Carb-Sensitive Dieting (Thread 3)
 

This thread is for carb-sensitive dieters who are following various low-, slow- or moderate-carb diet plans. Come join us, posting as much or as little as you like, as we share our diet plans, menus, recipes, exercise, daily progress, and healthy tips, and chat, inspire, motivate, and encourage each other! Please let us know what carb-conscious plan you are following, even if it's your own individual plan, and we will do our best to support you!

As for me, I am doing a modified version of Tim Ferriss's Slow Carb Diet. I like it because I never feel "starved" (as I always have while dieting in the past) and that's because I no longer experience daily blood sugar spikes and drops due to quick-burning, high glycemic index carbs. I also never feel deprived because this diet includes one day each week when I can eat ANY foods I want. And although exercise is recommended, it is not required. I'm not much of an exerciser, although I am getting better, but I try at least to walk for 20-30 minutes each day. The Slow Carb Diet is not for everyone though. Everybody's different!

The gist of the actual Tim Ferriss Slow Carb Diet is: For 6 days of the week, eat lean, preferably organic meats and fish/seafood, eggs, legumes, and non-starchy veggies. (Sugar-free Jello, 16 oz. of diet soda per day, and 1-2 glasses of red wine per day are also allowed.) On these 6 days, avoid breads/grains, dairy (except for cottage cheese), pasta, fruits (except for tomatoes and avocados), sweets, and starchy vegetables. The 7th day of the week (you choose the day) is a "cheat day," when you can eat anything at all as much as you want, including anything on the forbidden list. The cheat day is recommended to keep you from feeling deprived so you'll stay on the diet and to shake up your metabolism each week to keep it from stalling. Ferriss recommends eating 20 grams of protein with each meal, eating 30-60 minutes within waking up in the morning, eating the same meals over and over, having five low-carb days before taking a cheat day, and some other fine details, which I don't really know because I haven't read his book, The Four Hour Body, nor do I intend to. I'm happy with my own version of the diet!

I am a big believer in doing what works for you (as long as it DOES work), so I have tweaked the Slow Carb Diet, and my personalized plan looks like this:

For 6 days of the week, I eat
--meat (not necessarily lean or organic)
--fish
--legumes (including baked beans)
--eggs
--non-potato veggies
--veggie-like fruits (like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, etc.)
--nuts and seeds in moderation (a handful)
--peanut butter in moderation (not natural, just regular Jif)
--yogurt
--cottage cheese
--other dairy in moderation
--black and green olives
--condiments and sauces (including ketchup and honey bbq sauce)
--full-fat salad dressings (usually ranch)
--breaded convenience/fast food meats like chicken tenders (It's too much trouble to try to peel the breading off, so I just allow it since I don't eat these foods very often.)

and I drink
--Water, often flavored with Mio Liquid Water Enhancer (I try to drink a half oz of water for every lb I weigh, daily)
--Diet Dr. Pepper (I'm addicted to this and I'm trying to stay away from it, but I still don't want to remove it from my list!)
--Green tea, sweetened with Splenda

For these 6 days, I avoid
--breads, cereals, and grains (including corn)
--pasta
--fruits (except veggie-like fruits)
--potatoes
--sweets

I count no calories. I count no carbs. I count no grams. I don't eat within 30-60 minutes of waking up. I don't eat every 4 hours. I don't pay attention to numbers at all. I don't necessarily eat the same meals over and over. (If I do, it's simply because I like those foods!) I eat when I'm hungry. I stop when I'm full, and I try not to eat late at night, although if I'm hungry, I will.

The 7th day of the week (I've chosen Saturday, although I'll move it for a special occasion) is what Tim Ferriss calls Cheat Day but what I call Carb Day. (It's not cheating on the plan but rather an actual part of the plan!) I can eat WHATEVER I want as much as I want on Carb Day, but again, I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. Plus, I do try to be mindful that the more quick carbs I eat, the more I am going to crave them, so I try not to go "all out" (although occasionally I will). I do gain between .5 and 2.5 lbs the day after Carb Day, but it's just water weight and it usually falls back off in the next couple of days while I continue to lose fat. It's all figured into the plan, so I don't worry about it.

So that's what I'm doing! What are you doing? If you are carb-conscious, feel free to join us!

(If you'd like to see what the other "regulars" on this thread are doing, here is a link to thread 1: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/othe...-dieting.html; and thread 2: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/othe...hread-2-a.html.)

Carol Sue, congrats on being in Onederland again! :woohoo: I'm sorry to hear you have a cold! I hope you feel better real soon! :getwell:

Mars, I'm glad you're back on track now! :cp: Avoiding the pumpkin treats has not been easy!

PrairieQueen, I hope so! :crossed: I think I might take Carb Day tomorrow though, so my weight will go up after that for a few days. :yes:

Lost my post! Hi everyone! thanks Jacqui for the thread!

Carol You get to enjoy Onederland no matter how you get there, imo. I hope you feel better soon.

Jacqui Sending you :dust: One day at a time with your temptation gauntlet! You're doing fantastic. I'm really struggling with focusing on delayed gratification! When those treats pop into my view, all other thoughts fade except "I want it!" Only later will i remember I wanted to fit into my smaller clothes, or have a flatter stomach.

As I was posting, my sister called and said my Mom fell. She fell 2 days ago, too. She told the neighbors not to tell us. She is a strong vibrant woman who wants to keep every bit of her independence. She isn't injured, just very sore knee from first fall, which probably led to her 2nd fall.

Hope everyone is doing well. I had a few bites of something off program, but I've eaten a smaller dinner so feel like at least i'm reining things, if not perfect.

