Restrictions Driving Me Batty
Twibbly
Posts: 1,065 Member
For those of you who aren't following along, or can't remember who is doing what for how many cookies, I've been on an exceedingly restrictive eating plan for a bit in addition to being low carb. I had to raise my carbs because I could not for the life of me figure out how the heck to eat under 50g carbs a day and still get enough calories in with all I was leaving out.
Restriction list:
At this point, I'm having more binges than I was when I first started the restrictions, and definitely not seeing the results I was previously. So, I'm going to relax a few of my restrictions and see what happens.
If these additions cause issues, I'll dial it back to base restriction, then try adding them in one by one to determine where the issue is. I'm going to closely monitor my digestion and wrists (the 2 places I notice the quickest if I'm eating crap).
Hopefully, this will result in fewer binges. If all goes well for 2 weeks, I'll lower the carbs back down after my road trip with my mother in July (I'll be back around the 14th).
Restriction list:
- Gluten
- Dairy (except butter)
- All grains except white rice
- Almonds
- Sugar and pretty much every sugar substitute (honey and coconut sugar were allowed). I have a bit of stevia in my protein powder and tea, but that's been about it.
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Soy
At this point, I'm having more binges than I was when I first started the restrictions, and definitely not seeing the results I was previously. So, I'm going to relax a few of my restrictions and see what happens.
- Dairy - I'm not going to go chugging milk or adding cheese to everything, but I am going to try adding back in heavy cream, hard cheeses, and full-fat Greek yogurt.
- Chicken - I'm going to say to heck with it and eat it. This will actually allow me to do such crazy things as eat out again, as I can get a salad with chicken on it. The times that I've eaten out and ate it anyways, I haven't had any problems.
- Eggs - I'm not going to worry about foods that have eggs as a minor ingredient or where I don't end up eating a bunch of egg in the final product. Helloooooooo mayo.
- Soy - the only form of soy in my diet (other than all the crap they add soy protein isolate to) prior to restriction was traditionally fermented gluten-free tamari soy sauce...and I miss it.
If these additions cause issues, I'll dial it back to base restriction, then try adding them in one by one to determine where the issue is. I'm going to closely monitor my digestion and wrists (the 2 places I notice the quickest if I'm eating crap).
Hopefully, this will result in fewer binges. If all goes well for 2 weeks, I'll lower the carbs back down after my road trip with my mother in July (I'll be back around the 14th).
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Replies
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Just curious. Why did you restrict chicken and eggs? Or almonds? Are you allergic?
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greenautumn17 wrote: »Just curious. Why did you restrict chicken and eggs? Or almonds? Are you allergic?
On advice of my chiropractor based on muscle testing (I've reacted to almonds on blood tests as well). Most things were spot-on, so I figured I'd go with it on those as well and see what happened.0 -
I hope it goes well and you can tolerate those things. It will make it a lot easier to get sufficient calories by adding those.0
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Hard Cheese (Old Croc Bites - cheddar!) - blood sugar staying stable, no digestive issues, wrists still good, but I'll give that a while longer before calling it a success.0
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Either the dairy or the tamari did not end well. Or both. Throat hurts tonight and ears are ringing. Grrrr.0 -
Hang in there, Twibbly. You'll get it figured out.0
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just keep eliminating one at a time. But there are plenty of meat and fish you can eat, yes? Fatty salmon with the skin crispy, pork (I do love a pork chop.. that'll get your calories up there... Smoked Salmon, lamb, then of course butter on it all, avocados...0
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For those of you who aren't following along, or can't remember who is doing what for how many cookies, I've been on an exceedingly restrictive eating plan for a bit in addition to being low carb. I had to raise my carbs because I could not for the life of me figure out how the heck to eat under 50g carbs a day and still get enough calories in with all I was leaving out.
Restriction list:- Gluten
- Dairy (except butter)
- All grains except white rice
- Almonds
- Sugar and pretty much every sugar substitute (honey and coconut sugar were allowed). I have a bit of stevia in my protein powder and tea, but that's been about it.
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Soy
At this point, I'm having more binges than I was when I first started the restrictions, and definitely not seeing the results I was previously. So, I'm going to relax a few of my restrictions and see what happens.- Dairy - I'm not going to go chugging milk or adding cheese to everything, but I am going to try adding back in heavy cream, hard cheeses, and full-fat Greek yogurt.
