RebeccaMaunder wrote: »

Thank you both. That helps a little.

Also you can still be low carb without being full keto? Maybe you need to up your carb limit a little?

I am working with a little under 100g of carbs most days and it's just perfect for me to still be able to manage life and focus on wellness.

Could you add more carbs without it derailing you completely? Or would a little carbs turn into all the carbs?

I chose a higher carb limit to keep myself from the binge - restrict cycle. It's working in that I am still loosing, but I still have weeks of carb crazy before I pull it in again. It's been 7 months for me so far.

We've all been there! Don't feel the need to hide in shame, there's no place for shame here, we're all struggling with food issues and aren't here to judge.

When I've either intentionally or unintentionally consumed more carbs than I would prefer and have triggered cravings, I try to do a bit of a carb detox and focus on the fatty foods I love the most, even if they're not all what I consider the ideal food choice, I use them as a crutch to get rid of the cravings. I turn to eggs, bacon, cheese and Italian meats. Those are all things I enjoy as much as I'd enjoy a slice of bread.

Are there any LCHF foods that you really enjoy that you can use as a crutch during this time? And if you count calories too, I'd recommend not worrying about the calories while you're dealing with the cravings. Eat what you need, don't fight the hunger, just try to keep it LCHF, you'll find that as the cravings pass, the hunger will fall too.

RebeccaMaunder wrote: »

Hey everyone,

2. Is there some suggestions for easy and quick foods that I can use for snacks/lunches cause I am finding that to be a struggle. I know that when I am home in the mornings I can eat breakfast, most of the time but I find that there are days I just don't know what to make at any given time to make food fast and easy as well as have snacks for on the go or at work so that I am not dipping into hours and hours of not eating?

Have you seen the Linda's Low Carb site? I've given you the link that ties to one of her sections with quiche recipes. Quiche can be frozen. Bake a quiche (I bake two at a time), let it cool completely, then cut it into portions and lay them separately on something to put them in the freezer. I spread mine out on a tupperware cake carrier. When they are frozen you can put the servings in a plastic freezer bag to save space and since they were frozen separately they will not freeze together and you can take out one at a time. It will be easy to grab one to take to work and it will be thawed by lunch time ready to pop into a microwave to heat. She has other casseroles and goodies that can also be frozen in single portions.

No, this isn't fast, but it is efficient. You can spend a day cooking and baking quiches, casseroles, chicken, pork chops, hamburger, etc., and freeze it all that night and the next day. While two quiche are in the oven, mix together a couple of casseroles to go in when the quiche come out. While the casseroles are in the oven, thaw and prepare Tillapia to go in when the casseroles come out. Then bake some chicken or pork chops. Since you're in the kitchen anyway, hard boil a couple dozen eggs for use in tuna salad or just eating out of hand. Make sure to use your Crock Pot for something, too. Depending on how much you actually make, you will have the next couple of weeks with little or no need to do any cooking.

If anyone does try to cook and freeze like this, please don't wash your dishes. If you mix up a quiche in a mixing bowl and use a spatula to scrape it all into your baking dish, the mixing bowl and spatula don't really need to be washed before you use them to mix up a casserole. Really!

No big deal on falling off the wagon. It happens to us all!

I agree to up the fat until you get over carb cravings! I usually bring leftovers for lunch but in a pinch I get a bunless burger out somewhere. I like to buy these Frigo beef and cheddar sticks in the cheese aisle for when random hunger strikes. I also drink coffee with heavy cream and that seems to stave off hunger. Tea with heavy cream is good too!

My first couple of weeks keto I didn't even worry about calories. I just ate whenever I was hungry as long as it fit into my carbs! Now that I'm used to the diet I have a lot of days where I am just not hungry or I'm not uncomfortably hungry at least.

I too have fallen off the wagon. I was doing really well for about a month. I did not lose a lot of weight but I felt better less bloated and my clothes fit better. I had a graduation over the weekend and I went off plan and drank beer also. I now feel horrible I am bloated my pants are tight and I am so fatigued, I am trying to get back on track and I do good part of the day and by dinner I am off the rails. I am reading all the posts and that seems to help motivate me. thank you all for all support.

I regularly fall off the wagon. But I dust myself off and climb right back up.
Welcome back.

It's great that you've come back. Many wouldn't and would just continue on with what wasn't working... Good for you!

I'm another who likes batch cooking. I always make extra for leftovers. When I make burgers, my family will only eat about 4 at a meal so I make 7 so I have some fast lunches. If I want a salmon patty for breakfast I'll cook 2 or 3 so I have food for a snack or lunch tomorrow. The same goes for all dinners. Leftovers are my friends.

I also keep cheese, nuts, and pepperoni on hand for snacking but I can overeat on those so I try not to use them too much. Try being the key word there. LOL

Just keep at it. Some weeks I eat more and some I eat less, as long as the scale trend is good, I go with it.

Welcome back.

I've fallen off the wagon and eaten every sweet thing in sight while down. Had at least 6 cookies today and 2 candy bars. You are not alone.

I'm single & don't like to cook much, so quick & simple is always my goal. For snacks I have almonds (carefully counted out), beef sticks, string cheese, & sometimes an Atkins bar.

One of my easiest meals is a low-carb tortilla, spread cream cheese & seasonings on it, and set a cucumber onto it which has been halved lengthwise. Roll it up and eat. I may have something else small with it, but I'm more of a grazer and don't eat big meals.

I fell off the wagon quite badly for a month and gained back 10 of the 35lbs that it took me a year to lose :-(. But like the OP I've been struggling off and on since Christmas/New year when I made a conscious decision to have a month off. I'm classing myself as officially back on track even though I have only been back for 4-5 days ;-), I'm 7lbs down since Saturday and haven't had any nastiness like keto flu (yet).

Keep at it, the first few days are always the hardest as you get the carbs out of your system. I think we need a sticky 'fallen off the wagon' thread ;-)

I just posted in the meticulous May thread, its been quite a lesson for me to watch myself be on track for 40 days, then off for 10 days, then regain equilibrium. Certainly eaitng a main meal for brunch has really set my days up well.
Then having one whole day where I did nothing, talked to no one, just ate really well, watched romantic reality tv, and read MFP off and on for about maybe 3 hours over the day, responding to lots of posts, and connecting in.

Those 2 things seemed to have really re set me.. Though I have decided to make time for an hour or more across the day/night, on this site, to keep me inspired, connected, and feel the warmth of this community for a happy high, rather than the seductive but very short lasting happy high I get form a few days of going with the flow of 'regular food an treats'. The joke is, when on track - I always feel so good, sooo good.