In the pink

[Amber34]

Who would have known that peeing on a piece of plastic could bring quite so much joy?

I am working from Atkins and Escape the diet trap - trying to make this a lifestyle rather than a diet as the latter I always consider to be something that must be endured for a period of time so I can enjoy stuffing my face again.

I think I am eating a bit too much at the moment - I am not trying to stick to the 20g of carbs a day but keeping it under 40g

So today I have had:

B: Sundried toms and mozzarella balls in oil
S: Ham
L: atkins bar
S: Corned beef & a few almonds
D: Meal balls in tomato sauce, steamed courgetti spaghetti and asparagus, both in butter
S: a few spoonfuls of cheesy coleslaw

I've been reading up on leptin and am certain I need to stop the additional snacks - these are more habit than hunger

 

[moonlights]

I'd mainly be careful of the Atkins bars, they're full of junk and seem to stall or slow down 9/10 people who have them regularly. Certainly used to do for me.

 

[Amber34]

Thanks for that - I shall keep an eye on them. My problem is when I am feeling deprived my resolve weakens and I tend to have a blow out, so I was trying to build in some acceptable treats. I have two whole cases of Atkins bars sitting on the counter but now keep reading bad things about them! Lesson learned - read before ordering.

John Briffa (Escape the Diet Trap) suggests having a plain, high cocoa solids chocolate and I've found Sainsbury's do a pack of 5 x 25g bars at 4.3g carb per bar, but that still isn't ideal. I've made low carb hot chocolate which definitely helps the mental craving, but it would be so nice to stop enjoying the choccy things as I have managed to do with the rice, pasta etc.

So far today I've had some cold roast chicken for breakfast. Planning on having celery and cream cheese as a snack and have a vague cunning plan of something involving bacon and fish for tea. Trying to keep the snacks low and the eating fairly clean.

 

[moonlights]

My fav treat is a mug of alpro soya milk warmed in the micro with a couple of drops vanilla essence and some sweetener tablets mixed in. Sweet and soothing for about 1 carb. And I made a 3 carb 'swiss roll' style thing yesterday which was tasty - ingredients 2 eggs, sweetener, vanilla essence , cream and a little Philly. I got the recipe from the recipes section in the main forum and my own adapted version, with pics, is in my diary.

I think most people here would advise you to stay off the bars at least in induction, then have them now and then when you might give in otherwise.

 

[Amber34]

I don't do milk I'm afraid. I made some chocolate philly the other day with sweeteners and cocoa powder - that was good but I was a bit flummoxed as to what to spread it on. I ate it directly out of the bowl )

Thanks for the swiss roll recipe - that sounds really nice. Sainsbury's have a pack of sliced edam on offer for a quid - with no carbs at all! I was a bit gobsmacked at that so ate half the pack with a couple of slices of ham from the deli, followed by some blueberries. Lovely lunch but need to get some more veggies in me before the day is out.

 

[Amber34]

Dinner was lovely. I made fish and bacon o'leekie but without the rice. Really tasty but the teenager turned up just as I was cooking and the portions got a lot small all round. Made a bacon and spinach crustless quiche as well, which was OK and will do for breakfasts and snacks. Thinking about stewing some rhubarb as well, but I'm a bit too full up to get up any enthusiasm.

 

[Amber34]

Scales show a 4lb loss, which is OK with me, but would have liked a wee bit more for the first week. My belly feels slightly less bulgy though, which is all to the good.

Today's menu
B: bacon & spinach quiche
L: Celery soup - yet to be made. Will probably put some rhubarb on at the same time
D: No idea yet. Needs to be family friendly and will probably involve spinach and kale, as they both need using up.

 

[Butterflyday]

Well done on the loss :clap:

 

[Alpaca]

Hello Amber and well done on the loss! Xx

 

[Amber34]

Thank you ladies. Feeling a little less bulky from stopping all the food blow outs has made me feel quite positive about achieving this. I made the celery soup yesterday and added some creamed coconut instead of cream and it turned into something more like a pudding than a dinner - the 10 year old loved it. However, there is absolutely no nutritional information on the packet and although I found information online saying it was fairly low carb, I think that was for coconut milk and not the solid block.

