Low carb Stabilisation and Maintenance

Gosh yes, Soraya!

I remember now, we swapped posts about our respective cruises a few weeks ago!

I was thinking about mine today. My kids bought me vouchers for TKMaxx for Christmas, and I've said that I'll spend them nearer the holiday on a new wardrobe for the cruise. Particularly a new evening dress or two! The prices are SO cheap and the frocks are SO gorgeous!

How are you feeling about this holiday? Do you feel confident that you won't go and eat everything in sight like a hoover? What strategies will you use to stay 'in control'.

I think you mentioned last time we posted about our cruises, that you had a balcony room? If so you could use the room service and have a healthy breakfast delivered to your room every morning (ust imagine eating it, relaxing on the balcony, looking a the deep blue sea or a tropical beach). That would keep you away from the buffet or the dining room!

My problem would be the evening meal. There are so many courses to chose from. RC and P&O have 'healthy options' though, and will do salads, and veg without butter on request.

Have a fantastic time Soraya, and do tell us all about it when you get back. Better still, go on-line while you're there!
 
I'm back

and I've put on weight - what a surprise! I out on 7lbs on the cruise which was fine. But then I had appendicitis and ended up in hospital comfort eating. The end result is I'm back home as of yesterday and weigh 158lbs. Oddly enough I'm pretty calm about it. I've gone to a modified 780 today and feel OK. I know that I can bring the weight down with some effort.

It seems that maintenance for me is not about my weight being the same all the time, but not hiding in a pack of crisps if it goes up (that was my old coping strategy that got me to 200lbs!). It's about just calmly facing it and saying that's not the number I want, let's go get the number I want.

That's the theory, let's hope it works. Am catching up on the posts. Can't believe how much has happened in a month!
 
Welcome Back Soraya!

I was just thinking that you would be due back any time now.

It sounds like you are behaving like a slim person. I hope I do that when I return from my cruise (minus the appendicitis, that is).

It's not the weight gain, it's how you deal with it! Good luck. Keep us posted!
 
Thanks AmandaJayne. DAy 1 went fine and am now in day 2 with what feels like a ketosis headache. Strangely enough that makes me happy!

BTW The cruise was great! Had read mixed reports about the Arcadia but it was fantastic. The cabin was spotless and we had this giant balcony (E135) if your a deck plan addict like me. I did a load of things I wouldn't have done before I lost weight - I went ziplining, kayaking, snorkelling - which I always did do, but this time it was so much easier getting in and out of the boat. There was a woman on one trip who was the size I was before I started losing and she was worried about geting back up the boat ladder and it really brought home to me how much my quality of life had changes. I did Tai Chi , pilates and yoga and did loads of walking around the ports. Also, it is much easier dressing up when your slimmer.

Seems to me that when I build memories like that, it helps a lot. Plus my DH has put on 10lbs and just isn't bothered. He says it'll soon come off and he's back in the gym so I'm imitating his behaviour a bit as he's very fit.
 
Well done you.

You've proved that it can be done.

What did you do for dinner? Did you ask for half portions or just eat a bit of everything and leave the rest? What about breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea? Chocoholics buffet? Alcohol?

Or did you think and behave like a slim person and not agonise over everything!
 
Hi Soraya, this is the first time I've read this thread, and it is very interesting for me, as we are much the same, weight wise. I put on weight over Christmas, and went up to 165 lbs, I am now down to 153lbs, but am off to Prague for my birthday tomorrow, for 4 days. My goal weight is 151 lbs but ideally, I would like to be 144 - 147 lbs. I shall watch your thread with interest, as I too feel better, and cope better, with a low carb approach.
thanks, Ann x
 
Hi Westhills, I follow your posts as I think we went through similar phases at the same time! Well done on dealing with the weight. It does seem to be a continous battle. For me the main difference is that this time I know I have weapons to win with thanks to CD.

AmandaJayne - you sound just like me before I left for the cruise. I ate what I wanted. I decided not to have crisps and didn't as they are my addiction trigger. I ate pretty low carb and had eggs for breakfast, for lunch had salads -easy to do in the heat. In the evenings I ate what I wanted off the menu but skipped courses so had starter and main course but no soup, salad and often no dessert.No sweet tooth, but if they had something I really wanted I had it. I sometimes had cheese as I like it and it's low carb. I didn't have potatoes with my meals and stayed away from the petit four and pillow chocs. I had some wine but mainly water. After the first two days though it was a routine and the waiters stopped offering me potatoes and assumed ~i wasn't having soup etc. I did go for afternoon tea twice, and had some snacky stuff like samosas. Not being a chocaholic I went to Tai Chi not the buffet. But I wasn't a saint and had taken nuts for me to snack on and I did have burgers and fries twice. Mainly because I kept coming back to the ship between lunch and dinner.

Food is tricky, but I was very active and just enjoyed the things to do rather than the food - so different to before!

Which ports are you going to and what excursions have you organised?
 
Thanks for your reply Soraya,

It's too early to get the information about excursions yet (and I have to pay the balance of the holiday in March, gulp). I can't remember all the places we are going to but they include Gibralta and Cadiz!

The waiters really do catch on quick to their guests needs. Last year I asked for a green salad to accompany my main meal and after a couple of days they brought me one every time. They also quickly caught on that I drank a lot of water, and kept me filled up!

