I'll give you the facts before I pose my quandary:

1. Been LC for almost four years. July 6, 2007 will be my Four Year Atkinsversary. I've lost nearly seventy pounds during this time, trained for a marathon, ran four half-marathons (and will complete my fifth in June). I lift weights four times per week, do at least 1.25 hours of intense cardio six days per week.

2. I tend to eat VLC due to thyroid issues; I am hypothyroid and have Hashimoto's disease as well.

3. I am getting close to 500 days cheat-free (no wheat, no sugar, no frankenfoods, nothing that isn't permissable for Atkins Induction other than peanut butter, almonds, and some pumpkin).

4. A wrench for my ultimate weight-loss and maintenance goals manifested itself recently in a random weight gain (about ten pounds). I am still waiting for blood results, but am testing a new vitamin regiment and natural, dessicated thyroid T3 supplement.

5. You can trace my progress (only two of four documented years) and pics through my gallery and journal.

Now that you know the basics...

I am getting married on August 11, 2007. Since I am absolutely neurotic about my food choices and have been cheat-free for so incredibly long (I didn't even taste off-plan foods at my formal taste-testing in April), I am beginning to freak out about actually eating non-plan food on my wedding day. In fact, I've maybe "cheated" ten times in the four years I've adapted to the LC WOL. I've gone through all holidays, special occasions, formal dinners, dances, picnics, YOU NAME IT, without straying. If I can't work out LC food, I have been content to sip water and politely refuse the food that's offered. I have long since let go of the idea that eating is a "social" behavior; I also don't really care about hurting my host's feelings if they have nothing to eat that applies to my lifestyle.

The problem is that I'm sweating my wedding. I'm getting nervous about the cookie tables, the garlic potatoes, the wedding cake. I've already successfully dodged the taste-testing and bridal shower bullet (the shower is on June 3 and I've already told my bridesmaids that I will be passing on the cake). In fact, everyone else is eating ham and swiss cheese panini with fruit salad, and the venue is making me a grilled chicken salad! They've swapped the traditional bridal punch for unsweetened iced tea and diet cola.

I am also a non-drinker. In my four years of Atkins, I've swilled liquor three times. The most recent was May 13, 2006. I've been abstinent since then. Nothing but water and diet soda for nearly a year now.

My problem is that I desperately want to 'cheat' on my wedding day and eat the menu we've selected. I'd like to eat some wedding cake and traditional Polish apricot cookies my eighty-two year old great aunt is baking for the occasion. I want to not worry about an errant sip of champagne tossing me out of ketosis.

But...I'm worried. Number one, because there's no way that after not straying from plan for over a year that I WON'T gain a truckload of water and be sick that night. Number two, I don't want to look puffy in honeymoon pictures. Number three, I want to be able to fit into my normal summer wardrobe ON my honeymoon, and not worry about losing ten pounds when I return from my holiday. I'm an educator, so I begin working four days upon returning from my honeymoon. I don't want to have to buy a larger professional wardrobe because of my wedding and honeymoon.

I know most people will say I'll only gain 4-5lbs. of water, but this is unrealistic. After not eating any type of non-vegetable, nut, or legume carbohydrate for 500 days (by that point), my body is going to have a conniption. If I even eat OWL level carbs one day a week, I see a 3-4lbs. gain on the scale the next morning. Thanks to Hashimoto's and hypothyroid, losing weight is extremely difficult for me WITH my exercise schedule and restrictive eating habits. In fact, I've been struggling to lose ONE POUND since August 24, 2006. Grim picture, I know. That's just my body. I'm certain I'll be sick a dog my wedding night and Day 1 of my honeymoon due to carbs. I'll also be going through cravings and Induction flu the rest of my honeymoon.

Now to the point of the post: What would YOU do if YOU were in my position? Do I indulge? Do I abstain?

This sounds like such a rookie post, I know. Out of all of the wedding planning, EATING is what I'm MOST concerned about. Organizing family? Eh. Meeting deadlines? Eh. Priest, engagement classes, renting a hall, DJ, photographer, church, organist, limo, flowers, rehearsal dinner, wedding gown, plane tickets...eh. Bought a house. Yep. Reading my vows? *shrug* Committing myself, heart and soul, to one person for the rest of my life. 'Kay. Eating carby food? AaaaagHHHH!

