Scrumbles' diary...life after losing a third of me...

[moonlights]

All sounds good to me. I think my personal worry is that I do very well with strict rules so when I'm doing Atkins I just don't cheat ever, but I have to give myself those 3 or 4 times a year to have what I want in order to stick to that. I am either on plan, when I never cheat, or off plan when I am allowed anything I like. That way I never have diet guilt. So my worry with maintenance will be giving up that rigidity and trying to establish a more moderate approach. I might have to take your approach of trying the odd relaxed week once I'm closer to goal - though December should be an indicator of how I'll deal with that, too.

 

[ladyfelsham]

So very proud of all you have achieved, Scrummie - and I think you're spot on to try maintenance and see how you get on xxx

 

[Scrumbles]

So very proud of all you have achieved, Scrummie - and I think you're spot on to try maintenance and see how you get on xxx

Thanks Susie!

Couldn't have done it without the support from all the lovely people here - this forum is brilliant! :heartpump:

All sounds good to me. I think my personal worry is that I do very well with strict rules so when I'm doing Atkins I just don't cheat ever, but I have to give myself those 3 or 4 times a year to have what I want in order to stick to that. I am either on plan, when I never cheat, or off plan when I am allowed anything I like. That way I never have diet guilt. So my worry with maintenance will be giving up that rigidity and trying to establish a more moderate approach. I might have to take your approach of trying the odd relaxed week once I'm closer to goal - though December should be an indicator of how I'll deal with that, too.

That's been my worry too. Like you, I am very focussed whilst my mind is in diet mode, but what happens when that restraint is removed is another matter!

At the moment I'm still hanging on to the diet mentality: I plan my food the day before, everything is weighed (if I'm at home) and it's all entered in FitDay. I'm taking the approach of keeping carbs between 40-50g per day and letting calories creep up to see where that takes me. I'm allowing myself any of the foods I've had during diet breaks, but they are strictly controlled through the week so that I don't go over my daily carb limit. At the moment I appear to be still losing a little weight, but I'm sure I can put a stop to that, lol!

I was talking about this to my mum the other day, and I agree with her that it comes down to trade-offs. She's been a type 1 diabetic for most of her adult life, and has had to control her carb intake to match with the insulin she injects, so she has to make choices. For example, if she wants a little dessert, she won't have potatoes with her main meal, or if she wants rice with her main meal she won't have dessert. She decides in advance which carbs are worth it and spends her allowance accordingly.

And in essence, that's what I'm doing. Yesterday, I wanted an ice cream (I refuse to live life without ice cream ), so I budgeted for it by sticking to very low carb for the rest of the day; today I want potato and leek soup, so I won't be having anything else particularly carby. At the moment I am of course weighing and tracking so that I know I'm not overshooting my targets, but it could be the pattern by which I can live in the long term without needing to be chained to my kitchen scales.

There will still be a strong element of control and self-denial, but I think that's the way it has to be for me, and probably the majority of people who've ever gained and lost considerable amounts of weight. I'm going to have to be flexible enough to have the occasional blow-out meal that cannot be budgeted for, but those don't come around too often, so hopefully they won't de-rail me for more than a day at a time. Christmas will obviously be my first big test, so I guess we'll see...

 

[Scrumbles]

Well, I appear to be rubbish at this maintaining lark: I've lost 3lbs since last Friday, lol!

Actually, it's just my totm loss kicking in for the final time. I always have some loss just before and in the first couple of days of a period, so that's what it is, though I have to say I'm a bit surprised that it happened in spite of the raised carbs and cals - 3 Magnums, 2 large servings of potato and leek soup, a jacket spud and quite a lot of kidney beans weren't enough to stop it, apparently!

I'm at 40-50g carbs and 1500 cals per day now, and I have to say that I feel pretty comfortable. 50g carbs allows me some leeway for treats whilst still ensuring that I can't go nuts with anything truly heinous. It also makes me very picky about what I choose to spend them on: I could theoretically have a bite or two of junk chocolate within my allowance, but it just doesn't seem worth it when I could have something a lot more substantial and filling, and most likely tastier! If I'm going to eat rubbish, it has to be good rubbish, lol.

