginning my current weight loss program: latkes, apple pie, wine, chocolate cheesecake, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and rice pudding. Although I went in planning to have (say) one latke, or one bite of a nice dessert just for the taste, when I was there with the treats in front of me, I decided it was better not to do this. I know myself, and I know how hard it would be for me to stop at one. It was easier for me to avoid the danger foods altogether than it would have been to enjoy them in moderation. I understand my relationship with food at this level. I didn't want to have a carb-up and go "back on program" the day after each of these parties, or even after one of them. I made a different choice. I felt deprived (especially when the Krispy Kremes were on the table!) but I also felt proud of myself. Perhaps after six months or a year of hard weight-loss dieting I will be ready for a planned carb-up, but not yet. carla 237/224/165? Carla, It sounds like you have your head on straight! I do something very similar. There are some foods I can't eat without feeling like crap afterwards--like big chocolate chip cookies, muffins, and bagels. Over the past year, after experimenting with theim, I have decided they just aren't worth it. Sometimes I'll go into the bakery, stand in front of the case with the goodies, and do what I jokingly call "extracting the mana" from them. ("Mana" is a Polynesian term for magical essence.) What this means is I concentrate on the food item, imagine what it tastes like, imagine eating it, and then walk away. This can be oddly satisfying because very little that you eat really lives up to the imagined experience of eating it. Those few things that do live up to the dream, well, I eat them from time to time. I pigged out as planned yesterday, and by 3:30 in the afternoon felt so toxic I was eagerly looking forward to getting back onto the low carb regimen. But on the way there I ate a whole lot of objects of desire, none of which began to live up to the mental image I'd built for it. So today I went to the store and swapped a big expensive chocolate gift someone gave me for a big expensive hunk of my favorite French Cheese (Fromage Des Clarines.) And after eating what had to be 200 grams of carbs yesterday, I woke up down a pound this morning! -- Jenny Cut the carbs to respond to my new email address! New photo: http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/jennypics.htm Weight: 168.5/137 Diabetes Type II diagnosed 8/1998 - HBa1c 5.2 10/03 Low Carb 9/1998 - 8/2001 and 11/10/02 - Now http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean How to calculate your need for protein * How much people really lose each month * Water Weight Gain & Loss * The "Two Gram Cure" for Hunger Cravings * Characteristics of Successful Dieters * Indispensible Low Carb Treats * Should You Count that Low Impact Carb? * Curing Ketobreath * Exercise Starting from Zero * Do Starch Blockers Work? * NEW! Why the Low Carb Diet is Great for Diabetes * NEW! Low Carb Strategies for People with Diabetes > > After reading messages from many new dieters about how they aren't going to > > go off plan for Christmas, it occurred to me that they may be missing an [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > carla > 237/224/165? <snip> > And after eating what had to be 200 grams of carbs yesterday, I woke up down > a pound this morning! I just have to say that this sentence gave me a real giggle. The reason is that after a little less than a month of low-carbing 200 g sounds like such an enormous amount to me - and then I realized that the "food pyramid" recommends something like 300 g, and that in my bad old eating habits I was certainly putting away even more than that. It is remarkable how quickly one's perspective changes. carla 237/224/165? > <snip> > > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > carla > 237/224/165? I hear you! My daughter got some comice pears for Christmas--the really great ones from Harry and David. They need to be eaten IMMEDIATELY--and she announced she didn't want any. I ate one and felt pretty guilty over that 30 g of carbs. Then I wonder how many carbs I used to consume per day. With my habit of drinking BIG glasses of grape juice and orange juice every day, the count had to be very high. SignatureJean B. Carla, Even when I went off low carb for a year after three years on the plan I never could get back to eating the massive carb loads I'd taken for granted in the past. If nothing else, a stint of low carbing educates you about what you're doing to yourself. However, the one thing that it also does is get you into eating a whole lot of fat and thinking of it as being good for you, which, if you go back to eating carbs again can be a problem. You get into the habit of having the blue cheese dressing and the butter and have to remember that as soon as your carb go over 100 grams or so that "good fat" does turn into instant body fat. -- Jenny Cut the carbs to respond to my new email address! New photo: http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/jennypics.htm Weight: 168.5/137 Diabetes Type II diagnosed 8/1998 - HBa1c 5.2 10/03 Low Carb 9/1998 - 8/2001 and 11/10/02 - Now http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean How to calculate your need for protein * How much people really lose each month * Water Weight Gain & Loss * The "Two Gram Cure" for Hunger Cravings * Characteristics of Successful Dieters * Indispensible Low Carb Treats * Should You Count that Low Impact Carb? * Curing Ketobreath * Exercise Starting from Zero * Do Starch Blockers Work? * NEW! Why the Low Carb Diet is Great for Diabetes * NEW! Low Carb Strategies for People with Diabetes > <snip> > > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > carla > 237/224/165? |
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