Help needed!!
mora982
Posts: 169 Member
I've been on LCHF for almost a month now. I managed to stay under 20g carbs most of the days and around 90-100g fat. The last 2 weeks I'm eating some cold cuts with cheese and eggs . I started weight lifting this week and gained over 3 lbs. I'm not sure it's the cold cuts or weights or both! The lable says it has 1g carb for each 100g.
One more thing, can I have a cheat day every month. I'm going out with friends and I really need some more carbs, I miss some food!!
One more thing, can I have a cheat day every month. I'm going out with friends and I really need some more carbs, I miss some food!!
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Replies
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When you start lifting weights, you will likely see more variation on the scale. The muscles will be retaining water.
The sodium from the meat could play a role, but I wouldn't stress about it. Don't evaluate trends from a week's worth of data.
As for cheat days, I am strongly opposed to them. I didn't stop smoking by allowing myself a cheat pack once a month. Other people are more liberal and do include scheduled cheat days, with success. So, it is highly individual. You really have to decide that for yourself. Only you know how much a cheat day could set you back and how much risk there is of it becoming a prolonged cheat period.0 -
All that ^^^^^^^
I also agree on the cheat day. To me, the idea of cheating just doesn't fit with my plans. I'm not willing to trade the setback and how cruddy I'll feel for any food. But I'm in this for the long haul. I don't miss any foods because I love everything I eat and the stuff I don't eat I don't see as food anymore. I specifically developed that way of looking at it over the last 9 months and it works for me.
If you can make it work for you, then do what you need to. But based on the way you feel about the water weight gain of lifting weights, I don't think you'll be too happy with any delay of progress a cheat day will bring you. Don't do it if you're just going to be upset with yourself. If you're prepared that it might be a temporary setback, and that won't bother you and you believe you can prevent it from detailing you, then go for it I guess.
If you want to learn to be ok without cheats and change the mindset to cheat altogether, then find the podcast titled "Winners Never Cheat" by Brian Willismson at www.ketovangelist.com
It's one of his first few0 -
https://www.ketovangelist.com/winners-never-cheat/
Wow, that is a strongly expressed point of view. Interesting. I also subscribe to this being a chosen healthier WOE view so I agree with not cheating. However, I eventually will allow a raspberry or an apricot in under my carb total.
Social situations can be a mine field if you are feeling pressure to conform, just like drugs n alcohol. I found with a few tactful queries to restaurant staff and offers to help the host cook I can easily dodge carbs.
In terms of a cheat day, what carbs do you really "need". For me, I missed dry crisp crackers. Some folk on here miss bread. There are alternatives. Parmesan Cheese crisps are yum. Let us know, we can suggest them.
As we get into a low sugar diet our bodies stop telling us we "need" carbs. Took a few weeks for me. I have never been a huge sweet tooth. Could be more or less for you, then you may end up why you ever wanted to eat that carb. Up to you which approach helps you feel good about your choice to be minimising your carbs. We are trying to help you not get sick in a post carb way like many did last Christmas. Good luck.0 -
Make sure you don't over-consume Protein.
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Thank you for your advice, I'm really scared from upping my carbs. What I miss is milk, rice, chocolate, and cake. I know there is some good low carb recipes for cake but I think any of them will make my carbs go closer yo 40 or 50. Maybe I should try any of them once and see!!0
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I agree the "cheat day" thing depends on how it affects you.
I've had several higher-cal and/or higher-carb days on this WOE. What seems to work best for me is if I keep carbs still under 50gm but maybe go higher on calories. I'm choosy about what's "worth the carbs" and I still stay pretty low-sugar. There was one day we had company and I decided to try a little of the monkey bread we had for breakfast ... and just one of the brownies we had for dessert ... I ended up semi-bingeing on both and ended up with acid reflux and an "off" stomach for several days. Blech! I was actually glad I did it just that once b/c now if I'm tempted by something sugary, I remember that and can feel the acid reflux again and it helps kill that desire.
I also remember how once I started, the cravings were intense and I didn't feel satisfied anyway.
There have been a few times (like at one son's birthday party) where I had one bite of the cake just for a taste and was fine with that. Other times I'll "indulge" in a nice meal out of something keto-friendly like steak, maybe with some grilled veggies depending on the restaurant, and for my dessert I'll have something back at home like a dark chocolate square, keto cheesecake, cream cheese fluff, berries with real whipped cream, etc. For Christmas dinner, the sides I made were garlic parmesan mashed cauliflower and brussels sprouts with bacon and had that with the ham and some gravy and didn't even feel tempted by DH's mashed potatoes and rolls.0 -
Thank you for your advice, I'm really scared from upping my carbs. What I miss is milk, rice, chocolate, and cake. I know there is some good low carb recipes for cake but I think any of them will make my carbs go closer yo 40 or 50. Maybe I should try any of them once and see!!
