Needing to go back to the basics...
AngInCanada
Posts: 947 Member
I've been letting my carbs go a little bit higher lately and have been including a Results and Recovery creatine drink in when I need it due to muscle soreness from workouts (drink alone is 20 grams of carbs). I've noticed my cravings are much more stronger. Yesterday my son and I went out for a treat and I had a DQ blizzard which accounted for 100g carbs. Well OMG today is a total write off. I am so cranky and irritable and can't even remember what I've binged on. I also am fighting off a chest cold but I'm sure 90% of my foul mood is due to the increase in carbs. I need to strip my diet back to the basics to simplify things and drop my carbs way back down. I've realized I am STILL, after 4 months of mostly keto, that I am still horribly addicted to carbs. One taste of something higher carbs and its off the rails. I know some of you won't understand, and I don't expect you to, but it sucks because when I am strictly keto, the cravings for carby foods lessens but the desire to binge on them never goes away. I always look for some excuse to eat something carby although most of the time I can distract myself but its tiring. It's just food......why does it have such control over me? So my plan.... Get back to the basics. No pseudo foods like Atkins bars etc. Meat, veggies, eggs, dairy, nuts , seeds and some berries. I've done well and I need to keep going.
0
Replies
-
Excellent plan for getting back on track!
I try to avoid my trigger foods, but I could definitely see a DQ Blizzard leading to my downfall. Man, that's a gateway to the hard stuff like M&M's.
0 -
AngInCanada wrote: »I always look for some excuse to eat something carby although most of the time I can distract myself but its tiring. It's just food......why does it have such control over me? So my plan.... Get back to the basics. No pseudo foods like Atkins bars etc. Meat, veggies, eggs, dairy, nuts , seeds and some berries. I've done well and I need to keep going.
Good luck getting back on track!
Your story is a textbook example of why cheat days can backfire and don't work for me!
I needed to be honest with myself about what I wanted and how bad I wanted it, or there will ALWAYS be an excuse...
Again, good luck!0 -
-
I understand you completely. I don't know if that love it carbs will ever go away for me. Once you find out how crappy they make you feel and how great you feel when not eating them, it's so much easier to go back to low carb. I ate like a maniac last weekend, ended up front like death with horrible stomach discomfort aches fatigue, you name it, also felt like a monster that hated everyone. Monday I took hold of my eating and have been under 50g a day all week. Today I had energy galore without even eating till I got home around 5pm.
Eating the carbs is fun sometimes but it becomes less and less the longer you go. Don't kick yourself for giving in, it's part of life. Your plan sounds perfect and you'll be feeling better in a couple days. A bonus, once I dumped all the water I was retaining I hit my lowest weight in years on Friday.0 -
I just gotta say that I've been impressed with the transformations you guys have made, but I'm even more impressed by this stuff. Falling off the wagon is easy, and it's responsible for the lousy success rate of all sorts of weight loss efforts.
But the introspection. The insights. The adjustments and corrections. The understanding! I think these are the real success factors. You guys are golden. 0 -
I could easily just say whatever and go back to the way I used to eat and gain the 34 lbs I've lost back but I refuse. I want to address the issues I have with carbs and move forwards. I know a lot of people struggle and a lot of them also feel ashamed and embarassed about it so instead of asking for help they just quit. So I'm always willing to be open with my struggles and frustrations.0
-
I understand and I think you have a great plan. After doing low carb for over a year and keto for 9 months, a single day of slightly higher carbs can still drive me to pure distraction. I have a feeling it always will.
The "stripping out all carbs" is what my dietitian calls a "hard reset". Basically, as close to zero as possible. After months of practice, a single day of hard reset brings me back into focus and gets the carb cravings out of my head.
You can do this and a single day of feeling crappy can be a great motivator for the next few months!0 -
I just gotta say that I've been impressed with the transformations you guys have made, but I'm even more impressed by this stuff. Falling off the wagon is easy, and it's responsible for the lousy success rate of all sorts of weight loss efforts.
But the introspection. The insights. The adjustments and corrections. The understanding! I think these are the real success factors. You guys are golden.
I can't agree more!0 -
A hard reset is beginning to make sense to me. I've been doing low carb for a few months now and lost about 40 lbs. I'm having a really hard time with cravings for carbage, especially now with all the pumpkiny stuff and Halloween candy. I think I may try just going "cold turkey" for a while and see if that helps. I just got off one of my diabetes meds and I'd hate to backslide yet again. I'm going to be 60 and I really don't want to spend the rest of my life being fat, sick and having such awful cravings for the crap that made me that way. I have to admit, I did try a half of a small bag of candy corn M&Ms, SO not worth it. I felt like I was going to die and they didn't even taste like candy corn .
0 -
Carbs are really optional as long as I have excess body fat
When I hit single digit fat, I will worry about carbs more
Until then they are like flirting with an addiction0 -
Yah... I am honestly too scared of those "gateway" foods to try just a bite. Maybe in many many more months. Maybe.
