Why wasn't I losing? Because I ate too many carbs!
I'm Christine and I'm a carb-o-holic. Yes, I am. I'm addicted. I'm in recovery and doing well right now.
I had band surgery 2.5 years ago and I was doing really well. Long story short I had a flare of my vasculitis and that lead to high prednisone and higher chemo along with depression and pain, so I didn't give a crap. I was sulking and fighting myself daily to stay on track and then blowing it and then hating myself and you all know the vicious cycle. Plus, I was too filled with all the inflammation. I stopped losing, ate no no processed carbs (mostly sugars) and gained 25 pounds back from prednisone and my eating habits.
Fast forward to a little over 5 weeks ago. Something clicked. I am down on the prednisone (yea!! under 5mg for the first time in 7 years!!!). I'm feeling better from my disease and I even started a trainer back in Dec of 2011. I didn't lose while going to her, but I sure did gain some strength and endurance.
All that lead to my going cold turkey and cutting out all bad carbs. I just stopped. And guess what? I LOST WEIGHT! I also talked to a great nutrit that understands my meds and she has helped me tremendously.
So, here's what I mostly eat. Cottage cheese, protein shakes (any time I'm carb craving I go to these with unsweetened almond milk), lunch meat, ground turkey made 500 different ways, natural peanut butter, eggs, turkey sausage and chia seeds. NO bad carbs. I'm going to start having more salads because I'm lacking greens and my nut said those are so important to help cleanse the liver of toxins (in my case from my medications) so the body can get rid of fat.
I'm am very happy with my weight loss and I've even gotten some of my fellow vasculitis friends to go low carb and they are losing, too!
Moral of my story??? I know the fight within. I know carb cravings. I know how hard it is not to snack. But I can tell you with 100% certainty that after I decarbed for that first week, and it was HELL , I have not been hungry often, I rarely snack and if I do it's protein. I don't get those intense munchies as I did when I brought carbs back into my life.
Just think about what you're eating now (if you've stopped losing or have gained) and be honest with yourself. Is it time to detox from carbs again?
If so, think about your carb triggers...mine's always ice cream and goodies. Sooo, I got some good protein mix (bariatric advantage and muscle milk light...yeah, I like to mix them) and that curbs my sweet teeth. If it's more pastas and rice then go with light cheese sticks. Make meaty spaghetti sauce and use different cheeses sans the pasta. Eat all you want of protein that first week of detox. Be miserable. Get angry. Feel the hold those foods have on you. Then feel how good it is to get control over them.
I had band surgery 2.5 years ago and I was doing really well. Long story short I had a flare of my vasculitis and that lead to high prednisone and higher chemo along with depression and pain, so I didn't give a crap. I was sulking and fighting myself daily to stay on track and then blowing it and then hating myself and you all know the vicious cycle. Plus, I was too filled with all the inflammation. I stopped losing, ate no no processed carbs (mostly sugars) and gained 25 pounds back from prednisone and my eating habits.
Fast forward to a little over 5 weeks ago. Something clicked. I am down on the prednisone (yea!! under 5mg for the first time in 7 years!!!). I'm feeling better from my disease and I even started a trainer back in Dec of 2011. I didn't lose while going to her, but I sure did gain some strength and endurance.
All that lead to my going cold turkey and cutting out all bad carbs. I just stopped. And guess what? I LOST WEIGHT! I also talked to a great nutrit that understands my meds and she has helped me tremendously.
So, here's what I mostly eat. Cottage cheese, protein shakes (any time I'm carb craving I go to these with unsweetened almond milk), lunch meat, ground turkey made 500 different ways, natural peanut butter, eggs, turkey sausage and chia seeds. NO bad carbs. I'm going to start having more salads because I'm lacking greens and my nut said those are so important to help cleanse the liver of toxins (in my case from my medications) so the body can get rid of fat.
I'm am very happy with my weight loss and I've even gotten some of my fellow vasculitis friends to go low carb and they are losing, too!
Moral of my story??? I know the fight within. I know carb cravings. I know how hard it is not to snack. But I can tell you with 100% certainty that after I decarbed for that first week, and it was HELL , I have not been hungry often, I rarely snack and if I do it's protein. I don't get those intense munchies as I did when I brought carbs back into my life.
Just think about what you're eating now (if you've stopped losing or have gained) and be honest with yourself. Is it time to detox from carbs again?
If so, think about your carb triggers...mine's always ice cream and goodies. Sooo, I got some good protein mix (bariatric advantage and muscle milk light...yeah, I like to mix them) and that curbs my sweet teeth. If it's more pastas and rice then go with light cheese sticks. Make meaty spaghetti sauce and use different cheeses sans the pasta. Eat all you want of protein that first week of detox. Be miserable. Get angry. Feel the hold those foods have on you. Then feel how good it is to get control over them.
This is a good tip! I've noticed when I make high carb foods like red beans rice (I just eat the beans and sausage) or black eyed peas with ham I gain. Why? Because BEANS HAVE CARBS! I'm ashamed to tell you that it took me a good year to realize that the weight gain and eating beans/carbs were connected.
Carbs are horrible! I remember the first time I ate rice after being carb free I literally had to stop my self from grabbing HANDFULS and shoveling it into my mouth. Carb cravings are the worst.
Carbs are horrible! I remember the first time I ate rice after being carb free I literally had to stop my self from grabbing HANDFULS and shoveling it into my mouth. Carb cravings are the worst.
Isn't it crazy? and we were so trained (at least my generation) to eat low fat/high carb foods. It was "healthy" yet more and more people became fat! I'm telling you in 5 weeks I cheated once and that was on mom's bday. I couldn't stop myself with the cake. I literally fought going back and having more over and over. Then I gave in then fought again. It sucked.
So, that's when I said I wasn't going to cheat like that again because, damnit, it's just too hard! I occasionally have black beans mixed in my turkey taco mix, but that's only when the family is going to eat it. Try adding chia (organic only) to your foods. You can't taste them and they're a great omega 3 source, fiber out of this world, and they help rid the body of toxins.
Keep low carbing :)
So, that's when I said I wasn't going to cheat like that again because, damnit, it's just too hard! I occasionally have black beans mixed in my turkey taco mix, but that's only when the family is going to eat it. Try adding chia (organic only) to your foods. You can't taste them and they're a great omega 3 source, fiber out of this world, and they help rid the body of toxins.
Keep low carbing :)