Carol Sue, actually ACV tops the list of suggested homeopathic treatments for psoriasis! You might want to try it again and really let it get into your system and do its thing. I don't know how long it might take, but I'm sure if you google it, you could get an idea. I'm hoping it will have a positive effect on my rheumatoid arthritis, which is also an autoimmune disorder. I'm glad the probiotics and vitamin D are helping!
Well, the bad news is my scale stopped moving down for me today. Also, my back still hurts, the Y has limited hours today, and it's raining outside, so exercise is looking iffy. The good news is I lost 4 lbs this week! And it's my Carb Day!
Week 5: High 206.5, Low 204.5
5/31--(202.5) 206 Carb Day
6/1--(203) 206.5
6/2--(202.5) 206
6/3--(202) 205.5
6/4--(201) 204.5
6/5--204.5
6/6--205.5 Carb Day Week 6: High 206.5, Low 204.5
6/7--206
6/8--206.5
6/9--205.5
6/10--206.5
6/11--205.5
6/12--204.5
6/13--204.5 Carb Day Week 7: High 205, Low 201
6/14--204.5
6/15--205
6/16--203.5
6/17--202
6/18--201.5
6/19--201
6/20--201 Carb Day
Today's Meals: Breakfast:
2 eggs fried in coconut oil
3 slices of bacon
1 slice of whole wheat toast with coconut oil instead of butter (It was good! I'm surprised!)
A mug of mint hot chocolate (the air is cool and damp with the rain here today)
Water
Lunch:
cottage cheese
Water
Snack:
Dairy Queen Blizzard
Dinner: (Father's Day dinner at my son's house)
T-bone steak
Asparagus
Pasta salad
Orange Crush cake
Water
Today's Exercise:
2.5 mile walk around the track at the Y
Carol SueWell so much for the avocado-ripening theory. You are a great source of applied research for a lot of food practices..love that! I too like to eat the same more or less and am glad it's part of TF's plan.
Re water, I'm not sure thi is a good idea for others, but I buy bottled water and re-use the same bottle for one month, then discard it. I do not wash it for that month, but i live in a cool climate, and I do store it overnight in the fridge. I have never had a problem from doing this. i have a re-usable glass bottle but the water gets a musty taste, even though I wash the bottle.
Chickadee Your words sum it up for me: But I want to get the mindset, that this low carb thing in my way of eating from now on, I just want to get use to it so it comes natural and I do it all the time. But still know I can have something special once in a while, because that is life.
I'm still trying to find a way to balance Carb Day. I see the benefits but it does seem to invite back the behaviors I am trying to extinguish. But if I tell myself it is just going to be a day for carbs that are not treats, like yams, it feels a little too restrictive for the long term. But the minute I decide to loosen up a little more, this other part of me comes out that is hard to put back in the bottle.
Yesterday was Carb Day for me--I did it at the end of the day to make sure I did not get carried away. I ate a lot but I could also leave things out.
Jacqui That is interesting about the 5HTP. I think I took it once at night and when it kept me awake, tried taking it earlier with same result. I wonder what that's all about. Maybe it works better on Carb Day. I don't get all the brain chemistry stuff at all but I read last winter when I was struggling with SAD and ultra low carb/low cal that the you need carbs to make serotonin, which is what 5HTP is supposed to boost. L Tryptophan about an hour before bedtime helped.
Mars, interesting! So even though L-tryptophan converts to 5-HTP in the body which then converts to serotonin, you did better by going the slower route of letting a supplemental L-tryptophan create natural 5-HTP instead of going the shortcut of using a supplemental 5-HTP. I'll keep that in mind! Last night it did take me a while to fall asleep (it's possible I need to take the 5-HTP a little earlier), but I slept pretty well once I did fall asleep. But if I find that it's not working so well overall, I may try the L-tryptophan instead. Thanks for that tip!
Jacqui, I can't remember the sequence for sure--thought L-Tryptophan was the closest to serotonin, but I could have it wrong. Then I read somewhere that serotonin is made in our GI tract, not in the brain. But great that your sleep was better, so maybe you are on the way to figuring it out.
Jac, Mars, Carol Sue - you guys are making this so interesting, I had to post this as I go out the door.
I did numbers today, 1 pound lost and 3 inches. (still have to read up on how this works - so fat takes up more space than it weighs???)
But I take LTheanine everyday, look it up, it has helped me so much. I also tried taking Ashawagandha-but my body couldn't handle it. I love natural helpers for the body. (with my particular BP issue I tried 10 different RX's and they all caused such terrible side effects that I could not take them - now I am hoping weight loss with be my answer, but so far it is still scary)
I just threw this out there, because things take awhile to get in your system and for us to feel the good effects, and if it is more of a natural supplement the better it is. My body does not like medications, I only take one and that is for migraine headaches and it is the lowest dose.
But I love reading everyone's experiences with things, maybe I will try them maybe not, but experience from others (forget Dr Oz though) is better than reading about stuff sometimes.
I am off to enjoy this rainy day, and Strawberry Fest.
