Listening to my body....trying to find MY way~

[AlluraD]

I didn't lose anything this week. I could be bumbed but I'm not really...at least not very much~;) My . was over three weeks late....got it today and that was a relief. Pretty good to be down 10 lbs in that time I think. First time my . was late at all in a long time (since before I initially lost the weight)....thinking between that, my restless sleep habits, brutal night sweats, panic attacks and general emotional instability I am in peri-menopause. Oh joy unspeakable~:p

I am going to Colorado Springs in a couple of weeks and am going to be a low carb poster girl between now and then. ( The thought of the seat belt is enough to scare 10 lbs off me) I've been doing a lot of thinking about the way I have always done low carb in the past and the conflicts I am feeling right now about it. I ate a ton of crap when I did it before with varying degrees of stalling and feeling yicky...sugar alcohols, artificial sweetners, mountains of whipped cram (ha ha, freudian slip...cream) and sweet desserts, bacon, sausage and pepperoni loaded with nitrates and salt, ...lc legal but still not a good thing for me.

Over the last two years I've done a lot to educate myself about the effects that what we eat has on the body, mind, etc...I do believe that processed meat, meats raised with standard factory farmed ways are horrible for you....full of hormones and pesticidesand preservatives and possible disease. I believe dairy is not good for me but I do love it.....as I do meat!!

I am feeling daunted by trying to figure out how to do this without those things. I can't afford to buy all grass-fed, hormone free, free range meat. Do I just eat it but eat a lot less of it than I would otherwise?? Yes is probably the answer. The eggs I can do no prob. Should I cut out the cheeses...probably yes because they cause an immune response in me and my sinuses get all clogged up, major post-nasal drip, etc...hard to do though.

As for sweet things, which btw, I love... bought some stevia plus and will try to use that. I keep looking at the huge bag of Splenda I just bought, not to mention the box of packets and the three bottles of DaVini syrups which I love w/ seltzer water..my soda. I do believe with all I am that anything produced in a lab can't be considered food and has side effects that we really don't have a clue about. Not trying to persuade anyone elses opinion here just voicing my own concerns......venting......trying to find my way so to speak.

So..what does that leave me with....

free range meats & poultry in limited quantities(as $ allows)
wild-catch fish
free range vegetarian raised/high Omega 3 eggs
organic low carb veggies
fats from avocados, raw nuts and flax, oils, coconut oil, etc...
lc fruits, berries, pumpkin and melon (excluding watermelon)
herbal teas, water
stevia
lemon juice
(possibly organic full fat plain yogurt)

Hmmnnnnnnnn.....wondering if I can truly get myself around this. I do believe it would be great for me as long as I get plenty of fats in.

...I tried doing a raw, vegan diet for a year...my skin looked great, I felt great but I believe for my blood type/ metabolic type it was not enough protein and I gained weight from all the fruit I was eating. I wanted it to work for me but it just didn't. I am hoping if I can impliment this woe it will be a merging of the two and will be the "THING" that is right for me. I am not going to throw away the meat and cheese I have already bought...though the splenda has got to go...but when it is gone and until it is gone I will only be buying the afore- mentioned things as I need them. *deep breath...longer sigh*...wishing me luck and peace~

[Charran]

Wow Allura! It sounds like you have been researching and thinking about all this for awhile now. I think it's great to take control and to educate ourselves about what we put into our bodies. The whole "one size fits all" theory, I find, just doesn't work when weightloss is concerned. Different foods, drinks, etc react differently with different people. Learning about how your body reacts to various things is enlightening! I'm in the process of doing some searching of my own in these areas and also in the area of supplements. It can seem a daunting task when you first start, but little by little, I'm finding my way. I can't help but think it will all be worth it in the end! I do wish you well and it sounds very much like you'll succeed!

[dhania]

Over the last two years I've done a lot to educate myself about the effects that what we eat has on the body, mind, etc...I do believe that processed meat, meats raised with standard factory farmed ways are horrible for you....full of hormones and pesticidesand preservatives and possible disease. I believe dairy is not good for me but I do love it.....as I do meat!!

I am feeling daunted by trying to figure out how to do this without those things. I can't afford to buy all grass-fed, hormone free, free range meat. Do I just eat it but eat a lot less of it than I would otherwise?? Yes is probably the answer. The eggs I can do no prob. Should I cut out the cheeses...probably yes because they cause an immune response in me and my sinuses get all clogged up, major post-nasal drip, etc...hard to do though.