85% chocolate in small doses is good (you may have to work up to this dark)
For milk, drink half and half or cream - just a tiny bit. I literally have drank heavy cream with a single drop of sweetener in it. Sweeten things only to tolerance, not to taste, to reset your "sweet tastes."
Rice - some folks swear by miracle rice (not a fan) and/or cauli-rice (haven't tried). I don't miss rice in general, so I don't know how to advice on this one.
Cake - mug cakes, low carb recipes, etc. Personally, once in a blue moon, I have a small piece of the real thing without frosting, and it still fits in my LC macros. Works for me, but I don't have known wheat/gluten issues. It did take me over 6 months without it to get to this point.
Fat Bombs - barely sweetened version of things (and savory options, too).... Many here can suggest recipes. Some of these are like brownies or cheesecake or bacon wrapped things....all manner of choices.
With most sweet cravings, try salt first. If that doesn't satisfy, add fats. If still not, a small portion of whatever after and with additional fats helps rewire your thinking on it. Also, remember, most cravings are nutrient driven. If you're craving chocolate, you're probably low on magnesium. Milk - the body might need a nutrient in it (calcium is notoriously low in cow's milk, so likely not that). The others, I don't know - could just be habits and such.
Good luck.0 -
Oh, and as far as cheating, if I feel I "NEED" something, it's my body and brain lying to me. When I'm intense about something like that, I try to deflect and redirect.
Cheating is why I'm in misery right now. It was deliberate, and I allowed myself to do it, and it just blew up. You wouldn't want a partner to "CHEAT" on you - so why cheat yourself? That being said, I do believe in the occasional TREAT, but I try to keep even those limited.
For most of us, all these food cravings and "addictions" are a very slippery slope. The longer we go without certain foods, the more they scream for us to fuel them. And we lose perspective and all that. But honestly, one bite of a trigger food, and you could fall face first into a platter of it.
Generally, if I'm going to eat something off plan, I map it out ahead of time, don't increase my macros by more than 25%, and avoid the worst of my triggers, if I can... I'd rather my treats these days be twice as much bacon or something...0 -
@mora982 this post is from another thread.. it is low carb and may help that choc n cake craving:noclady1995 wrote: »I had one of those today and always tend to crave cake, and I've tried a few recipes, but today I found a chocolate mug cake on Pinterest that had 2 net carbs...and it had NO flour of any kind. Just an egg, heavy cream, I used stevia, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla extract. It was just like regular cake, and not eggy like I was expecting. I ate it plain and it was so good!!
https://www.reddit.com/r/ketorecipes/comments/1aptue/flourless_chocolate_mug_cake/0 -
Thank you all for responding, I'll try these recipes and will try not to go over 50 csrbs. I've read something about craving while on LCHF diet. It suggests that you go for 21 days first and then if you have cravings you give yourself another 21 days before adding more carbs and it should go away, if not you can have little of what you are craving like a bite or so. Then start the process over again! What do you think about it??0
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Carbs made me sick! I suffered with terrible pain for years from fibromyalgia, and cervical dystonia! I was unable to work for ten years! Since eliminating carbs the health issues have almost completely resolved, and I'm working again! I don't see a good reason to add back carbs!
We each have to find what works for us! But where is the sense in returning to the foods that brought us here?0 -
Thank you all for responding, I'll try these recipes and will try not to go over 50 csrbs. I've read something about craving while on LCHF diet. It suggests that you go for 21 days first and then if you have cravings you give yourself another 21 days before adding more carbs and it should go away, if not you can have little of what you are craving like a bite or so. Then start the process over again! What do you think about it??
This has been my plan all along. I just hit my 21st day yesterday and I don't feel as anxious to up my carbs now. I don't restrict myself to 20 per day though, I aim for 30 and sometimes go over into the 40s. So this type of level has been working for me the last few weeks. I think it's always good not to go too severe at first so you don't get discouraged.0 -
When I lift, I get hungry. My body just wants more. Make sure you are getting sufficient protein and fat. A chocolate protein shake usually helps fix me up when I have cravings.0
