Moonlights' (temporary) Maintenance

[moonlights]

Still awake at 3an but my brain is too tired for work so I'm noodling around planing next weeks menus in MFP because that's just how I roll.

Shan't be checking the scale for a bit after the Easter excesses but fingers crossed April is my month for getting back with the programme. In a couple of weeks I'll have been (mostly!) low carbing for a whole year and I will say this: committing to low carb or even just committing to cutting out wheat and sugar 80 percent of the time is life changing. Low carbing has helped me lose some very stubborn weight after a weight loss journey that has taken years and, compared with other diets, it's been fairly painless. I feel better without carbs in my system.

I'd really like to never eat carby things again and if my brain could be rational about it I probably never would, but if I can keep to low carb for 80 percent of the year with my breaks taking up 20 percent I think I'll be happy and healthy for it.

Yay low carb!

 

[shrinki]

Sorry to hear you had another sleepless night but great to see how happy you are low carbing x

 

[ladyfelsham]

Ditto - sorry about not sleeping, this weather is so crazy I'm sure it's affecting our sleep patterns, I woke up about four times last night...

Hope you get some catch up zzz today love xxx

 

[Dietkitty]

I was awake from 2 til 5am! I'm starting to flag a little now.

 

[moonlights]

Obviously something going around!

I think my iron levels have bottomed out, I'm getting a lovely combo of insomnia and shaking with exhaustion. Can't have another infusion yet though as I have deadlines at the end of the month and can't risk being sick for a week.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Oh sweetie that doesn't sound good at all! If you're getting lots of iron from all the protein in your diet, shouldn't that help?

Sorry if I'm asking naive questions, my heart just aches for you that you get so tired and i wish there was something that could fix it for you for good x

 

[moonlights]

No, I've been on iron pills for years but my body just can't hold onto it, that's why they put it straight into my veins. I still take prescription iron pills but it doesn't keep my levels from dropping.

Roasted a yummy chicken today, and cream cheese pancakes later I think.

 

[moonlights]

Big plate of cream cheese cinnamon pancakes yammy yammy yammy yammy yammy yam. So tasty and don't make my tummy hurt like the carby version do. Considering adding cocoa powder for some choccy ones soon....

 

[ladyfelsham]

Mmm they sound fab -did you have them on their own?

 

[shrinki]

Hello hello!

I hope you're feeling a bit better today. You must be feeling exhausted - with the anaemia and sleep deprivation.

The pancakes sound delicious!

I have had a good think and decided to do juices for two meals and a healthy balanced dinner. I thought about what you said and fasting isn't the best idea for me at the moment with all this worry.

Jx

 

[moonlights]

Mmm they sound fab -did you have them on their own?

Yup, I could have had some davinci or something, or cream, but I actually think they're delicious on their own - I make them quite sweet and they're not at all dry.

Hello hello!

I hope you're feeling a bit better today. You must be feeling exhausted - with the anaemia and sleep deprivation.

The pancakes sound delicious!

I have had a good think and decided to do juices for two meals and a healthy balanced dinner. I thought about what you said and fasting isn't the best idea for me at the moment with all this worry.

Jx

So exhausted, it's insane. Went to get my B12 top up injection today, hopefully that will give me a boost although passed out for 2 hrs immediately afterwards, then up for 3, then passed out for 2... Now I suspect I'll be up all night.

Re juice fast: I am glad, adding at least one good meal a day will help keep you going I'm sure. I don't hold much truck with fasts anymore having done Cambridge for half a year - I think it caused me a world of problems. But! Everyone has to find what's best for them and what they're happiest with.

 

[moonlights]

I've increased my calorie target on MFP from 1700 calories to 1800 calories.

Not dramatic I know but I think a lot of people familiar with conventional dieting 'wisdom' would freak out over having more than 1200 cals per day.

Now, my calorie target is the amount that I roughly plan my menus around, rather than an amount I set out to eat exactly, so it's usually a little over or under depending on how I feel on the actual day.

Frankly after losing weight really rapidly when I upped my calories to about 2000 a day I think my body might need the extra energy right now - and I'm still eating low carb though not as low as I was, I'm eating under 50g a day roughly atm which basically just means I'm having the odd banana or bit of butternut squash.

I'm debating whether to go back to under 30g next week but might leave it a while and see how I go.

I was reading a blog by a girl who has lost a huge amount of weight - around 10st - and the plan she followed recommended eating at the calorie level needed to MAINTAIN the weight you want to be.

So for me, I'm 5'2" and I'd like to be 9st 10.

To maintain that weight at a sedentary activity level, my recommended daily calorie intake would be 1808 calories.

It makes a lot of sense to me - loss might not be as fast as with drastic calorie reduction (though this girl lost it fairly quick) but if you're eating to maintain a lower body weight then you will lose, and once you get to that lower body weight you'll already be used to eating the right amount to maintain and won't have messed up your metabolism by eating too little and then having to try and figure out a maintenance plan.

I don't know how well I explained that and I seem to have lost the link to the blog, but I've looked at other similar plans and the idea just seems like a good one.

She also cut out grains and sugars though she was moderate rather than low carb - about 100g a day.

So! 1800 as a rough target and I won't worry about going under or over on individual days as long as it roughly evens out over the week.

 

[ladyfelsham]

That all sounds eminently sensible to me, hun, and sustainable, long term

And I think you explained it very well

 

[Supersmileyme]

Yes, I agree, that does sound sensible. Which site did you use to calculate and get the 1800 cals per day? The ones I'm finding are showing 1300-1500??

 

[moonlights]

I just used whatever came up in google - you can do it on mfp and it comes up the same, and just popped it in another site to check:

http://www.realage.com/food/personalized-calorie-count#top

Came up the same. Remember, it's to maintain your target weight, not to lose. For just about any woman it should work out not too far under 2000 calories.

 

[Supersmileyme]

Morning, thanks for that, much better result.

 

[moonlights]

No problem!

Here's my yummy paleo banana bread for dinner today and lunch tomorrow and weds:





Fits right in while I'm keeping my carbs under 50g daily. Made with coconut flour, almond butter and (obviously) bananas.

Also today:

Cauliflower with cream cheese

Steak, scallops and spring onion

Banana bread and alpro yogurt

Still so busy, will check in when I can.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Oh that is a lush sounding menu, ML!

How many carbs is the bread per slice?

 

[moonlights]

Per slice I have no idea - I make it myself so just note down on mfp what goes into the recipe and divide by 3 - works out a little differently each time depending on whether I use almond flour etc. For this one it was about 20g for a third of the thing, which would be several slices...

NB to anyone following - it's not Atkins recipe because I'm eating at a higher carb level at the moment, no bananas on induction!

Eeeeeexhausted. Just got to get through today...

 

[stubbsey]

I have been getting a bout of insomnia lately it keeps rearing its ugly head! Not been able to function, how on earth do you manage?