Mars, oh no, I hope your Mom's knee starts feeling better! That's scary. Does she know the reason for the original fall? I mean, did she trip, did she get up too fast and black out, was her foot asleep, etc.? My father broke 4 ribs back in February when he fell against his nightstand beside his bed. He tends to black out when he stands up too quickly because of the change in blood pressure. All he has to do is stand still for a few seconds to get his bearings before he starts to move. I just wondered if something like that could be going on with your mother. :dunno: I understand completely on logic goes out the window when presented with treats! This week has not been easy! Even tonight I had an extra bowl of chili when I normally would not have. It will probably mean I'll be up on the scale tomorrow, but my reasoning was, "Hey, I'm going to be eating carbs tomorrow, so what's a little more food?" I cannot allow myself to think like that! That little extra bit here and there is what does me in! :nono: My advice is just do your very best to resist! :hug:

It's been a very busy day. My daughter and her friend came in today. My daughter's husband and his friend are coming in on Saturday. So I was cleaning bedrooms and bathrooms this morning, and I completely forgot to weigh myself before breakfast! :tantrum: I am going to make tomorrow my Carb Day. My daughter and her friend have this plan for us to try as many pumpkin foods as possible tomorrow. We tried this last year too and didn't get very far, but that's because we were each eating our own whole piece of whatever food it was. This year we are going to buy one piece of whatever foods and just take 1-2 bites each. Well except for the pumpkin pancakes. Those are so good, we each want our own, lol! I'm still skeptical. I think we are going to get full way too fast to eat as many different types of pumpkin foods as they want to eat, but we'll see! :hungry:

Week 23: High 179.5, Low (175)
10/4--179.5
10/5--(177 w/pjs, which would have been 179 fully dressed)
10/6--(176.5 w/pjs, which would have been 178.5 fully dressed)
10/7--(175.5 w/pjs, which would have been 177.5 fully dressed))
10/8--(177 fully dressed)
10/9--(176 fully dressed)
10/10--(175 fully dressed) Carb Day

Week 24: High 177, Low 175
10/11--(177 fully dressed)
10/12--(176 fully dressed)
10/13--(175.5 fully dressed)
10/14--(175 fully dressed)
10/15--(174.5 fully dressed)
10/16--176
10/17--175 Carb Day

Week 25:
10/18--177.5
10/19--176.5
10/20--176.5
10/21--175.5
10/22--DNW
10/23--
10/24--

Today's Meals
Breakfast
2 fried eggs
2 slices of bacon
Fage Greek yogurt
Mio Water

Lunch:
Chili
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Tea Time:

Dinner
Chili (2 bowls) :devil:
BBQ pork rinds
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
About an hour of walking downtown

PrairieQueen, I know how you feel about not being able to resist the shoe-string potatoes. After saying how I love sweet potatoes and don't really care for white potatoes I've gone back on my word. I few days ago I was really hungry for mashed potatoes. DH wanted to go out to eat and he said I could order just a side of mashed potatoes but I felt stupid doing that and ordered a whole meal to go along with it. Really just wanted the taters.

This week, we had some very long potatoes in our bin and DH made some really good steak fries with them. OMG they were so good! Yesterday, I was planning on buying some sour cream so I could have a baked potato but I forgot. Can't eat it without the sour cream. So I guess I still like white potatoes after all. LOL Not good!

Today we are going to the casino, so dinner will not include any carbs, but will have lots of protein! Steak, fish, shrimp! Yum!

Mars, I hope your mother is OK. I have a terrible fear of falling, because I trip a lot. Sometimes it's as if I trip over a piece of lint...nothing's there. And I worry about the cellar steps, especially since the dog likes to go down with me, but won't go all the way down until I do. I don't want to trip over him. The floor at the bottom of the steps is cement. Ouch! I make myself go up and down those stairs, though, so I don't get to the point of not being able to do stairs. Eventually, I might need a stair lift, but so far I'm still doing them.

Jacqui, a couple years ago I went to get out of bed, got dizzy, passed out and crashed into the closet door. I came to right away and DH came and helped me up, but I was dizzy and nauseated the rest of the day. Had a waste basket at my side to throw up in. LOL Ever since that day, I seem to get dizzy when I first lie down, or when I get up. I get up and put my feet over the bed, but lean back until the room stops going around before continuing to get up. I don't want a repeat, plus I don't want to land on top of the dog, who sleeps on the floor next to the bed. He would not live to tell about it.

Thank-you Carol. How was the casino buffet? I think I could be absolutely happy at a protein buffet! I hope you didn't get the potato trigger from me, lol! Sometimes reading what other people are eating (esp sweets) triggers me.

I too would be nervous going down stairs with a dog or cat around my feet. Hopefully Rusty will get used to the cellar and go down ahead of you. Or maybe you could encourage him by throwing a treat, ahead of you? Your strategy is what I also am trying to do, to keep doing things and maximize mobility as I add years. My Mom used to walk with her friend for 2 miles every morning, and I think that is why she is as strong as she is now at 89.

Jacqui Hope you are having a blast!

I'm limping re eating.
B cabbage omelet, whey shake
L salad, chicken, evoo
S this is crazy--i agreed to work OT, then realized i was tired but already committed so I ate a big salad in the cafeteria, with kidney beans, evoo, and a LOT of crumbled blue cheese.
D turkey chili, and ate more than usual. Also roasted cabbage w evoo.

WI 169.8. Still taking Alleve, so I can tell myself it's just water lol.

:wave: Rennie, SeeMy Feet, chickadeee, WildBlueYonder, Bewildered & everyone else, hope y'all are doing well!

So sorry I didn't make it on yesterday! After all the walking around town and the pumpkin carb-fest day, I was exhausted and sleepy, and fell asleep!

