argh . . . had 41 carbs for lunch and GOD do i want more

[bertha katzenengel]

:rant:

I even treated myself to a bag of potato chips (15 carbs) with my grape tomatoes (5) and my baloney & cheese & pickle sandwich on low-carb bread* (41). I am so used to much larger portions, and to eating what I want when I want -- I feel deprived. It is completely emotional, I am aware of that. The awareness doesn't make it any easier. This is the hardest thing I've ever done. This is harder than moving across the country, away from my family, I think.

:banghead:

I am determined, and confident of the outcome, but JESUS :banghead:

:rant:

* it's like someone mixed up some sawdust and powdered cardboard, threw in a little water and baked it.

[MoseyWalker]

1. I haven't eaten yet today

and even mowed the damn lawn again this morning.

Try and keep busy with something physical. It helps, and burns calories at the same time! Good luck!

[NewWaveChick1981]

2. Bertha, I know how you feel.

:hug: I cut out a lot of carbs in recent months, and the first two weeks were hell. I've been much better over the past two months and am used to it now. :D Just hang in there! You can do it!

[MissMillie]

3. it's NOT just emotional

the fact that you are ingesting that many carbs makes you want them even more. There is a physical addiction to carbs, without a doubt.

Good luck to you hon! I know you're trying hard and I'm cheering for you to end up right where you want to be. I don't know that I can be much help, but if you want to talk, PM me!

[bertha katzenengel]

7. "that many" carbs? Miss M . . .

In examining my past eating habits, I know that I formerly consumed carbohydrates at rates unparalleled by just about everyone on the planet. Rice. Pasta. Bread. I would have all I wanted at any time of the day.

To eat just 41 carbs in a meal is a major reduction for me.

Thanks for cheering for me - I need that.

[Monk06]

4. Bake a huge turkey breast covered in Vietnamese Chile Sauce

Zero carbs, zero sodium.

[bertha katzenengel]

9. Thanks, but I never eat anything that could burn the hair right offa me.

;)

[Monk06]

11. Actually Vietnamese chili isn't that hot and you can just bast it lightly

[Bullwinkle925]

5. how many carbs are you allowed to have?

are you doing the atkins?

[bertha katzenengel]

8. No Atkins - new diagnosis of diabetes.

30-45 per meal, 15-30 per snack.

[Bullwinkle925]

12. holey-moley abalone....

sorry to hear that - good luck and good wishes!!

[malta blue]

6. Giving up carbs is the so freaking hard Bertha!

Don't be so hard on yourself. So you had more than you wanted to :shrug: Tomorrow is another day! Be sure to remember that you ARE working really hard at it, and there will be days when you just have to cave in.

:hug:

[LadyoftheRabbits]

10. Go for it!

:hug: I did the carb thing and I need to do it again... it is rewarding, and rather quickly too, but once the weight is off it's hard to keep it off. At least for me :(

Hang in there! :hi:

[sleepyhead]

13. Be sure to drink lots of water!

It'll make you feel better and help metabolize your carbs. I agree, low-carb bread is dreck. Low-carb tortillas are not bad, though - if you can find them, maybe you could make wraps instead of sandwiches?

[caty]

14. I've been on a low carb

diet for several weeks now and I find it easy to stick to. I feel so much better. I feel stronger and I hardly ever get hungry.

[pitohui]

15. not good choices for a low carb diet

i focus on chicken, ribs, steaks, pork, cheese, and eggs for my husband's diet, he has lost 40 pounds already, i eat the same to keep him company and to keep from becoming an on-call short order cook and i notice that when you eat like that, you really lose your appetite after awhile, even tho i don't need to lose weight, i have lost some and have to add carbs back in to maintain

low carb bread and potato chips don't sound like quality food that will satisfy, we have found it better to eliminate bread altogether

he can eat half a small baked potato w.out spiking the glucose meter but honestly these items are prob. just getting in the way of your changing to a new way of eating

my opinion only

it sounds like his carb allowance is much lower than yours, it's 76 carbs a day which is very very challenging

[bertha katzenengel]

21. thanks for your thoughts - they helped

i know it's best to get rid of crackers & bread & such (and the chips were a special treat) - I'm only in my third week and trying very hard. have already made vast improvements. but still my blood sugar is all over the map. i see the diabetes counselor again next week.

[crim son]

16. When I'm trying to cut back, I keep my mind off my misery

by doing all the household and yard chores I've been avoiding for months. Except the ironing; there has to be a greater emergency than starvation before I'm gonna tackle that.

[mykpart]

17. It takes a while to detox off carbs,

especially if you're diabetic. Try cheese to snack on.

[radwriter0555]

18. It IS really hard, but you honestly will absolutely get used to it. You're

breaking a habit, like chewing your nails.

Instead of not chewing your nails, you're eating smaller meals. It's not easy.

Keep lots of carrots and apples, bananas and almonds around. The little snacks in between really help.

While lowering the carbs is good, don't get too nuts about it (pardon the pun). What will make the critical difference is smaller portions and healthier food.

Make a MASSIVE salad.. a whole head of lettuce! (Try romaine, not iceberg, you need the greens) Find the biggest, reddest tomatoes you can, chop up some sun dried tomatoes too, add in some pine nuts and an avocado, drizzle with olive oil, liberally salt and pepper that beast and sit down and eat the WHOLE thing.

Essentially you're eating a tomato and an avocado. But it will take almost a half hour to eat it and it will fulfull you.

That's our favorite summertime meal. We'll often pair it with a rotisserie chicken for dinner.

[MorningGlow]

19. Much sympathy, Bertha!

:hug:

I did low-carb a few years ago, when my blood sugar went nuts (offshoot of weight gain from an undiagnosed hypothyroid condition), and it was absolutely awful! But--BUT--it got easier. Carbs are an addiction, absolutely--hard to break the addiction, but after a while you don't realy miss them. It's just the withdrawal phase that's tough. Then, weird thing--once I went off them, if I had a piece of bread, I could taste the fermentation in the grains as if I were drinking a beer. (Mmmm...beeeerrr...) But that taste wasn't as pleasant!

Anyway, I know it's hard, but what got me through it was simply looking in the mirror. I was disgusted at the sight of that bloated stranger I saw looking back, and that helped me stick to it. I lost 12 lbs....and then my fertility came back and I got pregnant. Sigh! (Love MorningGlow Jr., of course, but--dammit! :banghead: I'm nearly back to where I started.)

I need to get serious about low-carbing again. I've been doing a fair-to-middlin' job lately (I sneak MG Jr.'s fries) and it shows. Ick! PM me if you want to start a low-carb support group. Hang in there!

[LynzM]

20. Diabetes sucks, doesn't it?

I've been diabetic for going on 16 years now, and I feel your pain, Bertha. Regulated portions *is* hard, even when it's not a huge change from the way you're used to eating.

FWIW, I find that two pieces of whole-grain bread (usually 30-40 carbs) are much more filling than the low-carb crap. I agree, that stuff is gross.

Favorite low-carb snacks:

Any veggie with a little salad dressing, or some salt (cucumbers!)
Nuts or seeds, in small portions
Keep gum on your person
Seltzer (or diet 7up or Sprite) mixed with sugar-free KoolAid
small cubes of cheese

Hang in there dude. It sucks, but it *will* get easier, and you know you have lots of support and a great place to vent here! :hug:

[bertha katzenengel]

22. thank you, LynzM

:hug:

[LynzM]

23. You're welcome, dude

Any time. :hug: