*************carboholics anonymous, the new thread, calling you all back to the fold************

[pukkapatch]

hi all, havent seen anyone around for a while. so thought i'd start a new thread.
well, i have been stuffing my face since the middle of october! went abroad oct 11th. cant diet whilst on holiday now, can i? but unfortunatley have since been high carbing ti, to various degrees. but, and this is the strange thing, i think my body has actually found a weight it is happy at. because i havent acutally put any wight on,,,, well, yet anyways.

can this be real? at my lowest, i made it down to 59.6 kg, about 9 5. the being under 60 kg was very important psychologically. this morning was 60.3. yesterday 60.1, and have been thereabouts since october really. is this likely to be my new optimum wight, or is it just a prelude before i balloon back up agaiN?

i think i need to go back to induction levels for a while. my target was always 57, or just under nine stone. anyone out there willing to join me?

alcohol is allowed??? Are you SURE you're on the right programme?!

TBF, i'm not actually low carbing. I'm just spectating you lot. Please dont resent me tho when i wave and jiggle my bagels and cakes in your faces while you're following strict inductions......

Saying that, i'll be starting my exercise routine soon - getting the conservatory prepped as we speak. Oh what deep, DEEP joy!!

What's the significance of the spoon?? In my experience spoons allow you to shovel more in than when using a fork

I'm in a real dilemma at the moment about whether to go back to low carbing. It works for me in many ways, but I also find it too restrictive - can't ever relax and whenever I fall off the wagon (holidays usually!) I find it very hard to get back on.

I also find it increaingly difficult to accept that I can't eat pasta, bread or rice. I suspect lots of others have moved on from low carbing too, as the low carb site is really, really quiet these days. (I am Alison P on there).

So I'm considering calorie counting again, albeit allowing myself rather more calories than when I last did it - probably nearer 1300 per day rather than 1000. If I can also restrict the alcohol to the weekend instead of every day then hopefully this will help.

Do you think I'm mad?

Oh yes. Absolutely raving.

I know what you mean. I swore I would never go the low carb route again but I'm in need of a quick fix and usually lose about 8lbs on the first week of induction. I'm planning on a strict low carb until the end of this month, with no only a small amount of alcohol. Then I'm switching to low carb/low GI.
Tbh I don't think I could ever do the calorie counting thingy and low GI is such a healthy way of eating.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do

Hi Alison!

I dont think i could ever go back to low carbing either TBH. As you say, it IS really restrictive and you have to be extremely disciplined for it to work - and then there's all the science stuff, which is what put me off from going back to it the second time around. I'm surprised the site is really quiet tho. Thought there might have at least been the die-hards on there.

What I'm intending to do is to just go back to basics, i.e. eat sensibly. A little of what you fancy etc. Reduce portion sizes from bloater sized to normal sized, eat more veg and fruit and perhaps - PERHAPS - keep an eye on my carb intake and reduce it slightly by having lower carb alternatives, i.e. caulirice or swede mash, parsnip chips etc etc.

As for calorie counting - not on your life, unless i'm really desperate!!

Plus i'm going to exercise too, which always helps doesn't it!

Most of all tho, i'm not going to be obsessive over it all.

Good luck!!

tis funny, but i find that when i am low carbing, i am eating a wider variety of food. when i am stuffing my face, as i am at the mment, i find that it is really just bread, rice, and more bread and cheese that i eat. withthe occasional bit of chicken or fish chucked in as dressing. and all the high sugar stuff. and lets not forget all the roast potatos. yum.
whereas when i am low carbing, i am eating lots of different veg and different meats. and lots of salad stuff.

the significance of the spoon oggy, is that it isnt with rice or pitta or naan. so supposedly healthier. i have my halo on right now. kids are downstairs eating trifle. i'm up here chatting. lets see how long that lasts.

rg, i love excercise. why are you sad about it? its sooo much fun. and when you get the adrenaline, and the endorphiins going. ..... you cant beat that high.
will you be in a gym or at homeon your lonesome? or in the park running?

Pukka i know what you mean about eating more variety. Low carbing does force you to "look outside the box" for food and for that it's very good! Dont get me wrong, low carbing is great and does work, but you have to be dedicated or it'll all go tits up.

