How a Low Carb Diet Might Save My Life

Several months ago I decided to stop low carbing. I am not going to make any excuses here, because I have "Toyed" with low carb for seven years. In my heart I believe that eating low carb is the healthiest way to eat. I have been going off and on the diet for all these years. I would lose a little but of weight and then get all cocky about following the diet and slowly begin eating off plan.

In August I joined Weight Watchers... don't get me wrong I think WW is a wonderful program and I did really well in the beginning but then I got caught up in counting points and all the stuff I could legally eat like ice cream and other stuff. I was baking like crazy etc. The only problem is it got to the point where I couldn't quite keep in my points value.

Every day I would get up and think. Okay I am going to do this today! This is going to work. Only it didn't..... not for me.

The last month I have felt absolutely ghastly. I have cried every day when I went to work because my Fibromyalgia has been so painful and I have felt so horrid. Last week was a breaking point for me. On Thursday I was trying to think how I could break it to other half and I was probably going to have to quit working and file for disability.

Then my thinking got even worse because the Irritable Bowel started acting up. I was bloated and had pain in my stomach and back every day. Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night because I was soo ill. I actually started this little conversation with myself on Wednesday night about maybe just killing myself if this was what my life was going to be like. I was still crying every day. On Tuesday I cried all the way home from work because I was so sick and hurt so bad.

I was off on Wednesday and was so sick I couldn't do anything around the house so I started reading this book I got from the library called Shrink Yourself by Dr. Roger Gould. It is about how to stop emotional eating. I finished the book because I was so sick i didn't go into work on Thursday either.

What an moment of clarity for me. I do eat because I am afraid not to. I eat because I feel so "wrong" all the time. I had to go through a lot of stuff because basically this last year has been a very bad time for me. My self esteem has been in the dumper for a year now. I have felt like I was less than nothing to anyone including myself. Having to face all of those issues brought me around to thinking what I can do about my eating problem.

I decided that since I know I have to really change my life that I needed to give low carb one more try. So since Friday I have been very strictly eating a low carb diet. I still felt pretty crappy over the weekend with lots of pain even yesterday, anxiety, and still some bowel problems.

Today, even though I didn't sleep very well last night I feel like a new person. My stomach is better, my pain was signifcantly better today and I was not as tired as the days when I have been sleeping a lot. I was not depressed today, I went to work and had a pretty good day even for Monday. I left work in a good mood and even got up the nerve to put a job application in for a job that I would love to have.

I found this very Interesting

Hello Hello!! Someone is finally getting it!!



Hypereaters' never get enough
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON - Food hijacked Dr. David Kessler's brain.

Not apples or carrots. The scientist who once led the government's attack on addictive cigarettes can't wander through part of San Francisco without craving a local shop's chocolate-covered pretzels. Stop at one? Rarely.

It's not an addiction, but it's similar, and he's far from alone. Kessler's research suggests that millions share what he calls "conditioned hypereating" - a willpower-sapping drive to eat high-fat, high-sugar foods even when they're not hungry.

Down Nine Pounds !

As of this morning I have lost 9 pounds in the last two weeks. I have been really watching my carb intake and upping my fats. I am eating smaller amounts and feeling full forever!!

I eat a good breakfast and then for lunch I have been having some type of shake that I make in my magic bullet.

Here is what I am having today:
1 C. Crushed Ice
1 C Almond breeze unsweetened
2 Tbs Greek Yogurt
2 Tbs Heavy Cream
1 Scoop EAS Vanilla When Protein
Torani or DaVinci SF syrup for flavoring.

It give me a nice indulgent milk shake type of thingy and it keeps me full until I eat supper. When I am working I take my break about 5:30. I usually eat a salad and maybe some more yogurt or SF jello dessert.

I have lost some weight according to my scale every day this week!

As I have said before I made a pact with myself to to only eat things that really taste good to me or to find a sub for foods that I enjoy that are not low carb. I have been really using my low carb cookbooks. I don't always make exactly what recipe I have picked because I always make changes but so far I have been liking the things I have made.

I am trying not to over buy things at the grocery store just because they are something I saw in a recipe. Last week I made Strawberry muffins using the Raspberry muffin recipe from George Stella's cookbook. They were very good and I ate one a couple of days with breakfast which was really nice but then I had to freeze the rest to eat later. I have always been afraid to make much of those things because I thought I would pig out on them like I do with regular baked stuff but so far just knowing I can eat something has keep me not wanting the other.

Trucking On

I am continuing to eat well. I lost 4 pounds over night so that must mean something right??

I went to the grocery store this morning so now I am doing some cook a head stuff.
I just put a large rump roast in the oven with some broth and garlic and onion powder to roast for the next three or so hours on low temp.

I am thinking about making some BBQ sauce and taking part of it when it is done to make BBQ meat. I am also planning on making some Faux Potato salad today. I am trying to remember my pact with myself when I get hungry for something to make it with low carb ingredients.