Everyone is doing so good, and it is good to hear when we are successful and when we stumble, because we keep getting back up with more gusto! I still need to put on my Big Girl Panties and get on the treadmill - otherwise I will need to dust it off pretty soon!!! (hmmm, if I actually use it, the dust might blow off while in motion!)
Okay, here go my big girl panties right now....I am lifting my carb-saturated bod off the sofa, turning off the Columbo re-runs, getting into my thankfully-stretchy gym clothes and hitting the gym. I won't overdue things like i usually do at the start. 20 minutes treadmill walk, some ab curls on the bench. house cleaning will be bonus exercise. Chickadee you ARE motivating me today! You in Jacqui & Carol Sue?
It is great to hear about what works from my fellow slow carbers--you guys provide good ideas that you've actually tried and then analyzed. While we are not carbon copies of one another, there is enough in common that I really sit up & listen. I don't think I've ever experienced a support thread that I actually think about when I'm in that 'shall I cheat' mode. I think the combo of a truly workable WOE & effective support is so valuable, and enjoyable. Wish I'd foud it sooner. I always skipped over the carb counters thread because I assumed it was Atkins. I hope other 3FCers check this out.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,404
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
I did get on the scale today and I am down. I lost count of where I was after Carb Day, I think around 203, but I am now at 200.2. Hoping to be back down in Onederland by tomorrow.
Today I had
B eggs
L salad of romaine with deli turkey and a half of an avacado.
D ?
Don't know what dinner will be yet. These avacados I bought were big. I'm going to get out my little food scale and weigh one of them. Wow! It's 9 oz!!
I take so many meds. I take 2 diabetes meds and take each one twice a day. I take 2 blood pressure meds and take each one twice a day. I take a fish oil capsule twice a day, an aspirin and 2 cholesterol meds, once a day each. My blood pressure is still not good, but I want to lower it by losing weight, not more meds, so I cheat when I go to the doctor so my BP looks better than it really is. I won't go into detail. LOL
Jacqui, I will read about the ACV and psoriasis again. Now that I think about it, I think in Dr Pagano's book he says no vinegar except ACV. So maybe it's time to start trying it again.
Chickadeee, woohoo on the 1 lb down and 3 inches off!!! And oh yes, fat does take up more room on your body and weighs less. Muscle is denser, so it takes up less room but weighs more. That's why people can exercise and see a big difference in their bodies but not a big difference on the scale. Of course, seeing and feeling the difference is much more important than the numbers on the scale! With as health-conscious as you are, you definitely should put on your big girl panties and get your body moving! And who knows, you might end up like me, wanting to exercise! I've never liked exercise, ever, so not wanting to miss a day now is a huge change for me! And I feel good about it!
Mars, yes, I'm in! I'm such a sucker for a challenge, lol! Because of the rain, I'm not doing what I had planned to do this morning, so I'm going to go upstairs, get my gym clothes on, and head out to the Y! I'll be walking very slowly but I'll still be moving, not sitting on the couch!
I do hope people don't dismiss the Slow Carb Diet as being like the Atkins Diet. Of course, all low carb diets are similar in that they limit carbs, and the Atkins Diet certainly works very well for many people, but it's just not for me. (I've tried it before.) I love my slow carbs and Carb Days! And I do hope others who haven't quite found the right fit in a diet and think they might want to try this, do! After all, why not?!
Carol Sue, maybe as you continue to get healthier, you can wean off of some of those meds. I know some you must always take, no question, but if you can get your blood sugar and blood pressure under better control maybe you won't have to take as many. I'm glad you're going to look into the ACV again! Yay on being down in weight! On to Onederland for good!
You ladies do make it so interesting and fun! I love the support, encouragement, knowledge, and experience y'all provide! And I think we have our group motto: "Put your big girl panties on!" Lol! Of course if we ever get some more roosters in here, we'll have to alter it a bit!
Jacqui Slow is good too--it all adds up to benefits!
Wow we have some real scale victories here which I conveniently overlooked since I am not in that club this week Way to go Carol Sue & Chickadee & Jacqui !
Carol Sue was that avo with or without the pit? Hope it's yummy. Do you have Fuerte or Haas? We have Haas here. I can't wait to get to a point of not worrying about how much avocado, but by that time, they will probably be out if season I'll have to start thinking about what will be my winter go-to.
I had a good first time back at the gym. Slow 20 min treadmill walk and about 25 ab curls holding 4 lb wts on this bench that you can adjust to have back support. I'm taking this slow, just like the diet
I even skipped the flea market they were holding right outside AND did not buy anything afterward. My biggest obstacle with working out is traffic. Getting anywhere involves going through heavy traffic. But it's better than the alternative--gotta get that etched in my mind. I live in a pretty area and could just go for a walk but usually something upsets me--dying redwood & pine trees everywhere from the drought, more housing development, etc. But there is still much beauty to be grateful for, and maybe another big girl panties opportunity, or should I say boxer shorts?
B: Egg sandwich on a Almond and cheese biscuit
S: 1/2 homemade caramel (just half of one little one)
L: Strawberry Fest Spinach Salad, 1/2 piece choc cake. diet soda (the soda was not worth it)
L: Leftover pizza toppings, and pinto beans, water
Did lots of walking today. So was a good day over all.
