Back after a long hiatus and could use some encouragement

Sugarbeat
Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
Hello, some here may remember me, some may not. I see my NSV thread is still going :) . Anyway, I did LCHF successfully for about 6 months and saw some success, though not much weight loss. My kids' summer schedules, which were far busier than I imagined they would be, took off and I slowly slid back to eating carbs. And now I'm paying for it. I feel horrible, I have no idea what my BG levels are because of a mix up between my Dr. and pharmacist regarding the prescription. I expect my sugar levels are way up, though. I'm TRYING to get back to LCHF but its harder than it was last time. Part of it is convenience, I admit. As my kids get older I find their schedules get busier and as yet they don't drive. I want them to be active, but I'd like to be active too :) . So, any suggestions on easy LCHF meals/menus for when one literally has an hour at home before needing to be somewhere else? Right now things are sort of calm but they will pick up again in June and will be full throttle until the middle of December. I think if I have some easy options on hand maybe I can do better at sticking to it. Hopefully one or both of my girls will be driving by this summer but we still will only have one car so convenience will be an issue for a couple more years at least. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. I'm hoping that putting it here it will make me stick to it.

Replies

  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    I make turkey or ham roll ups with or without a romaine leaf, cheese and mayo. Great win h some avocado and a strip of bacon too. Make up a bunch and keep in a container ready to grab a couple.
    Pepperoni and provolone is great rolled up too. Lightly coat the inside of the cheese with some Italian or vinegrette dressing.
    You could cook up some scrambled eggs with crumbled sausage and peppers and possibly season it with chipotle or any Mexican or southwest type spices and add cheese. Keep it ready to eat in a container. Warm up just what you want and eat it like a taco in a romaine leaf. Or as a burrito with low carb tortilla if your carb allowance fits it.
  • LowCarbInScotland
    LowCarbInScotland Posts: 1,027 Member
    Hi! Welcome back, I'm new around here, but have been eating low carb for years, and finally figured over the last year that adding in the fat is the solution.

    For breakfast, you could whip up a batch of frittatas in a muffin pan for the week, freeze them and pop a couple in the oven or microwave each morning. With some crumbled sausage and cheese, along with some low carb veg if you fancy, they're a great way to start the day.

    For quick lunches, I often buy a bag of rocket (arugula) and some pre cooked meat and toss it in a bowl with some creamy low carb dressing for lunch. If you have the carbs to spare, you can get a bag of salad that offers more variety.

    Keep dinners simple, one meat, one veg. Not sure if you cook for your kids, but if you do and you make them normal kid stuff like spaghetti or various casserole type dishes, just reserve some of the meat for yourself and a portion of low carb veg and toss them in a small sauté pan together with some olive oil or animal fat of your choice.

    If you're grabbing fast food with your kids, nearly everywhere will accommodate low carb requests. Get a burger without the bun. Order a fajita without the tortilla, most sandwich shops will give you the sandwich fillings rolled in lettuce or as a salad.

    If you find you need to get more fat in, a Bulletproof coffee will do the trick. I'll often have a couple tablespoons of coconut cream for dessert if I had lean meat for dinner. If you like mayo, add a dollop to your dish.

    I'm on a deviled egg kick for lunch right now and they're really quick to make.

    You can do this!! :smile:
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    Welcome back.
    I remember ya.

    I plan my day's meals ahead the night before and log them. Sometimes that means making a couple servings of something ahead so I can go in and grab it. I always keep it simple. Which is good, because by the time I'm done fixing 5 other people lunch, I'm ravenous. Cold cut rollups with cheese in the middle. Leftover meat nuked and mixed with mayo.

    @PaleoInScotland had some good suggestions.
    I'm not that helpful. Because my life is mostly lived in this house.
    You can do this. :smile:
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    Welcome back.

    I find when I eat out in places I DID NOT eat at before LCHF Way Of Eating I do OK. When I go to places that I ate at on the old WOE I find the desire to get a dessert can be very strong.

    Our old habits evolved over many years so it is easy to drop back into them I find.

    In my case I have to tell myself I can choose to eat for either Life or Death but not both.

    I have never drank alcohol but from what I heard many have a problem with abusing it unless they totally do not touch it. I think I am the same way with carbs in sugar containing deserts. I can stop eating carbs like in coconut flakes and almonds OK but not so much if it is ice cream, cake, pies and the like. One carb from those sources call for 10,000 more carbs from the same source ASAP. :(
  • cedarsidefarm
    cedarsidefarm Posts: 163 Member
    Glad to meet you. I'm new and a 1st time LCHF Dieter.

    I watched my poor mother for years go from one low calorie diet to another, gaining weight each time, getting heavier and heavier. She got Type 2 diabetes and reached over 200 pounds and her doctors still put her on a low calorie diet. Sometimes she would lose and sometimes she would not lose, but she always, always regained the weight and then some.

    So, I am NOT going to take the road she did. It didn't work for her and has caused her many illnesses. There has to be a better way to lose weight and stave off diabetes. Now that I am over 50 the weight doesn't drop off like it use to.

    I've been on the Always Hungry diet for about a month and I already feel better. My ankles and wrists stopped hurting and the swelling has noticeably decreased (my doctor said I was getting RA, wait until I tell her about this.) I feel full for the 1st time in my life and have so much energy.

    Even if the weight I gained from quitting smoking doesn't drip off, I'm already ahead of the game with the decreased symptoms from RA.