Mars, ok, here goes the list of foods we ate yesterday, but to anyone reading this who might being triggered by food porn, look away! The 3 things that we each ate whole were: a pumpkin doughnut, a pumpkin pancake, and a scoop of pumpkin ice cream. Everything else we each took a bite or two of. Some things we finished off. Some things went straight into the trash after we tried it. And some things were offered as samples so we didn't have to buy the whole thing! We didn't get to everything so the girls are going to continue today but we did get to the following: pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin burger, pumpkin chili, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin waffle, roasted pumpkin seeds (yum, I want to buy more of these today since I can eat them), pumpkin bread, pumpkin chocolate candy, pumpkin and cream cheese roll, pumpkin cookie, pumpkin cake, pumpkin coney dog, pumpkin soup, pumpkin kettle corn, pumpkin hot chocolate and latte (I had the hot chocolate, they had the latte since I don't drink coffee), pumpkin shredded chicken, pumpkin croissant, pumpkin muffin, pumpkin cornbread, pumpkin cupcake, pumpkin no bakes, pumpkin jelly beans, and pumpkin peanut brittle. They still have 9 things on their list that they want to try: pumpkin brownie, pumpkin funnel cake, pumpkin cream puff, pumpkin onion bloom, pumpkin beer (they might have sampled that when they went back out last night, I'll have to ask them when they wake up, lol), pumpkin pretzels, pumpkin wings (I can eat those with them today), deep fried pumpkin pie, pumpkin cannoli, and pumpkin nachos. It was amazing how it holds true that we you eat carbs, you crave carbs, because just when I thought I couldn't eat anything else, I'd be ready to eat again. We never felt sick since we were walking a lot, spacing it out, taking sips of water, and only eating bites of each thing. It was lots of fun, but I was definitely pumpkined out, sugared out, and tuckered out by the time I came home yesterday, lol! :lol: I hope your mother is well on her way to mending! I can understand why you would be wary of her home projects, wow!

Carol Sue, oh my goodness, is your dizziness due to a drop in blood pressure? I'm glad you are careful with it. My dad is getting good at standing still after he stands up before taking off walking now, but I still worry about him. :yes:

Hi PrairieQueen, Rennie, Chickadeee, SeeMyFeet, WildBlueYonder, and FinallyFree, :wave: and come back Bewildered! :hug:

I am dreading getting on the scale this morning, lol! Yesterday morning, I was already up to 177 (too much chili the night before), so I have no doubt I'll be back up into the 180's today! :fr:

Jacqui Food porn indeed! :rofl: I was going to list the pumpkin things I would have tried, but there were too many! Pumpkin chili was on top of the list, followed by sweet things. What was your fave? It sounds like a perfect Carb Day--getting to have everything you wanted but the walking & spacing it out & water kept you feeling great. I totally agree, carb eating simply makes me want more more more! That said, maybe a carb saturation is a good way to ensure plenty of serotonin for our brains--that's my story & I'm stickin' to it!

I'm sure your body knows the way back down really well by now :yes: The scale is simply the call back to what it's used to...I was gonna say like a shepherd's horn but maybe it's more like an Australian sheepdog, nipping at our heels to get us back on the path :D

Thanks for asking, my Mom seems to be feeling better. That's a good thing that you Dad stands still upon rising. I've encountered many patients or anecdotes about people who fall, and the fall itself is not indicative of anything serious. But the injuries from falling range from skull fracture to all sorts of painful bruises, fractures, etc. So it really is worth the precaution to prevent them! It's ironic that as kids, we learn to get up and move on, but as adults it's a whole different game.

Yesterday's menu...

Break - McD's sausage burrito w/hot sauce and Coke Life
Lunch - Amy's organic cheese/bean burrito
Snack - Skinny popcorn
Dinner - homemade meat calzone
Drinks - 3 lite beers

I'm going to try some slow-cooker oats Monday morning to try and get out of this breakfast rut. I'm going to make some sort of Apple topping/applesauce for it.

I still have loads of apples to process, so I made four Dutch Apple pies today and put three in freezer. I don't know how long I'll be able to resist a piece of the one I just got out of oven though.

Mars, Rusty doesn't get excited over treats, so throwing a treat down the steps wouldn't help. He won't go all the way down, because he's afraid I won't go all the way down. He wants to make sure I'm coming. He is so attached to me it isn't funny. He's funny about treats. We can put a piece of steak on the floor and he will look at it for a while, walk over and sniff it, and then eat it.

I had a great dinner at the buffet but it ended up not being carb free. They had baked mac and cheese and I had some. It tasted like my home-made that I haven't made for about a year. It was delicious, and I don't feel any guilt over it. I ate it, enjoyed it and moved on. LOL

This is a really funny story from the casino. They were giving away umbrellas with their logo on it. You had to earn 300 points to get one. It takes a whole lot of money to earn 300 points and we have more umbrellas than we ever need, but DH asked me about 3 times if we were going to get an umbrella, every time they announced it. Finally he understood that we were not getting one. Then, right before we left, he said "It must be raining. All these people are carrying umbrellas." LOL I thought "And they are all the same!" LOL That's when I said "They're giving away umbrellas here!!" He had forgotten all about it.

Jacqui, way too much pumpkin for me!!

I don't know what my dizziness is from, but it's only when I lie down, or sit up from lying down. The first time it happened I mentioned it to my PCP and he wanted to do a brain MRI. I thought that was a little extreme and I refused. It's not all the time, just occasionally, and it could be from my blood pressure. I'm not worried about it now that I know to expect it, and I know it only happens getting in or out of bed. I sing "The walls of the room go round and round, round and round, round and round."

Are we the only ones who know there's a new thread?

Carol Sue, I don't know where everyone is. I put a link to this thread and invited everyone to check in, but maybe it's just a busy week for our chickies. :shrug: Lol on hubby and the umbrellas! :lol: I'm glad you know to watch out for that dizziness!

