Moonlights' (temporary) Maintenance

[moonlights]

Sounds yummy to me. I am absolutely convinced I do need an airfryer for the perfect celeriac chips

Mine are delicious just baked in the oven - I don't think I'd bother faffing around with an air fryer myself.

Afternoon, menu looks good, as always. The hungry hippies paid me a visit earlier in the day....but now I am not hungry and may even skip my dinner.

I like the hungry hippies - not sure I remember that board game but it puts me in mind of Neil from the young ones

Strangely enough, *not* an especially hungry day today. Will update with food diary later.

 

[paigesmum30]

Of course, if you already have one

The snazziest thing i've got is a george foreman and that doesn't get used anymore lol. A fryer would no doubt end up shoved at the back of a cupboard too

 

[moonlights]

I'm much the same. If I can do it with oven/grill/pan I'll stick to that - though the slow cooker is meant to be cheaper to run than the oven, which is why I thought I'd get one.

Am not at all looking forward to going out in the snow tomorrow ):

Food today var:

Splash of cream

Sesame 5 spice chicken

Venison steak, scallops, spring onions

Plus lashings and lashings of tea.

 

[YukCeleriac31]

I've just bought the walden farms chocolate syrup...nooooo!xx

 

[moonlights]

I hated that one too lady B, sorry. You might like it though? For me it was weird, like chocolate tasting plastic.

 

[moonlights]

Woke up starving after 3 hrs sleep so had 3am egg mayo.

I was actually having terrible cravings when I woke up and very nearly went into eat everything mode but have managed to hold back. However this hunger and craving level is just not normal for me and honestly it's like bloody torture at some points. I'm sort of wondering whether I should increase carbs for a while and see if that helps, while the other side of my brain knows that cutting carbs is the way to shut down cravings - it just doesn't seem to be working for me this time.

Thinking back on it I have regularly floundered on diets in jan/feb - I started Atkins in April last year and have actually started just about all my successful diet phases between march and may. But if I let myself come off the diet for a while (which I know my brain wants) I'd certainly have a non-water weight gain to show for it by then.

I wonder if switching plan to ww or 5:2 and moderate carbs for a while would help. Honestly this feeling is driving me mad. I can be totally fine all day, eat great, and then have physically painful cravings for no reason in the couple of hours before bed. Even eating the right thing isn't shutting it down.

The thing is I know I wouldn't keep to WW properly and would eat the wrong things on 5:2 :/

I'm not disciplined unless I'm keeping to set rules and have no will power for the 'a little of what you fancy' way of eating. On carbs I have a definite case of eyes too big for my stomach syndrome and feel compelled to buy more than I need and store it.

And I don't feel good eating carbs! So what on earth is wrong with me...

I don't know, I don't know, but it is really bothering me.

I really want to be another stone down before taking another break but argh.

Now to try to survive the day... Really sincerely not looking forward to going out in the cold. And so tired already on 3 hrs sleep...

 

[shrinki]

Oh no ML :-(. Sorry you're feeling like that. Those carb cravings can be almost painful - I know what you mean.

My suggestion would be to go mega low carb for two days. Cut out the sweetners and have very high fat. That should help...

Jx

 

[moonlights]

I have done, though. It's not helping... Yesterday was 9g carbs in food, plus whatever's in my meds these days. And I had several days last week with carbs under 10g, fat over 70%.

Low carb high fat is usually my first go to measure but right now those days are agony.

 

[moonlights]

Planned ratios for the day:

 

[shrinki]

Oh :-(. Agony is not good... Maybe you should try the other method of slightly increasing carbs and see if that works? I would try playing with the carb level before switching diet programs completely I think x

 

[moonlights]

Oh :-(. Agony is not good... Maybe you should try the other method of slightly increasing carbs and see if that works? I would try playing with the carb level before switching diet programs completely I think x

Yes, to be honest I'm not really thinking of going off plan - nothing else works for me I know that. Just rambling as I try to deal with it. Although ask me again if I still feel this crappy next week. I think I'll continue with my low carb / high fat plan for this week - I've bought all the food in after all - and just hope it finally kicks in.

Something about this time of year? Cold + low seretonin maybe. Plus I'm stuck in writing all day, too cold for me to go out except when really necessary. I can't blame my vitamin deficiencies, they're not new. But there must be a reason that I've given up at this time of year so often.

 

[shrinki]

I think humans are programmed to eat carbs in the winter... I definitely think it's harder in the cold than the warm weather. Jx

 

[moonlights]

Absolutely it is. Speaking of which, I'd better go and start putting on my 39 layers of thermals as I'm out today and tomorrow.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Big hugs hun carb cravings can be totally debilitating, and I agree with you and Shrinki, it's so much harder when it's so cold.

What about a big attack on the taste buds, plus upping veg a little - eg courgette soup with some chilli in it and flax bread croutons, or some cauli curry?

Sorry if these sound like daft suggestions, am grasping at straws a bit - but I so know the feeling of Must Have Carbs, especially when I've been indoors for a bit.

 

[Supersmileyme]

Morning ml, honestly I think it's the cold. As an odd example, I have a dog who only eats what she needs, never over eats. Yesterday, bearing in mind the weather, she ate 3 full meals instead of 2 half meals. Animals know they need more calories to keep warm, I think we're the same.

I thought I would be the same as you on 5:2 and gorge as soon as I was on a non-fasting day, however I've just had 2 tiny pancakes and am stuffed. It really might be with a try.

 

[YukCeleriac31]

I hated that one too lady B, sorry. You might like it though? For me it was weird, like chocolate tasting plastic.

Lol, what are the chances though? Ah well, at least it was only £3.50 down the drain..I'm sorry to hear you've been struggling with cravings hun. I've been pretty hungry and definitely weaker for small slips myself than last year. I just try to throw a gallon of water at cravings/hunger pangs and involve myself in something distracting, like watching a film. If its due to the weather, it'll soon be over, hang in there and focus on the positives xx

 

[sammy1]

Morning, I was the same yesterday...but I wasn't as strong as you, I caved to mashed potato...it was not worth it. I hope you have a better day today.

 

[shrinki]

I know you don't like spicy food so chilli is out but what about pickled onions?! A pickled onion and a chunk of cheese quashes most carb cravings ;-)

 

[Scrumbles]

Sorry to hear you're feeling like this, ML

I really do think it's the time of year more than anything. Christmas was great, but it's over; now we're hunkered down waiting for Spring, and it ain't fun . Plus maybe there's some boredom - you've been doing this a looooong time now, and I know how that can wear one down.

I think a change of plan for a while might not be a bad idea. I seem to remember reading that you've been contemplating using paleo or primal for maintenance, so how about trying it for size now? You'd still be low carb and you'd still have a definite set of rules to follow - they'd just be a bit different. Giving yourself a slightly altered focus might be what you need to get you through, then when the longer days and warmer weather is upon us, you can get back on the Atkins track?

Worth a shot, maybe?

Take care out there and wrap up warm xx

 

[shrinki]

PS just received my low carb order and it was Joseph's maple syrup not walden farms