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...e-dieting.html.)

Wow, we sure are gabby! LOL

Mars, night shade vegetables are said to be bad for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, but I've never noticed a difference. I have been eating tomatoes daily since we've been getting them from our garden, but I rarely buy them in the winter. The only time I eat them in the winter is if I have something like pasta sauce, chili, or soup that contains tomatoes. And I only eat small portions of potatoes now and then. My hands and fingers ache sometimes and are swollen. I'm actually considering cutting down on my computer time for a while to see if getting away from so much typing would help.

DH would be upset to hear that his potatoes could be the cause of his pain. He could not live without potatoes.

We were up last night looking for the meteors. We saw a few, but not as many as they said there would be. This morning I thought it was 8:30 when I woke up, but after I let the dog out and put on a pot of coffee I saw that it was only 6:30....so maybe only 3 hours of sleep. I'm going to need a nap.

I'm opposite to you Carol Sue, I was up Tues. night and last night slept like a log, until 6a. You just reminded me why, lol! It's nice to get a solid night's sleep--I'm going to tinker with my water intake and see if I can stay asleep again. I hope your finger feel better, but I also hope that's without changing your typing, lol. I like to read to read your posts!

My finger is starting to return to normal and that tends to make me think it might truly be related to the tomatos. Sometimes sugar will also do it, too. I think all of it for me is dose-related. I can have some, but not too much. ALso the foods themselves will vary as to how much of the problem chemical they contain.

Mary, that sounds so scary to experience the anaphylactic reactions! I guess they are not dose-related, you have to just avoid. I think you can get patch testing, but there are a lot of things out there that you would need to test. Yes eggplant is nightshade--don't much care for it so not a problem. Peppers are too I think, and a variety of others that seem unrelated.

Bewildered Those Oregon forest fires are just awful! I have a good friend in Ashland and get a daily report. Sometimes the smoke is so bad he has to stay indoors. Are you getting ready to head south, now that you are adapted to NW time? I'm liking you scale numbers! Jacqui's too! Maybe I need to address my scale as Mister ,lol

Okay no weigh in today....I admit it, i'm CHICKENing out. I didn't really do too badly yesterday, but I was tired and mopey, and decided to not stick to my menu. I had to forego the turkey chili because of the nightshades & was in the 'I need a treat' mode all day. I ate an entire store-cooked chicken, loaded with sodium, also random CO tastes, and a lot of salty, oily tapenade. That didn't quite do the trick and I spent the evening wrestling with intense cravings for sweets. That's a new one, since being on this WOE and avoiding hunger. I almost had it rationalized, but I am on a no-sweets experiment, and it's too soon. I think i just hadn't had enough carbs the past few days & my brain rebelled. So I settled for trail mix with raw nut and raisins. All in all a NSV day for staring down my inner sugar beast! It helps to know I can have it on Carb Day if I still want it.

Have a great day everyone!

EDIT 165.4, could have been worse!

Carol Sue, yes we are gabby! I thought about getting up last night to see the meteor shower, but just unloading things off our truck yesterday evening I was eaten up by mosquitoes! Those flying piranhas really love the taste of me! I'm sorry to hear that both you and your DH are experiencing painful joints. I think diet definitely plays a part in my RA, although I don't think it's potatoes in particular that aggravate me. I suspect it could be grains. All I know is that my RA symptoms have been so much better since I re-started my diet. I might have believed giving up Diet Dr. Pepper is what made the difference, but the day after Carb Day is usually when I feel the aches and pains of my RA the most now and I'm no longer drinking Diet Dr. Pepper, but I always have bread or doughnuts or cookies, something made with flour!

Mars, shhhh! I can't hear that sugar might be the culprit for joint pain! Lol! Oh my, that actually might be more of a real possibility than grain for me! Great job on avoiding a sugar binge yesterday! And I'm glad your finger pain is subsiding.

I was hoping to be able to move my ticker today, but not yet. Hopefully soon!

Week 14: High 194, Low 192
8/2--193.5
8/3--194
8/4--193
8/5--193
8/6--193.5
8/7--192
8/8--193 Carb Day

Week 15:
8/9--193.5
8/10--194.5
8/11--192.5
8/12--191.5
8/13--191.5
8/14--
8/15--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast: Have to get to the grocery today!
1 fried egg in coconut oil
A piece of skinless, boneless chicken
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Lunch:
Field greens and veggies salad, with chicken, walnuts, and ranch dressing
Mio water

Snack:

Dinner:
2 legs and a small breast of fried chicken with the skin removed (We ate late so DH had pre-made macaroni salad with his, and I didn't bother to make a side dish with mine.)
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
4-mile walk, 20 minutes HIIT elliptical, 3 sets of 12 reps each on 8 arm and chest machines and 3 waist and back machines

I somehow omitted writing a hearty & heartfelt thank-you for the kind wishes & support yesteday. It' like a secret ingredient for me.