PrairieQueen, yum! Those Dutch apple pies sound delicious! :hungry:

Mars, I'm glad your mom is better! :yes: My pumpkin faves in order are pumpkin doughnut, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cream cheese roll, pumpkin ice cream, and pumpkin shredded chicken. Actually I'm not sure if the shredded chicken is as wonderful as it tasted or if I was just so sick of sugary things by the time we ate it, lol! :T

Believe it or not, I gained just 1 lb since yesterday! I thought for sure I'd be above 180! But I was only 178! :carrot: On Wednesday my sister and I are going to Boston MA to visit our cousins, so with all the traveling and the festival this month, I don't know if I'll make my "Chicks Up for a Challenge" goal of 174 this month, but I'll be thrilled if I can just stay in the 170's this month! :yes: I didn't buy my pumpkin seeds or go eat wings with the girls today. I was pleasantly distracted by my 3-year-old grandson here today! :love:

Week 23: High 179.5, Low (175)
10/4--179.5
10/5--(177 w/pjs, which would have been 179 fully dressed)
10/6--(176.5 w/pjs, which would have been 178.5 fully dressed)
10/7--(175.5 w/pjs, which would have been 177.5 fully dressed))
10/8--(177 fully dressed)
10/9--(176 fully dressed)
10/10--(175 fully dressed) Carb Day

Week 24: High 177, Low 175
10/11--(177 fully dressed)
10/12--(176 fully dressed)
10/13--(175.5 fully dressed)
10/14--(175 fully dressed)
10/15--(174.5 fully dressed)
10/16--176
10/17--175 Carb Day

Week 25: (High 178, Low 175.5)
10/18--177.5
10/19--176.5
10/20--176.5
10/21--175.5
10/22--DNW
10/23--177 Carb Day
10/24--178

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
1 slice of ham
Mio Water

Lunch:
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Tea Time:

Dinner:
Chili
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
About an hour of walking downtown

Jacqui, DH was scanning through the TV channels and we came upon the Buckeye's game. You know, they COULD let the other team score a few points! LOL DH doesn't watch college.

I forgot about Cream Cheese Pumpkin Roll. I do like that, but it's so rich I can only eat a very small slice. DH loves it. You should see the pieces he cuts. LOL

I'm thinking about going to the doctor about this cold. It starts to go away and then comes back. I don't know if it's something worse. I feel a little like I did when I had pneumonia. I have a lot of chest congestion that I keep coughing up, and I'm blowing my nose. I get really tired and have to take a nap for a few hours. I get freezing cold, then hot. I don't have a fever, that's what's different. I got a pneumonia shot this year but I know there are various strains. The last time I had it, I had it a couple weeks before they reached the proper diagnosis. I hate to go to him because my doctor is one who goes for worst case scenario and runs a barrage of tests. I hate going through all that. I'm starting to think he gets a kickback for every test he orders. Can they do that?

Today I took a nap. Around 5 DH came in and asked if I wanted something to eat and I said no, but then I got curious to see what he had. He had gone to the store and bought a rotisserie chicken, then made mashed potatoes and green beans. So I ate. I didn't even hear the garage door when he left and came back. I must have really been zonked out. I guess that nap is why I'm still up at 11:20. LOL

Yesterday's menu

Break - 2 pieces bacon, slice if baguette w/butter and pear butter, Coke Life
Lunch/dinner - skillet jambalaya, no rice
Snack - Skinny popcorn
Drinks at and after a show - 3 Lite beers......I need to stop that :dizzy:

Carol Sue, Ohio State did finally let them score, lol! :lol: I love pumpkin roll, but I agree with you. It IS rich! :T Oh my, your symptoms sound miserable! I don't know if doctors get a kickback for tests or not, but it does make you wonder if someone ever threatened to sue him. It sounds like he covers all his bases just in case. I definitely think you should set up a appointment though and the sooner the better. You could have walking pneumonia. My Dad had that once and he thought he just had a cold. It's often mistaken for cold/flu, but it lingers like yours has lingered. I do hope you'll go to the doctor! :hug:

PrairieQueen, it is so easy to get into a habit of going out and having fun and forgetting about your weight loss efforts for the night! DH and I like going out with our friends each week, and I'd love to have a burger and fries and a couple of Redd's Apple Ales, but I know I'd regret it when I stepped on the scale the next day! I don't know why we never seem to go out on my Carb Day, lol! :dunno:

Carol I like to think they put a stop to doctors getting kickbacks from ordering things! You can check pretty easily to see who owns the lab. Nowadays, it's more likely the doc would get dinged by the health insurer--they discourage anything that incurs them a cost. Hopefully he's just an 'err on the side of caution' guy. I hope you feel better soon! Bronchitis can knock it out of you too.
Because you are savvy about your body, and health matters in general, seems like a good idea to check it out if it feels pneumonia did last time. It's good you have an appetite, and the things you're eating sound good & healthy. Including the Mac n Cheese! I think you are tapping into a nice WOE because you are enjoying things & they don't trigger binges.

Yay for just a tiny uptick Jacqui! Sounds like you enjoyed everything you wanted without going overboard. That's an accomplishment when there are all the visual cues, and i imagine some lovely aromas! Imho it's more important to enjoy things & not be so strict as to cause a rebound down the road. I know we can't get complacent, but also not too vigilant either. Are you flying to Boston? That sounds so fun, especially in this season.

I went to Costco to return something, right in the front of the store. I know to stay away from the back of the store where the food samples are, except on Carb Day. But yesterday, I was broadsided right inside the entrance by a "Sonoma Food Festival" with many delicious samples!!!! Normally those tiny sample cups are carefully watched & you always have to wait & wait while the staffer heats or cuts up more. But these samples were offered by smiling welcoming people who kept saying "have another"! So I did. Yummmm! I didn't binge though (logistically difficult with bite-sized samples, lol). As soon as I left, it was all over, and I ate just a little the rest of the day instead of using it as an excuse to write off the day & binge. I think I was channeling Carol-thanks!

