Where I stand with this new style of mine!
Deena_Bean
Posts: 906 Member
General Low Carb synopsis:
The goods:
significant decrease in churning tummy/intestines, slightly better fitting clothes, surprisingly fewer cravings and food that I miss than what I expected, full for longer with very infrequent feelings of hunger, recipe hunting is fun, I'm learning a lot about a lot, I seem to have a handful of like-minded low carb friends to bounce my thoughts off of (yay!)
The bads: missing the taste of certain foods, inconvenience of meals out, lots of label reading, lots of time spent finding recipes, but not enough time to try them out, feeling like a burden to my family's style of eating (although none of them have said they are bothered, I just feel like I'm complicating things)
The uglies: Each day that I've weighed myself this week the scale is up, leg/foot cramps out of nowhere that hurt really badly when they happen (working on this with the magnesium/sodium combo - seems to be slightly improving)
Overall, seems like the goods are still winning - this was an exercise for my own sanity. Carry on
The goods:
significant decrease in churning tummy/intestines, slightly better fitting clothes, surprisingly fewer cravings and food that I miss than what I expected, full for longer with very infrequent feelings of hunger, recipe hunting is fun, I'm learning a lot about a lot, I seem to have a handful of like-minded low carb friends to bounce my thoughts off of (yay!)
The bads: missing the taste of certain foods, inconvenience of meals out, lots of label reading, lots of time spent finding recipes, but not enough time to try them out, feeling like a burden to my family's style of eating (although none of them have said they are bothered, I just feel like I'm complicating things)
The uglies: Each day that I've weighed myself this week the scale is up, leg/foot cramps out of nowhere that hurt really badly when they happen (working on this with the magnesium/sodium combo - seems to be slightly improving)
Overall, seems like the goods are still winning - this was an exercise for my own sanity. Carry on
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Replies
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Salt will also help with the cramps.
As for your family, keep it simple. I tend to make alot of meat type meals, and I'll cook mash potato or fries or pasta for my partner. He has no problem eating loaded meatloaf, or chicken coated in mayo and parmesan and baked, or zucchini lasagne, or all manner of meat wrapped in bacon, or a meatza or anything else really. I have probably a total of 10 - 12 meals that I cook regularly that he loves and I just add a carb side for him (not all the time, he's also happy to eat cauliflower and broccoli covered in cheese).
Oh, and eating out is no problem. We go out maybe twice a month and I usually grab a steak with a side salad, or a mixed grill with no chips or something similar. There's always options. If you're talking "take away" you can have barbeque chicken, a maccas burger without the bun or sauce, a yiros pack (yiros meat, lettuce, a little onion, grated cheese and garlic sauce - actually one of my favorites and you generally get enough for lunch the next day too).0 -
Has anyone actually ordered a McDonalds burger with no bun? Is it awkward to ask and to eat?0
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christinev297 wrote: »Has anyone actually ordered a McDonalds burger with no bun? Is it awkward to ask and to eat?
Sometimes they don't understand so I just have to explain that when I got it before it was just put into a container with a lid. Mostly, it's just automatic, but I only tend to eat there if I'm traveling with my dad and we stop in a rural area in Kentucky. Larger city McDonalds don't seem to bat an eye at the request. I guess it's just a matter of frequency of being asked...
Ask for a fork and knife. Eat it like a steak.0 -
christinev297 wrote: »Has anyone actually ordered a McDonalds burger with no bun? Is it awkward to ask and to eat?
I did and it wasn't awkward and they put it on a bed of lettuce in a small salad bowl. Easy peasy!!0 -
yeah i guess as has already been mentioned, you'd need a knife and fork. it'd be like a meat salad :-)0
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Any fast food will now do this, but yes, don't forget the fork and knife! Messy eating with the hands, but can be done! I'm: eating out is simple, but seemed difficult at first. Once you learn what you can have from any menu, just ask for it, and leave the carbage in the kitchen. Most restaurants appreciate your money, lol, and are willing to accommodate!
Happy that your pros outweigh the cons! Great work!0 -
Deena_Bean wrote: »The bads: missing the taste of certain foods
The uglies: Each day that I've weighed myself this week the scale is up, leg/foot cramps out of nowhere that hurt really badly when they happen (working on this with the magnesium/sodium combo - seems to be slightly improving)
What foods specifically are you missing the taste of?
I hear you on the foot / leg cramps. I still haven't been able to make mine go away after months of trying. I'm taking magnesium glycinate at night before I go to bed, vitamin K (Potassium) with Vitamin D3 in the morning along with breakfast, and try to get in a LOT of sodium every day via salting my food (I have a bouillon cube in 2 cups of water every other day to help with this). And I STILL usually have to take quinine pills under the tongue in the morning too. Ugh!! I hope that you are able to find a combination that works for you quickly!
