New, but not entirely

[LosingMe16]

Hi all, I am new to this forum...I found my way here to gain some support from people who have struggled as I have over the years with their weight. I am a bored / binge eater and have been for many years; I remember in high school going through my fridge at home and eating anything that "sounded" good (including condiments and many other things you wouldn't imagine eating by themselves). Ice cream has been my main sugar fix and other carbs a fixture.

I'm not entirely new to the game because during my second year of college low-carb and running led the way to me shedding about 20lbs. During high school I actually did low-fat (ick!) and lost a similar amount (with the running too). I've always gained it back because it was never a lifestyle change for GOOD. Now, at 30 years of age with three kids, I FINALLY realize that I have to make a permanent lifestyle change -- I was nearly 250 lbs before my last pregnancy! Lucky for me, pregnancy makes me LOSE weight, even if I eat like crazy -- so after the baby I was 232, but noticed I had started to gain (up to 234). That's when this lifestyle came to mind again.

I've read a lot about true ketogenic dieting (high fat LC with moderate protein and little to no carb), originally led there by articles in Well-Being Journal, and I figured when I was ready I'd go that sort of route. That's about where I am now; I am five weeks in but with little lost -- thus a huge reason I'm coming to a community like this. From Dr. Atkins' writings I feel I might be slightly metabolically resistant -- no, I have NOT cheated in the least in the past five weeks! -- and may also be ingesting too many calories even in an "induction" style diet. My current focus is drinking water when I want to snack and am not hungry -- so far it's working after one day of such!

I hope to gain a lot of support from here. Family and friends are not something I keep close to me as well as most (I am very introverted), but online interactions ease my anxieties. Thank you...

[Lulumae]

Hi there. I am sure you will find a lot of fellow feeling here and some good advice to boot.
I have been living low carb for nearly a year and have shed some 40 lb (17 kg). I have been stuck for a while now but so long as I don't gain I'm happy. I feel great and don't lack energy or anything like that.
Hang in there and keep tweaking till you find something that works. Drinking water is very important, as is eating salt (maybe in the form of bouillon). I'm sure you'll get some helpful suggestions from the experienced people here.

[livinright]

Welcome :)
If you post a couple days of menu's we might be able to make suggestions on changes that will get the scale moving for you.

[LosingMe16]

Hi there. I am sure you will find a lot of fellow feeling here and some good advice to boot.
I have been living low carb for nearly a year and have shed some 40 lb (17 kg). I have been stuck for a while now but so long as I don't gain I'm happy. I feel great and don't lack energy or anything like that.
Hang in there and keep tweaking till you find something that works. Drinking water is very important, as is eating salt (maybe in the form of bouillon). I'm sure you'll get some helpful suggestions from the experienced people here.

I think my snacking & calories intake is holding me back currently, so I am working towards not snacking as much and replacing it with a glass of water when I get the urge. :)

Salt intake seems okay; I have not had any cramping or other signs of electrolyte issues...

I also need a more reliable scale! It's not very accurate and fluctuates when it shouldn't...

[bkloots]

Hi, LosingMe. This is a good place for support and suggestions. Just please remember that each of us is an experiment of One. Don't try to do or change too many things at once based on what works for someone(s) else.

I've been studying and practicing LC for more than ten years. Here's an observation, for what it's worth: Try to work with not against your own preferences and habits.

For example, it's pretty well acknowledged that some of us are morning people, and some of us are night people. Not negotiable! Likewise, some people on this site prefer eating just once a day. Others go with two meals, three meals, or five mini-meals.

You? Why not make your snack-style low-carb friendly? Snacking isn't necessarily a result of hunger (on low-carb, hunger isn't a dependable signal anyway.) Have something ready when you feel like snacking. Make it part of the plan. Some suggestions:

--deviled eggs
--pork rinds and ranch dip (or cream cheese)
--chocolate (made with coconut oil and cocoa--see recipes)
--dill pickle (under your allowed veggies)

These foods are hard to eat too much of at a sitting. I'd avoid cheese and nuts for now. A glass of water or a cup of bouillon are good, too.

Come back and let us know how you're doing.

Best wishes.
P. S. I still haven't got a fix on the calorie thing. Mostly, I try not to count calories and to stay at a ketogenic level of carbs. At my age, keeping my weight from going UP is a triumph. It's like running as fast I can to stay in one place. But I've still got to do it.

[LosingMe16]

Hey Barbara :)

The snacks are some of my favorites that you listed -- I even have a bag of pork rinds that I brought to work with me! I made deviled eggs one day last week, and I almost always have dill pickles at home (my middle child [2yrs old] loves them as much or even more than I do). I was dipping my pork rinds in egg yolks mixed with real mayo this morning (delicious!!!). I've done guacamole with pork rinds, too. I am a huge avocado fan.

My problem with snacking is that I snack when I'm NOT HUNGRY. I just am bored and want to put something in my mouth even when there is absolutely not a single bit of hunger pangs going through my body. Even right now, at work, my body feels FULL but if I had something easily accessible to eat I would. I think even prior to changing my eating habits it is one of my biggest downfalls...I know I shouldn't eat if I'm not hungry, but if it's there I'm on it! Breaking that mental habit is extremely hard; I've been doing this sort of behavior for a very long time.

I will say that eating low-carb I am not only hungry less than usual I am also more pleasantly full. I feel good and am not in a total "food coma" as I have been sometimes in the past. I also think I am at least mildly gluten intolerant; after five weeks of being totally wheat free my digestive system is loving me for it. :)

Thank you so much for the encouragement. I find that even at 30 I have a really hard time dropping weight. I'm going to have to get some type of exercise added into the plan!

[Lulumae]

Hi there. I also find it hard to resist food if it's lying around. I have to make sure it isn't. No food in my office. I keep my lunch in the fridge in the kitchenette downstairs and if there's food on the counter, as there often is as people bring in treats a lot, I try to keep away. Slices of dried meat or parma ham are a good snack as the temptation to eat those when you're not hungry is pretty low on the temptation scale, I find. At home I have to be careful when I'm preparing dinner, and once I've eaten I have my coffee and my square of black chocolate and that's it. Nothing more. Sometimes I eat two or even three squares but I think that's better than something that would get me eating much more. Even apples stimulate my appetite - I guess the sugar gets the insulin flowing.

[LosingMe16]

Hi there. I also find it hard to resist food if it's lying around. I have to make sure it isn't. No food in my office. I keep my lunch in the fridge in the kitchenette downstairs and if there's food on the counter, as there often is as people bring in treats a lot, I try to keep away. Slices of dried meat or parma ham are a good snack as the temptation to eat those when you're not hungry is pretty low on the temptation scale, I find. At home I have to be careful when I'm preparing dinner, and once I've eaten I have my coffee and my square of black chocolate and that's it. Nothing more. Sometimes I eat two or even three squares but I think that's better than something that would get me eating much more. Even apples stimulate my appetite - I guess the sugar gets the insulin flowing.

I keep a glass in the fridge now...so when I open the fridge I go for the glass and fill it with water! At work I have no problems really, food is not easily available (and if it is I usually only nibble on a cheese sample, I work at a natural foods market). It's a vice I have to BUST! I know eating when I'm not hungry is a big downfall of mine, so it's a focus point for me right now. I have no problems with cheating at all...no desire to eat the junk I was before.

I just got Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories to read. Will take me a long time to do it, but I'll finish it off at some point. :)