Jacqui Thanks! I do think the sugar thing is dose-related! As in bingey amounts. And it's temporary. If I stuck to the amounts & frequency that you do, I don't think I would have a problem.

What a crazy puzzle it is! Another thing on my radar is shortening daylight, to which i'm super sensitive with mood & cravings. My big big goal this yr is to avoid turning into a moody bear & gaining a bunch of wt. I'll increase carbs probably but absolutely would like to see the effect of avoiding the sugar triggers. After this winter, I should have a pretty good idea of what role sugar really plays in all of my various 'issues'! That does not necessarily apply to everyone or even ANYone else.

Jacqui - thanks for the new thread!!

Carol Sue...my sisters swear that sucralose is the devil when it comes to joint pain. They were having a ton of problems and eliminated it and were totally fine. I am a little scared of splenda myself. I don' know if you use that, but it's something to consider reading up on. They eventually gave up all sweeteners and no more joint pain. Might not completely cure everyone, but maybe make it a little less severe?

Bewildered: I am sorry about your anxiety creeping back. I have never had a problem with depression (well, maybe after a death which I think is almost unavoidable), but anxiety is a foe I know too well. I have gotten better about it as time goes on. I have never taken a med for it because when it was the worst (bad enough for me to want meds) I was pregnant and I refused it (glad I did, that drug was on TV with the scummy lawyers for causing birth defects in the heart). I have to call my sisters to "talk me down". I have heard some herbal things that are good (I think valerian root) but be careful if you are taking prescription drugs because sometimes those herbs interact with medications. I am scared to death of all medicine and herbs after nursing school (mars, does that ever wear off???).

chickadee please do not drink your hormone cream LOL! I have some progesterone somewhere around here...a lady at my church gave it to me?!?!

Ok calling it: officially down 7 lbs! I feel this has been slow but I started July 16 and It is now August 12...That's not even a month! How great! I see why journaling is a big deal in weight loss. It's easy to get impatient, forget what you eat, and lose your accountability. The scale moving is such good motivation!

Bought ribeyes, chicken wings, and country ribs at the grocery store. OMG I seriously should not have gone in there without eating first!! ha! TONS of veggie bags and fresh veggies. My kids just went "wow this is a lotta dollars mom!" Hubby is coming back from his trip and he has told me repeatedly he misses my healthy cooking so I am gonna be loaded and ready to go with his favorites.

Mars, I don't have a spectrum light, although I was advised by a doctor to get one. I too am sensitive to light/dark, but the last time I did this diet, I made it through the fall and winter months, so you can too! Think positive!

Bewildered, I am so sorry your anxiety is kicking up! I hope your herbal supplement helps! I suffer from anxiety also. In fact, I have a prescription for klonopin, but because I have a fear of meds, it has to be extremely bad for me to resort to it. Even then, I cut the pills into halves and fourths and try to take as little as possible until it starts to fade. Usually by the time my prescription expires after a year, I've taken maybe 5 pills at most out of a bottle of 30 and I end up having to throw the rest away. Then the doc writes me a new prescription, so I always have them on hand but I rarely take them. If you find a supplement that works for you, please let me know what it is! Anxiety is definitely no fun! You hurt your good knee? Oh my, you need to take it easy and ! And rant away here any time you want!

Mary, woohoo! A big on 7 lbs in less than a month! That's fantastic! Sounds like your hubs is going to be happy to be home with all those wonderful foods on hand!

Bewildered...you can make the country ribs in the crock pot if you get desperate...meat loaf too. I am showing my sisters the way of the crock LOL The wings I guess you will have to wait. I am gonna make roasted chicken stock in the crock tonight with my leftover bones/skin from the rotisserie I got. OMG it's the best. I am either gonna do white chicken chili w/ it (light on beans) or get my kids to try chicken noodle soup. One is really picky.

DFCrockpots are the best! Both my kids (26 & 28) got crockpots, cookbooks, and starter food from me one year for Christmas. They use them quite a bit now that they're more settled down. I don't know what I'd do without mine (got a giant one, and a normal double one).

Thanks Jacqui! Positive attitude counts way more than most of us realize!
I am confident this will be a good yr. Time management and getting outdoors! I found an effective SAD light but last yr did not use it due to concern about aggravating a dry eye thing. My ophthal. MD said it's ok to use though. I have a Sunbox brand desk lamp.

Mary Fabulous to have lost 7 lbs in that time frame!!! When I was going through nursing school and feeling like the end was a loong ways off, people would say the time will pass anyway, might as well keep plodding & come out with the degree. Same with weight loss.