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Don't forget you can just order the burger and simply toss the bun. No awkwardness0
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On the eat out front: I order sauces on the side and then choose a protein with veg like broccoli. Substitution works in most restaurants (if not too busy or grumpy). I have used tortilla chips as a scoop but not eaten the chip, or dished up a pile of gaucomole and used a fork.
If anyone asks I do have a "get out of jail phrase" which is handy. My doctor has asked me to keep sugar to an absolute minimum, so I am not allowed to eat that. It is truthful and avoids people trying to coach me on what they feel I shouldn't eat. They'd need to talk with my doctor for that conversation!
So far I have only needed it for conversations like: Sam, your not drinking??? What, not even a glass of white wine or champagne?? Aren't you walking home? You dont have to drive... etc inclusive attempts by well meaning colleagues!0 -
I still miss certain foods, but more often than not you can find lchf/keto versions of any recipe if you are willing to put in a little extra effort. Most people here can make some great suggestions if there's something you're really missing!
As far as family meals are concerned, @EbonyDahlia is 100% right... simple is better. Most of the time my husband and I eat exactly the same, except for the sides. We have a 3 tiered steamer so it's not hard for me to steam some extra vegetables when he's cooking rice, or I'll throw together a quick salad.
Same goes for eating out. Admittedly, some cuisines are harder than others (I still find Chinese and Indian food a challenge unless we're eating in and I can make my own sides), but most of the time I can find at least few options on any menu.... and most places are fine with substituting extra veg or salad instead of rice or chips.
You're doing awesome and remember that you have a support group here if you're ever struggling!0 -
Thank you all so much for taking time to nudge me along. Sometimes I feel like a little kid having a temper tantrum. It's partly the case, I know, but some days are harder than others. On those days, your words and guidance make me feel so lucky. My husband is supportive, but I know it's frustrating to him sometimes. He likes when we can just have the same thing. Like last night we didn't have any kids home for dinner and neither of us were hungry enough to bust out a big meal. Our former 'go to' was a package of dried soup mix. Makes a big pot and we both love soup. The soups we had on hand though had a lot of carbs in them. So he tried to poke around and find something that looked good, but ended up going with the soup. I had some leftovers from the night before (grilled chicken/asparagus/mushrooms). I was fine with that, and when he said it's harder when we split off to eat (leaves a lot of left over soup, etc.). I said, "I know, I already feel bad about it." He said he didn't mean it to make me feel bad, it just takes a little more thought. He's hangin' in there, though. He knows it's helping me and he knows it's a struggle for me, too.
Anyways...to answer some of you:
@ladipoet - I miss pizza crust...I love, love, love pizza. I would eat it more than once a week before so it's been super hard for me. I know there are versions of it that don't have the crust (or have a different kind of crust) and I tried one with almond flour/egg. It was 'ok' - but not the same. I have another that's a cheese based crust that I want to try, but haven't yet. I also miss frozen yogurt. It's not the most horrible thing to splurge on, though, so I may just go have some. It was another thing I ate about once a week or so. Mostly everything else has been ok. Sometimes I want pasta, but I'm almost positive that desire is more based on the sauce than the noodle. So I bought a veggie noodle maker thingy I'm going to try. It's kind of inconvenient to have to craft every thing...the ease of packaged foods is greatly missed in my busy life.
@bluefish86 - with the family that's mostly what I do (make stuff that's versatile). My husband is the easiest of the bunch, he'll eat whatever I make and not care too much. I have an 11 year old daughter who recently decided to be vegetarian and a 13 year old step son who will eat only corn and white potatoes for veggies...so I have more than my own needs to balance. It's complicated, but I've been trying to stay positive and also flexible. I've picked up some things for my daughter at the store that she can have (veggie taco meat for taco nights, tofu bacon for breakfasts) and I try to make some form of a white potato and/or corn for my stepson when he is eating with us. I really wish he would eat some green stuff, though, I don't think he's getting enough nutrients (getting bad leg/foot cramps with his ridiculous rate of growth). He's probably about 5'10" by now and wears a size 11-12 men's shoe. The boy is a growing like a weed...I feel bad for his cramps, but you can't make him eat the stuff. (one of my inconvenient eating stories is up above in the first paragraph - it's mild, but still makes me feel sort of bad and inconvenient).
