Moonlights' (temporary) Maintenance
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moonlights
Gold Member
Well I'll be back on the atkins wagon on Tuesday, far far later than planned. Looking forward to it though I'm not sure I'll weigh until the Friday after... But who knows. Have eaten anything I wanted these past 2 weeks (before that I couldn't taste anything, so no point) and can honestly say that nothing has been as good as it was in my head and nothing has been so memorable and tasty that I've wanted to have it again. Well except one tasty chicken and leek thing which was low carb anyway and I'm going to try and work out my own recipe for that.
Foods I want to try and make when back on plan:
Chicken Breton
(chicken and leek in creamy sauce)
Haddock and celeriac fish cakes
Haddock and cheesy sauce
Beef and celeriac casserole
I'm craving fish lately which is odd as I rarely eat it and don't really know how to cook it.
My biggest issue will probably be that Ive had some bad news regarding how malnourished I am (very and dangerously, basically) and - though the NHS is going to take forever sorting it all out its going to mean yet more meds along with parental replacements (blood transfusion and IV infusions). So I'll have to wait and see whether that has an effect. I've been at the hospital practically every week this summer and it's not all sorted yet, so it may take a while. Trying to get different departments working together is like herding cats.
Is anyone watching the hairy bikers diet show? Love those boys but the more I watch the more I think it's a crying shame they're not doing Atkins and I don't think their show will be much help to anyone. It's another show like 'eat yourself thin' where they come up with low calorie versions of regular meals. Last night they made pies using pizza crust as the pastry which feels pointless to me - the pie filling served with cauli rice or celeriac mash would have been much tastier, even lower calorie and more nutritious than wrapping their meat in what is basically just flour, yeast and water.
Plus they have dieting mindsets much like me when I calorie counted. Dave said 'these pies are 300 cals so you can have 4 of them within the 1200 calorie limit!!"
Yes you can and then you can not be satisfied and go hunting for something more. The portions of various foods (like curry, the pies, etc) are also noticeably smaller than the portions of the high calorie foods. Not so miraculous a drop in calories, after all.
Don't get me wrong, calorie counting works. Most diets do if you stick to them. But for me I was always hungry. On Atkins I'm less hungry and often eat less calories than I did while calorie counting -and- if I do get hungry, I can eat protein and it won't affect my loss!
Also their doctor put the two boys, both close to 20 stone, on 1300 calorie per day diets. That's a woman's calorie intake range. Then, after they each lost a stone, he told them to lower it to 1200. If the show is giving people the idea that they should start an an unhealthily low calorie intake and then lower it by 100 calories with every stone lost then it could be a problem. The lads are losing about a stone a month - I reckon they might lose faster eating more.
But really, why didn't they go low carb. Lots of yummy meat and butter and tasty veggies in good portions - should be right up their street. I'd love a cookery show telling me how to make creative low carb dinners.
Ah well!
Foods I want to try and make when back on plan:
Chicken Breton
(chicken and leek in creamy sauce)
Haddock and celeriac fish cakes
Haddock and cheesy sauce
Beef and celeriac casserole
I'm craving fish lately which is odd as I rarely eat it and don't really know how to cook it.
My biggest issue will probably be that Ive had some bad news regarding how malnourished I am (very and dangerously, basically) and - though the NHS is going to take forever sorting it all out its going to mean yet more meds along with parental replacements (blood transfusion and IV infusions). So I'll have to wait and see whether that has an effect. I've been at the hospital practically every week this summer and it's not all sorted yet, so it may take a while. Trying to get different departments working together is like herding cats.
Is anyone watching the hairy bikers diet show? Love those boys but the more I watch the more I think it's a crying shame they're not doing Atkins and I don't think their show will be much help to anyone. It's another show like 'eat yourself thin' where they come up with low calorie versions of regular meals. Last night they made pies using pizza crust as the pastry which feels pointless to me - the pie filling served with cauli rice or celeriac mash would have been much tastier, even lower calorie and more nutritious than wrapping their meat in what is basically just flour, yeast and water.
