Week 5 - halfway there!

[SayrraT]

Morning all

Well done for reaching week 5, hopefully by now low carb eating should be pretty natural to everyone.

Just watch out for complacency, don't think "oh a wee bit won't hurt" it might!

If you need food inspiration (some people might find they are eating the same things and getting bored) check out the recipe thread or one if the many low carb/keto websites for ideas.

spreadsheet

Good luck everyone

@YoLoNovVitMe you will get there! You're doing really well.

@Almahart sounds like you're doing OK - the key thing here is that this is a life lesson There are often going to be times when you can't (or simply don't want) to eat low carb. That's fine! Just enjoy it, but make sure you don't use this as an excuse to continue.

I can tell you what's worse though, which is when you decide you're going to cheat and then you don't enjoy it!

BIWI that was me yesterday. I feel awful today (not looking for sympathy) I had a mindful off track moment and totally regret it.

For me I find it interesting how different 'cheats' affect me in different ways.

Carbs in the simplest form (sugar) don't seem to affect me too much, i.e I can have a sweet thing and feel ok.

On the other hand bread and pasta make me feel awful. I feel fuzzy, hungover and couldn't sleep. It's been a very long time since I had bread and I totally regret having some yesterday. Guts OK so far but we will see. Eggs for me today I think.

Eel

Ha! Sorry! That was supposed to say welcome back c4l

Oh god, apologies for bad posts. In a field.
Weighed myself this morning and was disheartened to see I'd stayed at 12.5. Then moved the scales and went down to 12.2! Moved them again and got 2x 12.3s, so that would be 2lb off so far this week which I'd expect and hope for as I've been really strict.

My only worry is that I seem to be eating a lot, or it feels like a lot. No snacking though apart from the odd pack of pork scratchings or a bit of cheese.

Honestly I don't think I will break boot camp for a cucumber sandwich and I'm not that fussed about cakes. I'm happy to have some freedom about it though and accept that if I cheat the scales will go up next week and then they'll go back down to where I am now and then hopefully I'll continue to lose.

I'm three pounds off what I thought was my target weight (I think I'll decide to go lower) so I do need to start thinking about maintenance and how to handle these situations long term

Glad you are on the mend C4, hope you continue to build your strength.

I have done really well staying food focused. No nibbling at the kids' pizza and none of the many, many cakes that I had to sit in front of in the staff room yesterday. I am in the 'it isn't worth it' mindset at the moment, I know it could only take one 'oh go on' moment to ruin that mindset though - I am definitely an abstainer. Not expecting a big loss this week but anything downward is OK with me.

My jeans are already feeling tight I've only just got back into them! Why can't I be one of those 'all bump' wonen?

Sayrra sorry you've been left feeling rough from it. Your post has been quite timely for me though and may be a good warning. I'm out for an Indian meal tonight and had decided I was consciously going to allow myself a tiny bit of bread- some naan or chapati. I may rethink this now- not about the weight concerns but that hungover feeling you describe which I remember well. Hope it passes soon.

furry this feeling is what I hate rather than the stall/gain on the scales. I mean, I hate that too but I can deal with it

Every now and again I seem to like to remind myself of this feeling!

The loss of appetite thing interests me as I am struggling a bit with timings as a result of it. Breakfast (omelette with spinach, mushrooms and cheese) is keeping me full till later than my customary lunchtime of 12.30. So I have started having lunch later too, about 1.30, usually salad with some sort of fish or meat and mayo. Several evenings a week I am out for at least an hour between 6 and 8 so the choice is either eat early (which I always used to do but am not hungry for now) or eat late. I usually cook for the DCs and DH in the "eat early" slot (not low carb and needs to be quick) and when we/I get back there is other stuff to do such as finishing homework, chores etc so eating late really doesn't fit in (food kept warm from earlier is often not very appealing by then despite being tired and hungry). So I am ending up with snacky evenings picking on cheese, ham, celery sticks, pork scratchings etc but it's not a long term answer. Skipping breakfast leaves me famished by 11 and skipping lunch means famished by 4. I think I need to cut my breakfast and lunch sizes a bit and try and get back to my old mealtimes, however the evenings will still be problematic as even if I am hungry earlier there is little time (or TBH inclination) to try out new veg/flour alternative recipes that no one else is likely to enjoy. All of this is making me realise that I am still not really in the right place psychologically for this WOE longterm .

Going out tonight so off to persuse the menu online now.

I am in deep Bootcamp territory. I wouldn't even contemplate having bread

I've crossed over!

I've not craved bread at all, but think it's because I am out for a curry and want something to soak up the sauce!

Bread is still the one thing I am really missing and craving.

scabbersly how things have changed

Sayrra sorry you have been feeling rough. I almost wish bread did have a negative effect on me so it would deter me from wanting it all the time but it's not nice when it happens, hope you feel better soon.

Scabbersley, you are a true convert!

So far, I have stuck to this WOE really well, and not been tempted at all to go off plan, so I have no idea how eating things like bread/sweet things will affect me.

I have a couple of meals out in the next two weeks, but they are at places where I'm pretty sure I can stick to low carb. I think the first time I may be persuaded to eat anything carby might be at Christmas, where there will be delicious, home made "once a year" type foods, that I will be reluctant to miss. On the one hand, I won't mind too much if I put on a couple of pounds at Christmas, so long as I get straight back on the low carb wagon afterwards. But I don't want to eat the carby items, then find I feel unwell over Christmas. This might take some careful planning.

sayrra sorry you’re feeling rough. A real indicator of how much palates and tolerances change with this woe. I could have cheated last night or had a bit of the bread that came with my food but I wasn’t remotely tempted which I would have been previously doing WW.

Rshard, yes, tolerances can change quite a bit, can't they.

I haven't drunk any alcohol for a few weeks (where previously I was a regular wine drinker). I'd like to have some wine over Christmas, but think I will have to be very careful not to overdo it, or I will have the hangover from hell!

Ha ha I am such a convert!! I have a big posh birthday lunch out today. Have had a biggish breakfast and am determined to stick to plan. The alcohol will be an issue as I will be expected to toast people - I hate champagne or prosecco so might nurse a very small dry white.

@Wh0KnowsWhereTheTimeG0es If you're famished if you don't eat breakfast, it suggests to me that perhaps you aren't eating enough fat overall?

Welcome to the other side scabbers !!

biwi thanks.

Biwi maybe. It feels as though I am eating a lot of fat but that's by "normal" standards. Maybe I need to have a creamy coffee even if I'm not eating. Thinking about it quite a large portion of my fat intake is in my breakfast so missing that would be problematic. I'm struggling to add non-cheese fat to evening meals, it's ok if we're having a fatty cut of meat but I cannot bear the taste of butter on my veg.

Almahart someone else on here had been for a cream tea recently and as I recall the venue made a up a plate of something like smoked salmon and cucumber I think and then some strawberries and cream. So you might be able to do the same.

sayrra i got a really bad feeling after I had a surgary day once (only did it the once, that was enough). I had a piece of cake and a sweet cocktail, and the day after i felt so awful i nearly went to the gp! I didn't correlate the reason until later. I felt so ill, like I had flu, palpitations, all faint and weird feeling and headachy. I had to lie down. I thought my bp was out of whack but it was fine.

I'm convinced it was the sugar effect. Like i am truly an addict and i overdosed because I was no longer used to it after months of lc. It was a lesson to me and something I want to avoid over Christmas.