As for exercise, i do secretly enjoy it! It's just that i know it'll be hard at first but that's all part of the challenge i guess. I'll be doing my taebo and step on my lonesome in the house. I've done the gym thing and i'm just not motivated enough to warrant paying money for not going. I used to go to the gym 5-6 times a week years ago but that's because the gym was literally over the road from the office so it was very convenient. As for running in the park, no way!! I hate running with a passion and i'd give myself black eyes anyway!

Morning .

Last night I had liver and bacon with cauliflower and cabbage. Totalled 1.5 litres water. Must do better.

This morning have only had a black coffee up to now, but will go and make scrambled eggs soon.

So am I the only one who's actually low carbing, here, on this low carb thread? hmm?

Morning ogg! Sounds like you're being good - well done!

Off to make some toast!

Well done oggsfrog!

Still haven't made my decision about low carb vs low cal, although I suspect it will be the former in the interests of results quickly, given bad behaviour over the last few weeks!

Back on the wagon (which ever one it is to be!) on Monday

I've just been to do the shopping, mindful that I have only a few days left of pigging out eating anything I want. I found myself grabbing all kinds of things thinking "I'll have this because next week I won't be able to if I go back to low carbing. Not bad things (i.e. I didn't have trolley full of pies and chocolate!), but it made me feel as if I was preparing to go to prison or something!

So I suspect that increasingly low carb is not for me - certainly not in the long term. My only concern is that I've forgotten the torture of trying to diet any other way.

Think I need to do a bit more serious thinking ...

How about Low GI?

I don't really know anything about it, other than it seems complicated. But anything that allows pasta and pulses would work well for me I think.

How much wine can you drink?

It's basically wholefood, pulses, lots of fruit and veg, lean protein...
Just think in terms of foods as unprocessed as possible. Yes to breads with as many seeds/wholegrains as poss, no to white bread. Yes to wholewheat pasta, wild rice, bulgar wheat, couscous, no to white pasta, white rice. Sweet potatoes are better than white potatoes, but if you must eat white pots eat them as un- processed as poss. Best are new pots steamed in their skins.
Lots of water.
No sugar.
Smaller portions 'cos the whole food takes longer to digest so makes you feel fuller for longer. Also it doesn't produce a flood of insulin as all sugars are slow release.

hi all.
aggy, isnt that just the last stage of the atkins though?
well, today i have been a very very good girl indeed.
breakfast. only coffee with milk, as still stuffed from last nights serious carb fest (crackers, cheesecake, bread, naan etcetcetc)
post workout snack banana
lunch, chickpea curry, and chicken with onions and tomatos all eaten witha spoon.
dinner more of the same chiken. made to much.
snack, almond scone type thing. and more coffeeeeeeeeeeeeee

did a god workout in the gym todaas weel. so oggy, today at least i am joining you in the low carbiung
hopefully tomorrow will also be a good daty

You mentioning curry ensured that tonight we had chicken curry with red lentils (I had mine with cauli and watercress). 'Twas yummy.
Lunch was tinned salmon, mayo and watercress again. Lots of water.
Off now to drink wine

oooo wine!! What a good idea! Might join you in that. I'm sure it'll be perfect to wash down my pizza and garlic bread with......

Hello

I'll be joining you on Monday. Got to get this weekend over with as it's my eldest's b'day today and we're going out for a pub meal with friends tomorrow. So back on my gentle version of induction. And my first run since I was ill on Sunday

Oh dear. Drank far too much wine and consequently am about to throw myself off the wagon into the welcoming arms of toast and marmite...

no oggy,, dont do that. you are the inspiration to all of us.
dont, you have been doing soo wellll..
today, lunch cum breakdfast was, two boiled eggs and amayo. and a slice of cheddar. also had two cups of coffee so far. i'm beginning to realise just how much coffee i drink.
and no gym. slept instead. secongd day of almost, but not quite induction levels, and i am feeling quite tired.

Too late I'm afraid

I've tried a bit of GI, but I still get the hunger pangs, on lowcarb I'm never hungry, but so struggle with nauseau sometimes. Still, I'm enjoying it at the moment, and will stick with it as long as possible - would always prefer a dollop of cream on my chilli instead of rice

minum - have you tried caulirice with your chilli instead of rice? Just grate some cauliflower and then fry in butter until golden. Delish!

mmmm rg, sounds yummmy.
i also redicscovered cauliflower when i started low carbing. it is an excellent substitute for potatos and rice. and so filling. and quite bland, so youcan make it taste of anything really.
i have just had a weetabix. was starving. so thats 12 g of carbs in one go. but still within my 20 g limit for the day so far. i think.