Low carb is the way forward!

[Spanglymum]

Annoyed with myself. I did fine yesterday but because of previous wobbles am now feeling bloated all over :-(. I can't believe how much carbs affect me. I've also got PMT, which isn't helping my mood and size! All my clothes are tight. Some I can't even attempt, and my arms and back feel really grotty and swollen. Aargh.

Just need to get a grip. Eating all this fat and calories is fine if you're in ketosis but if I keep cheating with carbs/alcohol I'll just gain and gain and gain. Getting scared I'm going to get really big again. Thinking of going back to LL for a couple of weeks to get properly in ketosis and get my head sorted.

Panicking a bit that I've blown all my hard work and am going to end up size 22 again unless I pull myself together. I know I'm being a bit irrational but it's scary to feel I'm gaining after finally making it to goal last year :-(

 

[triage999]

Annoyed with myself. I did fine yesterday but because of previous wobbles am now feeling bloated all over :-(. I can't believe how much carbs affect me. I've also got PMT, which isn't helping my mood and size! All my clothes are tight. Some I can't even attempt, and my arms and back feel really grotty and swollen. Aargh.

Just need to get a grip. Eating all this fat and calories is fine if you're in ketosis but if I keep cheating with carbs/alcohol I'll just gain and gain and gain. Getting scared I'm going to get really big again. Thinking of going back to LL for a couple of weeks to get properly in ketosis and get my head sorted.

Panicking a bit that I've blown all my hard work and am going to end up size 22 again unless I pull myself together. I know I'm being a bit irrational but it's scary to feel I'm gaining after finally making it to goal last year :-(

Please don't panic!!! Your human........draw a line!

Atkins really does work, LL will do you no favours!!! Been there, done that and have the 6 shirts to prove it due to yo yo'ing because of LL ( I am now taking a leaf outta your book and contradicting yourself as stated in an earlier post that said I could)

Clean and green Missy, so what, you've had a blip!!!

It'll be carb water retention if anything else!!

Trust this woe from a girl that's currently sat at home at 6am drinking wine and eating peanuts on induction.....but has also lost 20+ lbs this year!! (oh n just finished nights so technically it's my evening) how's that for justifying oneself!!

You know it makes sense!!!

Now draw that line as said and chin up!!!! It's the most fantastic diet you will ever do, and that's a promise when you get into the swing of it xx

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[Spanglymum]

Your message was so kind and supportive. Thank you. I wish I could report a squeaky clean and green night but sadly I went completely off the rails last night. I still don't really know what happened. One minute I was happily sipping a g and t and the next I was waking up in bed fully clothed. Terrible. Alcohol and ketosis DO NOT MIX.

Anyway - hubby was really worried, understandably, and it's prompted much soul-searching and deep conversations in the wee small hours. He's been amazing actually.

I realise I've been using food and alcohol for YEARS as my way of 'coping' when I'm stressed. I can't seem to admit when I'm finding things difficult, so I blunt the anxiety with carbs and alcohol. Thing is, having lost weight and being much smaller than before, and having been low-carbing, my body just can't take it.

Why am I confessing all this? I suppose because by being really open I'm hoping I will be able to change my behaviour...

Have told my boss I'm stressed... Was scared to tell him but he's been fantastic too, so I know I'll be able to improve things... Get on top of work, reorganise work, set boundaries etc so I don't take on too much.

Thing is, I've got two daughters (3 and 6), a husband with MS (retired on medical grounds), and a full-time job managing a 28-person department, which is a one and a half hour drive away. I'm not making excuses, but I think there are reasons why I've not been coping very well.

 

[triage999]

Your message was so kind and supportive. Thank you. I wish I could report a squeaky clean and green night but sadly I went completely off the rails last night. I still don't really know what happened. One minute I was happily sipping a g and t and the next I was waking up in bed fully clothed. Terrible. Alcohol and ketosis DO NOT MIX.

Anyway - hubby was really worried, understandably, and it's prompted much soul-searching and deep conversations in the wee small hours. He's been amazing actually.

I realise I've been using food and alcohol for YEARS as my way of 'coping' when I'm stressed. I can't seem to admit when I'm finding things difficult, so I blunt the anxiety with carbs and alcohol. Thing is, having lost weight and being much smaller than before, and having been low-carbing, my body just can't take it.

Why am I confessing all this? I suppose because by being really open I'm hoping I will be able to change my behaviour...

Have told my boss I'm stressed... Was scared to tell him but he's been fantastic too, so I know I'll be able to improve things... Get on top of work, reorganise work, set boundaries etc so I don't take on too much.

Thing is, I've got two daughters (3 and 6), a husband with MS (retired on medical grounds), and a full-time job managing a 28-person department, which is a one and a half hour drive away. I'm not making excuses, but I think there are reasons why I've not been coping very well.

Agreed you do have a lot on your plate, but it's the same old habit of food/alcohol for comfort when things are going wrong/not as planned!