Your shopping spree made my mouth water--country ribs... Lucky DH! I use them to make Russian style borscht. Nothing else will do. Hmmmm, time to think about making that

Bewildered Keep on keeping on! This is the place to rant and think out loud. I totally enjoy your posts, all of them! I am sorry you are experiencing anxiety now. I have been helped by mindfulness and meditation when I can get myself to to do it. I'm glad the herbal remedy helps. Maybe feeling lazy is actually just feeling relaxation? I hope you get a nice rain, the kind where it feels good to curl up with a good book.

Washington sounds lovely. But so does Oregon for that matter!

Time to get myself off the sofa & go to a birthday. Just a drop in, maybe a glass of wine. I'd rather skip the wine & come home and eat something, lol. Food is so much more appealing to me!

mars- we are doing med surg this semester and I got in at a long term hospital. I looked up and a TON of the patients are waiting for, or have received, transplants. Several on dialysis. The transplant thing scares the bejeebus out of me. Central lines and foleys in immunocompromised patients in a hospital. Oh man. That's a recipe for fail. I have made really strong A's (being the 3rd oldest is a help here) and I have done very well in all my clinicals so far even having the hardest grading clinical instructors...but making an A is no stress compared to the stress of not killin' folks. On the other hand, this is one of those situations where people who don't worry about performing these on live people for the first time would worry me more than the worriers like me.

Y'all I made a veggie hash for supper (we do it a lot) with sunny side up eggs and cheese. OMG. 1 zucchini, half a red onion, half an orange bell pepper, 2 fingerling potatoes. Seasonings. So much win. I know some of you can't do potatoes, but I get 3 and that counted as one and I had no other starches. Loved it.

Mary,' On the other hand, this is one of those situations where people who don't worry about performing these on live people for the first time would worry me more than the worriers like me'
That about sums it up. I'm glad you know this. It doesn't get rid of the uncomfortable feeling of anxiety, darn. The fact that you recognize and are concerned about the complexity and danger of the procedures you are performing shows you know what's what and care about doing the right thing for your patients. That's the kind of nurse I want! my guess is you'll be so busy making sure your patient is ok that you will forget about feeling anxious. Btw, it sounds like you are getting good clinical experience. Congrats on the grades~Wow!

I'm Carb-gabby tonight, with apologies to Carol Sue, lol. Confession: I ended up having to designate this as Carb Day. Indian food at friend's bday overcame my will power. No more Carb Days until vacation. Bewildered, you are my inspiration--losing on vacation--you ROCK!

Rennie Hope you are reading the thread. You are missed!

Bewildered just a suggestion, fwiw, maybe a good idea to take out the tape measure. It won't solve the frustration right now, but going forward will be a good reality check when the fickle scale is making you nuts. Your current WOE sounds worlds better than what you would have done before. That's MAJOR, especially since you are on vaca. My father would probably say the same thing as yours, but i have learned that positive thinking re all things food/diet-related is much more effective. I read it somewhere on 3FC & have since never scolded myself for binges and slips. It's not to say I feel okay about them, just that self-flagellation begets emotional distress on some level that can translate into wanting to eat even more to soothe away the self-criticism. Changing that self-talk has worked really well for me, through my MrToad's Wild Ride of eating these past 2 yrs.

I think you will have more food options to play around with when you are back home, with an oven. Meanwhile, enjoy your Carb Day!

I forgot to mention last night that I stopped at store to get 'something sweet' since it had become default Carb Day. I had a feeling the sweet itch was going to dog me. Not sure if this is a good idea to feed it, but at least I'm reminded that they aren't all that!

Bewildered, hang in there! You are doing everything right! Sometimes our bodies just get stuck for a little bit as frustrating as that is! Great job not eating like you used to!

Mars, it was probably a good idea to feed your sweet tooth. I know when I want chocolate, nothing else will do! Thank goodness we have Carb Days, lol! And btw, I love when you're gabby! I love when all of you are gabby, lol!

Mary, your veggie hash sounds yummy!

PrairieQueen, I don't think I could host Christmas dinner without my crockpots running, lol! Besides cooking, they are wonderful for keeping foods perfectly warm for hours. Absolutely nothing is better for keeping mashed potatoes soft and warm. I also use them to cook chili in the colder months. My favorite brand is West Bend with a metal pot that moves from the stove to a heated crockpot base. I have 4 of those. I have 7-8 total, all different sizes, (again because I can't live without them at Christmas)! I love my crockpots!

Rennie, how is your Military Diet going? Is it still working for you or was it too hard to stick to? Let us know!

Chickadeee and Carol Sue!