Plus they have dieting mindsets much like me when I calorie counted. Dave said 'these pies are 300 cals so you can have 4 of them within the 1200 calorie limit!!"
Yes you can and then you can not be satisfied and go hunting for something more. The portions of various foods (like curry, the pies, etc) are also noticeably smaller than the portions of the high calorie foods. Not so miraculous a drop in calories, after all.
Don't get me wrong, calorie counting works. Most diets do if you stick to them. But for me I was always hungry. On Atkins I'm less hungry and often eat less calories than I did while calorie counting -and- if I do get hungry, I can eat protein and it won't affect my loss!
Also their doctor put the two boys, both close to 20 stone, on 1300 calorie per day diets. That's a woman's calorie intake range. Then, after they each lost a stone, he told them to lower it to 1200. If the show is giving people the idea that they should start an an unhealthily low calorie intake and then lower it by 100 calories with every stone lost then it could be a problem. The lads are losing about a stone a month - I reckon they might lose faster eating more.
But really, why didn't they go low carb. Lots of yummy meat and butter and tasty veggies in good portions - should be right up their street. I'd love a cookery show telling me how to make creative low carb dinners.
Ah well!
ladyfelsham
Back to SW again
Those meal ideas sound fab! I'm so sorry to hear how malnourished you've been, is it from all the meds, hun? Rotten way to spend your summer 
I agree on the Hairy Bikers, a totally impractical weight loss plan, didn't even bother watching it tbh. Would definitely watch a low carb show though - I know a couple of TV production companies, might write and tell them to make it happen! Hugh F-Whittingstall would be fab, don't you think? of course, he'd have to use our recipes!
I agree on the Hairy Bikers, a totally impractical weight loss plan, didn't even bother watching it tbh. Would definitely watch a low carb show though - I know a couple of TV production companies, might write and tell them to make it happen!
Hugh F-Whittingstall would be fab, don't you think? of course, he'd have to use our recipes!
moonlights
Gold Member
Hugh F W doesn't have a scrap on him to lose! I do think a -good- well researched low carb cooking/diet show would be fab. And I'm sure there would be a lot of interest, not just from people already on the diet. Doing some on camera tests like cholesterol etc to show whether or not they go down ( they do) and dispell the 'heart attack' myths would be good too. I just think it would have been great for the bikers as they're such big, hearty-eating lads.
Have to say some of the stuff Si was talking about about being bullied and humiliated at school was very resonant though.
Malnutrition is a result of illness in my 20s and surgery to correct it. I'll be on replacement nutrients all my life, just hadn't realized the ones I was on weren't working.
Writing up my Atkins shopping list now, can't wait. Tuesday here I come.
Nice to see the sun isn't it! Just a bit warm for me right now but think its meant to be still sunny but a more human temperature next week. A girl sat next to me on the bus yesterday - the size I used to be (very big) a few years ago. She was wearing full length sleeves, long black skirt, exactly my old uniform. I deal with heat so much better at this weight (though still hate getting all sweaty) and just have so much empathy for others who struggle in these temperatures. I've seen the sun more this year than any since I was about 20.
Finally to end this big ramble post, here's my cat.
Have to say some of the stuff Si was talking about about being bullied and humiliated at school was very resonant though.
Malnutrition is a result of illness in my 20s and surgery to correct it. I'll be on replacement nutrients all my life, just hadn't realized the ones I was on weren't working.
Writing up my Atkins shopping list now, can't wait. Tuesday here I come.
Nice to see the sun isn't it! Just a bit warm for me right now but think its meant to be still sunny but a more human temperature next week. A girl sat next to me on the bus yesterday - the size I used to be (very big) a few years ago. She was wearing full length sleeves, long black skirt, exactly my old uniform. I deal with heat so much better at this weight (though still hate getting all sweaty) and just have so much empathy for others who struggle in these temperatures. I've seen the sun more this year than any since I was about 20.
Finally to end this big ramble post, here's my cat.