Tell us what your finding difficult about Atkins in particular? We are a wealth if information and really do want to help!

I hold down a full time job that is shift work including nights and it too is a really very stressful job (I deal 24/7 with rape and serious sexual assault victims) and I have 4 kids, a 20 year old two 12 year olds and a 7 year old, oh and a 3 year old Grandaughter belonging to my 20 year old! ( by the way did I tell you I was only 34!!)

So I can fully understand where your coming from on the kids/stress levels...oh and my love of dry white wine!

Yes alcohol and Ketosis can be a dangerous combo if your not eating properly and your tolerance levels will have dropped considerably not just because there are a lack of carbs to soak it up!! so just be aware of that!

So......tell us in bullet point if easier your main concerns and I'm sure between this lovely bunch we can address some xx

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[Spanglymum]

let me see...

Probs with Atkins? I think mainly worries, which I know are all in my head, but a whole "it seems too good to be true" thing going on.

1. Will I be able to lose weight on it?
2. Do I need to count calories?
3. Should I weigh/measure my meals until I have a better idea of portion sizes?
4. How do I avoid getting tempted by biscuits?!
5. What can I do instead of pouring a drink?

By the way, a lot of these I probably know answers to already... but it helps to start airing the anxieties I think

 

[triage999]

1. Will I be able to lose weight on it? Definitely!!! ( I too had this worry as many others do, I didn't get the science behind it....read the book and also highly recommend Gary Taubes, Why we get fat and what to do about it! He also has some vids on YouTube to get you started!)

2. Do I need to count calories? No!!!! Just eat within the limits set, and when your hungry!!! Eat fat to lose fat!!!

3. Should I weigh/measure my meals until I have a better idea of portion sizes? Sometimes, make sure you get some cup measures.....stay strict with veg and salad until you know what a portion should look like! Eat everything else freely within the allowance!

4. How do I avoid getting tempted by biscuits?! Go to the low carb megastore online and purchase a treat alternative if it really that bad, or Atkins bars from boots, these can sometimes stall though so be sure it's only an occasional treat! Or look at the MIM thread for sweet alternatives!

5. What can I do instead of pouring a drink? Find a hobby, an interest, what do you love to do??!!

I still have my alcohol however

J xx

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[Spanglymum]

Thing is I've read the books, believe the science, but for some reason seem to think it won't work for ME!!! Madness!

(Gary Taubes in particular is brilliant. I didn't know he was on You Tube. I'll have a look.)

I think it's just a remnant of the 'fats are bad' indoctrination... So scary and weird to actually savour food. Feels wrong somehow!

 

[Jim]

Hi spangly, yes it can be difficult to overcome years of indoctrination can't it love.

 

[Kat1e]

Hi spangly, if you stick with it then eventually the mind catches up

 

[Spanglymum]

I'm sure it does but I don't know if I can wait (weight?!) that long! Finally stepped on the scales yesterday and I was horrified. I need to take drastic action as I'm gaining . I think Atkins would work for me as maintenance if I weigh/measure and am very careful about nuts, cream and cheese - but at the moment it's been too tempting to eat just too much - and falling off the wagon with alcohol and some carbs has made my body swell up with glycogen and water (and probably, let's face it, some fat too )

Feel really rubbish - but I'm going to tackle this. I need to work out why I feel the urge to "cheat". It's almost as though I feel deep down that I don't deserve to be as slim as I was at Christmas (see avatar). Can you believe I've gained 20lb since then?!!!! I can't believe that's even possible! My body is bizarre.

I know when I've done VLCD in the past I've lost 10lb in the first week, so I think my body is just mega-efficient at creating glycogen (and the attached water molecules) - so I'm sure half of it can be gone quite quickly but still...

 

[Jim]

Morning spangly, I find that if I cheat on Atkins it seems to put weight on more quickly than other diets, except maybe the VLCD's not sure why that would be, conversly I find that if i stick to it strictly, then the weight loss is faster, but the biggest plus for me is i feel so good when I do it clean and green, all that energy.

 

[Spanglymum]

Mad, isn't it? Our bodies are strange things!

Feeling much more positive today. At least I've faced up to the reality of the numbers and can start doing something about it. I guess after 20-odd years of using alcohol/carbs to "cope" with stress it's going to take some time to unlearn those behaviours. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself as I know that if I beat myself up it will be a trigger to keep going off-road... I want to get back in the zone!

 

[Spanglymum]

And had a bit of a eureka moment this morning. I already knew one of my triggers is tiredness. I think the others are basically carb addiction and self pity!

I was doing much better at maintaining when I was focusing on the positive things in my life (and there are lots!) and not running myself down by dwelling on the difficulties.

Time to pull myself together!!

 

[Alpaca]

Morning Spangly and well done on the eureka moment!!

Onwards and downwards from here on in!! Xxx

 

[Kat1e]

Morning spangly - always good to focus on the postive

 

[Jim]

Morning spangly, yes, positive it is