Yesterday
B cabbage omelet, whey shake/coffee
L B-up bar
S Costco
S/D chicken breast, broccoli, cabbage, potatoes (tiny ones), bites of turkey chili
2 l herb tea, no exercise
WI 167.4 (tomorrow will likely reflect Costco)

Mars, I remember when I first started going to this doctor, 15-20 yrs ago he sent me for a chest Xray 3 years in a row. He would listen to my lungs, say "Hmmm" and then schedule an Xray. They always came back negative. The last time he did it I got a statement from the lab for it and the doctor's name who checked the results was the same as his...it was his WIFE who is also a Dr. It was then that I thought he was trying to drum up business for her. Since that time, when I was in the hospital, I learned that my lungs are hard to hear on the lower left. They always check it several times, and have done a lot of chest xrays while I was in the hospital. When I had pneumonia, I had gone to the ER instead of the doctor. They did a chest Xray that showed nothing, but then did a CT scan and that showed the pneumonia. So I guess it is something with my left lung. I didn't think of bronchitis because I thought that includes fever.

I have never been to Costco's but I hear from so many people about all the samples. People say they have their lunch there. LOL DH will never eat any samples they are passing out in stores. I do. One time they had this delicious dip with crackers at the deli. I couldn't stop eating it and DH had to pull me away. LOL

Jacqui, I just realized that I have a cardiology appt on the 14th. That's just a few weeks away and I have not lost any weight or brought my blood pressure down. I'm in big trouble. I'm half tempted to do that salad diet that my neighbor did to crash off some pounds. DH says I can't do it. Does that sound like a challenge to you? LOL

Mars, thanks! Oh yes, I definitely enjoyed myself, haha! :D Way to go on not bingeing after your unexpected Costco samplings! :high: EDITED TO ADD: No, we are not flying. We are driving and it's going to be a LONG drive! :yes:

Carol Sue, oooo, that does sound like a challenge, lol! :lol:

Yay! I dropped back down 2 lbs! :carrot:

Week 23: High 179.5, Low (175)
10/4--179.5
10/5--(177)
10/6--(176.5)
10/7--(175.5)
10/8--(177)
10/9--(176)
10/10--(175) Carb Day

Week 24: High 177, Low 175
10/11--(177)
10/12--(176)
10/13--(175.5)
10/14--(175)
10/15--(174.5)
10/16--176
10/17--175 Carb Day

Week 25: (High 178, Low 175.5)
10/18--177.5
10/19--176.5
10/20--176.5
10/21--175.5
10/22--DNW
10/23--177 Carb Day
10/24--178

Week 26:
10/25--176
10/26--
10/27--
10/28--
10/29--
10/30--
10/31--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
2 slices of bacon
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio Water

Lunch:
Large field greens and veggies salad with walnuts, pumpkin seeds, turkey, and ranch dressing
Mio water

Tea Time:
Hot green tea

Dinner:
A bowl of chili
2 hamburger patties with cheese (no bun)
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
20 minutes on Weslo CardioGlide at home

It's a good thing I"m not tempted by food porn, else I wouldn't be able to read any of the posts here! But I do skip over them pretty fast, so I'm sure I missed some things. I do not know how you guys can have a carb day. I've been strict for 45 days, except for when we had a visitor, and boy howdy, did I pay for those coupla days...still paying.

I keep checking up on the definition of "low carb". The "typical" diet is 45-65% carb. It looks like I'm between 30-40%, so I guess that's considered moderate carb. (I need my fruit, so I"m not willing to go lower.) This week, I've kept total carbs to around 100.

Good news: I can move my tickers down :carrot: But the slow pace of weight loss is killing me. I know to be grateful for losing anything (this is the best I've been all year), but it's taking over too much of my brain. Not posting much as I'm feeling kinda down. But at least the weight loss is moving in the right direction.

SeeMyFeet
Wow your ticker shows great progress!!!! :yay::yay::yay: It's never fast enough, is it? Sorry to hear you're feeling down. :hug: Is it possible that your brain needs a little more carbs? The rule of thumb my Wt loss coach told me is 50-70 NET carbs is low. Below that is ketosis, above is moderate & on up. If your total carbs are 100ish, your net could be a lot lower since fruit has a lot of fiber.

I did fast weight loss with restricted carb, cal, fat. It was pretty easy to stay in ketosis & be strict until I phased off. At the end of the day, I was bingeing a lot once I phased off, and gained back 25 lbs.

In the long run, it would have come out the same way if I'd lost slowly and avoided binges. But on the way down, those dropping scale numbers are so reinforcing. And ketosis produces a mild state of euphoria so that you think you never ever are going to be tempted by food ever again. That works great until maintenance. I think slow and steady will win!

Personally I have a hard time with fruit except apples and pears. I was doing great on WeightWatchers until they allowed unlimited fruit. I din't eat all that much, but it was enough to keep me from losing, plus I was always hungry. So it works for me to avoid them.

Looks I'll be gabby enough today to compensate for our MIA posters!

Jacqui I can't think of anything more fun than a road trip. It's a long one, but what an adventure! I love going where i want and stopping where & when I want, well hopefully your sister is like-minded! My sister would be stopping at the Fast Food eateries and I would be on the lookout for the Whole Foods :)

Carol That looming doctor's appt sounds stressful. I hope your cardio is nice. About 15 yrs ago, my rheumatologist told me I should lose a bunch of weight or my knees would go. She came across as very judgemental, didn't acknowledge I had lost 60 lbs. She may have been right about the knees but her delivery led me to get a new doc.

Way back when, I learned that the bible of BP guidelines is the JNC (Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, & Treatment of High Blood Pressure). They establish guidelines based on the latest evidence, incl. lifestyle modification. Last year their latest, JNC8, was published. I tried to link it but googling only would turn up the news that they have relaxed their target BPs. At least in some groups of people. You may already be familiar with their rec's.