The reset sounds like a good plan.
I love how you own up to and don't just slink away or ignore it. Takes maturity and tenacity. Good on ya! 0 -
AngInCanada wrote: »I've realized I am STILL, after 4 months of mostly keto, that I am still horribly addicted to carbs. One taste of something higher carbs and its off the rails.
I'm still that way after over a year and a half. Others have also posted about sweet things not tasting as good anymore, or too sweet, etc. I have not experienced that change either. Maybe it just never happens for some people.
Good job catching yourself quickly and making a real effort to get back to basics and to get back on track, its not an easy thing to do sometimes.
0 -
A drug addict is always an addict whether they are in recovery or not. This carb addiction is just that. I believe without the extra benefits I enjoy that I could slide right back into my addiction to. You know it comes down to choice, and you know what it takes to make it! Try to shake it off and hang in there!
0 -
It takes a while. Took me almost a week to get back solidly. It's all that detox! lol.
Another reason why I will do a monthly cheat meal (think cheat hour) and never a full cheat day. Those never end well for me... Plus I want to get right back into ketosis! I cheat day might knock me out for three days! I can't have that!
You got this tho. We're all here for you. It's a marathon, not a sprint!0 -
Today has been good. Did a 5k race with friends this morning and been on track all day. Sitting at 16 net carbs for the day!0
-
Yay! 0
-
AngInCanada wrote: »Today has been good. Did a 5k race with friends this morning and been on track all day. Sitting at 16 net carbs for the day!
Nice! I just checked. I'm at 17 after fiber deducted. Woot! Woot!0 -
Have you tried MSM powder after workouts, it has really helped me with muscle aches and doesn't have any carbs, tastes like death but I mix it with vit c powder and its drinkable.0
-
You could be any of us - it's so easy to binge on sugary "treats". The thing that keeps me on the straight and narrow (mostly) is all the work it has taken to get the 39 lbs off and I still have just as far to go. Seriously I do not want to do this again (not that it's been really hard compared to previous efforts but it's tiring thinking and planning and counting - takes time and patience and occasionally willpower and putting family to "inconvenience"). Thanks for sharing - I agree for a hard re-set, maybe cut yourself some slack on the calories for the first few days of the super low carb while you adjust back in? You've done so fantastically well as your pictures testify.0
-
Oh...I understand. Completely understand. I wish I could say that I have 100% turned my back on unhealthy carbs and never looked back, but I'm not. I still think about them, I still crave them, and I have absolutely no shut off valve until I am sick...with sugar and disgust.
But...you are back on track. Life isn't perfect and trying to make it so just isn't realistic. In the end, the overall goal and what you do 90% of the time is what will have significant health benefits.0 -
I feel like I'm struggling with cravings after months of not having them and losing big time poundage. I haven't had any trigger foods really, but i think maybe some carb creepage has occurred. Not even all that much - maybe going from 20 to 40 carbs per day. I'm just always fighting cravings and feel very hungry all the time. Guess its time to bring it down to 15 or 20 again. I think I'm just one who will never be able to let up with the serious keto. Drat! But at least I'm healthy and feel hot again. That makes it worthwhile!0
-
Glad to hear that yesterday was back on track. I am an example of what can happen when the binges and carb addiction get out of control and stay that way for months. I know that low carb works, especially when I stick to clean whole foods. Even so, I am fighting my way back down the scale after regaining 55 lbs of the original 80 I lost. It is not a good place to be. Believe me.0
-
MDAPebbles67 wrote: »Glad to hear that yesterday was back on track. I am an example of what can happen when the binges and carb addiction get out of control and stay that way for months. I know that low carb works, especially when I stick to clean whole foods. Even so, I am fighting my way back down the scale after regaining 55 lbs of the original 80 I lost. It is not a good place to be. Believe me.
I feel for you with all my heart.0 -
totaloblivia wrote: »MDAPebbles67 wrote: »Glad to hear that yesterday was back on track. I am an example of what can happen when the binges and carb addiction get out of control and stay that way for months. I know that low carb works, especially when I stick to clean whole foods. Even so, I am fighting my way back down the scale after regaining 55 lbs of the original 80 I lost. It is not a good place to be. Believe me.
I feel for you with all my heart.
Been there, done that.
I can't bring myself to write about the negative mental and emotional places that I've lived, but I suspect that many of you would immediately understand.
We're not here for the most part because we're skinny, carbs are super easy and we all ate clean and healthy. I'm morbidly obese. This is about life. My life, our lives, and the lives of so many other morbidly obese people I see as I go to my grocery store.
It's worth it. Life is worth it. We can do this. We have to do this.
As I say often, I am fighting for a long term perspective and mentality. Hard reset. Jump back on. Great advice here. There IS that which will work for you.
L'Chaim.
