Consolidation Nervous about conso!

[Soozysun]

Good evening all! I thought I might ask all those who are currently consolidating their weight, how they are finding it? I am only a couple of pounds away from starting the conso stage and, after reading and re-reading the relevant chapter in my 'bible', I have started to become genuinely afraid of what lies ahead. This may sound absolutely ridiculous, but I'm worried about the sudden change in menu and amount of food. Scared that it will cause me to gain weight and leave me feeling bloated!!! Bread???? Gosh it's a LONG time since bread has passed my lips. I'm not even sure that I WANT to eat it!! I would really appreciate any advice and help! I think I have become so enveloped in protein days and the actual task of losing weight, that I have truly forgotten HOW to eat 'normally'. I'm almost scared to STOP trying to lose weight!!! Feels a bit like losing some control! Anyone understand what I'm rambling on about?

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[Maintainer]

I would advise you to read Anja and Robinhood Conso diaries from the beginning...

Your feelings are normal, and many of us put off starting Conso for a week or two.

x
PS - how tall are you? and do you have much diet history? or is this one of your first diets?

 

[robinhood]

Don't worry! Don't think of it as a different way of eating but as PV days with an extra or two.

I struggled with the bread too at first, I did feel a bit bloated, so sometimes swapped for 2 rice cakes instead (not every day though). I'm fine with it now though. Make sure it's wholemeal bread to start off with (best if you can make your own) and avoid granary breads as the extra grains are full of carbs!

Also, start gradually with 1 gala meal/week and don't overdo them - small portions and don't take the 'gala' part too seriously. An overly rich starter, main and pud will leave you ill! The carb portion was (and still is) too much for me, so don't feel you have to eat it all.

You can use your cheese allowance with your bread or incorporate it in your meals, it's up to you.

Enjoy the fruit, so nice to be able to bite into an apple again, for example.

My diary doesn't always make for cheery reading (not diet-related) so you may want to stick to Anja's.

Good luck!

 

[dukandebut]

Soozy, that's exactly how I felt prior to starting on Conso. I was so terrified before my first weigh-in. However, I'm finding that I'm actually losing weight still, so am looking at ways of increasing my intake if that continues to happen - the very opposite of what I'd feared! It's just as important not to keep losing weight as it is not to keep gaining more.

Now that I'm getting into the swing of Conso, I'm very much enjoying it. As Laura says, it's more of the same - but with some delicious extras!

I make my own bread and have been making 350g sized 100% wholemeal loaves. If I cut the slices thinly enough, I can get 2 slices which match the daily ration weight. It's lovely to have sandwiches again. Also, whereas the bread would have bloated me before, I'm finding that this sized ration is absolutely fine and have experienced no problems with it.

It's important to try your best to introduce all of the allowed new foods as that will help you on your journey towards stabilisation.

Prior to this diet, I had a tendency to overdose on cheese. The 40g ration is a decent size - enough to make your feel that you've had sufficient, but not enough to make you pile on extra weight. It's heavenly being able to eat it again!

As for galas, I do make sure that I have a deliciously indulgent chocolate dessert (not an enormous portion, just a reasonably-sized one) and this helps to satisfy that particular craving. I don't bother with a starter, but have a good-sized main course of whatever I fancy. I really think that moderation is the key here - don't overfill your plate, and no second helpings. As Laura also said, it's probably best to think of it in terms of "normal" food, rather than "gala" food (which implies a great feast and completely letting yourself run wild!)

Enjoy your new freedoms and use the time to get your head around portion control and eating the right things in the right proportions. Think of it as our training session for venturing out into the real world.

 

[anjuschka]

Hello,

a bit late from me, and really I can only repeat what's been said before. We were / are all very careful at the start. But do make sure you add the bread, cheese and fruit ration into your daily routine, don't be tempted to skip them. You still have all the rules laid out for you, just stick to them and you'll do okay.

Measure out your pasta portion, but don't force yourself to finish it if you can't (80gr dried ~= 200gr cooked). For your 'Celebration meal' (agree its not a very good name but at the beginning you are definitely celebrating the return to normal food), have a nice enjoyable 'normal' meal, take your chance to have the things you've missed most (though maybe not fish& chips), and a drink too. Enjoy your food and don't feel guilty, try not to overdo it. Most of us found that after a couple of weeks in Phase 1 conso were still losing weight. So then we started increasing our intakes. You can go out for a meal again etc - maybe plan a nice Valentine's dinner? My start of conso coincided with a weekend in London with my sister so I was able to have a nice restaurant meal, but did not go OTT (I think it was a crab salad starter and a grilled Veal escalope with Veg and a couple of potatoes for main)

Be prepared for the re-appearance of hunger feelings. Be prepared for the fact that all that food that was so easy to say "no thank you" to suddenly becomes more tempting again - I'm still struggling with that one!

Take it slowly and you'll be FINE! Now I'm currently fretting about end of Conso and start of Stab ("the rest of my life??") so we've all been though this it's quite normal!

 

[Soozysun]

Thank you all so much for the time you've taken to reply!! As per my new diary entry today, I have not yet reached conso, almost there!! But I will totally take on board all the advice and tips you have given me once I start. I feel much better about it now, it really helps to have this site, and fellow dukaneers really do make a difference!! Thank you!!!

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[dukandebut]

Looking forward to reading your new diary, Soozy.