I was googling it to see if they recommended walking to lower BP & if that would be less stressful than crash dieting. I used to avoid the doctor because of my weight. I still do, but at least the last time he said I was maintaining the loss and didn't seem bothered by the 25 lb gain. Who knows what he'll say next time!

I think if a doctor ever again makes me feel bad because of my weight, I will educate them! N.O.T. helpful!

Re Costco, I can't imagine counting those freebies as a meal, even though the calories add up to one pretty fast. They are things that just make you want to eat more--it's a very triggering situation. And when I really like the sample enough to buy, it never tastes as good when I get it home.

It's late afternoon here, with a light quality that gives me a sinking feeling. So I have preemptively turned on all the lights in the LR. Already had my feel-good taters.

EDIT Carol I'm never heard that about bronchitis. I was taught that those in our age group tend not to spike fevers as much as younger people, so we can be pretty sick without running a fever.

Today's menu...
Morning - Coke Life
Brunch - Goetta, egg, bechamel sauce, and arugula on toast w/side of nitrate-free bacon
Dinner - steak sandwich w/o lid and half cup potato soup

Mars, none of my doctors ever say anything about my weight. Years ago I switched gynes because he commented on my weight, and that was when I weighed 135!!

Walking does help lower BP, but for me, weight loss drops it drastically. The only reason I know that is because I have a really really good memory! LOL

oh, ha!, Mars....I just changed the high weight on my ticker to reflect where I started in Sept. Doesn't look as good, but an accurate reflection of what's going on......I don't keep track of fiber. That's a good way to get folks to eat healthy fruits and vegetables and avoid white carb junk--a good trick, but I'm doing about as much secretarial work for this diet as I care to do! White carbs are on my NoNo list anyway.....Wish I experienced some of that ketone euphoria! I just get tired and fuzzy-headed. Fruit helps, and I'm focusing on pineapple for the RA.....Low cal, low carb, low fat is the only thing that works for me to lose weight....Lots of work for less than 1.5lb/week--I can't go any slower or I'll lose my mind...whoops! too late for that!...

My off-plan day....I usually have a big salad....
Br--2 eggs, coffee
L--Chicken breast, apple w/ cheese
D--bite of chicken breast 3C mixed vegetables
staring at 1C juice as a snack later...still have some vitamins to take.....

Carol--sounds kind of like the sinus issue that went around my office a few weeks ago. Everyone else got over it pretty fast, but mine moved downward. Felt like bronchitis. I hear folks coughing now in the corridor, so it's still being passed around. Hope yours is just something like that, and nothing more serious.

...RE weight comments in physician office...on the other hand, I find it kind of weird and irresponsible that the drs I visit NEVER mention anything about weight...the rheum doesn't even have weigh-ins....I obviously need to lose and would be irritated with lame suggestions/snooty comments that I don't need (cause I'm working on things), but at the same time, it seems like they're not doing a thorough job with their patients.

Prairie---I hope you're taking vitamins. "steak sandwich w/out life"...trying reeel hard to not imagine you eating a steak sandwich w/ life?? I think I'm missing something?

:D I remember losing weight for MD appts, and also when I was in the Naval Reserves for the annual fitness assessment. You had to be below a certain wt or else. Good thing they don't have an A1C-type test for weight, lol.

SeeMyFeet, that's a good point about not even bringing up weight when it's relevant to the problem at hand. When I had plantar fasciitis at my highest weight, the podiatrist did not mention that losing weight would help until I flat out asked him. At HMOs like Kaiser, I think some docs are afraid they will get a negative review, and their salary & tenure are linked to pt satisfaction surveys.

Re ketone euphoria, it's great while it lasts, but once out of ketosis, all the old cravings return. Thats good the fruit helps. Tired & fuzzy-headed sounds like low blood sugar.

I still think your ticker progress is great. It's only October! Is the meal plan you listed your typical day?

Sunday's food:
B broccoli omelet, whey shake/coffee
L salad, chicken, croutons (whoops) evoo, pear
S piece of See's choc
D chicken, potatoes, roasted vegs/evoo
2L cinnamon spice tea, no exercise
WI 167.4

SeeMyFeet, Carb Day is definitely not for everyone! :dunno: I agree with Mars on your progress! 8.8 lbs lost since September is excellent! And it's doubly impressive considering the stress you've been under! I hope you'll give yourself a little more credit for how well you're doing! :hug:

Carol Sue, can blood pressure be affected quickly by dieting and/or exercise? Do you have enough time to get it to a level low enough to appease your cardiologist? (I'm afraid I don't know anything about blood pressure.) As for your weight, you're back in Onederland and I'd think he'd be happy with that! :carrot:

Mars, like you, I do don't so well with fruit, although I don't think blueberries have ever caused me problems and I've considered adding them back in because of their antioxidants. But other fruits definitely affect my cravings and I tend to overeat them, If they're sugary enough, like bananas, they make me want to overeat other carbs as well, so it's best if I just avoid them unless it's Carb Day. :yes: I know my sister and I are going to have great fun! I've never been to Boston so I'm looking forward to it! :D Yay on the 7 in your number! :cp: I hope it morphs into a 6 very soon! :goodluck:

PrairieQueen, good menu! I hope it brings you another drop! :crossed: Lol, I have to wonder what "steak w/o life" is also!

I just read this new ABC News article on beans and weight loss: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/easy-sw...ry?id=34691215. The suggestions for how to add them to your menu reminded me of Chickadeee's bean brownies. (We miss you Chickadeee! :hug: ) Also, it has never occurred to me to roast beans on a baking sheet for a crunchy snack! What a great idea!