I was more than a little concerned about this process, I have to be honest, but I think my various diet breaks have prepared me better than I realised - I seem to have acquired a fairly good understanding of what I can and can't get away with and know more or less where my carb threshold lies, which is quite reassuring.

I'm planning to raise cals to 1600 per day next week, though if I find I don't actually want that many, I won't be forcing myself to have them - no point in that whatsoever.

Anywho, onwards I go...

 

[moonlights]

An extra 3lbs is a nice bonus to give you some leeway in maintenance I think. And I think you're like me in that if I have a stall week my body tends to compensate for it eventually.

Onward to maintainyville!

 

[Scrumbles]

^^^ 3lbs is good, but another 3lbs would have been even better now I look at my stats: I'm only 3lbs away from losing 6 stone, and I do like round numbers ('cos I'm old and they're easier to remember! ). Pity I stopped a little short of that target, but never mind - can always have a crack at it in January!

* * * * *

Right now I am being reminded why I don't drink

All I had this evening was one glass of red wine, one silly little glass, and now I want to eat everything in sight even though I'm not hungry! Just, ugh. I hate the munchies

To make it worse, the house is beginning to fill with Xmas goodies, and they're screaming my name whenever I go near the kitchen I keep repeating to myself over and over again, "If hunger isn't the problem, eating isn't the solution" - seen that written in other people's signatures, and may just add it to my own because I could surely use a reminder!

This has been a loooooong evening...

 

[ladyfelsham]

^^^ 3lbs is good, but another 3lbs would have been even better now I look at my stats: I'm only 3lbs away from losing 6 stone, and I do like round numbers ('cos I'm old and they're easier to remember! ).

OMG 6 stone - that is amazing! What a fab Christmas present xxx

 

[slaj]

Blooming fantastic! So very pleased for you, well done x

 

[Scrumbles]

Thanks guys!

It does boggle my mind sometimes that this time last year I was almost 6 stone heavier than I am now, perhaps because in some ways I don't feel all that different! I can definitely see why on The Biggest Loser they get the final few contestants to don rucksacks containing an equivalent of all the weight they've lost over the course of the show, then make them go for a nice long walk - I doubt I could even stand up for more than a couple minutes with 80lbs strapped to me, let alone manage a ten mile hike!


Anyway, I survived Saturday night without giving in to the munchies - ate a few more calories than I was intending to, but kept carbs under 50g, so I'll take it. Yesterday and today I weighed slightly under 161lbs (first time I've seen 160 on the scale in many years) but I expect that's the end of my losing phase. Now I just have to try not to gain...yikes!

 

[Scrumbles]

Weight holding steady here: 161lbs exactly this morning.

It goes up and down the odd half pound, but the lack of sudden gain tells me that 50g carbs per day is definitely lower than my threshold for putting back the glycogen + water. I have a feeling I could probably go up to nearly 70g per day without hitting that threshold, but I'm not wanting to test it quite yet as I'm still trying to ascertain how many calories I can eat at this weight without gaining fat. I'm up to 1600 per day now, but I've only been at that level for a couple of days, so it's a bit early to gauge the effect.

As to what I'm eating, it's still the same core menu of proteins and foundation veggies, but potatoes are featuring a lot more, along with the odd Magnum (they're on special offer!), porridge with oats mixed into the flax, Lindor chocolate truffles (my yearly Xmas treat) and the occasional apple. I don't seem to be having problems with any of this, so, so far so good...

 

[ladyfelsham]

the odd Magnum (they're on special offer!).

LOL on offer here too, along with a lot of other stuff that is defo not l/c

I think it's so brilliant that you are learning where your carb threshold is - it's how Katie and Jim keep their weight down, and it obviously works. All the best exploring it, hun!

 

[Scrumbles]

Aye - this is hopefully where all my food tracking and daily logging of my weight starts to pay off. I don't have the kind of personality that deals well with guesswork; I have to know what's going on, then I can work out what I need to do.

I'm so over Magnums, btw. Had the last one in the box yesterday and really didn't enjoy it much, so it's now moved to my "not worth it" list. (I'll probably change my mind next summer, though! I'm very faddy with food...and it's a lady's prerogative anyway )

I've weighed in at exactly 161lbs for the last 4 days now, so I must be doing something right. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to eat much over 1450 cals per day without gaining weight, but my body seems to be handling 1600 perfectly well, so I'm happy. If it carries on like this, I may try to get nearer 1700 - depends how brave I'm feeling I suppose! Online BMR calculators predict that for my age, sex, weight, height and activity level (none!) I should be able to eat nearly 1800 cals per day without gaining, but I'm sceptical of that because of the amount of weight I've had to lose.