- Chicken - I'm going to say to heck with it and eat it. This will actually allow me to do such crazy things as eat out again, as I can get a salad with chicken on it. The times that I've eaten out and ate it anyways, I haven't had any problems.
- Eggs - I'm not going to worry about foods that have eggs as a minor ingredient or where I don't end up eating a bunch of egg in the final product. Helloooooooo mayo.
- Soy - the only form of soy in my diet (other than all the crap they add soy protein isolate to) prior to restriction was traditionally fermented gluten-free tamari soy sauce...and I miss it.
If these additions cause issues, I'll dial it back to base restriction, then try adding them in one by one to determine where the issue is. I'm going to closely monitor my digestion and wrists (the 2 places I notice the quickest if I'm eating crap).
Hopefully, this will result in fewer binges. If all goes well for 2 weeks, I'll lower the carbs back down after my road trip with my mother in July (I'll be back around the 14th).
I'm doing a similar diet except I can eat chicken. But otherwise, I avoid gluten, grain, seeds and nuts, nightshades, soy, eggs, and dairy. (Seeds and nightshades include any spices in those categories, too).
I worked with a dietician skilled in the AIP, who made the following meal plan guideline for me:
3 meals a day consisting of: 3oz protein, 1-2 cups non-starchy veggies, 1Tablespoon coconut oil, one other fat serving (equalling about 100 cal, like 1/2 avocado, 12 olives, 1Tablespoon oil or coconut butter, etc)
1-2 optional snacks of: 1 oz protein, 1/2-1 cup veggies, and one fat serving.
I average 30-50 gm of carbs, but also 20-30gm fiber so the net carbs are usually less than 30.
When you reintroduce foods, reintroduce only one at a time, over 3-5 days, so you can tell what your body's reaction is.
I learned the first time through this elimination diet a couple years ago to focus on what you *can* eat rather than the restrictions. Make a list of all the meats/ protein sources, veggies, and fats you *can* eat, and make your meal plan from that.
If you want any recipies for mayo, cream substitutes (many are coconut based), or anything else that would fit your eating plan, search for "autoimmune paleo" recipies. Paleomom.com, Phoenix Helix, the Curious Coconut are all blogs with many AIP recipes.
There's a good one for avocado oil-based mayo out there.
If you put a can of coconut milk in the fridge, it will naturally separate into its fatty portion (I call it cream, but "coconut cream" sometimes means coconut butter, it can get confusing) and coconut water. The creamy part can be used in coffee, can be whipped into whipped cream topping, etc. It's not the same as HWC, but it comes close.0 -
Oh, and coconut aminos makes a decent soy-sauce substitute. I get mine at the health food store in town.
I also make coconut milk yogurt and kefir with the "cream" part of the coconut milk. It's very easy! Makes for a nice substitute for sour cream for dips and sauces, too.0 -
Wow, I love the almonds but realize they are and issue for me, I will not stop eating them once I purchase. So, I had to put them out of site out of mind. Hide in the deep freeze , I will like to try some of he coconut oil for cooking. One thing for sure is figuring it out is a lot of work.0
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Cheesy, I've read the AIP stuff, have most of the books, etc. I need to just break down and stick to a meal plan for a while.
Hubby says I'm not feeling well enough to start adding things back yet. I'm not sure at this point that I'd even recognize what really feeling well feels like, so he probably has a point.0 -
Why did you put so many restrictions on yourself, is this doctor ordered or health related? It seems like with so many restrictions you make it hard to stay on track and easy to fall of the wagon. Without Eggs, dairy, Chicken, or Soy I wouldn't be able to stay on this lifestyle change either because that is a majority of my daily food sources and protein.
Sugar is not bad so trying to cut that out of your life seems like a poor choice, you just need to cut bad sugar out of your diet Soda, Candy, ect. You wont hurt yourself by eatting fruits and veggies and these both have sugar, so if you eat them you will go over your macros most likely but it wont make you gain wait. My sugar macros are over every day and I am still loosing a ton of weight because I eat at a deficit.
I just cut out heavy carbs/starches like breads, pastas, potatoes...I didnt realize how much of it I had in my diet until I cut it out. From bagels to donuts, hashbrowns, to pastas and potatoes and corn. I relied to much on them. I also cut out bad sugars like soda and candy.
If its doctor ordered then I can understand, but it seems like a very hard restriction list if you expect to do this forever.
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Ahh crud sorry the dairy experiment didn't go well.
