Overcoming struggles

#1

So, I know we all have our own, individual struggles. Thought it might be nice to share what they are, and how you’ve overcome.

One of the main struggles I’ve encountered since doing Keto and IF involves mealtime. I’m the mom, chief cook, waitress and dishwasher. Also, solo operate one business, and a second one with my family. We’re all busy, so mealtimes have always been the “family time” when we can communicate and all get on the same page with each other’s schedules, etc. It’s kind of like a daily staff meeting, with food. The biggest struggle: trying to listen to my stomach and not eat if I’m not hungry - but yet still be in the midst of cooking and plating foods, at sit at the table to converse with the family. It has been hard. But, I’m finally getting to the point where I do not feel obligated to eat just because the food is there, or because everyone else is eating. Trying to break that mechanism seemed impossible on day 1 of Keto. And, to was difficult day in and day out for a few weeks… But, the more I practice listening and obeying my stomach - the easier it gets. It was just so hard in the beginning. My goal is to get to the point where I don’t feel any obligation whatsoever to eat - no matter who I’m with or where I’m at - unless I am truly hungry.

I think its so wonderful that so many people here are willing to help each other succeed.

So what’s your struggle???

(Renee Slaughter) #2

Mental cravings. It’s like I remember how good sugar taste and recently I ate something non keto. But I get right back on track. Today I made sure I was stuffed full of delicious fatty goodness as well as a keto friendly dessert. I’m so full right now. Yesterday I didn’t eat enough fat so I was peckish at work. Live and learn.

(ripkin) #3

Glad someone posted about this issue—thanks!

Binge eating when I get home from work is my biggest issue. I’m trying to do IF (or some kind of modified IF with a coffee + cream in the AM, then fasting until 8 PM)—and it’s a huge struggle to keep my PM meal under 1500 calories. It’s not a nutritional/hunger issue, either. It’s pretty psychological, I think. I tend to keep going back to the food the longer I hang out in the kitchen. I have better luck staying out of the kitchen after I’ve eaten all the daily calories.

I also have a really tough time with the whole counting of the macros thing. For a long time I kind of ball-parked it but I turned out to be way off and I didn’t lose much weight… but counting carbs and trying not to go too much above my BMR calorie-wise seems to work out okay and is wayyyy easier than trying to keep track of macro percentages…

#4

Hey Renee,
Mental cravings are such rascals!!! One thing I recalled from my years doing Atkins is how to escape the sugar craving. I can offer you the solution that worked for me, and maybe it can work for you too… that is, to keep super-salty, Keto friendly foods nearby. Black olives, green olives, dill pickles, cheese crisps… Whenever you feel the need or desire to have something sweet, pop a couple green olives or baby dills. The alarming salty taste in your mouth will - almost instantaneously - make you forget about the sugar craving. I cannot tell you how many times green olives and dills have saved me from a chocolate binge. I battled with that issue constantly for more than 20 years- (mainly due to a career in chocolate/confections), and that solution has been my saving grace, especially during r/d.
The cheese crisps are easy to make, and can be stored in tupperware or ziplocks. So, you grate a little cheese onto some parchment paper, set on a flat plate, and nuke until it gets a little brown. Take out of the microwave, blot the oil off, let it cool for a few seconds, then break it up into “crackers”. I actually use them to scoop whipped butter up- like a dip, and eat for a snack.
I hope that might help you somehow! Have a most blessed day!! SecondB

(Renee Slaughter) #5

Thank you. I keep olives cheese and nuts on hand just in case. I have found that a few berries and whipped cream very occasionally is very satisfying. But those dill pickles great idea.

#6

Hey Ripkin,
I’m not super experienced with IF, but I have done it a little. I tried to cut eating off around 7-8 pm at night, but I kept returning to graze in the kitchen. Finally settled on nibbling a few green olives, and after 4-5 I could no longer handle eating anymore. I had to drink water or tea just to cope with all the salt I’d just eaten. That filled me completely, without even realizing it. Because I was so terrible with the grazing, it necessary during that first week or so for me to put a movie on to stay distracted. Its embarrassing to admit that, but that’s where I was at.
As for tracking macros, I use an online calculator. I guess, maybe because my eats don’t vary a whole lot, its easy for me to just click on everything and see where the numbers fall. so, I can’t offer any help with that whole thing. But maybe someone else on the forums might have more suggestions.