If you catch my drift.

Any wisdom, advice, insights, funny anecdotes, rationalizations, solutions, suggestions...ANYTHING that you dear forum readers can offer me would be much appreciated.

I have roughly twelve weeks yet, but this is something that's honestly stressing me out.

So...HELP!

Thanks a bunch,
Amory

I would abstain. I DID abstain at my wedding. I had ONE bite of cake for the tradition of cutting the cake and feeding it to each other and one glass of champagne and that's it. I also abstained, except for alcohol, on my honeymoon and lost 5 lbs while on it.

You really don't want to feel like crap on your wedding night, do you?

Hi Amory,

I’m glad you asked this question in the general forum, I think you’ll get a lot of worthwhile suggestions.

I know that you are convinced that you need to stay very low carb, I also know that you’ve been having a lot of problems with unstable weight and gaining recently.

I’m really almost reluctant to suggest this, but I have for some time been hoping for an opportunity to do so without jumping in to your journal.

Have you ever tried the Fat Flush? It works wonders for many people and it is quite low carb. I know that a lot of people who have done Atkins or VLC just FREAK at the idea of drinking one cup of unsweetened cranberry juice a day, but it is diluted in seven cups of water. I know it’s still 32 carbs and then there’s the vegetable carbs on top of that. I can just imagine you must be rolling your eyes by now and thinking is she INSANE (well yes, I am but that’s another story)

Within the last month two other people who have been having serious problems losing on other plans - and both had done very well on Atkins for quite some time. Both of them have started the FatFlush and had amazing results. I can link you to them (will edit to add links)


http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=332849 (thread started by Foxgloves with daily menus and the later pages they post daily weight etc)

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...488#post6759488 (Foxgloves Journal)
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...59467(Stardusts Journal)

Fat Flush is not only a weight loss program but it’s a healing and detoxification program that also produces weight loss. At first glance the plan looks quite stringent but what you’re doing now is more than quite stringent. Really the two people I’m thinking of who just recently started and are having great success thought they could never give up this or that, but they were amazed after the first day to find that the could and it was easy because they weren’t hungry. In fact they had trouble eating all the food required.

It might seem like I’m not answering your original question here, but I’m leading up to it. If you were to try the Fat Flush and if it worked, then you would have lots of time before your wedding to work up to phase 2 which allows even more carbs or maybe even phase 3 which is the life eating plan (maintenance). Then any water weight gain from your wedding day indulgence would be minimized (maybe even none at all)

It’s worth looking into non?

Thank you for your response!

See, but to me, that's not really abstaining. You did have cake, you did have alcohol. Either of those would release insulin and cause a blood sugar response for me.

And no, I don't want to feel like crap on my wedding night. Thank you so much for sharing, I'm sure there's plenty more where that come from....

Koko--thanks for your suggestion! I have tried FF before, actually. I wish my recent mystery gain could be attributed to my WOE, but it's medically related. Ho hum. But...I didn't really think about doing FF AFTER I return. Okay, now I have a weapon in my arsenal. Oh, and please, please, please feel free to jump in my journal at any time!

The more insane () the better.

Amory

i would suggest not doing it. it is just food anyway.....

and IF you must have a peice of cake...only take a bite. and maybe only 1 apricot cookie...lol. you know your limits and the next day when it is all over i am sure you will be glad you did not indulge.

Congrats by the way i am sure you will make a beautiful bride!!

edited to say:

i did not read your other responses before posting....so after i read them i would also skip even the bite and the cookie. you know your body best!

I've thought of this, but the "small taste of everything" would negate the merits of a LC meal. Everything would just be stored as fat or glucose.

Here's is what I would do if it was me:

Have the one small bite of cake - make it really small, like as small as you can get new DH to put on a fork. Cake, not icing if possible!

Since the dear aunt is going to all the trouble to make something really special for you - have a bite - just one for a taste and don't let her see you toss the rest.