Scrumbles
Dancing Queen
Hi ML,
I've been watching the Hairies and agree with everything you say. I was especially struck by those ridiculously low calorie limits and did some approximate number crunching for Si which would suggest that his BMR at the beginning of the diet would have been in the region of 2300 cals per day. Making him live on 1000 calories less than his BMR (let alone his TDEE) is beyond barmy IMO and sends out a very bad message. Then to reduce it even further after just a month??? 1200 calories is lower than I've been eating, and I'm not a 20 stone bloke!
I suppose they're under medical supervision so they're *safe* but I feel they're pretty much promoting crash dieting for the sake of getting quick results for the show (and thereby book sales, one assumes). I nearly fell off the sofa when Dave said that they were losing weight "without starving" - at 1200 cals per day for blokes their size, starving is exactly what they're doing!
What chance they'll actually keep it off, I wonder? I would think there's an almighty backlash waiting in the wings...
That's rotten about your malnutrition - as if you haven't enough to contend with! Hope they get it sorted for you asap xxx
I've been watching the Hairies and agree with everything you say. I was especially struck by those ridiculously low calorie limits and did some approximate number crunching for Si which would suggest that his BMR at the beginning of the diet would have been in the region of 2300 cals per day. Making him live on 1000 calories less than his BMR (let alone his TDEE) is beyond barmy IMO and sends out a very bad message. Then to reduce it even further after just a month??? 1200 calories is lower than I've been eating, and I'm not a 20 stone bloke!
I suppose they're under medical supervision so they're *safe* but I feel they're pretty much promoting crash dieting for the sake of getting quick results for the show (and thereby book sales, one assumes). I nearly fell off the sofa when Dave said that they were losing weight "without starving" - at 1200 cals per day for blokes their size, starving is exactly what they're doing!
What chance they'll actually keep it off, I wonder? I would think there's an almighty backlash waiting in the wings...
That's rotten about your malnutrition - as if you haven't enough to contend with! Hope they get it sorted for you asap xxx
moonlights
Gold Member
I'd bet money they don't keep it off, unfortunately. I hope they do though as it sounds like, health wise, they really need to.
I've just heard a lot of the things they both say over my own dieting periods. Them talking about 'when the diet ends' was a warning sign, too. When you've eaten that low, going back to normal eating piles weight on, and they enjoy food too much - and have careers involving making and eating it - to stay low fat forever.
Their calorie limit is just ridiculous. I mean it's at the top end of being a VLCD for men of their size and yet there's no mention of having to get proper nutrition or take vitamin pills - just Dave saying you could have four of those sad looking pies. Barmy.
Dave has been losing faster and he started at a lower weight and is shorter so he's not as starved as Si, which says it all to me. (Si is the one I fancy though!)
Ooh, thunder rolling round here now.
I've just heard a lot of the things they both say over my own dieting periods. Them talking about 'when the diet ends' was a warning sign, too. When you've eaten that low, going back to normal eating piles weight on, and they enjoy food too much - and have careers involving making and eating it - to stay low fat forever.
Their calorie limit is just ridiculous. I mean it's at the top end of being a VLCD for men of their size and yet there's no mention of having to get proper nutrition or take vitamin pills - just Dave saying you could have four of those sad looking pies. Barmy.
Dave has been losing faster and he started at a lower weight and is shorter so he's not as starved as Si, which says it all to me. (Si is the one I fancy though!)
Ooh, thunder rolling round here now.
ladyfelsham
Back to SW again
You're right, HFW doesn't need to lose any weight. I was thinking of him more as a low carb chef!
moonlights
Gold Member
Wagon, I am in you!
(or I will be when I get around to having breakfast)
As there are so many new members about, a quick recap: started Atkins (having lost well on it before) in spring and lost 2 stone in 3 months. Intended to take 2 weeks off the diet to cover a few events over my birthday - ended up taking 4 whole weeks off as I was sick as a dog the first two weeks (starting the day after coming off plan) and things got rescheduled.
Not ideal at all, but getting back on track now. I know I'll have gained and it will put me back at least a couple of weeks, in addition to the 4 I took off, but I can certainly say for sure that I feel much better for eating Atkins style than I do eating carbs - I even enjoy the food on Atkins more!
