This "Diet" Is Driving Me Crazy!!!!!

I can't stand it any more!  The protein, the lack of carbs and sweets!  It's driving me nuts!  And I've been doing it only 5 weeks.  I go to the store and drool and start breathing heavily when I see sweets.  I yearn for bread, for potatoes, for cookies.  Don't even start me on ice cream!

How can I do this?  How can I stick with protein, with low carbs?  I can't seem to find any low carb bread (I'd love to have a bloody piece of toast).  Bagels are calling to me.  How can I keep this up for a year?  Or more?  Or the rest of my life???

I'm so unhappy right now.

Relax -- go to my profile and find my favorite recipes.  They'll satisfy your sweet tooth and give you protein that you don't have to drink.  Just get some whole wheat bread and for the love of Pete -- have a piece of toast with lots of butter.  This is not about deprivation.  It's about eating protein first, then veggies and fruits, then a little something of whatever you want cuz you only have a few bites of room left.

Hijack...

Believe it or not, Val, I'm starting to have the "diet" mentality again, too. It just creeps up on me, and I am now eating combination foods easily.

I mean "combination" foods - for example - a turkey sandwich (I don't eat the protein first and then the bread). Another "combination" food for me is corn tortilla chips (about 14 of them) with tons of shredded cheddar cz on them. Then I top that with a dollop of sour cream, and I'm in what I think is protein heaven.

Unfortunately, I guess I'm letting in too many carbs....but the "protein only" very very low carb living is hard for me. I feel like I'm on a fricking diet again, and the diet mentality comes along for the ride. (Like: "Anne, you shouldn't have had that double whopper with cheese without the bun, but with a few french fries (not more than 10), cuz the french fries have carbs in them.") 

I low-carbed it for 2 days, and dropped 5 pounds! I was in heaven. 

Yesterday I low-carbed it really really well (so I thought), but since I eat proteins with lots of sodium in them (I'm assuming that's where this weight gain came from), my weight shot up overnight, and those 5 pounds were  back! What the hell? 

I'm trying hard to believe that I haven't broken my DS. I'm trying hard to believe that the next 100 pounds will come off. 

FWIW, I've started back at the gym. I'm doing water aerobics now 2-3x/week (for the last 2 1/2 weeks). I've increased another aerobic activity, too (not sure if it was you who said this,  but somebody on here called it sexaerobics! lol). I'm hydrated, and I'm eating. So what the hell is wrong with my f'n scale? 

Do you think maybe us folks who started out as BMI 70 "hit a wall" when we get to a BMI 50 or something? That the DS starts to become more and more of a "tool to work" than for folks who started out as lighter-weights? 

Any and all attention and recommendations appreciated. 

Loves,
anne s. 
 

I, too, was letting in too many carbs this year, and I crept 4 lbs above my comfort zone.  I started becoming more mindful of the carbs nowadays, but haven't eliminated them.  My hubby and son are very happy about my mindfulness, because my gas has gone away too.  I know my maintaining goal isn't the same as your continued loss, but I kind of grasped a similar perspective.  I still eat  some combination foods, but not as much and still don't have a diet mentality yet.  I figure normal people shouldn't go butt-wild with food, and neither should I.

Sorry you are having such a tough time with your eating plan. The one thing that I can tell you is that it does get better. I was a real carb addict prior to surgery. Right after surgery I didn't want to eat anything but that got better. I now eat about 50 grams of carbs a day and lots of protein. Most mornings I eat a piece of low carb toast with butter (not margarine but butter). It's one of those things that I really enjoy so I do it. Of course I ALWAYS eat my protein with it, usually a cheese omelet.
Believe me when I tell you that I fought the carb thing. My good buddies on this board kept talking about cutting down carbs because of bathroom problems, and I had them. I finally decided that I couldn't stand spending half of my day in the bathroom and cut out most carbs. And, I have to tell you that I really don't miss them.
I guess I finally came to realize that I truly do want to become healthy and "normal" (whatever that means). Remember that you can eat carbs; you just can't OD on them. We can pretty much eat anything as long as it is a reasonable amount. For instance, last night I made myself a delicious root beer float which I had been craving for 3 days. I used regular ice cream and diet root beer. It was absolutely delicious. I am lactose intolerant so I did take a lactaid prior to eating. Everything was fine. Because of my smaller stomach I didn't want that much and I was satisfied with what I had.
I love my DS and I believe that you will come to love yours also. It takes time to get your mind (and stomach) around the new eating habits. Hang in there and come here often for support. It really helped (and still does) me.
Good Luck!

Right now, those things are calling to you because you're saying you "can't" have them.  I've lost 175 pounds, so far, and if there is something I REALLY want, I have it.  Even early out.  I found that most of the time, just a few bites satisfied the cravings.  If you want some potato, just have it with meat.  Like eat three bites of meat for one bite of potato.  If you want some bread, have it slathered with butter.  I'd be willing to bet that one or two cookies will be more than enough.  It's not the diet that will kill you, it's having that diet mentality that is going to kill you.   After years of dieting, I know that feeling of deprivation, and how it makes you want something even more.  The DS is not like that.  You can't go crazy and eat all carbs, all the time, but you can have some carbs, some times.  There's no reason to suffer needlessly.  

I feel ya.

I don't restrict carbs.

If I have a re-gain, I might, I don't know.

But, I'm still obese.

What can you live with?

Right now I've been living with 50g or so of carbs a day.  I've been avoiding carb-heavy foods.  Carbs for me usually come from things I might use to cook protein with (like some onions, or some low carb ketchup), from a few bites of a relatively low-carb fruit like watermelon or honeydew, maybe a few slices of tomato, or from a protein drink usually made with soy milk.  In counting carbs, I don't distinguish between fiber, sugars, and complex carbs.  I count them all.

People talk so much about the "honeymoon" period and keeping carbs low.  I'm trying as best I can.  But like I said, I'm feeling nuts.

I'm afraid to eat bread or any sweets, because I'm afraid I won't be able to stop!  I'm afraid I'll end up craving them even more!

I know there has been a lot written lately about restricting carbs on this forum. When I first came on here... there wasn't as much.

After losing and regaining over 700 pounds in my lifetime, I just can not do anything close to a diet. It causes me too much stress. I think that the stress is worse for me than anything.

The DS is a very powerful surgery.

I hope that you can find your way to a good balance for you. I hope that you will achieve your goals.

Hi Julie!  I just wanted to say that you aren't alone in feeling this way.  There have been some days when I have been bored with my diet, and in some cases, literally gag at the thought of more protein.  It was about that time that I started adding more variety and that helped.  Sounds like you are getting variety, which is really great.

As far as not being able to stop/crave more sweets, I found once I tried them that they tasted different that pre-surgery and breads filled me way too quickly.  I guess I was just fortunate that the cravings didn't become more than that.  I hope you can trust yourself to try it...remember that your tastes have changed quite a bit and you are battling your old habits right now.  You may not even want it after trying it.  Good luck!