Yay! I'm back down to my ticker weight today! :trampo:

Week 23: High 179.5, Low (175)
10/4--179.5
10/5--(177)
10/6--(176.5)
10/7--(175.5)
10/8--(177)
10/9--(176)
10/10--(175) Carb Day

Week 24: High 177, Low 175
10/11--(177)
10/12--(176)
10/13--(175.5)
10/14--(175)
10/15--(174.5)
10/16--176
10/17--175 Carb Day

Week 25: (High 178, Low 175.5)
10/18--177.5
10/19--176.5
10/20--176.5
10/21--175.5
10/22--DNW
10/23--177 Carb Day
10/24--178

Week 26:
10/25--176
10/26--175
10/27--
10/28--
10/29--
10/30--
10/31--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
1 slice of ham
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio Water

Lunch: @ local pizza place with friends
Salad with ranch dressing
Water

Tea Time:
Hot green tea

Dinner:
Baked beans and franks
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
Workout with my exercise bands

Ha! I just fixed the typo :) It should be w/o lid.....I didn't eat the top portion of the roll.

No, Mars, I mentioned it was off-plan--I didn't get my shopping done over the weekend so in scrambling for something healthful to eat, I found the frozen mixed veggies. Today's plan:

B: 1/2 C oatmeal+1/3T butter+1T brown sugar+1/4C 2%milk and coffee
L: salad w/ 1egg
S/D pineapple and apple, maybe some cheese

...annnd I'm thinking of adding a fruit juice to help with taking vitamins...although I'm hesitant as I don't want more carbs. Such a tough decision...I'm not taking my vitamins as frequently as I should because I don't like to take them with water. (I know that sounds like a whiny baby.)

Not a bean fan, Jaq...never have been...there are so many things that are touted as being good for weight loss/good for you. Gaw, if we ate all the recommended stuff to improve our health, we'd all weigh 2 tons! But I'm mindful of the bean hype and they're not on my NoNo list anymore...just as long as I don't take too many. (Haven't had any since the split pea soup.) Even as a kid, I thought of beans as a paste of empty calories--can't get over that.

Haha! That changes the meaning just a tad. :D

SeeMyFeet, I used to watch Dr. Oz and that's just what I thought as I watched him day after day: If we ate everything daily that he said we should for good health, we'd gain a ton, lol! :moo:

Right now my cold feels like allergies. Watery eyes, runny nose. What would I be allergic to? I tell DH that I am allergic to him.

In a way I agree that doctors should be talking to their patients about losing weight when the weigh effects their medical conditions. But most people know they are overweight. Having the doctor telling them isn't going to help, unless they are also giving them information to help them lose. Also, there are a lot of nurses and doctors who are overweight. Maybe the doctors know that, like me, the patients will quit coming if they are constantly being told about their weight, especially if they can't seem to lose.

Jacqui, I know that after I had my last bowel surgery I weighed 181, but I slowly started gaining, and that was when my blood pressure started going up and they started increasing my meds. That's around 20 lbs. I know I will not lose 20 lbs in 20 days, but I would like to lose as much as I can. Now, if I don't quit eating like I have been and being sedentary I will not lose anything. I can only blame myself. I really don't want them changing my meds. The ones I have are generic and very inexpensive. The newer ones are probably more effective, but I pay over $100 for brand meds on my insurance and I can't afford that. It makes sense for me to take the bull by the horns and just do it!!! But I don't always do what makes sense. I believe that walking every day for the next 20 days would drop my blood pressure a bit, especially if I'm dropping a few pounds at the same time. In the past, there have been times that I took an extra pill before my DR appointment so my BP wouldn't look so bad. I know, don't tell me, I shouldn't be doing that. I was supposed to be doing more walking and losing some weight during the past 6 months since my last visit. Oops!

Bought some kefir and "cleanse" juice at the grocery this weekend. I do not intend to do a "cleanse" but thought the green stuff looked good :)

I have decided that I am not going to go on the all salad diet. I am not really wild about salad and I would not be able to stick to it for 20 days without being locked up in a room with no other food. So I am going to eat salad with some protein in it, like small amounts of tuna fish or chicken. Or I will eat hot vegetables. I prefer hot vegetables over cold salad. I will still eat my eggs in the morning because it's just protein.

SeeMyFeet, even though fruit is healthy, it can keep you out of ketosis, but if you can eat it and still lose, go for it. Nobody says you have to be in ketosis. It's a personal choice. It's better to eat it than feel deprived. I could go the rest of my life without fruit and never blink and eye. I can eat it, but it is never a first choice. If it wasn't for DH we wouldn't have it in the house.

Jacqui, I used to eat beans often but not so much lately. The past couple times I ate them I got pain, probably from gas, so I'm not going to eat them as much as I did before. That pain reminded me of the pain I had when my bowel perforated and that scared the daylights out of me. When I quit eating the beans the pain stopped. I do love them and have some on hand, but maybe in very small amounts along with other foods.

Prairie Queen, I see kifer in Aldi's. I will have to try it some time. It is something that sounds like I wouldn't like it. I was reading a book about fermented foods. When talking about fermenting beets, it said that some mold will form on top of them and to just scrape it off. WHAT! I am not going to eat foods that sat long enough to form mold! I see that often enough in containers I leave in the refrigerator too long!!

I copied this rather than posting the link because the link kept taking me somewhere else.

This is from the Prevention Website.



It’s no secret that regular exercise can help lower your blood pressure, but if finding time to fit in the recommended 30 minutes a day has been a challenge, we have good news: Quickie workouts sprinkled throughout your day may be even more beneficial.