I think I'll always take the occasional planned break - ideally a weekish 3 or 4 times per year - both to remind me that I don't feel good on carbs and to stop me feeling like I can never have things again (also just to facilitate events like birthdays and Xmas) but I can't really ever see myself going back to being a full time carb eater. I've really wanted to be back on Atkins for about a week now but it would have been so inconvenient yesterday and I wanted to be able to get clean and green solidly without temptations.
So, fingers crossed I manage to stay on the wagon! I am feeling positive about it. Will probably weigh in next Friday as am under no illusions about being back to posted by this Friday. Maybe not even next fri but hopefully close-ish. Will see how it goes.
NB: I'm on a heavy schedule of various medicines which is being chopped and changed at the moment. I don't know whether the new meds will affect my losses more than the old ones did. I used to allow 11g carbs daily for my old meds and will keep using that figure although I don't know the exact count for the new ones.
Because of the 11g carbs from meds each day, I allow myself up to 30g daily carbs and also eat from the first two rungs of owl - berries and nuts. So I'm officially on owl, not induction.
(or I will be when I get around to having breakfast)
As there are so many new members about, a quick recap: started Atkins (having lost well on it before) in spring and lost 2 stone in 3 months. Intended to take 2 weeks off the diet to cover a few events over my birthday - ended up taking 4 whole weeks off as I was sick as a dog the first two weeks (starting the day after coming off plan) and things got rescheduled.
Not ideal at all, but getting back on track now. I know I'll have gained and it will put me back at least a couple of weeks, in addition to the 4 I took off, but I can certainly say for sure that I feel much better for eating Atkins style than I do eating carbs - I even enjoy the food on Atkins more!
I think I'll always take the occasional planned break - ideally a weekish 3 or 4 times per year - both to remind me that I don't feel good on carbs and to stop me feeling like I can never have things again (also just to facilitate events like birthdays and Xmas) but I can't really ever see myself going back to being a full time carb eater. I've really wanted to be back on Atkins for about a week now but it would have been so inconvenient yesterday and I wanted to be able to get clean and green solidly without temptations.
So, fingers crossed I manage to stay on the wagon! I am feeling positive about it. Will probably weigh in next Friday as am under no illusions about being back to posted by this Friday. Maybe not even next fri but hopefully close-ish. Will see how it goes.
NB: I'm on a heavy schedule of various medicines which is being chopped and changed at the moment. I don't know whether the new meds will affect my losses more than the old ones did. I used to allow 11g carbs daily for my old meds and will keep using that figure although I don't know the exact count for the new ones.
Because of the 11g carbs from meds each day, I allow myself up to 30g daily carbs and also eat from the first two rungs of owl - berries and nuts. So I'm officially on owl, not induction.
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moonlights
Gold Member
I'm not even on all of them yet. My gastro prescribed me some stuff but one of the meds has a manufacturing issue so I can't get hold of it and the other needs to be changed because of interactions - but my gastro is moving and changing hospitals so I need to wait for a new referral now. So I have a few new things to take, a few of the same old things, waiting to hear about more IV infusions because they need to be set up regularly - have to go in for more bloods for my rheumatologist before he can redo my regular prescriptions from him - and waiting for an appointment to sort out replacements for the meds I can't use.
Bit of a palaver!
I'm most bothered about more IV infusions tbh, don't want to go back to spending afternoons in the day unit with a line in my arm and I've been warned that they might need to try different types for a while as some can make you feel bad. But c'est la vie, looks like this will be a lifetime routine so I'll deal with it. If they can get me feeling human again and my brain not feeling like I'm thinking through a fog it will be worth it.
Started my day right with salami crisps and a cuppa.
Bit of a palaver!
I'm most bothered about more IV infusions tbh, don't want to go back to spending afternoons in the day unit with a line in my arm and I've been warned that they might need to try different types for a while as some can make you feel bad. But c'est la vie, looks like this will be a lifetime routine so I'll deal with it. If they can get me feeling human again and my brain not feeling like I'm thinking through a fog it will be worth it.
Started my day right with salami crisps and a cuppa.