Chickadeee, yay on all that walking around! And you did really well for having gone to a strawberry fest. I told DH we need to go to one of those, since I believe there are 3 in Ohio. I doubt I'll be as disciplined eating as you though!
Mars, great job on going to the gym! And thank you! Without you asking if I was going to get out and exercise, I probably wouldn't have. As it turned out, my back felt much better today than yesterday. I stayed off the weights but I got a decent walk in! What I had planned to do this morning was go to an estate auction with DH. He went ahead and went since they had a tent up, but the weather was too cool and damp for my joints, so going to the Y instead was perfect, And when I came out, it had cleared up so I joined DH at the auction, and we got what I really wanted, so it turned out wonderfully!
We went to my son's today to celebrate Father's Day. (They will be going to his wife's family's house tomorrow to celebrate with her Dad) Carb Day is perfect for holidays! You don't have to worry about what you're going to eat and it's so enjoyable just to eat what everybody else is eating. I even had a DQ Oreo Blizzard today since I had a light lunch! I love this diet! Of course tomorrow on the scale I may not love it quite as much, lol!
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,404
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Mars, my avocados are Hass, and I weighed it with the pit intact. I ate the other half of it in the evening, so I had the whole avocado yesterday. I have seen the other avocados but never tried them. I can usually buy them all year round but they cost more in the winter. I get on a kick with them, then I burn out and quit buying them for a while.
Look at all this information I found about them!
https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?...&hsimp=yhs-001
Jacqui, I have been trying to lose weight and get off some meds for 7 years, so maybe 2015 will be the year. I just want it gone! But do I want to do what it takes to get it gone? That's the big question. I just don't understand, since my slip ups rarely include sweets, why isn't that making a difference? For years I used to stop at McDonald's for a breakfast sandwich every day on the way to work. I finally changed jobs and there was no McDonalds, so I made breakfast at home. I lost nothing! Nothing! My heart was broken. I used to feel so guilty about those breakfast sandwiches. Maybe I was healthier without them, but not thinner. I still love them and could eat them every day.
I think real Atkins followers would be set against Carb Day as we have it, and when people think of low carb they think Atkins. To them, this plan would just be for weak people and would not work. I did Atkins before but I was never a die-hard. That's probably why it didn't work for me. I feel that vegetables are just too important to health to cut them back that far.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 06-21-2015 at 07:32 AM.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,404
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Jacqui, I have noticed that my pain is worse when the weather is damp but never really made the connection, as I am so new to this. I have been taking a Motrin here and there to keep the pain at bay during times when I really need to get things done. We have some Aleve, but I keep forgetting about it and I want to try it. DH heard the commercial about it lasting so long and had to buy it when he had shingles. It didn't help him at all. He would not take the pain pills the doctor prescribed as they caused nausea and constipation. He just took Advil and it dulled the pain well enough to get him through.
Also. I noticed that you said you drink 10 cups of water with meals. That's a pretty good water consumption! I would not be feeling guilty about not getting more in. That's 80 oz, and anything else you drink does count toward fluid consumption.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 06-21-2015 at 07:49 AM.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,404
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Me again. Jacqui, I just found a whole page of various info about ACV and psoriasis. It seems they are recommending applying it topically as well as drinking it. At one time, a holistic doctor had me rubbing Vicks on it at night and DH hated smelling that. Now I will smell like a salad. LOL I found one site that said it's caused by leaking gut, and I've heard that before. I guess I will start researching treatment of leaky gut, and maybe the Probiotics I'm taking will help with that, too.
I'm glad the probiotics and vitamin D are helping! 
The good news is I lost 4 lbs this week! And it's my Carb Day! 
that is hard to put back in the bottle.
And oh yes, fat does take up more room on your body and weighs less. Muscle is denser, so it takes up less room but weighs more. That's why people can exercise and see a big difference in their bodies but not a big difference on the scale. Of course, seeing and feeling the difference is much more important than the numbers on the scale! With as health-conscious as you are, you definitely should put on your big girl panties and get your body moving! 
And who knows, you might end up like me, wanting to exercise! I've never liked exercise, ever, so not wanting to miss a day now is a huge change for me! And I feel good about it! 
I'm such a sucker for a challenge, lol! Because of the rain, I'm not doing what I had planned to do this morning, so I'm going to go upstairs, get my gym clothes on, and head out to the Y! I'll be walking very slowly 
but I'll still be moving, not sitting on the couch! 
Yay on being down in weight! 
On to Onederland for good! 
I'll have to start thinking about what will be my winter go-to.
And thank you! Without you asking if I was going to get out and exercise, I probably wouldn't have. As it turned out, my back felt much better today than yesterday. I stayed off the weights but I got a decent walk in! What I had planned to do this morning was go to an estate auction with DH. He went ahead and went since they had a tent up, but the weather was too cool and damp for my joints, so going to the Y instead was perfect, And when I came out, it had cleared up so I joined DH at the auction, and we got what I really wanted, so it turned out wonderfully! 
I love this diet! Of course tomorrow on the scale I may not love it quite as much, lol! 