New year, new start

[Lindz82]

This year has been pretty awful. I've gone up 2 dress sizes (not dared weigh myself since I had to give in and buy some size 18 trousers) and I've had to increase my antidepressant dose to the highest dose.

I've recently been reading a book called the mood cure by Julia Ross and it ties in well with the atkins diet. She advocates eating lots of protein, good fats and no sugar or processed carbs.

Hopefully by starting the atkins I can also improve my mental health and lose weight at the same time.

I will weigh myself on 2nd Jan (not the 1st, I don't start any diet with a hangover!) And start from there.

I also plan to give up caffeine, which along with no alcohol and sugar will hopefully improve my anxiety issues as well.

I know it's extreme, but I have recently felt like there is no point going on, so it's all or nothing really!

I'm not great at keeping up with diaries but I will try and post once a week at least.

 

[Mini]

Good luck Lindz82 with Atkins.

What fats does she recommend?

 

[Lindz82]

Thanks Mini

Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, butter instead of margarine, avocados, full fat dairy products rather than low fat etc but no trans fats

 

[Kat1e]

HI Lindz, good to meet you & good luck! I think atkins (or low carb at least) is a wonder diet - helps on so many levels including moods & side effect is weight loss

Only word of warning - when I first gave up sugar & caffeine at the same time it almost killed me! You might want to start off the sugar for 1-2 weeks & then cut the caffeine out later. In my diary I remember writing about dreams/nightmares about tea!!

Look forward to seeing your journey

 

[Lindz82]

Thanks Kat1e! On reflection, I have just cut down on the caffeine rather than give it up completely. I just can't live without proper tea!

I am now on day 5 and just starting to feel better after suffering from 'Atkins flu' since I started. Constant Headaches, nausea (some horrendous diarrhoea on day 2 which fortunately seems to have been a one off!), fatigue... today my headache vanished and I've felt much brighter, although still feel pressure in my head when I stand up quickly and I'm still quite tired.

I have been drinking veg stock once a day after reading how the symptoms can be caused by losing water quickly along with salts and electrolytes.

Today my stomach has been feeling quite bloated though and I'm not sure why. I'm wondering whether I should try cutting out dairy or eggs to see if that's the cause...? Maybe a mild intolerance.

One other downside is that my face has broken out in spots. I've done some research and some say that fat stores toxins and as the fat burns off it releases all the toxins into the blood stream which can cause some nasty symptoms too. Hopefully it will improve soon once the toxins run out!

 

[Lindz82]

So this is my 7th day and I've lost around 3 lbs. Not as much as I had hoped but I do take beta blockers for anxiety and am getting virtually no exercise having a desk job, but it's in the right direction.
I am definitely in ketosis as I got some of those pee sticks to check.
I think I'm pretty much over the flu stage now and my appetite has stabilised. I will still feel hungry but not the starving weak feeling I used to get when my sugar level fell through the floor.
I still have to make sure I don't absent mindedly grab a chocolate without thinking.
Yesterday I found the MIM recipe which is a lifesaver!!

 

[Lindz82]

I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself this morning as I have now lost the 5 lbs I put on over Christmas. My weight loss seems to have sped up the past few days, I'm wondering whether I started out on too few carbs.
Yesterday I went for a longish walk to find my local wholefoods shop, I took a snack with me and didn't even need it! In the past I would make sure I would always have some food on me in case my blood sugar crashed. It's common for me to be fine one minute then almost faint with hunger the next, but if I cut out the carbs and sugar I'm fine. It's so freeing!

 

[Kat1e]

Well done - sounds like you are really on track. Agree with you about not being as "tied" to food once you get past the sugar/carb crashes - I usually have a few nuts in my bag as a security blanket & they stay in there for ages

 

[Lindz82]

Thanks Kat1e, just hoping I can stick to it. The past year my mind has been all over the place and I've not been able to stick to anything for longer than a few weeks. The MIM has been a lifesaver just as I was starting to get bored of all the protein

 

[Kat1e]

agree mims are fab. I also used to make flax bread in the over which I greatly preferred & v good to slice for breakfast toast or lunch sandwiches. Recipe is on my lc recipe website in signature under "extras". It also freezes so can just toast each morning

 

[Lindz82]

Great thanks!

 

[Lindz82]

I've only lost a few ounces the past few days, but as I started my period today, I'm actually pretty chuffed I haven't put any weight on as I usually gain a few pounds at this time of the month.

Still sticking to induction and it's going well. The only problem is that I find I'm very tired, more as the day goes on. By the time I get home I could probably go straight to sleep. I'm taking chromium, magnesium and B complex in the mornings and I'm trying not to have too much caffeine.

I'm going to introduce nuts shortly and maybe move to phase 2 at the weekend, maybe I will have more energy then.

 

[Lindz82]

I was in such a foul mood this morning (I did mention to my doctor that my pmt feels like it has got a lot worse, but she just brushed it off and focused on the depression in general. I'm convinced there is something not quite right).

Anyway, after the grumpy morning I was then gutted by the death of Alan Rickman. It's been a pretty rubbish day emotionally, but I still stuck to the diet whereas in the past this would usually result in me stocking up on chocolate at lunchtime.

For tea I had some sausages with cauliflower cheese which was quite comforting, but now I'm worried about eating too much cheese. I know it's allowed every day but that doesn't mean it's healthy, does it?

 

[Lindz82]

Well today was awful. I had gained a whole pound this morning, and then again I was in the worst mood ever and on the verge of tears all morning.

I've decided to try an experiment to see whether I'm actually intolerant to anything that might effect my mood and bloating (apart from, or as well as, hormones).

I've noticed that my mood always seems worse in the mornings and I always have eggs for breakfast, so I'm going to try cutting out eggs for a while and see what happens. Breakfasts will be a lot more difficult but if it has any benefit it might be worth it.

My skin is still awful, and I've noticed my face gets quite flushed and hot as well whilst the rest of me might be a bit cold, and I don't feel like I got the burst of energy that everyone goes on about. I hope there is an answer to this somewhere!

 

[Lindz82]

Since my last post things have not improved. Still on my period (lasts about 10 days usually) and I've stayed exactly the same weight, 14 stone 2 ounces. I've not even budged an ounce. The pee sticks say I'm still in ketosis.

Today has been the worst. I felt so depressed and tearful I nearly went home from work. I've made a doctor appointment for Friday. This afternoon I was hungrier than usual and felt like I could kill someone's nan for a big piece of chocolate cake. I ate a load of almonds instead.

Now I'm home having a sit down and munching on pork scratchings whilst I decide what to have for dinner. What I really want is a big comforting bowl of porridge. I'm trying to resist but I'm losing the will!

I've started writing down what I eat and I'll review in a week, if I make it that far

 

[Lindz82]

So after weighing myself again on Thursday and still being the same weight, I finally caved and had porridge for breakfast and falafel for lunch.

Since then I've added roasted squash to my meals but still avoiding processed carbs, sugar, alcohol etc.

This morning I am no longer in ketosis but I've lost 2lbs!

I saw the doctor yesterday and she might as well have given me a lollipop and sent me on my way. She agreed to do a thyroid and hormone test "if it will put my mind at rest" but apart from that I think I'm expected to just put up with it.