![:\](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
maybe the next one will go better! You've really been struggling lately. I hope you find something that works for you, and quickly! 0 -
@soldiergrl_101 : Many of us on low carb diets avoid all sugar, and there are many reasons to do so. I'm on keto and nope, no sugar. I'd rather not get into it with you, though, as that's likely to spark a religious war.
@Twibbly : Try checking online or in a health food store for some things like macadamia nut oil. You may also enjoy a little macadamia nut butter, if available. If not, and you have a powerful blender, try making your own. Stuff it into celery sticks.
I do like to add fats to both drinks and foods. Today I am having a pork chop fried in bacon grease WITH a pat of butter on top.
For the dairy issue, I can definitely relate. I was lactose intolerant for over 10 years. For the past couple years, I've been having a probiotic tea every day which I think is what has enabled me to have dairy again:
https://www.bigelowtea.com/Shop-Teas/By-Type/Herbal/Lemon-Ginger-Herbal-Tea-Plus-Probiotics#.VZK_9aAVhBc
Good luck!
-T.
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@Teneko I dont get into religious wars with anyone on this site...imo to each there own. I just dont understand why you would cut out healthy sugars unless you had orders from a doctor. Having such a tight window for what ingredients you can have rather than just in moderation makes it harder to commit long term, Twibbly said themself that they commit for a little while and then binge like crazy0
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soldiergrl_101 wrote: »@Teneko I dont get into religious wars with anyone on this site...imo to each there own. I just dont understand why you would cut out healthy sugars unless you had orders from a doctor. Having such a tight window for what ingredients you can have rather than just in moderation makes it harder to commit long term, Twibbly said themself that they commit for a little while and then binge like crazy
This is based on above from my chiro, who's figured out more than any doctor I've gone to.
I don't cut out all fruits and veggies, but I tend to be hesitant about trying new ones because I react to so many things.0 -
Cheesy, I've read the AIP stuff, have most of the books, etc. I need to just break down and stick to a meal plan for a while.
Hubby says I'm not feeling well enough to start adding things back yet. I'm not sure at this point that I'd even recognize what really feeling well feels like, so he probably has a point.
This suggests to me that something's still triggering you.
Have you considered going just meat and water for a couple of months, then slowly adding things back in? I know it sounds restrictive, but it takes all the guesswork out of what you're eating and boils it down to "is it meat (in your case, sans chicken)?" and "is it water?" if the answer is "no" to both, then it's skipped. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting that it's very healing (and several doctors who have done this for patients to great success), and it can serve as a good "washout" for your body, so you can pinpoint exactly what it is that's keeping you sick.0 -
See that's different than cutting it out just to loose weight if you have bad reactions then there is a good reason0
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soldiergrl_101 wrote: »See that's different than cutting it out just to loose weight if you have bad reactions then there is a good reason
I was only talking about added sugar.
And no, I don't cut things out just to lose weight. Heck, I never counted calories before doing low carb, and I still don't except to make sure I'm getting enough. I'm down almost 15 pounds from where I started (and have about 30 more I could stand to lose!), but my digestion is happier, my energy and moods are better, and my joints don't kill me (except when I spend 3 hours holding a 1-year-old who screams if anybody else holds her).0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »This suggests to me that something's still triggering you.
Have you considered going just meat and water for a couple of months, then slowly adding things back in? I know it sounds restrictive, but it takes all the guesswork out of what you're eating and boils it down to "is it meat (in your case, sans chicken)?" and "is it water?" if the answer is "no" to both, then it's skipped. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting that it's very healing (and several doctors who have done this for patients to great success), and it can serve as a good "washout" for your body, so you can pinpoint exactly what it is that's keeping you sick.
I tried to do meat-only May and only lasted about a week because honestly, cooking for the family and for me while doing that is a nightmare. It might be worth trying again once I get back from road tripping with my mother (we just won't go into the fight that would ensue - her doctor saw the word "Paleo" on the Wahls' book and immediately told her she can't do it because it has too much red meat).
Hubby's now joking that maybe I react to Q-Tips and Cotton and should try a naked diet just to see if that helps.
I think that when I come home, I'll try being a carnivore again, then shift into Aglaee Jacobs' Digestive Health Protocol and see if I can't get straightened out that way.
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soldiergrl_101 wrote: »See that's different than cutting it out just to loose weight if you have bad reactions then there is a good reason
I was only talking about added sugar.