0 -
AngInCanada wrote: »I've been letting my carbs go a little bit higher lately and have been including a Results and Recovery creatine drink in when I need it due to muscle soreness from workouts (drink alone is 20 grams of carbs). I've noticed my cravings are much more stronger. Yesterday my son and I went out for a treat and I had a DQ blizzard which accounted for 100g carbs. Well OMG today is a total write off. I am so cranky and irritable and can't even remember what I've binged on. I also am fighting off a chest cold but I'm sure 90% of my foul mood is due to the increase in carbs. I need to strip my diet back to the basics to simplify things and drop my carbs way back down. I've realized I am STILL, after 4 months of mostly keto, that I am still horribly addicted to carbs. One taste of something higher carbs and its off the rails. I know some of you won't understand, and I don't expect you to, but it sucks because when I am strictly keto, the cravings for carby foods lessens but the desire to binge on them never goes away. I always look for some excuse to eat something carby although most of the time I can distract myself but its tiring. It's just food......why does it have such control over me? So my plan.... Get back to the basics. No pseudo foods like Atkins bars etc. Meat, veggies, eggs, dairy, nuts , seeds and some berries. I've done well and I need to keep going.
What about something like this as a recovery food?
http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2011/04/chocolate-hemp-runners-repair-bars/
Nutrition Information Per Serving
Calories: 161
Calories from Fat: 118
Total Fat: 13.1
Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
Cholesterol: 27> mg
Sodium: 11 mg
Carbs: 6 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
Net Carbs: 3.3 g
Sugars: 1.1 g
Protein: 8.5 g
I happened to run across them yesterday while searching for ways to use up my hemp seeds!0 -
I have been struggling with all of this so much lately. My main hard point seems to be be boredom cravings while at my job (it is very not challenging, very not fulfilling, and I have so much down time, that's why I'm here all the time) and before/after dinner.
Something I started doing this week, and I've no idea if it would work for you or anyone, or if you could modify it to work for you, is to have my breakfast normal time 7-8 am. Then have my smaller portion of lunch (usually 1/2 or less of breakfast or dinner calories) around 9:30 am - 10:30 am. Then I water/salt only fast until dinner time.
I know this sounds so wonky, but I think having the food at lunch-hour is triggering me to want to eat more foods out of boredom. I've done this the last two days in a row. For whatever reason, I've not had a "I want to eat all the fat bombs/sweet treats" moment since. Even last night, when I chose to have a dessert of sorts, it was a completely head/thought out choice. The carbs I had did not trigger me further, etc.
I did recently up my carbs from 20-25 grams a day to 40-45 grams of carbs a day, as I've started including Kombucha daily for gut health. So far, even after having my various smoothies and kombucha with technically higher levels of carbs, the trigger/binge mindset hasn't been there.
I can't water fast longer due to not having a gallbladder, and the steady bile release all day, even while fasting triggers some not so fun bathroom results after the 8 hour mark or so, but this has increased my energy and focus at work, and having the food closer together helps for some reason...
I have no idea the science behind this, but rearranging your meal times - and fasting through your trouble zone - really might help!
Hugs, and luck, to ALL of us!0 -
I've never looked obese, or even overweight, but that is because a lot of my body fat ends up as visceral fat. And to me, going ketogenic means "survival". Both my grandfather and my father died young of massive heart attacks, my brother and me both were preemies and we have the accompanying predisposition to store fat and issues with insulin resistance. I was so happy that the visceral fat high up in my abdomen was the first to go away, that my blood pressure and triglyceride levels normalized. I do have serious carb addiction issues. Last time when I went low carb I adopted exactly the wrong strategy and I honestly believed and was told that I would be able to add carbohydrates back. Man, was I mistaken. So this time round, it's for real and I must accept the fact that this is how I must eat for the rest of my life if I want to remain healthy. Well, so be it. Not that it's easy, but nothing is, really. Meanwhile saluting everyone who is fighting this good fight. It's worth it even if it's hard at times. Hang in there.0
-
Its a fight every day. I usually keep carbs at 30 or below daily but Lord when the cravings hit they hit hard. Stay with it.0
-
That sounds like a good plan! I think eliminating the pseudo foods will definitely make a difference.mthe only pseudo food I've tried so far was zero pasta, it looks like pasta, but doesn't taste like it. So I decided to leave it alone, it doesn't do anything for me, except remind me of how much it doesn't tast like the real thing.0
-
Ugh. I've been struggling with this too. Bought some Atkins candy bars and a box of wine after a stressful day at work, and cravings came roaring back. I've slacked so much on tracking this week there's no telling how many carbs or calories I ended up eating, and when I got on the scale this a.m. I've gained 2lbs. Back to the basics for me too! Eggs, meat, cheese, and logging everything.
And that zero pasta, @Jbarnes1210 -I'm with you. I tried it last week and was not a fan.0
This discussion has been closed.