Stay away from booze -no one will know any different if you have sparkling water in a champagne flute.

I'm sure there will be something LC on the wedding menu - salad, veggies, meat.... you won't feel like eating much anyway!

Enjoy your day and don't stress too much.

All the best, Julie

I wasn't dieting at the time of my wedding, but I might as well have been! With the reception line, the bouquet tossing, dancing, visiting with guests, etc., I don't think either of us got a bite of anything until after we were out the door and on our way to our honeymoon cabin!

I might be wrong, but it sounds to me like you've already pretty much weighed the possibilities and decided not to go off plan on your wedding day; you're just mourning the lost chance to indulge in foods you've lovingly selected for your once-in-a-lifetime event. But based on what you've said, it sounds like you'll have a better experience if you continue to stay on your plan. In all the months you've been passing up carby treats and indulgences, have you ever regretted it after the event was over?

Although I would probably have the one bite of cake and sip of punch, that may not be the best choice for you, given your challenges.

What would I do (if I had been in your situation, with your weight loss etc)

I would pick 2 things (wedding cake and g'mas cookies) as my cheat foods and have somebody (or myself) cook up some really great locarb things to nosh on just for me. Otherwise I would stick to the locarb.

I am in awe of your fortitude. If it were me, I would have a bite of cake and let the rest go.
Best Wishes on your big day!

Most brides hardly manage to eat anything on the wedding day, quite seriously. I hardly ate anything, even though my best friend went and got me a plate of food; you have such a unique group of family and friends there, you want to see them all, and you spend your time greeting your loved ones (which is very fun, but leaves little time for eating). I would think some eggs in the morning (if you can manage them), plus your chicken salad (IF you get time to eat it!), should keep you steady through a bite of cake and an apricot cookie, but you know better than I do.

I have a hypothyroid as well, and I found VLCD to be detrimental. It seems to work for some hypoT folks, but I didn't lose, and my blood lipids got worse over a year, so I had to change my approach.
What's happening with your weightlifting? Are you getting strength gains?

Am, I'm so glad you posted this here and I think it's important to decide what you want to do now.

I have to admit before I go on to give my thoughts that I'm a bit confused by what you're saying, though. Mixed signals is probably the way to describe it. You say you really want to enjoy these foods, but everything else you're saying indicates there's no way you want to stray. Perhaps that's the very reason you posted here. I'll certainly try to lend a hand along with everyone else...

For starters, let me commend your willpower and interest and commitment to your own personal health. I have very readily "strayed" for far lesser reasons. As a matter of fact, I did so on our vacation just a couple weeks ago. And I enjoyed every moment of it, but I was lucky to bloat only 3 pounds or so. Like you said, your body simply won't do that. Your sensitivity is far greater than most.

So I guess I want to take a different tact with you and truly find out what YOU want to do. We can all yammer about this and come up with great ideas, but this is really about YOU. It's YOUR day and you should be happy.

Will you be more disappointed at missing out on the food? Or more disappointed in the inevitable bloat and weight gain that follows?

My suggestion would be to stay LC and happy with what you enjoy and have Bill feed you a very small piece of cake and make sure they save the top for you, should you want to have more of it at some other time. As for the special, homemade cookies, why not consider asking her to make a special "care package" of them for you to take on your honeymoon, where you can privately choose to eat them (or leave them home to try one later). In other words, I'm trying to find a way you can try some of these things but spread it out versus trying to cram it all into one day and really causing damage.

One of the things I'd love to do is chat with you in person and say "Ok, Am, just clear you mind and answer this question immediately without thinking about it...what do you want to eat on your wedding day??" I'd love to see what you say. What does your gut say. Are you eating this way because you believe in it or because you don't want to bloat (or a little of both). It's a pro and con thing, but the bottom line is how you feel. Just because it's your wedding doesn't mean you HAVE to indulge. The only thing you HAVE to do is cherish every moment and the true meaning of the day.

I'm so excited for you. You are going to be stunning and it's going to be an incredible day, no matter what food is involved.

<hugs>
-L