And no, I don't cut things out just to lose weight. Heck, I never counted calories before doing low carb, and I still don't except to make sure I'm getting enough. I'm down almost 15 pounds from where I started (and have about 30 more I could stand to lose!), but my digestion is happier, my energy and moods are better, and my joints don't kill me (except when I spend 3 hours holding a 1-year-old who screams if anybody else holds her).
yes added sugar makes much more sense
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Cheesy, I've read the AIP stuff, have most of the books, etc. I need to just break down and stick to a meal plan for a while.
Hubby says I'm not feeling well enough to start adding things back yet. I'm not sure at this point that I'd even recognize what really feeling well feels like, so he probably has a point.
That's why I'm re-doing the elimination phase. I think I reintroduced foods too quickly the first time, and I was so ill at that point that I couldn't tell if anything was causing a reaction unless it was severe. I'm glad I'm doing this again-- I just realized I react to spinach, which is the only salad green I don't have a traditional allergic reaction to, so I had been eating 3-5 cups a day. I've avoided it for a week and I'm feeling much better, my gut is finally settling out, and my MG symptoms might be improving (a bit early to tell since they wax and wane for any number of reasons).
I hope you stick with it and figure out if it is food that's causing your symptoms, which foods they are!
@soldiergrl_101 these restrictive diets are often to help pinpoint foods that are causing reactions. In my case, the theory is that inflammation leads to a "leaky gut" which then increases autoimmunity and aberrant immune responses. Avoiding inflammatory foods for 1-2 months, while focusing on eating nutrient dense non-inflammatory foods and pro-biotic foods to re-establish the proper gut flora, gives the gut a chance to heal. Once you're feeling better, you gradually test and reintroduce foods one at a time to see if they cause an inflammatory response or not. The restrictive portion is not a life-long WOE, just a temporary healing and diagnostic process.0 -
That's why I'm re-doing the elimination phase. I think I reintroduced foods too quickly the first time, and I was so ill at that point that I couldn't tell if anything was causing a reaction unless it was severe. I'm glad I'm doing this again-- I just realized I react to spinach, which is the only salad green I don't have a traditional allergic reaction to, so I had been eating 3-5 cups a day. I've avoided it for a week and I'm feeling much better, my gut is finally settling out, and my MG symptoms might be improving (a bit early to tell since they wax and wane for any number of reasons).
I hope you stick with it and figure out if it is food that's causing your symptoms, which foods they are!
Spinach as actually listed as one of the foods that hardly anybody reacts to - it's one of the first 4 veggies you start with in the DHwRF protocols, along with zucchini, carrots, and green beans.0 -
Hi Cheesy
Eating a lot of any one kind of green can cause issues. It may not be spinach but rather that you ate too much of it. There is a defense mechanism in plants that prevent overgrazing by animals. What happens is you start building up toxins from eating so much of one kind.
So you may be able to eat spinach after all-- just not so much every day.
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That's why I'm re-doing the elimination phase. I think I reintroduced foods too quickly the first time, and I was so ill at that point that I couldn't tell if anything was causing a reaction unless it was severe. I'm glad I'm doing this again-- I just realized I react to spinach, which is the only salad green I don't have a traditional allergic reaction to, so I had been eating 3-5 cups a day. I've avoided it for a week and I'm feeling much better, my gut is finally settling out, and my MG symptoms might be improving (a bit early to tell since they wax and wane for any number of reasons).
I hope you stick with it and figure out if it is food that's causing your symptoms, which foods they are!
Spinach as actually listed as one of the foods that hardly anybody reacts to - it's one of the first 4 veggies you start with in the DHwRF protocols, along with zucchini, carrots, and green beans.
Lol, carrots make me stop breathing! Green beans and zucchini I can eat just fine. So interesting how individualized it is, huh?
SkinnyKerinny, I think I'll try re-introducing spinach at some point. I was really surprised when I realized that was the issue!0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »This suggests to me that something's still triggering you.
Have you considered going just meat and water for a couple of months, then slowly adding things back in? I know it sounds restrictive, but it takes all the guesswork out of what you're eating and boils it down to "is it meat (in your case, sans chicken)?" and "is it water?" if the answer is "no" to both, then it's skipped. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting that it's very healing (and several doctors who have done this for patients to great success), and it can serve as a good "washout" for your body, so you can pinpoint exactly what it is that's keeping you sick.
I tried to do meat-only May and only lasted about a week because honestly, cooking for the family and for me while doing that is a nightmare. It might be worth trying again once I get back from road tripping with my mother (we just won't go into the fight that would ensue - her doctor saw the word "Paleo" on the Wahls' book and immediately told her she can't do it because it has too much red meat).