Best wishes on your Keto-journey!!! SecondB

#7

Mine is weighing myself. Ugh, it’s such an addiction. I’ve had anorexia and bulimia eating disorders so the scale is how I’ve always dictated my worth.
Although I know that it’s not an accurate portrayal of my success with this way of life I still feel the need to weigh almost every day. I take progress photos and measure myself as well. I’m all about nsv too.
The good thing about this is that even if I don’t lose weight I don’t get as distressed as I used to. Used to I’d just say “nope, can’t gain that weight/not lose, going to go on a fast for three days.” Now I’m okay with maintaining/not losing. Baby steps!

#8

I bought some sliced dill pickles only to realize when I got home that they were 1 carb per two slices! And contained high fructose corn syrup (my fault for not checking at the store but still). Just check the labels on them. :slight_smile: I like them to get my salt in.

(Tina Emmons) #9

Yeah, keep finding you really have to read those labels! just discovered my balsamic vinegar had added sugar! WTH? No good reason but further addiction!

(Renee Slaughter) #10

Yeah this happened to me also. Sugars are everywhere.

#11

Who puts sugar in dill pickles!?

(Ken) #12

Geez guys, if you’ve been keto for more than a couple of weeks those trace carbs found in condiments (with the exception of ketchup, waaay too many carbs, pizza sauce is a good alternative) are too low to really matter. If you don’t believe me, just experiment a little. For Crissake, to deny yourself a dill pickle or a little balsamic vinegar is nutty!

#13

Pickles are a great low carb, low protein snack!

#14

First, I want to thank you for your courage in talking about eating disorders. Its always been like a “Scarlet Letter” in my life. So, I hadn’t mentioned it before at all. But, I too battled with bulimia (for 17 years) and had begun transitioning into anorexia. Scales became an evil dictator that reigned over my life, and it has been a life-long battle to escape that sort of dictatorship. So, I totally get what you mean. Its hard to look at them as a tool now, rather than the dictator of self-worth.
Out of habit I guess, I do weigh in a little more than I probably should, but I don’t look at it the numbers in the same way. I’m more into looking at trends and seeing if there is correlations o hormone fluctuations during peri-menopause. Based on my trend-tracking, today, I’ve just entered my 10-12 day window during which my body will allow for loss of weight, and not try so hard to hold onto it. I’ve very recently talked myself into not flipping out over a 1-2 pound gain, because I now have a better understanding of my body’s idiosyncrasies. (sp?) Baby steps, these are.
I’m going on a long overdue vacation with hubby, sans kids, so I am hoping for a little more opportunity to be away from scales & junk food, and maybe do a bit more IF, and gain more control over my eating habits.
Thank you again for your courage, and I wish you the very best!
SecondB

#15

I just checked my Gedney Baby dills…no sugar! Phew! I think for those of us who are supersensitive to sugars and have to stay at or below 20 net carbs daily really have to be pretty observant with labeling. It is a pain, but a necessary pain.

But @240lbfatloss is right about pizza sauce…is that stuff ever a lifesaver! If any of you have made that cheese based-crust pizza, and slathered on Wallyworld’s pizza sauce, you know what I’m talking about. I used pizza sauce when I made my lasagna out of the cheese-based noodles, and it was fantastic. As long I’ve got some on hand, it goes anywhere ketchup used to go. Meatloaf, burgers, chicken - wherever.

For other snacks that I have yet to find added sugars in- try olives. Green, Black, stuffed, Greek - I have not found sugars in any thus far, and I eat those a lot for snacks. The blast of salt is such a fabulous deterrent when sugar cravings hit, I cannot sing enough praises to the wonderful, damn salty, green olive!!!

#16

Well when I sit down to eat sliced pickles I’m not going to eat just two (1 carb) I could eat up to 10 or so, put them on thing through out the day, it can get out of hand.
I’m not freaking out about it, I was just suprised that two slices of pickles were a carb.

(Ken) #17

Mmmm. I Iike to get large, unstuffed green olives and stuff them myself. Blue Cheese, meat and cheese, cheese and nuts, etc. One thing everyone should try is to add a small chunk of anchovy into the stuffing. Talk about salty, tangy heaven!

(Ken) #18

What good is cold chicken without mayo and a dill pickle or two?

(Tina Emmons) #19

I think we are all talking about sugars where they don’t need to be. We can get pickles without added sugar so we choose those. Balsamic vinegar bottles side by side, one with sugar and one without? If I’m gonna have something outside my “incidental” carbs, it sure ain’t gonna be vinegar! Lol

#20

Meals to eat when I’m REALLY hungry, because I can’t add more protein and I can’t add more carbs. I know, add more fat, but fat’s not FOOD, it’s more a condiment in my mind.
When I have bacon cooked, that’s a good option because it’s minimal protein that can be a vehicle for a ton of fat, but other than that which I don’t always have and don’t want to eat 3x a day at any rate, I get stuck