It would be nice if there was some sort of chart that said "eat this, don't eat that. Do this, don't do that." I'm not the kind of person that does very well just winging it. I like structure. The reason I lost so well before on low fat was because I had a sheet that told me exactly what I could and could not eat and how much I had to exercise, and I never let myself deviate from that.

Then again, this isn't terribly difficult. No, I'm not losing nearly a pound a day like I did in the beginning. And that wouldn't be healthy, even if I were. Foods with sodium seem to be a real problem for me so that's the first thing I need to drop. Bye Bye Bacon. I'll keep my decaf with cream & sweetener, but try to cut back on anything else that might present an issue (salt, mayo, more than 2 sweetener per day). I am frustrated though. I was so hoping, with the way I was losing prior to going to Toronto, to lose at least 20-25 pounds before visiting my family at Christmas.

I go through phases. I just feel like eating more right now. Then I go through phases of not wanting to eat at all, I do not over analyze my eating.

I can understand this. I think it's a close relative of the reason I like "that other forum"--I also respond well to structure and strictness. So, it's not really my place to do this, but I'll suggest a chart:

Fatty meat.
Water.
Eat when hungry.
Stop when full.

I know that's part of the problem: there's no portion sizes, or number of times per day, or anything like that. I try to consider that part of the "discipline," so to speak: I'm learning to listen to my body, since it's obviously so much smarter than my brain. The discipline is in consciously trying to be aware of my physical instincts, and in restraining my urge to dictate according to some external schedule. I can't control my bile secretion or my brain waves, so I'm trying to not boss my appetite around, either. Like most things, it's hard at first, but it's doable. And totally worth it.

P.S. I eat butter and eggs, too, but always and only with fatty meat, never alone. I just wanted to keep the chart simple.

I agree. My biggest issue right now is not so much staying on plan. (this is the longest I have been on any plan since the end of July) My issue is determining hunger and trying to not eat when I am not hungry. It is important to me to make sure my two kids and I eat as a family as much as possible. I need to find a way to incorporate that into this WOE and deal with the hungry/no hungry part at the same time.

In general I need to deal with the hungry/not hungry part anyway. Yesterday and today I found myself eating but not eating because of hunger...boredom, stress, who knows? But to be truly healthy I need to listen to the signs my body sends and NOT eat just because food is there in front of me.

I agree, the boredom part is my worst enemy. I found myself looking in the fridge last night, I ate about a cubic inch of strong cheese, and that taste satisfied me. I think my body is telling a little now.

I was a pound lighter this morning but I spent a great deal of yesterday on the loo..

I can tell the difference (most times) between real hunger and pure appetite in two ways:

• Eat a little something, like a bite, and see if the sensation goes away. If it does, it was probably just appetite and not real hunger.
• Wait a while before eating, like 30 minutes or so. Go off and do something else to get your mind off things. Then, after 30 minutes if you're still hungry, it's probably for real.

Also, I have another question, though not strictly about ZC: Many people believe that you're losing weight "correctly" and "most healthfully" if you lose no more than 1 or at most 2 pounds a week.

I consider this to be a myth, but it's been repeated so often that a lot of (most) people consider it gospel truth.

I think that as long as you're giving your body what it needs in terms of fat and protein, it doesn't matter if you lose 5 or more pounds a week (especially at first). If your body is in fat-burning mode from ketosis, what you're losing is fat. Granted, there will be a slight loss of muscle mass over the long term simply because it takes less muscle strength to lug around a 125-pound body than it takes to lug around a 250-pound body.

What do you think?

I agree, Bawdy. Give your body the proper nutrition, and you'll lose what it decides you'll lose. I've lost several pounds a week, and then nada, then several more pounds, then one a week for several weeks, etc. Sometimes the scale goes up a bit, no big deal, as long as you are still on plan, it's usually just the body taking care of something, things will smooth back out.

That is how I lost weight, some weeks I had big losses and other weeks nothing. I never had a gain though.

Fatty meat. Yep. Have been doing that. Mostly medium ground beef with the occasional squirt of mayo. Eggs with lots of butter. Dark turkey meat with pan drippings ladled on top. Fatty duck.
Water. Up to my eyeballs in water! And I drink decaf black tea with sweetener sometimes. And I allow myself one decaf coffee with cream & sweetener per day.
Eat when hungry. Erm..I'm never hungry. I have to wait about 7 hours after breakfast before I finally start feeling it. Then I have lunch and am not hungry the rest of the day.
Stop when full. Again, not a problem. See above. lol. I wonder sometimes if I'm eating too little.

So I can't think of any one thing in particular that would be holding up the loss. I need to get a measuring tape (had one, but my son ran off with it, never to be seen again. The tape, not the son. lol). Maybe I'm losing inches instead of weight right now. Hubby can't keep his hands to himself, so maybe I should use that as a way of measuring progress too. lol

dodg4kat, I agree that one of the hardest things is incorporating social meals, including family dinners, into your life while also eating only when hungry. If you are trying to eat an evening meal with your family, I suggest having a small morning meal and then waiting until supper if you can, or simply sitting at the table with them, having water and conversation, but not eating. I do the latter not infrequently, because I like having that time together.

MMiller26, 7 hours is fine. Sometimes I'm not hungry for 20 hours. I try to just wait until meat sounds unbelievably good.

MMiller, what you said about inches vs weight is quite possible. There are SEVERAL people at ZIOH that have gone through, or are going through, that. One also posts here at ALC, I will ask if she'd be willing to post her pics here; her weight now is virtually identical to 2 years ago, but the way the weight has redistributed itself is astonishing.

That's interesting to note, and it does make me feel a bit better. I'll have to pick up a tape measure at the dollar store later and record my measurements.

I've been reading a while, and have been zero carb for five or six weeks now... thought I would introduce myself. I'm a stay at home mom to four daughters, ages 6,5,3 and 7 months. I have fallen easily into zero carb... the occassional cheese and cream, and I'm not a coffee drinker. I haven't had the huge weight loss, My first month I gained and lost the same two pounds. I am giving it time, as I'm still new to this. My only struggle has been with cooking and family meals, as my husband is not even low carb, and I'm the cook.

Socially has been weird. We don't go out to eat too much, but at Thanksgiving I just ate turkey, and was nearly ridiculed by my mother in law, but that will likely settle itself. We'll be spending a few days with her after Christmas, and I hope she's respectful.

I'm moving my daughters to my way of eating, but that will be a slow road. My 7 months old will, of course be the easiest. As a matter of fact, at her four month check up, the pediatrician told me that using rice cereal as the first food is no longer recommended (this has changed since having my three year old!) and now they recommend going straight to meat! Wow!

I've enjoyed reading the thread... and I'm not on too much, but wanted to stop lurking and say hi!

Hi and welcome lc lady, aren't mothers in law a bind, I should know, I am one... I also had one .. Smile nicely then please yourself love.

Nuttygran, lol! Good advice. I should add that normally, my mil is truly wonderful. I love her... but when it comes to her cooking, she's senstive I suppose.