Hubby's now joking that maybe I react to Q-Tips and Cotton and should try a naked diet just to see if that helps.
I think that when I come home, I'll try being a carnivore again, then shift into Aglaee Jacobs' Digestive Health Protocol and see if I can't get straightened out that way.
Perhaps enlist your hubby to help you this time around? Explain you want to try it as an elimination tactic. Maybe see if he'll handle the sides or whatever works for you guys. He sounds like he's supportive and possibly willing to help figure out what's making you feel sick.0 -
soldiergrl_101 wrote: »See that's different than cutting it out just to loose weight if you have bad reactions then there is a good reasonsoldiergrl_101 wrote: »@Teneko I dont get into religious wars with anyone on this site...imo to each there own. I just dont understand why you would cut out healthy sugars unless you had orders from a doctor. Having such a tight window for what ingredients you can have rather than just in moderation makes it harder to commit long term, Twibbly said themself that they commit for a little while and then binge like crazy
o.O
Because for many (if not most) of us in this group, there is no such thing as "healthy sugars." Sugar is sugar, regardless of its source. Some of us here have such little tolerance for sugar that not even "complex" carbohydrates are good for us and will keep us in the insulin and craving cycles unless we cut them out completely.
For many of us, too, weight loss is the health indicator. Our diet affects us in ways we've only scratched the surface to understanding. Many of us have disorders that doctors have shrugged their shoulders at, leaving us with only what tests we can get our hands on on our own (which isn't much). In several cases, that means weight is one such test, because the disorder is notorious for causing issues getting to and staying at a healthy weight.
I can guarantee you that few, if any, doctors would "order" me to eat the way I do. In fact, the half dozen or so that I've seen for the same disorder have never once offered anything, nutritionally speaking, beyond "eat less, move more." They'd probably be the one to have a heart attack if they knew how I eat. But here's the kicker -- it's working orders of magnitude better than anything else I've done (diet or medication related).
Yep, it can be rough to change your eating habits so drastically. Sometimes, it's actually rougher when someone else is telling you to do it, because you weren't the one to make that choice. Having the choice taken away is often disempowering and can be counterproductive as a result. It can be done, though. It's just a matter of getting the right frame of mind. It's not much different between success and failure in making any other healthy lifestyle change, really. No one can force you to change, you have to want to change.
Which reminds me, @Twibbly -- it sounds like you could use a shift in mindset, too. Make sure you're not thinking in terms of what you can't eat, and instead are embracing the things you can. Make sure you're making the conscious choice to forego things for the sake of your health, because your health is more important to you than the fleeting taste of whatever food it is you're being tempted with.
So you can't have eggs or dairy. So what? You get to have things like pork chops, bacon, lamb chops, hamburger, ribeye steaks, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, sweet potatoes (assuming carb allotment is sufficient), berries of all sorts, avocado, coconut stuff of all sort, if you have the carb allotment, you can do apples and zucchini and carrots and all sort of other fruits and vegetables. You could even have uglyfruit and starfruit if you wanted. You could try whale blubber if you wanted and could get your hands on it. You're allowed to cook with lard! (Notice the change in framing. The focus on what you can't have is downplayed or removed, while the focus on what you can have is emphasized.)0 -
Dragonwolf, I need to go through and clean or everything not on my list and just get it out of the kitchen or at least hidden where I'm not looking at cheese every time I open the fridge and post a list of what I can have.0
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I too am supposed to be eating a very restricted diet similar to Cheesy567 for 21 days except I can eat some nut/seed butters. I am seeing a nutritionist and had LEAP MRT testing, allergy testing, and kinesiology testing from a chiropractor. It is very hard and I have strayed a couple of times and paid the price with pain, swelling, weight gain and discomfort. It is difficult but necessary for some people. I stray mostly when I visit family for special events or if offered free samples in supermarkets. Stupid I know, because I can just say no.
Twibbly, can you eat ghee? It is butter with the dairy cooked out. I find it delicious and it does not compromise me. If you added chicken without any negative effect, you should be good to go on that too. I boil chicken in water without anything added and eat a little of the chicken and broth daily.0 -
I can theoretically have butter, but keep planning to pick up some ghee. I've been doing most of my cooking in bacon grease.
I think I'm going to stick with pork & beef for the most part now. Eating out, sometimes chicken worka out better.0
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