Scrumbles
Dancing Queen
Great to have your company on the wagon, ML - it's been collecting a few of us lately! We'll budge up and make some room
That's pretty much my plan too. I know that I can cope with short spells of carb indulgence, and there are times when it's simply more practical - not to mention more fun! - to join in with what everyone else is eating, but I cannot see myself as a full time carb eater either. For me, it's just too likely to end in binge hell if I were to start having, say, bread every day, so I'd rather stick to food I know will keep me happy and satisfied but still in control.
Hope they get your new meds sorted soon - you have to put up with so much! xxx
That's pretty much my plan too. I know that I can cope with short spells of carb indulgence, and there are times when it's simply more practical - not to mention more fun! - to join in with what everyone else is eating, but I cannot see myself as a full time carb eater either. For me, it's just too likely to end in binge hell if I were to start having, say, bread every day, so I'd rather stick to food I know will keep me happy and satisfied but still in control.
Hope they get your new meds sorted soon - you have to put up with so much! xxx
moonlights
Gold Member
Thanks Scrummie, and yay for the Atkins wagon. I've had a good day on it - eating loads because I was hungry and it's allowed - and it's probably the tastiest food I've had in 4 weeks!
Have had real fish/shellfish cravings recently.
So, today:
Salami crisps
Fillet steak, scallops and spring onion
30g cheddar
Prawns and two salmon mousse parcels on lettuce with mayo
Mug of alpro
Enough tea and water to drown a whale
22g carbs inc meds
Roast chicken tomorrow I think. Nommmnomnom.
Have had real fish/shellfish cravings recently.
So, today:
Salami crisps
Fillet steak, scallops and spring onion
30g cheddar
Prawns and two salmon mousse parcels on lettuce with mayo
Mug of alpro
Enough tea and water to drown a whale
22g carbs inc meds
Roast chicken tomorrow I think. Nommmnomnom.
ladyfelsham
Back to SW again
Morning
You are loving those salami crisps! I must try them on the weekend.
You are loving those salami crisps! I must try them on the weekend.
spiritof61
Full Member
oooh salami crisps sound so good!
moonlights
Gold Member
I find them such a useful snack - one 30g pack of salami Napoli is 105 calories so I grab one when I feel hungry. And they're probably less when crisped as the fat runs out - but they taste like big yummy frazzles
moonlights
Gold Member
Still relatively nicely on track. Food today:
Prawns and mayo
Roast chicken and courgette with blue cheese
30g cheddar and more chicken
Mfp: 22g carbs inc meds
Basically ate my own body weight in roast chicken today which really threw my fat ratios off - only about 50% calories from fat today thanks to eating so much protein. Will work on that tomorrow.
Bit tired and moody. Atkins flu or PMS? Only one way to decide: fiiiight.
Prawns and mayo
Roast chicken and courgette with blue cheese
30g cheddar and more chicken
Mfp: 22g carbs inc meds
Basically ate my own body weight in roast chicken today which really threw my fat ratios off - only about 50% calories from fat today thanks to eating so much protein. Will work on that tomorrow.
Bit tired and moody. Atkins flu or PMS? Only one way to decide: fiiiight.
ladyfelsham
Back to SW again
Fight - good choice! I want Moon on my side when the dark forces come rolling in
nicolasixx
Member
Oh Moonlights! You've been through the mill But on the plus side, what amazing strength and resilience you show by dealing with it all
I feel exactly the same - I was so excited about a break and then actually eating the off-plan things wasn't half as exciting as I'd thought it would be. In fact, I almost started induction halfway through my hols as I felt so rank.
Hope you're still sailing along on the wagon. Menus look lovely. I need some inspiration! Been living on Toulouse sausages
But on the plus side, what amazing strength and resilience you show by dealing with it all I feel exactly the same - I was so excited about a break and then actually eating the off-plan things wasn't half as exciting as I'd thought it would be. In fact, I almost started induction halfway through my hols as I felt so rank.
Hope you're still sailing along on the wagon. Menus look lovely. I need some inspiration! Been living on Toulouse sausages