And I drank beer. Lots of beer :break_diet:

Chicken and coleslaw for breakfast this morning, no other meals planned so far. Saturday is usually pizza or takeaway night but I might have a go at doing something with cauliflower, seeing as I have three in the fridge!

We have my daughter's dance dance show to watch this afternoon and then seeing my son off tomorrow as he moves 130 miles away to start his apprenticeship :cry: I'm struggling with that one!

 

[Kat1e]

Hi amber. Oops on the beer careful on the coleslaw! Lots of water

 

[ladyfelsham]

Morning Amber

Lots of yummy things you can do with cauli - try grating one, stick in the microwave for a few minutes and voila - cauli rice

 

[Butterflyday]

atback: Just checking in with you Amber, I fear I am eating too much coleslaw, make sure its only a small portion and homemade with helmans real mayo.

Draw a line under the beer, just remember that you are doing this for the long term and it was just a little blip. We all have them hun.

Good luck, we can do this!!! :character00238:

 

[Amber34]

I am struggling. It took me a week to lose 4lb, the following week it appeared to go back (too many cauli breadsticks?) and here I am at week 3 having lost the same 4lb again, although my weight is fluctuating. I am not a happy bunny considering I am eating so much healthier and have cut out all bread and potatoes and not eaten a bag of crisps or chocolate for the past three weeks. And it's not a case of 'not showing on the scales yet' as nothing feels looser than it did.

We're off to the zoo today as my daughter's school has an inset day and I'm trying to pack a picnic, although the fridge is looking bare in the salad department, so I have made:

Tuna and spinach mixed with yoghurt for dipping my celery into
2 hard boiled eggs.
Stewed rhubarb with coconut

Yesterday I had a little panic in the afternoon as I was out working in various corner shops and fast food places and worried about caving so grabbed a pack of pate with mushrooms (2.1g carb per 100g), then a Greek salad for tea. I am in ketosis for most of the time but nothing is happening!

 

[Alpaca]

Hi Amber... Sounds really frustrating... Not sure what to suggest but I feel your frustration! Xx

 

[Amber34]

I am wondering if I eat too much cheese. I made stuffed portabello mushrooms last week which consisted of cream cheese, mixed with parmesan topped with grated cheddar. They were yum but the calorie count must have been horrendous. I only ate one a day for 4 days, but I seem to be embracing the high fat lifestyle a little too much. I must go and read up on why fat is OK, and more to the point, how much fat is OK. I am having full fat Total yoghurt (about 2 dessertspoons full) each evening, plus nibble on almonds to stave off hunger - lots of fats there although no animal fats as my body just won't tolerate them

 

[Alpaca]

Have you set up your diary on My Fitness Pal? It will calculate the fat/protein/carbs automatically... Keep the ratio 5% carbs, 35% protein and 60% fat - or there abouts ( not sure I have that exactly right! Lol)

 

[moonlights]

Yogurt seems to cause people problems. It's purely an observation as I don't eat it, but I've seen a few people add it to their menus then stall.

I bet the calorie count in your mushrooms wasn't too high at all but it is a good idea to limit your cheese to the recommended 90g per day.

Try not to worry too much over cals and fat. You need a high fat percentage and I personally seem to lose more when I eat more.

 

[Amber34]

Thanks for your thoughts ladies. I've not had problems with yoghurt before, but will bear it in mind. I'll have a got at setting up the fitness pal thing - I think it might help to give an overall picture of how I am doing. Stuck to what I had planned for yesterday but added white wine spritzers in the evening. Oops

 

[Kat1e]

Possible stallers in order of most common- cheese, yogurt, almonds. Worth cutting back and then reintroduce separately to test them