Eating out - I've gotten better at it. Panda used to be a go-to for us, but I'm pretty sure most of their food is carb-rich because of the sauces. I've had a burger with no bun a few times now, and I never have any issues with it. Chipotle is my hero, and sometimes we do breakfast for lunch. It's still not super easy, but I have proclaimed that I can eat something almost anywhere we go. I don't think I've convinced my husband of that yet, but I'll just keep pressing forward with it and hopefully everyone will get used to it with time.
Thanks again, everyone, your kindness and willingness to listen to me ramble is so appreciated. I literally got a little teary-eyed with some of your responses because I was feeling SO frustrated. It was a relief to me to hear any positivity
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christinev297 wrote: »Has anyone actually ordered a McDonalds burger with no bun? Is it awkward to ask and to eat?
boom
I've been doing this since '09...it's gets easier, no brainer these days. I've lost over 100#
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JodehFoster wrote: »
I've been doing this since '09...it's gets easier, no brainer these days. I've lost over 100#christinev297 wrote: »Has anyone actually ordered a McDonalds burger with no bun? Is it awkward to ask and to eat?
That's awesome and also great to hear 0 -
I order burgers without the bun in the drive-thru a lot. Most places know exactly what you mean and put it in a nice little container and give you a knife and fork. Many places offer to lettuce-wrap it instead, but I find that too messy and prefer to eat it with a knife and fork anyway. I think I've only gotten the "what the..." reaction once or twice in 9 months of eating this way and a whole lot of drive-thru trips (McDonald's, Burger King, Carl's Jr, Whataburger, Jack-in-the-Box, Dairy Queen--I think I've done it just about everywhere). It feels awkward at first until you realize that it's not as uncommon as you think it is. And early on when I had people who didn't understand what I wanted, I just ordered it with the bun and removed it myself.0
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Deena_Bean, my doctor suggests magnesium citrate rather than oxide. Apparently we absorb citrate better than oxide. Might help? A multimineral can help too with the cramps and appropriate hydration. I am eating this way to fight candida imbalance in my gut but the additional energy that I have, makes my missed foods worth it.
Some days, it is a painful process for me to learn a new woe, especially when I just want to grab n go!. Choices like: What can I eat at breakfast when my default was muesli. What do I do when the work canteen has added dressings and sauces to most meat and salad options? How can I get what I need at a restaurant or at home without feeling like a fussy little girl having a mid life crisis?
I think what you are experiencing is normal and part of any change in behaviours-it does take time and effort. The joy is that I have found chia pudding and a whole selection of diverse options that I would not have tried before and I am soo much healthier. Keep it up. We are normal and we are doing the best we can to manage us and our unique situations.0 -
After over a year on this WOE all lights are still on green in my case. I have not found one negative that is of concern in my case.
Now the first 90 days was wild and strange from time to time. 0 -
"Pizza crust"-- I love pizza too. even though it was only occasionally. But my family has ordered it and I just simply scrape off the top for my Pizza. The crust is a bread your craving, I would either stay away or send the family to get and eat there pizza out, if you can't just eat the topping.
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It did feel so hard at first! I remember lots of frustration with feeding my husband and son. But, we all made it through, and it got so easy. My husband has finally embraced this woe, to a degree, for himself. Managing to lose 10 pounds over the last two weeks. He does still eat fruit and drink beer, but that hasn't slowed the loss for him. He really likes that. He didn't have much to lose, so I expect he won't lose much more (he is 5'11", 186 pounds now). I believe watching the movie "Fed Up"helped him a lot, plus, he commented that my biceps feel harder than his! What a hoot! And, I haven't begun to workout regularly. So he is truly seeing the results of this woe, up close, and decided he wanted some too!
Hang in there hun! It does get easier, but rant here anytime you need too! Hugs!0 -
Last night my son came to dinner like he does every Wednesday night. We had Caesar salad. Cos lettuce, caesar dressing, bacon, parmesan, grilled chicken, poached egg and anchovies. No one even asked about the missing croutons. Partner and kid thought it was awesome.0
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Depending on tastes, another dinner salad possibility is a Cobb salad. Quoting from Get.smarter.com: "A Cobb salad includes hard-cooked eggs and other toppings on a base of salad greens, such as watercress and Romaine lettuce. Common toppings include avocado, tomato and chicken. Many Cobb salads also include onion, bacon and Roquefort or blue cheese. Cobb salad often features a red-wine vinaigrette dressing, which can be made from scratch. Food Network suggests making the dressing from a base of olive oil, red-wine vinegar and lemon juice. The chef adds Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. After dressing the greens, the toppings are arranged in stripes, starting from the center, for a classic presentation. " Making at home you can control carb content. If you are dining out, some places add croutons or make the dressing with sugar.0
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