The few pounds I've gained has been caused by denial!
 

So this is day 4 of me eating "clean" trying to get my weight back down below 145. It normally works pretty well....but today, after 3 days, I am <still> 146! And the past several days I have noticed that I'm having cravings. So I started thinking long and hard and then went back through my journal.

It seems the problems started with the salted/roasted sunflower seeds, which I recognized fairly quickly and ditched. Prior to that I had been eating bits of rice, potatoes, beans, and tortilla chips here and there with no problem and a slow, but continuing weight loss. But why the continued gain after ditching the seeds? I've been trying to blame it on all that other stuff.

On June 7 I wrote in my journal that I suspected my weight gain was due to the sweet treats I had purchased from Sugarless deLite...and then proceeded to visit the store again 7 days later and buy more! I have been eating a small portion of that stuff almost every single day - even on these days I was supposed to be eating "clean." After all, sugar alcohols have never adversely affected me. :rolleyes:

I suspect this is the real culprit and today will be day 1 of me not eating any of that stuff.

I'm posting here for accountability.

Frecks--be glad you caught yourself and your denial at 3 pounds. Much better than trying to fool yourself at 30 pounds.

This is one of the lessons that you do learn in maintenance particularly if this isn't your first time around....all the sweet treats, homemade or otherwise are NOT for daily or even a few times weekly consumption. If sugar alcohols never affect you adversely than that's probably a good indication that you're processing them like carbohydrates--i.e. your body is absorbing them and using them. If you're having GI distress, diarrhea, gas and bloating thats probably a good indication that you're not processing them.

Denial...not just a river in Egypt.;) My advice--get rid of them (and I do mean rid)

Oh man am I glad!!! I'm aggravated that I "suspected" but then still bought more of it! How stupid!

By adversely I meant no weight gain or gastronomical distress. I've never experienced either with sugar alcohols, but my only experience has come from eating one or two Russel Stover sf candies here and there. These baked goods from Sugarless deLite are evil - even in very small amounts! Reminds me of my experience with the cherries....



Thanks for this. I've been trying to tell myself that I can have them for special occasions (like my birthday or Thanksgiving or Christmas). NOT! Anything that makes me gain and crave like that can not be good for my body - even in small amounts occasionally!

Make sure that you bookmark this.
Your rational mind can say this, but now you have to get your emotional mind to accept this. Once this happens, you have won another battle.

Don't learn it the hard way.
Don't repeat history.

I think I've got it now...after being at 146 for the past few days. What I have trouble understanding is why I was at 145....KNEW these foods were causing probs and still chose to buy and eat more. It's like I'm operating on a 2 strike mentality. This didn't happen with the cherries, or the sunflower seeds. With those I acknowledged the problem and took action. With this I kinda just ignored it...and gained more weight!

I'm guessing that I still miss my holiday treats and was <really> hoping this would be the answer. Even after all these years and all my history. <sigh> I'm thinking that my emotional mind needs to accept the fact that I need to come up with my own home made treats (that will never be like the originals) and just get over it.

I've already decided that I won't be going back to Sugarless deLite. If it seems to good to be true it probably is...

My cravings were HORRIBLE yesterday. Excruciating, really. But I made it through and was rewarded with a drop on the scale this morning. Not sure about the cravings yet...so far so good.

I wanted to post an update about my day....

Today was hard again. More cravings. Also experienced a low grade headache. LC has always "fixed" my headaches. I am wondering if I am having withdrawal symptoms from maltitol! Is that possible?

I did end up eating the toppings off of a small piece of pizza, which I would normally NEVER do. I sometimes eat a pepperoni or some such, but never the entire top. I was hungry and craving, making a perfect storm. I'm thankful I didn't eat the crust.

I'm still craving, but have my dinner made and will dive into that.

The title of your thread reminds me of something I heard recently. "Denial" = Don't Even Notice I Am Lying. I try to remember that ...