Seems that when you've been severely overweight for a long time, your metabolism changes, probably forever, and you can't eat as much as someone of the same weight who has always been slim. That's why I'm determined not to put myself in the position of trying to maintain an unrealistically low weight - if I have to fight tooth and nail every day of my life to keep close to target, that ain't gonna happen!

At the moment I feel comfortable, not too hungry, not too stuffed, so I hope it stays that way.

Hope everyone is keeping safe, well and warm!

 

[ladyfelsham]

Sounds like you have it nailed, hun! But that's with lots of hard work and effort on your part, big hugs

 

[Scrumbles]

Ya know, looking back it doesn't feel like it was hard work, but I'm sure it must have been! I just hope that I now have enough good habits engrained to keep me where I want to be.

One thing is for sure: my vegetable consumption is through the roof compared to how it used to be. My fridge is bursting at the seams with veg after my weekly shop has been delivered, and we get through the lot by the time the next delivery rolls around. In fact, it often doesn't quite last and I have to nip round the Co-op to get more! Pre-Atkins, that would have been unheard of in this household - several days could pass without a single green thing being consumed, and a day's veg might consist of tomato sauce on a pizza I really hope that this particular change sticks, no matter what else does or doesn't!

I'm half a pound up from the weekend, but I won't be pushing the panic button just yet As far as I can tell I'm still in ketosis and I'm mostly eating a little less than 1600 cals per day, so I *should* be okay, but I'm keeping a very careful eye on things - there's still two weeks to go to Xmas itself and I don't want to let things slide simply because I know I'll soon be going majorly off plan for a bit.

Anyway, must get off this computer because my eyes are playing up something rotten at the moment. Will catch up properly when I can see - soon hopefully! :/

 

[ladyfelsham]

Sorry about your eyes - but bl**dy brilliant on the rest!

Know what you mean about low carbing - it is so good for veg intake, especially when I got my veg from frozen peas in pasta

 

[Scrumbles]

Still have eye trouble, so this is a hit-and-run. :/

No changes really - sticking to 50g carbs per day and between 1500-1600 calories. Weight fluctuates between 161-162lbs, so hardly at all. I cut out the ice cream this week (just didn't want it in this weather!) and have had a few more helpings of potato instead, but otherwise I'm carrying on exactly as I have been for the past few weeks. I will be eating a mince pie or two next week , so I'll be interested to see what they do to me. Shouldn't really be going near them because of the wheat pastry, but eh, it's Christmas! Mind you, maybe it'll be like last year and I won't even like them (I had half a one last year and threw the rest away!).

I reckon I can stick to this maintenance regime for another week, then I will be giving myself up to indulgence I won't be stopping the tracking though, so I shall know exactly what I've done to myself...yikes!

 

[coffeelover]

Your doing great on maintenance Scrumbles. Suits you. x

 

[moonlights]

I'm the same scrumbelina, one more week. It gets harder when you know you'll be off soon, I think.

What's up with your eyes?

 

[ladyfelsham]

LOL love the Scrumbelina

 

[Scrumbles]

I have a chronic disorder that causes blurring/double vision. It's treatable, but not curable. Mostly I get by, but sometimes it worsens and I have to stop looking at screens for a while (they seem to have an effect, though the docs don't know why). Appears to be improving a little in the last couple of days, so fingers crossed


Weighed in this morning at 159.8lbs - first time I've seen the 150's and I wasn't even trying, lol! I suppose what this tells me is that I am very slightly undereating at my current calories which means I can either a) eat more, or b) keep going as I am and see where I settle.

In an ideal world I'd like to go for option b), but unfortunately it's Christmas in a week and a bit, so that ain't happening - boo! to Christmas I suppose I'll just have to pick up where I left off in the New Year, though probably with a few excess pounds to shift

Mr Sainsbury is bringing my mince pies this evening, and I am quite ludicrously excited about them - how sad is that?

Off to put some fairy lights in the garden and make it all twinkly and festive - that's one thing I do like about Christmas!