Researchers from Arizona State University found that taking three 10-minute walks each day is a smarter strategy for blood pressure control than logging a single 30-minute session. The exercisers who did multiple minisessions not only reduced their systolic blood pressure during the day and evening (similar to the 30-minute group), but they also still saw reductions the following day.“Walking three times a day, even for a short period, reduces blood pressure after each instance, so you wind up with a longer-lasting reduction,” says principal investigator Glenn Gaesser, PhD. To reap the benefits, walk at a quick pace, as though you’re late for an appointment.

Carol Sue, oh that's so true, you might have hay fever. It's really bad in the fall with all the ragweed pollen in the air. If that's it, frosty mornings will put an end to it. :crossed: It's good to know that fast bouts of walking throughout the day are more beneficial to blood pressure than longer walks once a day. I wonder if your elliptical would be just as beneficial or if there's something about walking that does it. Whether through diet or exercise or both, I hope you make a nice dent in your numbers! :goodluck: I'm with you on avoiding moldy foods! Yuck! :barf:

PrairieQueen, let us know what you think of the kefir! I've wondered about it for some time but haven't worked up the nerve to try it. :cheers:

Wannabehealthy I've seen the thing about mold as well, but I definitely wouldn't scrape and still eat. I've made fermented pickles and love the kraut I make and have never seen any sign of mold. If you do it correctly, you shouldn't have any mold.

Jacqui My KY cousin loves it and has been encouraging everyone via Facebook to try it, and the bottle was pretty :) I'll let you know as soon as I muster up the courage to try it.

Today's menu.....

Break - ham/egg/cheese mc muffin (I ordered my usual burrito but got to work and found this in my bag instead) and ice tea w/stevia
Lunch - Amy's organic cheese/bean burrito
Dinner - 1/2 steak sandwich and one hash brown (clearing out freezer)

Hopefully I'll see a drop tomorrow.

Jacqui, remember when everyone was making that "Friendship cake?" Someone gave you a cup of starter, and you sat it on your counter and added something different to it each day. After so many days you took out 1 cup of the batter then put it in a pan and baked it. One of the neighbors gave a cup of started to my step-daughter. She brought it home and started adding the stuff to it, but DH went crazy and said you can't eat that after it sat out of the counter for days, and he made her throw it out. She was so mad. LOL I tasted the cake once and it was pretty good.

perforated bowel..yowsa, Carol!

Kefir, Good, but not worth the calories. Plus these days it's all sugared up, like all the yogurt. I made my own kefir for a while.

Yea, I would prolly scrape the mold..depending on what it's on. (Free antibiotics!) But I would toss out a Friendship cake...to each his own.

I just saw a commercial with dogs....What would society be like if we treated each other the way we treat dogs? "ooooo how's my big fella? (scratches behind ears) Why do we treat animals better than we treat people?

Carol Sounds like you are climbing out from under the respiratory stuff :yay: Allergies can sure be miserable!

Fwiw, here's the JNC7 stuff I mentioned re BP & lifestyle modifications. I thought it was interesting what they include & don't include. The recs are based on number-crunching and don't apply to any one individual, of course. I am totally skeptical of the DASH diet recs. Any studies involving self-reports of diet are notoriously inaccurate--there's even studies to show that, lol. There's nothing about smoking because even tho it causes heart disease, etc, they haven't found a link to BP.

1.Weight Reduction, maintaining BMI 18.5-24.9
Average Systolic BP Reduction 5-20mmHg per 22 lbs

2. DASH diet "rich in fruits, vegs, lowfat dairy, reduced sat. fat and total fat" 8-14 mmHg

3. Dietary Sodium restricted to 2.4g sodium/day (6g sodium chloride) 2-8mmHg

4. Regular Aerobic exercise like brisk walking at least 30 min/day 4-9 mmHg

5. Moderation of alcohol (Women less than 1 drink per day) 2-4 mmHg

Back in the late 90s they were showing a modest drop with potassium rich foods like bananas but maybe that's incorporated into DASH?? or just no longer demonstrated?

This might be interesting....from the most recent JNC, "Patients with Diabetes
Adults with diabetes and hypertension have reduced mortality as well as improved cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes with treatment to a goal SBP <150 mmHg, but no randomized controlled trials support a goal <140/90 mmHg. Despite this, the panel opted for a conservative recommendation in patients with diabetes and hypertension, opting for a goal level of <140/90 mmHg in adult patients with diabetes and hypertension rather than the evidence-based goal of <150/90 mmHg."

My Dad would be rolling his eyes saying 'studies have shown....' because they constantly change things, but this group tries to keep doctors up to date with what has been shown to works vs adhering to what they were taught in med school. :shrug:

I thought it was a typo because I assumed off-plan would be like mine--lots of extra cals, fats, carbs, lol! I would have gone to bed hungry with your off-plan day!

It sure is DARK these days. I'm huddled under my SAD light, call that HAPPY light, lol! Anyway, I wanted to mention I LOVE beans, esp kidney beans. Somewhere I learned you can prevent gas by rinsing them well. I find it works--none whatsoever. I use canned beans.

Re Kefir, I think the packaging helps a lot with making it inviting! Back in the '70s it was popular and came in a pretty milk carton, in same flavors as yogurt. It was basically a drinkable form of yogurt & reminded me of a healthful milkshake. I did gain weight from it tho, because I could not just drink 8 oz. Guess I'll stick w Bubbies sauerkraut.

Jacqui Way to go with your weight drop! I'm coming to the conclusion that it's possible to maintain through periods of indulgence as long as they are punctuated with normal eating, and don't go on & on. As if the metabolism is subject to laws of physics. Inertia--we will tend to keep losing until prolonged calorie increase finally sinks in and then we shift to gaining. Once that happens, it takes a good while to shift back to losing, but eventually our metabolism gets the message.

Good eating day yesterday, same ole same ole. Weight down a bit to 166.4. My vacation clothes are snug, but maybe it's all the insecticide that shrunk them, one can dream.... They fit just enough to get by, but not enough to let me go crazy with food. Perfecto!