    I haven't cheated but I do have to tell you that every morning when I'm half awake and not paying much attention, I reach for the sugar bowl and even gotten so far as to put sugar in my coffee cup. But then I stop myself and add heavy cream to my coffee instead. I would hide the sugar bowl except my hubby needs to gain weight and sugar and starches seem to help him.
  • lizpitts
    lizpitts Posts: 67 Member
    I'm just getting back into it again, too. I find that having everything I will need and some stuff prepared and ready to eat makes it easier. Some of my staples are lunch meats, cheese, tuna salad, deviled eggs, celery (when I need a crunchy snack). Also, chocolate fat bombs, cream cheese clouds and low carb cheesecake. I really feel a lot better when I eat this way, more energy, less stomach upsets. I just bought the book Always Hungry?. Looks like it will be an interesting read
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    Welcome Back! Missed you! It's like everyone is coming back :)

    things I do for ease, pre portion bags of almonds for snacks, salami and swiss roll ups, I buy 1 lb of each at a time now, I never used to. but that or ham and swiss are my go to when I'm in a hurry and need something. I don't add anything to them. if I have time I'll do ham and swiss in the microwave till all melty, it's so good.

    I was doing egg cups on the weekends making a big batch then just warm them up in the am for breakfast on my way out the door.

    Once you get in the swing of things it gets so much easier and you remember all your go to's from before.
  • KarlaYP
    KarlaYP Posts: 4,436 Member
    Welcome back!! I remember you too!! So great to see you again!! :smiley:

    Yes to all of the above recommendations!!
  • carom
    carom Posts: 188 Member
    I am just getting back into this properly also, so Welcome Back! yesterday I was feeling bored with my food (already!) so last night, once hubbys dinner was in the oven I threw in some sausages to cook for snacks. made some hamburger patties for tonight and made myself a baked meat thing for about 6 lunches and boiled some eggs. I feel a bit better today like I don't need to think about my food as much. Breakfast was boiled egg, cheese and butter. lunch will be baked thing plus avocado and hamburgers for dinner! too easy. I hope to keep this kind of batch cooking up it makes it so much easier.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    carom wrote: »
    I am just getting back into this properly also, so Welcome Back! yesterday I was feeling bored with my food (already!) so last night, once hubbys dinner was in the oven I threw in some sausages to cook for snacks. made some hamburger patties for tonight and made myself a baked meat thing for about 6 lunches and boiled some eggs. I feel a bit better today like I don't need to think about my food as much. Breakfast was boiled egg, cheese and butter. lunch will be baked thing plus avocado and hamburgers for dinner! too easy. I hope to keep this kind of batch cooking up it makes it so much easier.

    I've gotten to the point where I just batch cook ground beef. I don't bother with patties. I call it burger in a bowl or deconstructed hamburger. Takes less time and is SO easy to store! LOL @carom
  • lowjax75
    lowjax75 Posts: 589 Member
    Welcome back! I'm new so don't remember you, but it I've been down your path 5 or 6 times already. This is my most successful attempt.

    If you only have an hour, I would recommend Extreme Low Carb Meals on the Go.
    http://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Lo-Carb-Meals-Go-Solutions/dp/1593372140

    I have it and there some great recipes in it. They all take 15 minutes or less, so it is great if you are pressed for time.
  • camtosh
    camtosh Posts: 898 Member
    Welcome back! KCKO!
  • _nicole_jane
    _nicole_jane Posts: 17 Member
    Saving for the great ideas. Thanks!
  • cynlyn2010
    cynlyn2010 Posts: 73 Member
    I've not been as diligent with my diet the last few months, and I can tell the difference! The more carbs I eat, the less energy I have and the more I hurt. So why do I do that to myself? I stalled on my weight loss and just started slacking off. This last week, I'm back, and it was easier than I thought to fall right back in. That is why I love this WOE so much. It's so easy!
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    cynlyn2010 wrote: »
    I've not been as diligent with my diet the last few months, and I can tell the difference! The more carbs I eat, the less energy I have and the more I hurt. So why do I do that to myself? I stalled on my weight loss and just started slacking off. This last week, I'm back, and it was easier than I thought to fall right back in. That is why I love this WOE so much. It's so easy!

    Honestly? Our brains are hardwired to forget the hard stuff. It makes it easier to heal from trauma and tragedy. We're lazy as a species by nature. And we love to feel good from food.

    So any progress is always an uphill battle.

    But, what we gain the most, @cynlyn2010 , seems to be perspective. We might have noticed for 12 months of 50 pounds or whatever before. We can SEE now once the pains are significant...we can focus on them again.

    Just like a make a mental choice to reaffirm my love for my SO every day, I make a mental commitment on my dietary intake daily, too. Last night, I was dying for something, anything sweet after dinner, but I did a whole system check and I really wasn't hungry, so I kind of mentally told myself to stuff it, and got busy doing something else... It's never easy, but it is rewarding. I have to stay really mindful or the siren song of forgetfulness takes over my senses...

    (HUGS) And KUDOS to you for getting right back in it! :)
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    Welcome back!
    I do a lot of batch-cooking, too, and the lunchmeat/cheese rollups or similar when I'm in a rush.
  • esaucier17
    esaucier17 Posts: 694 Member
    I am just getting back too. So I know how you feel. I gained about 10-15 lbs back in the last 2 months. I actually cried the other day when I finally weighed myself. Life is crazy and stressful.
    But I am back now! Welcome back to you too! We can do this!