Yes Terri, Like Lisa said, I get digestive upset from the sugar alcohols, cramps and stuff..... (tmi) so I could eat them without the insulin reaction, but the flavors are the triggers for me. I have grown to love the treats I can make myself and never would have allowed myself before LC like coconut oil, peanut butter and shredded coconut and all the other great things we can make. I am slowly convincing myself that I am very much better off without tasting the candy my neighbor offers me.
I hope you feel better today.

+++ just reading Wheat Belly and the thougth of your cravings leapt to mind. Are those treats made with wheat or non glutin ingredient like potato or rice? That could be a huge problem with your cravings. He tells how wheat and other grains cause cravings. I understand that now, many in my family crave cereal and bread. wow.....

thanks for posting this Freckles- we all need to see this.
Hope today is better.
E

Hi Terri-

Yep, it's easy to slip into telling yourself that hey, I'm at my goal, I'm successfully maintaining-it's OK if I buy those "carbsmart" ice cream bars or those dark chocolate bars. The problem is that once they're in the house they're too available. You get used to having that sweet taste, so when you finish an otherwise healthy day of eating you feel entitled to have that treat. You're out for dinner and it'll be no problem to have that dessert. WRONG!

I've found my food choices slowly morphing back to old ways because of those cravings you describe and your post brought it into clearer focus for me. I need to kill those cravings, and quick. Even though my weight was pretty steady and I was even losing a bit, I don't want to go back there- I went through induction flu once and do not want to do that again. I am going grocery shopping later and both of those items were on the list- no more.

So, thanks for the "slap upside the head"!

Having lived in Dallas before, I was curious to learn more about this store and its ingredients. Some of their packaged foods list which AS was used, but many made locally do not. My biggest concern would be the amounts used and the bulking agents like maltodextrin, creating a txture more like sugar. Dr. Bernstein's diabetes book explains why blood sugars can spike with Splenda in packets, but not with the liquid or tablet. And some products are also listed as gluten-free, which can contain rice or corn starches. Since your cravings have lasted so long, it might be useful to ask for the amounts of anything suspicious...and stay as far away from that in the future. Thanks for posting your story.

Thanks, ladies! Yeah...no wheat or gluten in any of the products and all of them were deemed lc. I asked a LOT of questions before buying anything and they use almond flour and maltitol.

Ran across this article on maltitol through a link Arlene left in my journal and it pretty much confirms it for me. I just can't do maltitol in the amounts found in these products.

By they way, for Janet (and anyone else interested), I had purchased the lc cheesecake brownie, the lc brownie and the lc pecan bar initially. I cut them all into three pcs and ate one pc every day or so. When I went back I purchased a lc cheesecake brownie and a hunk of sf fudge. I cut the brownie in 3 again and the fudge I was slicing into 1" square <slivers>. So the point I'm making is that I was eating these treats in what I felt to be VERY small amounts.

But apparently it was just too much maltitol for me. I looked at the Russel Stover sf candies that I eat periodically (that have NEVER caused these types of issues) and they have a mix of several different types of sugar alcohols, maltitol being one of them.

Suffice to say I have learned my lesson and will no longer be a customer there.

As an update to my progress....I woke this morning dizzy and disoriented. Went back to bed for an hour or so and woke to the same. I was down to 143.5 on the scale. WHEW! I felt hungry so very slowly ate some bacon and felt better. Maybe the small headaches and the dizziness are induction flu symptoms?

Since I was still having cravings yesterday I will stick to induction levels again today. Got to get rid of that awful feeling of being out of control!

I wish I could rename the title of this thread to: The dangers of maltitol

Freckles....It is awsome and inspiring how committed you are to the low carb lifestyle..I will try to follow in your footsteps....

I am so glad you have it figured out. Malitol by itself is your big trigger to all sorts of problems. Now, the detective work to look for it when you need to. I do hope you are feeling better after your good for you breakfast and day and also the 143.5 onthe scale.