I think you had the balance right Soraya, it sounds like you made choices that were healthy for at the time. I mean, there is nothing wrong with a healthy balance - I want to be able to eat what I want, within normal limits, and not feel guilty if I eat ice cream or chocolate or chips occasionally - because that is what normal people do.
 
It was all going so well, I'd lost 3.5lbs and then was doing some work with a client (I'm a life coach) and suddenly had a blinding realisation about something and that was the end of that! Been eating like there's no tomorrow. Have to say that I thought that I had done the work that I needed to when I was training as a counsellor. But this was a biggie related to my weight as well!

Am going to try and get back up again there today:break_diet:
 
Right, have gone back to SS to dtop the binging. Strangely enough, have lost some weight, but suspect that it was because my body couldn't deal with the food and my stomach has been upset for three days now.

Feel a lot better about being in the safe refuge of SS until I'm in ketosis again.

Also find that when I'm off track I don't come here so am coming on every morning and using it to shape my day. Am also using ketostix and all putting all my powders in ramekins and setting alarms to make sure I drink the water. It's like setting the stage for the show!

Fingers crossed this works.
 
Hia Soraya!

Just when you think you are safe, something from the past rears up and bites you on the bum! I hope you're feeling better about whatever upset you the other day.

I suppose we have to realise that we are always going to have to be on our guard, because stuff is always going to happen which could de-stabilize us at any time.

Oh well, I'll just have to take things 'one day at a time'!

Glad you're back with us, anyway!
 
Ummm. So sorry I missed this. You know hun, knowing what you should do is only a tiny bit of it isn't it.

I wonder how many of us thought we had cracked it every time we managed to control something.

It just goes on and on tested us doesn't it. Wouldn't it be nice if we passed the test and could just move on to being normal, but it's not like that eh. You just keep get giving new tests.

Some are easier than others, but on the whole the test become less and less.

Good to see you back with us, at least you've stopped it quick. Bet you wouldn't have done that before :)
 
"It just goes on and on tested us doesn't it. Wouldn't it be nice if we passed the test and could just move on to being normal, but it's not like that eh. You just keep get giving new tests"

Hear, hear, Karion! It never ends, like ironing!
 
Thanks for the support guys, it's really helped.

I plucked up the courage to call my brother last night and bless him he spent two hours on the phone confirming that I wasn't mad. It's not a big deal just an instance of not good enough parenting! But it hit me hard for some reason. I spent a few days eating before I realised I was angry not hungry!

Anyway I'm back. it's funny that at one time something like this would have derailed me for months and I'd have put on weight loads of it. At least now I know that there may be other things lurking that you suddenly remember from another point of view and may be upsetting.

But I can't control my past, but I can do something about today.

There's a lady at my gym who started LL today, she's so excited that she'll be in ketosis on Friday. I was wishing I could and suddenly realised I actually could. All of a sudden the switch flipped in my head and there I was on CD and not trying anymore.
 
:) And guess who was in ketosis yesterday:) Two days ahead of plan. When I looked back although I have been eating, it's been low carb so that's helped.

Now it's time to see the weight leave.

Such a relief to be back in ketosis, there was a stage there when I thought that I would never see it again.

Am away this weekend to see a show in Glasgow but am planning to stick to my lc 790. I know it's possible so let's hope it works.
 
After the weekend away the weight is at 155 - Yay. 5lbs to go to get to my post Christmas weight.

Only deviation from plan over the weekend was two slimline G&T's. Even though we stopped at some great tearooms and things.

Am almost off CD packs now altogether and totally low carb/ low GI and it seem to be working. Two weeks to go to the company weekend away and I hope to be back to the 140's by then.
 
Aah, I just noticed a day or two ago that my menu seems to be a bit odd. I'm doing low carb but am currently at 790 cals and the packs seem to have disappeared. I onlt noticed this when talking to my CDC on Monday.

Cals carb
CD pack 137 14.1
brie 30g 79.5 0.2
rondele 16.6g 56.4 0.2
cam 30g 79.5 0.2
smoked turkey 100g 131 1.3
1/2 pack salad leaves 8 0

chicken breast 80g 75 0
mushrooms 100g raw 13 0.4
broccoli 80g raw 48 2.2

9 zero carb meringue pieces36 0
low carb jam 1 tsp 24 0
cream 10g 46.7 0.16
choc ginger 10g 5 0 5

Total 784.14 23.76

I also take a multi vit. CDC and I aren't sure what to do. If I was doing pure Ongoing Weight Loss as per Atkins then this would be fine, but it is not what CD recommend. It is working though as I'm back to losing weight again. But can't seem to stick to CD 790 and it's kind of this or binging so I may stay at this for a week and then bring the cals up to 1000 going through the calories stages again.
 
running out of coping strategies..

OK - does everyone else have a normal life? I had people staying this weekend, was away the weekend before that and this coming weekend am off to an AwayDay which they're holding in a place renowned for its food. AAAGH.

I'm running out of ways to cope.

Have managed not to put on this weekend, but this coming one is doomed. Also DH is away this week and my old habits when he was away was to go to McD's.

OK - I'm going to eat on plan this week, should be down to 152 by Sat and by the time I get back on Monday will be back at 154 and then I have a few weeks of stability before going offshore in April when I'll be able to lose the last 7lbs from my hols. I hope.

Does this sound reasonable/possible advice would be really welcome or I can see me putting on a lot over this week.
 
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