I bought two of the roasts today and some ground beef. I am planning a taco meal some time this week.

I also bought some Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry juice.. with only 2 carbs per cup. I am thinking I might use this with the two Pork Chops I was going to cook last night until other half decided we should go out to eat. I love some type of orange or fruity taste with Pork. I used to fry Pork Chops and dump that cranberry jell stuff you get in the can and let it cook down in a skillet. Everyone used to rave so am looking to see what I can do with the juice.

What else.... hmm I bought some broccoli crowns not sure what I will do with them but am watching Alton Brown make a casserole with broccoli and noodle with a sauce made from egg, Mayo, yogurt and cheese so am getting an idea for that too forgetting the noodle part of course.

I have all kinds of ideas today.... one of them is to take a nap too!

Tip:
I have been craving a Root Beer Float for days but so far have not given in. This morning I had a bright idea.. When I was little my Grandma used to make us floats all of the time. It didn't matter what kind of pop she had orange or whatever it was great. I was looking at my Diet Rite Cherry Cola thinking that it would taste great with some ice cream... funny how that might negate the diet-sugar free feature? Anyway I was standing at the counter by my magic bullet so grabbed a glass for it put some crushed ice out of the fridge door some cherry cola, a scoop of EAS vanilla whey protein poweder a couple of tablespoons of Heavy whipping cream....
stuck it on the magic bullet thingy and let it whir..... Yummy!!

Wow

Time sure flies when you are having fun. HA. I didn't realize it had been so long. Things have been a little tough here. I had to quit taking the Guiafenesin because of the pain. I guess when I was taking it before I had an office job and wasn't killing myself working the floor for 8- 10 hours. Hopefully I will soon have an office job and maybe I can go back. I have had loads of trouble and then on top of that i hurt my back last week.

Been on light duty at work all this week and don't go back to the Dr. until Monday to see what they have to say.

I fell off the Low carb wagon for a few days but am back on again this week. I made some really great Chicken somethings... uh maybe Enchiladas tonight. I have not made these before but they came out yummy and looked great. Too bad I forgot to take a pic!

Eating Right

This morning I made Asparagus Avocado Soup in hopes of using up some of this produce before I need to get rid of it. Came out very lovely. I haven't been cooking as much since I work 2-10 because I am not home in the evening when other half is here. He doesn't really care for leftovers and considers anything that isn't hot when he gets it kind of in that category. Bah!!

Okay today is day three back on the Guiafenesin. I truly expect that I might get slammed with pain today. So far so good but the day is young yet. It will be a good thing when it happens. Since I have been off of the medication for a year I am starting out according to the book. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia was written by Dr. Paul St Amand who is also a Fibro sufferer. He has developed a treatment protocol using Mucinex that appears to work for many people.

There are some things you have to do that make it not so pleasant and some preparations that you need to make. But for me I was on this for a year then went off because I wasn't sure I was making headway. But in the past few months my Fibro has gotten worse. I feel crappy most of the time now and since I refuse to take medications with side effects that may be worse then my symptoms I have decided to try again. This time I am keeping a journal about how I feel each day to track the progress. I believe I may have been better then I thought when I quit and need to try again and track my symptoms etc.

It is a cheap medication, over the counter and nobody has ever tried to sell me anything. In the words of my Dr. What can it hurt?

Oh and it includes a low carb diet as well.

I'm Back

Gosh I can't believe it has been so many days since I came here. I had a nasty sinus infection and have been barely dragging my butt to work and home for over two weeks now. UGH

I am feeling better this last two days though so maybe I am getting back on track.

I have also made the decision to restart my Guiafenesin therapy for Fibromyalgia. I did this for a year and then stopped thinking that I was not getting any better but now that I am looking back on it. I do believe that I was better. So there goes a year of head way that I should have just stayed with. For anyone who does not know about this here is more information.
http://www.fibromyalgiatreatment.com/

I know that the page looks intimidating but honestly nobody is going to try to make you buy anything other than over the counter Mucinex. Yes there are things you can buy there but you don't have to. This and the fact that Dr. St Amand prescribes a low carbohydrate diet are what drew me to this therapy in the first place. I think perhaps I thought it might be too good to be true.

However, being the shortcut type of person I am I did not keep a daily symptom diary. Which I am going to do this time. I found a freeware journal program that I can use on my computer which will allow me to do this much easier for me to type then pick up a pen and write.

Why is this important? Because I am unable to afford to go and see the good Dr. in California. I would love to but I can't swing it so I need to keep the journal to see how changes come and go. I think if I had kept it the last time I would have seen a definite improvement in my health and pain.


Anyway to celebrate my choice this morning I made a wonderful Asparagus Omelet that you can find on my cookbook page. I also had half of a huge Avocado from a bag that I bought at Costco last week. Yummy