I do believe with all I am that anything produced in a lab can't be considered food and has side effects that we really don't have a clue about.

I'm right there with you. :agree: I am leaving for a vacation in 6 days and I did a good job of cleaning out my shelves and fridge before that, and I will be dedicating myself to a lifestyle just the way outlined by you when I am back.

Good luck on your journey, you can do it! And you will see and feel the results. And good luck with the seat belt... I can hardly wait to get *off* an airplane seat soon enough... :D

dhania

[Bat Spit]

Hey Allura, what are you going to be doing in Colorado Springs? Have you been here before? That's where I live. We're going to have a blizzard tomorrow maybe!

I think your desire to work with your body is fabulous, and your plan looks completely doable, although challenging.

It looks a lot like a paleo plan to me, so you might check in over at the paleo forum for support.

Personally, I'm no soy, grain, or dairy except butter. I have a great meat service that isn't quite free range, but it is hormone and pesticide free. I eat only tiny amounts of artificial sweetener because my body really hates it.

It isn't easy, but it is completely doable.

You might check your local health food store for eggs from chickens on mennonite farms. They are free range and their religion requires a healthy environment for any animals they raise. Chickens aren't naturally vegetarians. They prefer to eat bugs along with their seeds and grains. At my HFS, they're actually almost a dollar cheaper then omega 3 eggs at the regular grocery.

If you have problems with dairy triggering your sinuses (as have I) then full fat yogurt will mess you up. I tried it, even making it myself out of organic milk.

[skippie]

Hi just read your post and have your read the Fat Flush book? A friend has been doing that with wonderful success. But as you said it can get expensive eating healthy. I borrowed the books from the library and there are some very helpful hints in them. You can do a soak in bleach to remove some the chemicals from foods. Check the your library for the book. I don't remember all the details.

I do buy a lot more healthy foods now. But just because of limited $$$ not as much as I would like.

Life is all about keep everything in balance. Making any small change is better than no change.
Good Luck.

[RubyMoon]

Wow, I am impressed by all the research you have done. I am also wrestling with these issues. I was a vegetarian for years and ate a lot of organics. Money is the main issue as to why my whole family does not eat as many organics as we would like. It is very challenging to educate yourself and then figure out ways to implement your choices. I support you! I also am very aware of how food affects my body and my attitude. I am working on healing on all levels, Body Mind and Spirit.

[cw71]

I am pretty new to this myself, and I am sure some people can handle all the artifical stuff in certain amounts, but I have to say that all this artifical stuff that LCers consume mostly can't be good. Especially all these sweetners.

Like I said, to each his/her own, but I am wondering if they have the effect of prolonging the "mental cravings" for carby stuff, because they try (badly, IMO) to replicate the unnatural super sweetness of refined sugar. It strikes me that the sooner you give them all up, the easier your body and mind will adjust to getting your "once in a while sweets" from fruit, with all that fiber and healthy nutrition instead of chemically manipulated lab rat stuff.

The more I read about different plans...Atkins (properly followed) and Paleo eating don't seem all that different to me. Neither were about LC "products" or trying to replace bad food with LC versions, but rather were about whole, natural, healthy foods replacing the processed junk that our culture is killing us with.

So I think your list looks great, and you'll do well! :thup:

[mgw]

You are surely not alone in finding that certain kinds of foods disagree with you and that the alternatives are expensive.

There are groups of people who get together and form food co-ops, and buy food at wholesale prices, or even directly from the farmer. There are also farmers who sell shares in their farms and pay in product every month to the share holders. You can find such farms on the internet.

Would something like this be a way to get at least some of the kind of food you think works for you at a price that fits your budget? It might take some extra effort to do this.

I have been a member of food co-ops many years ago, but they were primarly aimed at high carb vegitarians, and I have no experience in forming one. I have friends who get a box of organic fruit or vegitables once a month, but I have no experience with people who get grain fed meat on the same kind of basis.

mgw

[AlluraD]

mgm~
I have been a member of an organic buyers group before....recently in fact......but it was for produce only...have never found one for meat...would be good though....as for the veggies.....not lc friendly because it is fruit as well.....no choices~